Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Hell and the Lake of Fire; Intermediate and Eternal

These words were spoken to the DISCIPLES
Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out,
and cast it from thee:
for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish,
 and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

A dear soul sent me this link to a lengthy article here:
https://www.../essay/hell-as-endless-punishment/
and asked, what I think of it.

The opening paragraph of the article reads:

DEFINITION
Hell is a place of eternal, conscious torment for everyone who does not trust in Jesus Christ. Hell involves final separation from God’s mercy and from God’s people, unending experience of divine judgment, and just retribution for sin.

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My response in a few words:

There are several errors in the introductory paragraph.

1. This is a basic failure to make the biblical distinction between hell and the lake of fire.
- Revelation 20:14 KJT “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
- If hell is emptied and cast into the lake of fire, it is just stupid (i.e. lacking common sense) to equate the two!
- With this foundational failure, the whole essay built upon it is flawed.

2. Hell is everlasting but not eternal
a. Hell is not eternal but temporal; that which is everlasting lasts as long as time lasts; at the end of time, hell shall deliver/surrender up all its captives to Him who holds the keys of death and of hell.
- Hell shall be EMPTY then, with NO ONE in it; it is game over for hell; that shall be the end of hell.
- Revelation 20:13 KJT “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”
- Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire ONLY AFTER they had delivered/surrendered up their captives to Him that holds the keys over them. Why?
- Why weren't death and hell cast into the lake of fire together with all their captives? There are Christ's redeemed in BOTH of them.

b. Revelation 1:18 KJT “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” 
- This is great news for the redeemed, especially those who by their own foolishness, negligence and disobedience, ended up in hell during their intermediate state (between their death and their resurrection to glory.) Death and hell shall be eternally removed from the redeemed – both were cast into the lake of fire.
- Do remember all the solemn warnings addressed to the disciples calling them to take drastic measures to deal with personal sins, to avoid hell. Many warnings of hell by the Lord Jesus were directed at His own disciples. (Mt 5:22, 29,30; 10:28; 18:9; Mk 9:43-48; Lk 12:4-5.) Why address these solemn warnings to His own disciples if there was no possibility of them ending up in hell?
- However, there isn’t a single warning to the disciples against the lake of fire. Why?
- The emptied hell, with NO ONE in it anymore, shall be cast into the lake of fire. Rev 20:14. This is game over for hell; it is game over for death too – all its captives are surrendered up to be resurrected too, some to eternal glory in heaven, the rest to eternal dishonour in the lake of fire.

3. "Hell is a place of eternal, conscious torment for everyone who does not trust in Jesus Christ..."
- This statement assumes that every single elect will be able to hear the gospel and be brought to trust in Jesus Christ; that people go to hell (i.e. lake of fire) because they do not trust in Jesus Christ.

BUT the Scriptures express what the author wants to say in these words, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Rev 20:15. The ONE reason why people end up in the Lake of Fire is because they have NOT BEEN redeemed by Christ; their names are not in the Lamb's Book of Life. 

There are those whom Christ has redeemed who are incapable of being outwardly called by the gospel to faith in Jesus Christ (1689.10.3) - "so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word."

BUT many Reformed folks deny that there are such persons; they are convinced that every elect will hear the gospel and be brought to faith in Jesus Christ. But they have just contradicted their Confession of Faith! According to the author, those whom Christ has redeemed and the Father effectually called to grace and salvation in Jesus Christ but are incapable of being outwardly called to faith ARE ALSO DAMNED to the author’s eternal hell (lake of fire).

That is, their entrance into heaven is conditioned upon the human works of preaching, and hearing, and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. And they still insist their salvation is by grace ALONE! Sigh. 

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