Snippets from the hard copy Universal Reconciliation library of rodger

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Ps. 119:37: You are righteous, O Yahweh, And Your judgments are upright.

Is. 26:9: With my soul I yearn for You in the night. Indeed, with my spirit within me I will seek You early. For as a light are Your judgments to the earth, the dwellers of the habitance learn righteousness.

Ro. 11:33: O, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

Ro. 12:20, 21: But "If your enemy should be hungering, give him the morsel; if he should be thirsting, give him to drink, for in doing this you will be heaping embers of fire on his head." Be not conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Heb. 2:14: Since, then, the little children have participated in blood and flesh, He also was very nigh by partaking of the same, that, through death, He should be discarding him who has the might of death, that is, the Adversary

Song 8:6: Place me like a seal upon your heart, Like a seal upon your arm, For love is strong as death, Its jealousy hard as the unseen, Its burning coals as burning coals of fire, The blaze of Yah.

Is God's love as strong as the second death, or is death stronger than God's love and wisdom? Was Christ's death sufficiently powerful to discard the might of death, or will millions remain dead forever? Is God good enough to fully conquer evil, or will He give up on total victory and be satisfied with a "strategic superiority"? Is the jealousy of God equal to the power of the unseen, or will the unseen hold many of His creatures for eternity?

“Face to Me and be saved, all the limits of the earth, for I am El, and there is none else. By Myself I swear. From My mouth fares forth righteousness, and My word shall not be recalled. For to Me shall bow every knee, and every tongue shall acclaim to Elohim. Yea, in Yahweh, He says to me, is righteousness and strength. Unto Him shall come all ashamed, who are hot against Him. In Yahweh shall they be just…” Is. 45:22-25.

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#49 - THE TRUE BASIS OF REDEMPTION – A.P. ADAMS

“God says He will reconcile all; the whole creation shall ultimately be delivered, and every created thing shall finally praise God (Revelation 5:13).

The point that I wish the reader especially to note is that the final accomplishment of this purpose of God depends on Himself, and not on man. The creature may fail, the Creator never fails; and no amount of blunders, mistakes, failures or perversions of the creature shall disarrange or thwart the plans of the Creator. This is the true basis of redemption.”

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“It is decidedly unlike either man or God to put out of existence those who are lost. There is not a line of encouragement for this idea in God's Word. God commends His love to us in that He gave His Christ while we were still sinners. Our Lord spoke the parable of the lost sheep in order to assure His disciples that God was more concerned about one sheep that had strayed than ninety-nine that were in the fold. There is no line that the sinner crosses that brings him beyond the reach of God. Neither life nor death, neither a career of sin, nor a moldering corpse is any obstacle to divine love. Nay, they are challenges, which Omnipotence must meet or suffer defeat. No death, either first or second, can cope with our God, or frustrate His purpose.

Everyone who has ever lost anything will bear me witness that, the moment it is missing, it assumes an interest, an importance, which it never had before. Its value increases and we desire it more than ever. Its loss, instead of breaking our connection with it, forges a new link, which did not exist before. This becomes tragically true when we lose a loved one. Loss alone brings a realization of the preciousness of possession. So let us never imagine that God is not concerned about the lost, that He is insensible to their doom, or that He would sit complacently by and see them rush on to eternal oblivion if He could do anything to head them off. There are a million ways in which we could do this if we had but a tithe of His power. He is able.

God is love, and all of His creatures are dear to Him. Is it not striking that He does not even seem to try to express His affection until they are lost? Whom does God love? He undoubtedly loves all. Whom does He say that He loves? God loves the world, and sinners, and His enemies, and those who were lost. It takes destruction to open the sluice gates of the divine feelings. This it is which makes contact between God's love and His creatures' hearts. In His wisdom He has decreed that many shall be lost to Him until the end of the eonian times (for ever and ever). Men, who are often compelled to abandon an enterprise, which proved too much for their powers, imagine that He also is balked and unable to save the vast majority, or being able, He does not care. This basic error has so vitiated the minds of men that they have corrupted the Scriptures to uphold it.”

A snippet from ALL IN ALL by ADOLPH E. KNOCH

http://www.lighthouselibrary.com/read.php?sel=2586&searchfor=

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The Power of God vs. the Bulwarks

`Ah, Lord Yahweh, lo, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power, and by Your stretched-out arm; there is nothing too wonderful for You

Jeremiah 32:17 (CLV)

For not ashamed am I of the evangel, for it is God's power for salvation to everyone who is believing - to the Jew first, and to the Greek as well.

Romans 1:16 (CLV)

For the word of the cross is stupidity, indeed, to those who are perishing, yet to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18 (CLV)

-The word of the cross is God’s power for salvation to those who are being saved.

that your faith may not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:5 (CLV)

-God’s power with regard to salvation knows no limits. Matt. 19:25, 26. The limits of theology are but human wisdom. Phil. 2:9-11; 1 Cor. 12:3; Ro. 10:13; Col. 1:15-20; 1 Tim. 4:9-11; 2:1-6; Ro. 11:32; Is. 45:22-25; Acts 4:12; Titus 2:11; 2 Cor. 5:14; 1 Cor. 15:20-28; Ro. 6:7; 5:18,19; 5:15; 4:25; Heb. 2:9.

thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power.

1 Corinthians 15:24 (CLV)

-At that point the power of opposition, of obstinancy, of rebellion, will have been broken.

For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful to God toward the pulling down of bulwarks

2 Corinthians 10:4 (CLV)

-If the weapons of our warfare, in our mortality, are powerful for pulling down bulwarks, can God, Creator of all that is, immune from sin and death, and infinite in power, pull down the bulwark of the second death? Does God “Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4) succeed, or does He fail? Lk. 19:10; Mt. 18:14; Jn. 12:32.

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Sodom & Gomorrah

“And Yahweh rains on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulphur and fire from Yahweh, from the heavens.” “And gazing is he on the surface of Sodom and Gomorrah and on all the surface of the land of the basin, and is seeing, and behold! Up go the fumes of the land as the fumes of a limekiln. And coming is it, as Yahweh Elohim wrecks all the cities of the basin, remembering also is the Elohim Abraham and is sending Lot from the midst of the overturning when Yahweh overturns the cities in which Lot dwelt.” Gen. 19:24, 28, 29. So the cities of the basin experienced the divine judgment of sulphur and fire, creating fumes as of a limekiln. God wrecked and overturned those cities. There were no survivors. Is. 1:9; Jer. 49:18; 50:40; Lk. 17:29; Ro. 9:29. Jude 7- “As Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner to these committing ultra-prostitution, and coming away after other flesh, are lying before us, a specimen, experiencing the justice of fire eonian.” “…an example for those about to be irreverent” 2 Pt. 2:6. Can there be any hope of restoration? “I overturn among you as Elohim overturned Sodom and Gomorrah, and you are becoming as a wooden poker rescued from the burning…” Amos 4:11. “Therefore, Living am I, (averring is Yahweh of hosts, the Elohim of Israel), for: Moab shall become as Sodom, and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah: A tenancy of prickly acanthus, and salt diggings, and a desolation till the eon.” Zeph. 2:9. So the judgment of Sodom was “fire eonian”, compared to becoming “a desolation until the eon”. “…a fire you have kindled in Mine anger, Unto the eon it does burn.” Jeremiah 17:4. Will God's anger burn forever? “And I have made to them a covenant of peace, A covenant eonian it is with them, And I have placed them, and multiplied them, And placed My sanctuary in their midst-- to the eon.” Ezekiel 37:26 Is God's sanctuary there now? "To the eon" does not mean "forever"; neither does “eonian”, for that adjective comes from “eon” (age). Obviously, the fire in Sodom has gone out; there’s a body of water there now. Concerning the restoration of Sodom, as mentioned in Eze. 16, see http://www.tentmaker.org/books/SpiritOfTheWord/021Sodom.htm

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#50 - THE SAVIOUR OF ALL MANKIND - JOSEPH KIRK, WILLIAM C. REBMANN, DEAN HOUGH, AND JAMES CORAM

“To know the true and living God ‘out of Whom all is’ 1Cor. 8:6, is to recognize that His purpose for His creatures can only be loving, wise, righteous, and good.

To know Jesus Christ, ‘through Whom all is’ 1Cor. 8:8, is to know that God’s purpose cannot fail. Shall we who know Him and have had ours eyes opened to the glorious triumph of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ sit idly by and let reproach be heaped upon His Name without protesting?

Think how the teaching of endless punishment slanders God and Jesus Christ! We know Christ died for all (1Tim. 2:6). Does God lack the goodness, the power, the love, the grace to save all? God declares that judgment is eonian; man says it is everlasting. Let us believe God and not man.”

Joseph Kirk

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“…I seemed to catch a fresh and clearer revelation of the depth of the misery that had been caused to human beings by sin. It was more than I could bear. I clenched my hands and cried out in my soul, "O, God, how canst Thou bear it? Thou mightest have prevented it, but didst not. Thou mightest even now change it, but Thou dost not. I do not see how Thou canst go on living, and endure it." I upbraided God. And I felt I was justified in doing so. Then suddenly God seemed to answer me. An inward voice said, in tones of infinite love and tenderness, "He shall see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied." "Satisfied!" I cried in my heart, "Christ is to be satisfied! He will be able to look at the world's misery, and then at the travail through which He has passed because of it, and will be satisfied with the result; If I were Christ, nothing could satisfy me but that every human being should in the end be saved, and therefore I am sure that nothing less will satisfy Him." And with this a veil seemed to be withdrawn from before the plans of the universe, and I saw that it was true, as the Bible says, that "as in Adam all die-even so in Christ should all be made alive." As was the first, even so was the second. The "all" in one case could not in fairness mean less than the "all" in the other. I saw therefore that the remedy must necessarily be equal to the disease, the salvation must be as universal as the fall.

I saw all this that day on the tram-car on Market street, Philadelphia -- not only thought it, or hoped it, or even believed it--but knew it. It was a Divine fact. And from that moment I have never had one questioning thought as to the final destiny of the human race. God is the Creator of every human being, therefore He is the Father of each one, and they are all His children; and Christ died for every one, and is declared to be "the propitiation not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). However great the ignorance therefore, or however grievous the sin, the promise of salvation is positive and without limitations. If it is true that "by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation," it is equally true that "by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." To limit the last "all men" is also to limit the first. The salvation is absolutely equal to the fall. There is to be a final "restitution of all things," when "at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." Every knee, every tongue- words could not be more embracing. The how and the when I could not see; but the one essential fact was all I needed- somewhere and somehow God was going to make every thing right for all the creatures He had created. My heart was at rest about it forever.

I hurried home to get hold of my Bible, to see if the magnificent fact I had discovered could possibly have been all this time in the Bible, and I had not have seen it; and the moment I entered the house, I did not wait to take off my bonnet, but rushed at once to the table where I always kept my Bible and Concordance ready for use, and began my search. Immediately the whole Book seemed to be illuminated. On every page the truth concerning the "times of restitution of all things" of which the Apostle Peter says "God Hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began," shone forth, and no room was left for questioning. I turned greedily from page to page of my Bible, fairly laughing aloud for joy at the blaze of light that illuminated it all. It became a new book. Another skin seemed to have been peeled off every text, and my Bible fairly shone with a new meaning. I do not say with a different meaning, for in no sense did the new meaning contradict the old, but a deeper meaning, the true meaning, hidden behind the outward form of words. The words did not need to be changed, they only needed to be understood; and now at last I began to understand them.”

A snippet from The Unselfishness of God and How I Discovered It

By Hannah Whitall Smith

http://www.tentmaker.org/books/unselfishness-of-god.htm

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#51 - SAVIOUR OF ALL MANKIND - JOSEPH KIRK, WILLIAM C. REBMANN, DEAN HOUGH, AND JAMES CORAM

“Regarding the argument that if the punishment of the unbelievers has an end, then the life of the believers has an end also at the end of the ages.

But life cannot end at that time because death is abolished (1Cor. 15:26). The life of the eons ends when all are vivified at the end or consummation of the eons (1Cor. 15:24).

Life itself, however, continues on interminably.”

“Regarding the argument that in 2Cor. 4:18 eonian must mean eternal because it is set in contrast with the word temporal meaning enduring for time as opposed to eternity.

But the Greek word translated temporal has no connection with the word for time; it is literally ‘toward season,’ and means temporary or for the era. In this passage eonian is used in contrast between our afflictions which last for a brief season, and our promised long enduring eonian glory, which lasts until all opens out into the glorious consummation when God become All in all.”

William C. Rebman

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The breadth and length and depth and height

Isaiah 53:11: “…My righteous Servant shall justify many, and with their depravities shall He be burdened.” Who are the ‘many’? Verse 12: “…He bore the sin of many, and for transgressors is making intercession.” Jesus bore the sin of many, for He tasted death for the sake of everyone. Heb. 2:9. How do we know that Christ’s death justified all mankind? 2 Cor 5:14: “For the love of Christ is constraining us, judging this, that, if One died for the sake of all, consequently all died.” We all died with Christ on the cross, and one who dies has been justified from sin. Ro. 6:7. When Christ died, God was conciliated with mankind. 2 Cor. 5:19; Ro. 5:10. Because mankind was justified, Christ rose from the dead. Ro. 4:25. So all that remains is for our stubbornness to be nullified, in each heart. At that point, reconciliation occurs. Reconciliation is a two-way street, a mutual harmonization. God is “not intending any to perish, but all to make room for repentance.” 2 Pt.3:9.

So, how does reconciliation occur? It is God who operates in us to will. Phil. 2:9; Romans 3:11, 12. Jesus said, “No man can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” Jn. 6:44. Therefore, salvation “is not of him who is willing, nor of him who is racing, but of God, the Merciful.” Ro. 9:16. Got prefers some to be saved now for a demonstration of His grace during the oncoming eons. Eph. 1:5, 6: “in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus; in accord with the delight of His will, for the laud of the glory of His grace, which graces us in the Beloved”. 2 Thes. 2:13: “Now we ought to be thanking God always concerning you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, seeing that God prefers you from the beginning for salvation, in holiness of the spirit and faith in the truth”. We who believe are “the vessels of mercy, which He makes ready before for glory” Ro. 9:23. Paul says, “Consequently, then, to whom He will, He is merciful, yet whom He will, He is hardening…Or has not the potter the right over the clay, out of the same kneading to make one vessel, indeed, for honor, yet one for dishonor?” Ro. 9:18, 21. So, God has chosen to divide humanity into two main groups, which is further explained in 1 Tim 4:9-11: “Faithful is the saying and worthy of all welcome (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers. These things be charging and teaching.” God is the Savior of all mankind, but especially of the vessels of mercy, who receive the gift of eonian life during the two oncoming eons (the eons of the eons, often mistranslated ‘forever and ever’). This is what God wants us to be teaching. In Ro. 11:13, Paul declares, “Now to you am I saying, to the nations, in as much as, indeed, then, I am the apostle of the nations, I am glorifying my dispensation”. See Gal. 2:7-9. Paul called himself the dispenser of the gospel for the Body of Christ, “in accord with the administration of God, which is granted to me for you, to complete the word of God” Col 1:25.

In Acts 20:27, Paul is recorded as saying, “under no circumstances do I shrink from informing you of the entire counsel of God.” Did Paul inform us of the danger of ‘eternal death’? No, not at all. Did he warn us to shun ‘annihilation’. No, to the contrary. Paul mentions ‘fire’ six times in his letters: Romans 12:20; 1 Corinthians 3:13, 15; 7:9; 2 Corinthians 11:29; 2 Thessalonians 1:8. (It seems highly unlikely that the apostle of the nations would have penned the letter to the Hebrews.) Paul mentions ‘destruction’ five times. In Ro. 9:22, he speaks of “the vessels of indignation, adapted for destruction”. God so adapts them because He wants “to display His indignation and to make His powerful doings known”. Phil 1:28 is similar; the next verse reminds us that our salvation is of God, our faith being graciously granted to us by our Savior. ‘Consummation’ in Phil. 3:19 could easily be misinterpreted as a final state, if taken in isolation. When we read verse 21, however, we see that Christ is able to subject all to Himself. Paul mentions the son of destruction in 2 Thes. 2:3. In 1 Tim. 6:9 he warns, “Now, those intending to be rich are falling into a trial and a trap and the many foolish and harmful desires which are swamping men in extermination and destruction.” Yet we know from Matt. 19:24-26 that this is not an obstacle to God; there are no limits on His power to save. Extermination and destruction, like chastising, fire, sin and death, are limited to the eons; they are all temporary. In 2 Thes. 1:9, Paul mentions “the justice of eonian extermination”. That ‘eonian’ does not mean endless is readily apparent; in Ro 16:24-26 we read, “Now to Him Who is able to establish you in accord with my evangel, and the heralding of Christ Jesus in accord with the revelation of a secret hushed in times eonian, yet manifested now…” In Jude 7 we read of the eonian fire which fell upon Sodom, which fire is no longer burning. Paul uses the word ‘destroy’ twice, in Ro 14:15 and 1 Cor. 1:19. See also 1 Cor. 5:5; 10:10; 1 Thes. 5:3. If one were to claim that Paul taught annihilation, it would have to be supported by the above texts from his epistles, and one would have to somehow harmonize ‘eternal death’ with all his references to the salvation of all.

Jesus will be satisfied with the fruits of His sacrifice. Is. 53:11. What will it take for this to happen? We know that God “wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth.” 1 Tim. 2:4. We know it’s not His will that even one should perish. Matt. 18:14. So we can be sure that God and Christ would not be satisfied if even one soul were eternally lost. How many has He promised to draw to Himself? Everyone; all creation will be reconciled. Jn. 12:32; Phil. 2:9-11; Ro. 10:13. God will one day be All in all (1 Cor. 15:20-28). To complete this goal, He will, in His grace, use “His Body, the complement of the One (Christ) completing the all in all.” Eph. 1:23. God will “…reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him [Christ], whether those on the earth or those in the heavens.” Col. 1:19, 20.

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#52 - SAVIOUR OF ALL MANKIND - JOSEPH KIRK, WILLIAM C. REBMANN, DEAN HOUGH, AND JAMES CORAM

“What was done cannot be undone. The work of God and the obedience of Christ on Golgotha is not something conditional on whether or not we believe it or respond to it or prepare ourselves for it. It has already happened, and its effects are unstoppable. The consequence of the obedience of Christ is that every descendant of Adam will be constituted righteous. When Christ died, God was there in Him conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offences to them (2Cor. 5:19). Peace is not made by us; it is made by God in the death of His Son. And now God is entreating through us that this peace might be recognized and enjoyed (2Cor. 5:20).”

Dean Hough

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God’s Delight

“Say unto them, I live--an affirmation of the Lord Yahweh, I delight not in the death of the wicked, But--in the turning of the wicked from his way…” Ezekiel 33:11

“…He does not hold fast His anger for the future. For He delights in kindness.” Micah 7:18

“And a voice came out of the heavens, "Thou art My Son, the Beloved; in Thee I delight.” Mark 1:11 (There are at least six similar references in Matthew, Luke and 2 Peter.)

“Now, when it delights God, Who severs me from my mother's womb and calls me through His grace” Galatians 1:15.

“Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, foremost of whom am I.” 1 Tim. 1:15. God delights to save the foremost of sinners, through His grace.

“for in Him the entire complement delights to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens.” Col. 1:19, 20. Verse 16 further describes the ‘all’ in question.

“making known to us the secret of His will (in accord with His delight, which He purposed in Him) to have an administration of the complement of the eras, to head up all in the Christ - both that in the heavens and that on the earth” Ephesians 1:9, 10. The complement of the eras is further described in 1 Cor. 15:24-28. Once all is headed up in Christ, He will subject Himself to God, that the Father might be All in all. This universal reconciliation is God’s delight, and “All that Yahweh delights He does, In the heavens and on earth, In the seas and every abyss” Ps. 135:6.

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#53 - SAVIOUR OF ALL MANKIND - JOSEPH KIRK, WILLIAM C. REBMANN, DEAN HOUGH, AND JAMES CORAM

“The use of ‘forever and ever’ instead of the accurate rendering ‘for the eons of the eons,’ is a gross mistranslation. Most translators simply lacked the insight to see the point of many of the passages that speak of the eons. Since they were able, however, to make sense of these passages by translating by ‘everlasting’ or ‘eternal,’ they simply went ahead and did so, any resultant problems notwithstanding. Due to a lack of sensible thinking it was impossible for them to face the fact that the usual translations of this word are quite mistaken and extremely harmful!”

James Coram

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Repetition- Dwelling on a Point

Mark 12:36 (CLV)

“For he, David, said, in the holy spirit, 'Said the Lord to my Lord, "Sit at My right, Till I should be placing Thine enemies for a footstool for Thy feet."” (Ps. 110:1).

Luke 20:43 / Acts 2:35 (CLV)

“Till I should be placing Thine enemies for a footstool for Thy feet.”

Hebrews 1:13 (CLV)

“Now to which of the messengers has He declared at any time, "Sit at My right, till I should be placing Thine enemies for a footstool for Thy feet"?”

Hebrews 10:13 (CLV)

“waiting furthermore till His enemies may be placed as a footstool for His feet.”

After Israel’s prophets repeatedly mention this topic, it is through Paul, the apostle for the nations, that God reveals the details for our learning. In Ephesians 1:8-11, Paul speaks of the secret of God’s will, to head up all in Christ, in the complement of the eras. That era is when all Christ’s enemies will have been subjected, as Paul reveals in his first letter to the Corinthians. “For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy is being abolished: death. For He subjects all under His feet. Now whenever He may be saying that all is subject, it is evident that it is outside of Him Who subjects all to Him. Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.” 1 Cor. 15:25-28. Paul names one of Christ’s enemies; death. It will be His final enemy, and death will be abolished. Think about it: God will be All in all, because even as in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified (verse 22). Because of Adam’s failure, we all inherit mortality. Because of Christ’s success, we all inherit immortality. Now, if death is to be abolished for those who, in Adam, inherited mortality, and death is Christ’s last enemy, is the second death His last enemy, or not? God names it “death”, for that it will be. He also promises to abolish it. Just as all Christ’s enemies are brought into subjection to Him, so also will Christ subject Himself to His Father. 1 Cor. 15:28. “Who will transfigure the body of our humilation, to conform it to the body of His glory, in accord with the operation which enables Him even to subject all to Himself.” Phil 3:21; compare with 1 Cor. 15:22, 26, 27. Because Christ was obedient, even unto the death of the cross, God highly exalts Him, “and graces Him with the name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father.” Phil 2:9-11. Let us believe this Good News!

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“Annihilation” Annihilated

With one verse alone the SDA theory falls to shreds. “And the Adversary who is deceiving them was cast into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the wild beast and where the false prophet are also. And they shall be tormented day and night for the eons of the eons.” Revelation 20:10. Those who hold to the theory of “annihilation” contend that Satan is consumed in the lake of fire, ceasing to exist before the new earth begins. Yet the text is plain: he will be tormented during TWO eons; what remains of the “millennial” eon (which lasts a little over 1,000 years), and the final eon on the new earth. Likewise, we are told of those who “shall be reigning for the eons of the eons.” Rev. 22:5. That they shall be reigning on the new earth is apparent- Rev. 21:24. Likewise, Satan will be alive (and in torment) during the final eon. Mistranslating “eons of the eons” as “forever and ever” solves nothing; it only feeds the vile theory of eternal torment, while generating considerable confusion. As for those vessels of indignation who are cast into the lake of fire near the end of the millennial eon, for them that lake is the second death. Yet they are not annihilated; their part is in that lake during the final eon- Rev. 21:8. They are not described as “nonexistent”, rather, they are described as being outside the holy city- Rev. 22:15. They will be dead until death is abolished at the consummation of the eons. Tomorrow, Lord willing, I will post concerning the consummation.

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#54 - ETERNAL TORMENT OR UNIVERSAL RECONCILIATION – A.E. KNOCH

By way of introduction Knoch wrote

“In this little handbook we tear away the false traditions of Christendom first. Then we remove the dark cover which philosophical mistranslations have laid over God’s Book. With these gone all that is necessary is to read God’s message to us more carefully, and its overwhelmingly glorious solution of this vexed problem illuminates our minds and flood our hearts with exultant joy and praise and adoration to the God of all grace and glory.”

Then, by way of conclusion at the end of His book Knoch wrote

“We have considered the traditions of Christendom which darken this subject and found them unscriptural. My love to God and my admiration have increased unutterably since I have seen that He is not the defeated fiend of Christendom, but is fully able to cope with evil and sin, and bind them all to the chariot wheels of love. All His attributes, including holiness, and righteousness, serve in the livery of love. Adored be His Name!”

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When is the Consummation?

Does Christ abolish death at His second coming? Definitely not, and here’s the evidence:

“For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy is being abolished: death.” 1 Cor. 15:25, 26. Yet we know that death is cast into the lake of fire 1,000 years after Christ’s second coming. Rev. 20:14. And the lake of fire is the second death. So to claim that death is abolished at the second coming is untenable. First, Christ must be reigning until all His enemies are subjected; then death will be abolished. Yet we know that Satan will still be in rebellion against God at the end of the 1,000 years. Rev. 20:7-10. We’re also told that Christ will be reigning until “He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power. For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet.” 1 Cor. 15:24, 25. Yet we know that there will be kings on the new earth, after the 1,000 years have ended- Rev. 21:24; 22:5. So it is obvious that all sovereignty and all authority will not yet have been nullified, nor will death have been abolished. Rev. 21:8. 1 Cor 15:22-25: “For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified. Yet each in his own class: the Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ's in His presence; thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power.” All are dying in Adam, or through Adam, in his act of disobedience at the tree of knowledge. All are vivified (made immortal) in Christ, or through Christ, in His act of obedience- the death of the tree or cross. But mankind isn’t all vivified at once; we’re divided into classes. The first class is Christ, when He rose from the dead. The second class is “those who are Christ's in His presence”. “Thereafter the consummation” of vivification, for the third class remains; those who are not Christ’s at His presence. They also died in Adam, and they are included in vivification, as Paul clearly states in Ro. 5:18, 19. So we know there will be kings on the new earth; all authority will not yet have been nullified. We also know that the second death will still exist at that time; death will not yet have been abolished. “And the Adversary who is deceiving them was cast into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the wild beast and where the false prophet are also. And they shall be tormented day and night for the eons of the eons.” Rev. 20:10. So Satan will obviously still be alive long after Christ returns; he will still be in torment in the final eon, that of the new earth. And death is not abolished until all is subject to Christ- 1 Cor. 15:25-27. From Rev. 2:26, 27 and 12:5 we know that Christ will be shepherding all the nations with an iron club. This will occur after His second coming- Rev. 19:15. When Christ returns, loud voices in heaven will say, “The kingdom of this world became our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall be reigning for the eons of the eons!” Rev. 11:15. Therefore it is impossible that the second coming be “the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father” 1 Cor. 15:24; Rev. 22:1. The consummation can only occur after “the complement of the eras” described in Eph. 1:8-11; after the eons of the eons; that is, after the 1,000 years and the final eon on the new earth. Only then will death be abolished. Col. 1:20.

[rodgertutt]

#55 - CREATION, REDMPTION AND THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS – GEORGE R. HAWTIN

“Before the last age is over, every knee in heaven and in earth and under the earth will have bowed to Christ, and every tongue will have confessed to God that He is Lord to the glory of God (Phil. 2:10). ‘In the name of Jesus’ (literal translation) signifies much more than is implied by the simple use of the Name in speech. According to the idiom it signifies ‘in the very nature of Jesus,’ and as no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 12:3), we know that there will be no hypocritical confession, nor will there be any confession by compulsion, but a true confession of Christ by every creature in the universe, and that to the glory of God the Father.”

[rodgertutt]

#56 - EONIAN - EVERLASTING OR AGE-LASTING – GRACE H. TODD

“That the expression ‘the eons of the eons’ (forever and ever, KJV) cannot mean an endless successions of eons is clearly revealed by comparing Rev. 11:15 with 1Cor. 15:24-28. In Rev. 11:15 our Lord is said to reign ‘for the eons of the eons’ but in 1Cor. 15 His reign is said to end. He does not reign ‘for ever and ever’ though He does reign for the eons of the eons.”

[dialoguewithus]

“The doctrine of annihilation, when thoroughly analyzed, is not to be found in the languages of the Bible. Unfortunately, most best-selling Bible translations, due to the allegiance by the translators to the traditions of their forefathers, teach all three views: annihilation, eternal torment, and the reconciliation of all mankind. This has caused many people much grief and has perplexed many theologians to make statements like this one from a leading scholar, Dr. C Rider Smith:

"In the earlier chapter, it has been shown that the New Testament teaches everlasting punishment. On a review of the whole evidence, therefore, it follows that throughout the book there are two doctrines which to the human mind are irreconcilable; the doctrine of Universalism and the doctrine there are those who will not be saved. It is then to be concluded that on this subject there are two doctrines in the New Testament which cannot be both true, or if the right conclusion that here there are two doctrines that are both true, though the mind of man cannot reconcile them." (The Bible Doctrine of the Life Hereafter, page 258 by Dr. C. Rider Smith)

If one stays within the English of the best-selling Catholic and Protestant Bibles and remains objective, one must come to the above conclusion. However, if one digs deeper, through a little search into the meaning of a few key words such as "eternal," "destroy," "lose," "perish," we will discover there is no inconsistency throughout the scriptures regarding the fate of mankind. We can be assured that our Omnipotent, Omniscient, Loving, Just, Wise Father knows exactly what He is doing and He is doing all His good pleasure.”

A snippet from Eternal Death (Conditional Immortality, Annihilation):

One Step Out of Hell; One Step Short of Glory By Gary Amirault

http://www.tentmaker.org/books/EternalDeath.html

Just as the one sin of Adam was sufficient to condemn us to mortality, the merits of Christ’s sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf, and free the race from condemnation.

[dialoguewithus]

Foreknowledge, Predestination, and Predictive Prophecy

“…this which is written must be accomplished…” Lk. 22:37. See Jn. 13:18 and Acts 1:16.

The claim that God doesn’t predestine, but only foreknows, changes nothing, really. Events without a cause cannot be foreseen, nor foretold. An event which God foresees will occur, must occur; there can be no doubt about that. Whatever the causes might be, there is no uncertainty. So a foreseen event and a predestined event would not differ in this regard.

On the other hand, we have the theory called “free will”. Free will events, according to the theory, never have to occur, and it can never be said with certainty that they will occur. Therefore, free will events are the opposite of prophesied events; the two theories are antithetical, and one must be false. Since foreknowledge is scriptural, free will must be mythical.

Ro. 8:20, 28-30.

Isaiah 26:12 (CLV)

“Yahweh, our Elohim, You are the Setter of welfare on the hearthstones for us, for, moreover, all our doings You do contrive for us.” See Rev. 17:17.

[rodgertutt]

#57 - THE PROBLEM OF EVIL – JOHN H. ESSEX

“All creation remains within the care and keeping of its Creator. The vessels which become marred never leave the hand of the Potter; they are marred while still in His hand. The lesson that was taught Jeremiah (Jer. 18:4), though to be interpreted as relating to Israel, nevertheless embodies a principle which is sustained throughout the whole outworking of God’s purpose. He holds all in the hollow of His hand, and though He may allow, and even cause, some of His creatures to temporarily turn away from Him, He never lets them go. That is why Paul can write in Romans 8:20, ‘For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation that the creation itself , also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

[Samie]

Universal Reconciliation (or Atonement) is Scriptural. Everyone was was saved and forgiven from all sins. This happened at the cross:

Quote:

Romans 5:10-11

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

NASB Colossians 2:13-14

13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

What is NOT Scriptural is the claim that ALL will ultimately inherit life eternal. This is one of the reasons why many professed Christians live ungodly lives because they believe 'No matter what they do, heaven is their home.'

Scriptures explicitly states that only overcomers - those who have overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21) - will not be blotted out from the book of life (Rev 3:5). Only those whose names remain in the book of life can enter heaven and inherit life eternal (Rev 21:27). All others will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15).

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself had proclaimed that when He comes again He will reward each one according to what each has done (Matt 16:27; Rev 22:12). Paul expounded on what each person is to receive: eternal life for the righteous; wrath of God for the wicked:

Quote:

NASB Romans 2:5-11

5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

6 who will render to every man according to his deeds:

7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;

8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,

10 but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

11 For there is no partiality with God.

In Christ our Savior & Righteous Judge,

Samie

[dialoguewithus]

Concordant Literal Version, Romans 2:7, 8:

"to those, indeed, who by endurance in good acts are seeking glory and honor and incorruption, life eonian; yet to those of faction and stubborn, indeed, as to the truth, yet persuaded to injustice, indignation and fury"

Ro 9:18-23:

"Consequently, then, to whom He will, He is merciful, yet whom He will, He is hardening. You will be protesting to me, then, "Why, then, is He still blaming? for who has withstood His intention? O man! who are you, to be sure, who are answering again to God? That which is molded will not protest to the molder, "Why do you make me thus? Or has not the potter the right over the clay, out of the same kneading to make one vessel, indeed, for honor, yet one for dishonor? Now if God, wanting to display His indignation and to make His powerful doings known, carries, with much patience, the vessels of indignation, adapted for destruction, it is that He should also be making known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He makes ready before for glory"

Ro. 5:18, 19:

"Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for life's justifying. For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just."

Reconciliation, The Newbury House Dictionary: "An agreement made after an argument or fight. The two friends had a reconciliation after they disagreed, and now they are friends again."

Col. 1:15-20:

"Who is the Image of the invisible God, Firstborn of every creature, for in Him is all created, that in the heavens and that on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities, all is created through Him and for Him, and He is before all, and all has its cohesion in Him. And He is the Head of the body, the ecclesia, Who is Sovereign, Firstborn from among the dead, that in all He may be becoming first, for in Him the entire complement delights to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens. And you, being once estranged and enemies in comprehension, by wicked acts, yet now He reconciles" Please notice that "now" God reconciles the vessels of mercy; at the consummation God reconciles the vessels of indignation.

1 Pt. 2: 7, 8:

"To you, then, who are believing, is the honor, yet to the unbelieving: "A Stone which is rejected by the builders, this came to be for the head of the corner, and a stumbling stone and a snare rock; who are stumbling also at the word, being stubborn, to which they were appointed also."

2 Thes. 3:2:

"and that we should be rescued from abnormal and wicked men, for not for all is the faith."

1 Cor. 15:22, 28:

"For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified." "Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all."

"This is one of the reasons why many professed Christians live ungodly lives because they believe 'No matter what they do, heaven is their home.'" -The eternal hellfire folks often put it something like this: "This is one of the reasons why many professed Christians live ungodly lives because they believe 'No matter what they do, annihilation is the worst that can befall them.'" Nevertheless, what concerns me isn't what people claim, or even what misuse some might make of God's grace; what concerns me is 'What is true?'

Truth is, death will be abolished, and the lake of fire is the second death.

[dialoguewithus]

Samie,

Have you noticed in Rev. 22:15 that the vessels of indignation are described as being outside the New Jerusalem? Don't you find it interesting that they are still mentioned, since they already entered the lake of fire? What about the fact that Satan will be in torment while the saints enjoy the new earth? Rev. 20:10. Interesting, in my opinion. What about the common claim that we are all condemned in Adam, automatically, through no choice of our own, due to the power of his disobedience, but that we are not freed from condemnation unless we make the proper choice(s), since Christ's obedience is apparently not as powerful as Adam's disobedience? Does it strike you as odd that we are saved gratuitously (without cause in us) in His grace, and He wills all to be saved, and yet He ("permanently???") designates some as vessels of indignation, since "not for all is the faith (2 Thes. 3:2)", and God is "unable to save all" because our will is "more powerful than His"?

[Samie]

...

Nevertheless, what concerns me isn't what people claim, or even what misuse some might make of God's grace; what concerns me is 'What is true?'

Truth is, death will be abolished, and the lake of fire is the second death.