Salvation, Hell, and Resurrection

SALVATION, HELL, AND RESURRECTION

12-8-2016

The Source of Salvation
No one can save another person. A Gospel messenger may offer another individual information concerning the Gospel message; answer any scripture question a person may ask; or even explain the overall New Covenant concept of salvation through faith but they cannot bestow salvation upon that person. Only God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can bequeath salvation to anyone, regardless of the scriptural knowledge of that particular individual.

A person may have several theology degrees, with a vast knowledge of the Bible, and believe many scriptural New Testament concepts, but that will not elicit salvation which is only possible when a person receives the Holy Spirit through an act of God.

James 2:19 NET You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that — and tremble with fear.

Some preachers boast concerning the amount of people THEY have saved. They haven’t saved anyone and those people may not be saved. Many people come forward at the end of a church service and claim they have asked Jesus into their heart; or claim they believe in Jesus Christ, or the Gospel message but that doesn’t automatically grant them salvation if they have not been infilled with the Holy Spirit sent by the power and authority of God.

Signs of Salvation
Follow the laws of God. Does that mean every law written in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy? No it actually doesn’t. Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” and the contents of Matthew 5, 6, and 7 will make you a follower of Christ and the Kingdom of God. It is vitally important that an individual align themselves with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

The Ten Commandments could also be included except for the controversy of the weekly Sabbath. Should it be the Jewish Saturday or the Roman Church’s Sunday? If a person needs to work or provide for their family, it doesn’t matter. Some may have a different opinion, but rigidly adhering to a Sabbath day ritual is not important or necessary.

Matthew 12:8 NET For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

Mark 2:27-28 NET Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. (28) For this reason the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."

Luke 6:5 NET Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

Jesus said, “take up your cross and follow Me”. That is not a literal statement. It means that one should live their life with the mind of Christ, i.e. love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as you love yourself, which is the essence of the law of God. One should be willing to die rather than reject Christ, and they must live their life as Jesus taught even if the penalty is death. This has resulted in some being killed or even crucified but purposely dying is not necessary to prove one’s salvation – only if one is called to do so.

Matthew 10:38-39 NET And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (39) Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life because of me will find it.

There Is No Hell
Regardless of the many myths, opinions, teachings, and misunderstandings, there is no place called Hell where people are eternally tormented with fire. There are various scriptural reasons for this particular interpretation, such as: the parable of Lazarus and the rich man; the lake of fire in the Revelation; various references in Daniel – 7:9 his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire; and several others.

What I have learned is that God is spiritually pictured as fire and His imminence may indeed be some type of fire that we are not familiar with. Fire represents the righteous judgment of God. Fire, from a human understanding, is the essence of God.

Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Exodus 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy 4:36 Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.

Psalms 104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

Matthew 3:11 "I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am — I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Acts 2:3 And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them.

There are over 500 instances of the word “fire” in the KJV. Many of them refer to actual fire as we know it, such as the fire of a burnt offering. It may be noted that burnt offerings to God are prepared with actual fire as spiritually symbolic of the fire of God. God perhaps receives things through His fiery essence which must be spiritually symbolized by actual fire when offered by an earthly person such as an Old Testament priest.

Paul writes in the book of Romans that an enemy who hungers should be given food and drink. This action will place coals of fire on his head. These are not actual hot coals which would burn as torture, but the righteous judgment of God as a spiritual symbol to that person.

Romans 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

At the White Throne Judgment which occurs at the end of the Millennium, all works will be judged by the “Fire” of God, which again, is God’s righteous judgment. The specific type of His just sentencing is not communicated within scripture but it will be correctional not torturous. All will learn the ways of God and His laws.

1 Corinthians 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

The Revelation is the only book of the Bible containing the term “lake of fire”. Daniel contains the phrase “streams of fire” but not a lake, although the streams of Daniel may perhaps be considered to flow into a lake as described by John.

The beast from the sea and the beast from the earth (false prophet) will both be placed into the lake of fire (for remediation perhaps?). In addition, this lake will be “burning with brimstone”. Brimstone can be and has been used to elicit death and torture, however, brimstone was used for purification during John’s time.

Revelation 19:20 KJV And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

The “brimstone” (KJV, NASB), is actually sulfur (or Sulphur). The Greek word is theon, which, according to Thayer’s Lexicon, means: “divine incense, because burning brimstone was regarded as having power to purify and to ward off contagion.”

When John wrote the Revelation, sulfur, or brimstone, was thought of as a divine purification agent. The metaphor did not elicit pictures of a prison where men were tortured by fire, but a temple where men were purified by “divine incense” from burning sulfur. Thus, John uses “fire and sulfur” to indicate that men would be judged by God’s law (fire) including sulfur for the purpose of divine purification, or correction, so that they could be “saved so as through fire” according to Paul.

1 Corinthians 3:15 KJV If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The devil or Satan will also be placed into the lake of fire which will include brimstone.

Revelation 20:10 KJV And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented (scrutinized and examined) day and night for ever (an age) and ever (an age).

Most Bible version have mistranslated the Greek word “aion” as forever with the understanding of being eternal or without an end. Young’s literal version has it translated as “to the ages of the ages” which is more accurate without the sense of eternal or endless.

At some point after the millennial reign of Christ and the overcomers (see later) death and hell will be done away with. Hell is merely the state of death awaiting a resurrection.

Revelation 20:14 KJV And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

The location of the souls of the dead are only hinted but not fully explained. Revelation 6:9 says that some souls (perhaps all) are under the altar of God in the heavenly dimension.

Revelation 6:9 NET Now when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given.

At the second resurrection, the most obstinate, non-Christian, or basically heathen types (more information below), will also be placed into the righteous judgment of the lake of fire for remediation and redemption.

Revelation 20:15 KJV And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The law of God is pictured as a fire in Deut. 33: 2, “from his right hand went a fiery law for them”. Later in 33:3 it is stated, ” Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand”. The fiery law and the saints, who are filled with the fire of God, are both in His right hand.

The Lord God is a God of justice and love. He is not a God of torture and eternal punishment.

There are Two Resurrections
Ancient Israel had three major harvests. The first was the barley harvest, followed later by the wheat harvest, and the last was the grape harvest. The barley harvest was always prefigured with a wave sheaf offering of barley to determine if the harvest was ready to begin. Jesus Christ as the first to be resurrected was and is the wave sheaf offering. Some may ask, “what about Enoch and Elijah?” They were not resurrected and their final destination is questionable.

The barley harvest symbolizes the first resurrection which will only consist of a certain group of people, both dead and alive, who will function as the priests, leaders, and administrators of the millennial government of Jesus Christ.

This first resurrection will not include everyone calling themselves a Christian or member of a church group. It will only be those people living the life style of Jesus Christ, who totally believe that God is in complete control of all things and events, and have received an anointing of the Holy Spirit as the people of the Pentecost event that was witnessed in the book of Acts. This group is referred to as the overcomers or the elect.

Revelation 3:12 KJV Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God……..

Greene’s literal and Young’s literal versions translate as “overcomes” while several other versions use the word “conquers”.

The second resurrection occurs at the end of the Millennium and these people will appear before the White Throne Judgment. Revelation 20:4 describes the first resurrection group who are the overcomers and verse 20:5 states that the rest of the dead, nominal Christians and non-Christians, who were not resurrected at the beginning of the Kingdom of God but only at the end of the 1000 year Millennium. The last sentence of verse 5 (This is the first resurrection) is referring to the overcomers in verse 4 and not to the “rest of the dead” which are the nominal Christians and non-Christians.

Revelation 20:4-5 KJV And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (5) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

The second resurrection which takes place, within a parallel time frame, at the Great White Throne Judgment could actually be considered to be two separate groups or two sub-groups which will include the wheat harvest (nominal Christians) and the grape harvest (non-Christians).

Revelation 20:11-12 KJV And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Eternal destiny is not at issue in this judgment but rather that of eternal reward. This judgment is not designed to determine entrance into the kingdom of God but blessing, status, and authority within it. The lake of fire is not a hell-fire of eternal punishment but the righteous disciple and training of God. God is pictured as a type of fire throughout the scriptures. God’s fire burns the dross and leaves the metal as pure.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 KJV Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

The nominal believers will find their names written in the book of life and will be justified with a certain amount of stripes (spiritually symbolic). One with the knowledge of the expectations of Jesus with many stripes (symbolic) and the unaware with only a few stripes (again symbolic).

Luke 12:47-48 KJV And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. (48) But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

John 5:28-29 NET "Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice (29) and will come out — the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation.

The procedure of the first resurrection is merely an educated guess. Those dead will appear first, followed by the living overcomers. Scripture states they will appear with the Lord in the air. To be in the air means they will not be in the ground. If they are standing on dirt, they are in the air. The overcomers, both past and present, are envisioned to be taken briefly to the dimension of heaven in a similar manner as the new Israelite priests were taken into the tent for eight days during the tabernacle ceremony. Afterwards, they will be placed into various leadership positions in the earth.

The basically American group of dispensational, pre-tribulational, rapturists who mistakenly believe the people calling themselves Jews of the modern nation of Israel and around the world are the descendants of the ten tribes of Israel and Judah will be highly disappointed and possibly confused. The majority will not be raptured (Latin transliteration of the Greek harpazo which defines as “caught up”); there will be no world ruler known as the “antichrist”; there will be no seven year tribulation period; and the Gog-Magog invasion of Israel has already occurred during the 1930’s and 40’s and continues today.

Universal Reconciliation
Universal reconciliation is the concept that every person, entity, and object created by God will be reconciled to God. Everyone will be resurrected to receive correction and training in the ways and laws of God. It may take a few thousand years but everyone will acknowledge and accept the laws of God. Every knee will willingly bow and worship God as the Lord of creation. That doesn’t mean every knee will bow immediately before they are sent to hell.

Isaiah 45:23 NET I solemnly make this oath — what I say is true and reliable: 'Surely every knee will bow to me, every tongue will solemnly affirm;

Romans 14:11 NET For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God."

Philippians 2:9-11 NET As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, (10) so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — in heaven and on earth and under the earth — (11) and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.