In each blog, I often reference many different topics that I've already covered (or will soon cover), and maybe you've missed. Please review my blogs to read more...
CLICK HERE! for an index to previous blogs.
Gehenna
In "Whence Hell?" (Introduction) I mentioned the different Hebrew and Greek words used in Scripture that were later translated into English as "hell".
This is going to be intentionally tedious for those of you that want to dig in. It's an important topic and I want to approach it in the same manner that I did when I first learned of this lie called "hell" and began to try and wrap my head around this idea.
The doctrine of hell had been so pounded into my mind, I couldn't believe what I was now learning and this all had to be "unpounded"... it took some time and wrestling - it was not easy.
I'll get to the Old Testament references (Hebrew) but thought it would be best to start with the New Testament references (Greek) first.
This part will start and deal with only Gehenna... following parts will deal with sheol / hades (since they are virtually identical) and tartaroo (only one reference in Scripture).
The first place that "hell fire" appears in the New Testament is in Mat 5:22.
This is Yeshua speaking:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca [G4469 - empty one, or worthless], shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Virtually all Bibles with a center reference will refer you to the marginal note on "hell" where it says, "Greek: Gehenna".
Gehenna is Greek for the Hebrew word "Hinnom" or "Valley of Hinnom" which is found outside the city walls of Jerusalem on the south side.
If we wanted to, we could literally take a stroll through "hell" in Jerusalem!
(You won't find any fire, or worms, no gnashing of teeth in Gehenna today... BUT - you WILL one day...)
It will be a LITERAL garbage dump again!
In the time of Christ's Ministry, and before, this valley was the Jerusalem city garbage dump and it will be again.
For centuries, as long as garbage was thrown into it (including carcasses), the fires kept burning and the worms which ate the garbage didn't die out - they kept reproducing, year after year.
During Yeshua's Millennial Reign... it will no longer be a city park.
It will become a garbage dump again! Guess where the carcasses of those who don't bend to His rule will be thrown?
Yeshua spoke of Gehenna fire (but never "hell" fire), and He reintroduces the Old Testament Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) into His New Testament teaching to introduce us to Spiritual lessons.
His use of this Old Testament symbol of evil, idol worship, and slaughter has nothing to do with the modern-day definition of a Christian hell.
Yeshua is speaking of something very literal and is using it in order to symbolically teach us something through PARABLES!
Just like He ALWAYS did!
He ONLY spoke in parables!
Mat 13:34 ALL these things spake Yeshua unto the multitude in parables; and WITHOUT a parable spake He NOT unto them:
Brief interlude...
Parables [G3850 - parabole, a symbolically fictitious narrative meant to convey a moral / Spiritual Truth]
Why did Yeshua use parables?
Mat 13:10-13 And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why speakest thou unto them ["them" = the crowds (multitudes) that followed Yeshua to hear His message] in parables?
He [Yeshua] answered and said unto them [Disciples], Because it is given unto YOU to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is NOT given.
For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has.
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing - see not; and hearing - they hear not, NEITHER do they understand.
Fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah:
Isa 6:9-10 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat [guess what happened??... see below], and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, AND CONVERT, and BE HEALED.
Was Isaiah's prophecy fulfilled? Yes... Yeshua is telling us so...
Mat 13:15-16 For this people's heart IS waxed gross [G3975 - fat, callous], and their ears ARE dull of hearing, and their eyes THEY have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, AND I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
At the time in which Yeshua introduced these parables - NOT EVEN His Disciples understood them!
So what did Yeshua often do?
Why, of course...
He would explain His parable with... another parable!
Which confused them even more...
Matt 13:36 ... Declare unto US [Disciples] the parable of the tares.
John 10:6 This parable spoke Yeshua unto them [Disciples]: but they understood not what things they were which He spoke unto them.
Mark 9:32 But they [Disciples] understood not ... and were afraid to ask Him.
John 8:27 They [Disciples] understood not that He spoke to them of the Father.
These parables confused them, until...
John 12:16 These things understood NOT His Disciples at the first: BUT when Yeshua was glorified [His resurrection!], then remembered they [Disciples] that these things were written of Him.
Joh 16:25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time comes, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.
until... His Resurrection!
Yeshua HAD to go away after His resurrection...
Why?
So that the Parakletos [Greek] could help them to understand... the same Parakletos that helps us today!
Joh 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another [G243 - different type] Comforter [G3875 - parakletos - Intercessor, Comforter, Consoler, Advocate], that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be IN you. I [Yeshua] will not leave you comfortless [G3737 - orphaned]: I will come to you.
Yeshua had to go away from them physically, in order that He could return to them Spiritually!
Yeshua IS our parakletos!
He said so Himself above!
"I will come to you".
Back to Gehenna now...
Why is Yeshua speaking of Gehenna fire?
Is He speaking literally, or is He trying to express a Spiritual matter through a parable?
I'll give you another example...
Yeshua said:
Mat 5:29-30 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 [G1067 -gehenna]. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, 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 [G1067 - gehenna].
Does Yeshua literally want you to pop your eyeball out and give it a toss?
Does Yeshua literally want you to chop off your right hand?
Does Yeshua literally want your whole body to be cast into the garbage dump?
Or - is He trying to make a point to us in His PARABLE?
Is this figurative language to get us to understand something more Spiritually important?
"without a parable spake He NOT" (Matt 13:34).
First, let's establish what Yeshua did NOT say...
Did Yeshua literally say...
"If your right eye offends you because you're looking (lusting) after another man's woman, repent of your lust and pop your eyeball out - go ahead, give it a toss, or God will cast you into hell fire to be tortured for all of eternity where the worms never die and the fire never will end and your teeth will be drawn to nubs because of gnashing"
Really?!
God would do that to any of His children because of lust?!
Mat 5:29-30 And if thy right eye offend [G4624 - entice to sin] thee...
Does the human eye, a physical organ, literally cause one to sin?
Or, is Yeshua speaking figuratively, through a parable?!
The eye does not cause sin... it's our carnal condition... it's our heart!
NOT our literal, physical blood-pumping heart!
If this passage was speaking literally, there should be millions, maybe billions / quad-trillions of one-eyed, left-handed Christians inhabiting this world, and throughout history attempting to save themselves from an eternal garbage dump of fire and worms otherwise known as Gehenna (hell)!
Don't even mention those who had no knowledge of this before we all had three or four Bibles in our desk drawer and a copy of e-sword on our phones!
Think about that!
Mar 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: ALL these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
"The lust of the eyes" itself is a figure of speech!
We physiologically "look" with our eyes, but the sin of lust comes from our carnal heart!
Again, not the blood-pumping organ of aortic veins!
Why then?!
Why is this literal, yet still figurative, garbage dump outside of Jerusalem suddenly transformed into a LITERAL hell-hole that fries unbelievers like bacon on a hot skillet for all of "eternity" (again... another stuffy guy word that doesn't exist in Scripture) while us believers watch on from Heaven with a bucket of popcorn in our laps as if we're watching a Saturday matinee?!
I'll tell you why! Stuffy guy!
How can this whole, so-called doctrine of hell be established on an argument from silence?!
Is there ONE passage, in ALL of Scripture, that literally describes this eternal hell-hole of misery and unending punishment for "unbelievers" that dictates this insanity?
NO! There's not!
Don't you think a loving Father would give us some kind of VERY LITERAL warning if such a place really existed?!
I would certainly warn my children.
You CANNOT find a literal warning of Christendom's definition of hell in the entirety of Scripture!
Don't you think that's something He would've explained to His children, in black and white, at the very front of our manual (Bible) if it were an issue?!
Instead, we get this blasphemous argument from silence - from Egyptian fables!
Satan doesn't change the entirety...
He just sticks in a little "white lie" here...
... a little change there (hoping nobody notices... I noticed Satan!)
... he softly, subtly, whispers into the ear of stuffy guy (and, all of us!)... in order to DEVOUR US!
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:
Satan deceives the WHOLE WORLD:
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which DECEIVES the whole world...
WHY?
So that he can USE man to create a detour away from the Father...
God CREATED and USES Satan as His adversary for this very purpose!
WHY?!
Isa 54:16 Behold, I [God, the Father] have created the smith [Satan] that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
Why would God do that?! Destroy what?!
1Co 5:4-5 ... to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh [carnality!], that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Yeshua.
We must learn as His children!
Did you know this?!
2Co 4:3-4 But if our Gospel be HID [wait, the Gospel is hid?], it is HID to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world [who is the god of this world? Satan] has blinded the minds of them which believe not, UNLESS the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Wait a minute... what?!
Are you telling me that God, the Father - created Satan, His adversary - to hide the Glorious Gospel of Yeshua?
Yes - I am.
Why?
It's a treasure... we must work to find it! It's a lifelong process!
Mat 13:44 Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides, and for JOY thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
I can't hide my treasure any longer. These blogs are mostly for my family, but if someone else is able to be blessed... I consider this my treasure - I want to share it with you.
Php 2:13 For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
What is God's good pleasure?
My good pleasure will be to see my children fully understand who their Heavenly Father IS - who Yeshua IS - and pass that on to their children, and their children's children.. for generations to come!
This is what our Heavenly Father intends for us!
1Co 13:13 And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; BUT the greatest of these is LOVE.
It is morally, and most of all Spiritually IMPOSSIBLE to LOVE if you wish this abominable doctrine of "hell" on any human being, throughout history... Yes - even the Hitler's of this world.
People hear this and they think... "you're an idiot... I'm not reading any more... How can God reconcile Hitler to Himself?!"
Paul said that he was the greatest sinner that has EVER lived (do we think Paul LIED?).
It took God about 3-4 SECONDS to save Paul.
God saved Paul in one flash of light!
Paul didn't WANT to be saved - he had no choice in the matter!
Paul wanted to go to Damascus and PERSECUTE AND SLAUGHTER CHRISTIANS-- that's what Paul wanted to do.
But God... there's that phrase... I love it!
"But God" had other plans for Saul/Paul. And so first He converted Paul.
That took about 3-4 seconds... who knows? Maybe even faster.
Then God told Paul what he ABSOLUTELY WOULD DO, and Paul immediately began to DO THEM.
How did Paul respond?
Act 9:6 And he [Paul] trembling and astonished said, LORD, what will You have me to do?
God intentionally hardened Pharoah's heart (Exodus 9:12) and many more examples throughout Scripture and history! See my "God is the Potter" blogs.
If God can create and use Satan - He can use the Hitler's of this world to bring glory to Himself and who are we to question His motives?
Do you really believe God can't reconcile a wimp like Hitler?
Is He unable to do what He said He will do? Give me a break!
Acts 17:31 Because He has appointed a day, in the which He shall JUDGE THE WORLD in righteousness by THAT MAN [Yeshua Christ] Whom He has ordained; whereof He has given ASSURANCE UNTO ALL MEN ['all'--that would be EVERYONE], in that He has raised Him from the dead.
Isa 26:9 For when Thy JUDGMENTS are in the earth the inhabitants OF THE WORLD WILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Judgment Day will "give ASSURANCE to ALL MEN (EVERY knee WILL bend, EVERY tongue WILL confess that Christ is LORD!"...
EVERY single man, woman, and child, that has inhabited this world... no exceptions. Even Hitler "WILL learn righteousness"!
1 Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who IS the Saviour of ALL men, especially of those that believe.
Why "especially of those that believe"?
Because believers are promised "eonian life" (you'll understand that more after reading my "Whence Eternity" blogs).
Gen 18:25 ... shall not the Judge of ALL the earth do right?
But who believes these Scriptures these days?
Whether you believe it, or not... God will be ALL in ALL!
1 Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son [Yeshua] ALSO Himself be subject unto Him [God, the Father] that put all things under Him [Yeshua], that God may be ALL in ALL.
It's not impossible to understand...
... IF you understand God's insurmountable LOVE and His plan.
We cannot even begin to understand unless we understand God's Plan and His Timeline... we can't even begin to understand the depth of what Yeshua has accomplished and what He has in store for ALL of humanity!
Seriously... there's not a single pulpit I know of...
And do you know why?
I have a pretty good idea thanks to Paul.
Last I checked, there are a little over 200 "Theological" colleges in America that crank out new young preachers full of hope and ideals.
The stuffy guys of this world helped create those colleges... also helped create the curriculum.
What do you think those colleges are teaching those fresh young minds?
Once they earn their shiny, new diploma, of which they frame and proudly hang behind their office desk, some are sent out into our neighborhoods as preachers to pass on their newfound, vast knowledge that has just been handed down to them in diploma form... the little people, the uneducated, need to be taught afterall!
Paul warned us... few are listening:
2Ti 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will NOT endure sound [G5198 - true] doctrine [G1319 - instruction]; but after their own lusts shall they HEAP [G2002 - accumulate] to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the TRUTH, and shall be turned unto fables [G3454 - fiction, myth].
This doctrine of "hell" may well have started as an Egyptian fable... I'll get to that when we cover the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna).
Some of these excerpts are from my personal notes copied from 30+ years of studying... some of these notes are direct copies of various sources - I do not claim to have authored every word of this... it's just a mass collection I've tucked away over the years for my own personal studies... I didn't consider a bibliography at the time I directly copied small excerpts from various authors. Also, any emphasis (underlines, bold text, all CAPS, etc.) noted above was only meant to capture my personal attention as I studied...
CLICK HERE! for an index to previous blogs.
Gehenna
In "Whence Hell?" (Introduction) I mentioned the different Hebrew and Greek words used in Scripture that were later translated into English as "hell".
This is going to be intentionally tedious for those of you that want to dig in. It's an important topic and I want to approach it in the same manner that I did when I first learned of this lie called "hell" and began to try and wrap my head around this idea.
The doctrine of hell had been so pounded into my mind, I couldn't believe what I was now learning and this all had to be "unpounded"... it took some time and wrestling - it was not easy.
I'll get to the Old Testament references (Hebrew) but thought it would be best to start with the New Testament references (Greek) first.
This part will start and deal with only Gehenna... following parts will deal with sheol / hades (since they are virtually identical) and tartaroo (only one reference in Scripture).
The first place that "hell fire" appears in the New Testament is in Mat 5:22.
This is Yeshua speaking:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca [G4469 - empty one, or worthless], shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Virtually all Bibles with a center reference will refer you to the marginal note on "hell" where it says, "Greek: Gehenna".
Gehenna is Greek for the Hebrew word "Hinnom" or "Valley of Hinnom" which is found outside the city walls of Jerusalem on the south side.
If we wanted to, we could literally take a stroll through "hell" in Jerusalem!
(You won't find any fire, or worms, no gnashing of teeth in Gehenna today... BUT - you WILL one day...)
It will be a LITERAL garbage dump again!
In the time of Christ's Ministry, and before, this valley was the Jerusalem city garbage dump and it will be again.
For centuries, as long as garbage was thrown into it (including carcasses), the fires kept burning and the worms which ate the garbage didn't die out - they kept reproducing, year after year.
During Yeshua's Millennial Reign... it will no longer be a city park.
It will become a garbage dump again! Guess where the carcasses of those who don't bend to His rule will be thrown?
Yeshua spoke of Gehenna fire (but never "hell" fire), and He reintroduces the Old Testament Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) into His New Testament teaching to introduce us to Spiritual lessons.
His use of this Old Testament symbol of evil, idol worship, and slaughter has nothing to do with the modern-day definition of a Christian hell.
Yeshua is speaking of something very literal and is using it in order to symbolically teach us something through PARABLES!
Just like He ALWAYS did!
He ONLY spoke in parables!
Mat 13:34 ALL these things spake Yeshua unto the multitude in parables; and WITHOUT a parable spake He NOT unto them:
Brief interlude...
Parables [G3850 - parabole, a symbolically fictitious narrative meant to convey a moral / Spiritual Truth]
Why did Yeshua use parables?
Mat 13:10-13 And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why speakest thou unto them ["them" = the crowds (multitudes) that followed Yeshua to hear His message] in parables?
He [Yeshua] answered and said unto them [Disciples], Because it is given unto YOU to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is NOT given.
For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has.
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing - see not; and hearing - they hear not, NEITHER do they understand.
Fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah:
Isa 6:9-10 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat [guess what happened??... see below], and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, AND CONVERT, and BE HEALED.
Was Isaiah's prophecy fulfilled? Yes... Yeshua is telling us so...
Mat 13:15-16 For this people's heart IS waxed gross [G3975 - fat, callous], and their ears ARE dull of hearing, and their eyes THEY have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, AND I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
At the time in which Yeshua introduced these parables - NOT EVEN His Disciples understood them!
So what did Yeshua often do?
Why, of course...
He would explain His parable with... another parable!
Which confused them even more...
Matt 13:36 ... Declare unto US [Disciples] the parable of the tares.
John 10:6 This parable spoke Yeshua unto them [Disciples]: but they understood not what things they were which He spoke unto them.
Mark 9:32 But they [Disciples] understood not ... and were afraid to ask Him.
John 8:27 They [Disciples] understood not that He spoke to them of the Father.
These parables confused them, until...
John 12:16 These things understood NOT His Disciples at the first: BUT when Yeshua was glorified [His resurrection!], then remembered they [Disciples] that these things were written of Him.
Joh 16:25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time comes, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.
until... His Resurrection!
Yeshua HAD to go away after His resurrection...
Why?
So that the Parakletos [Greek] could help them to understand... the same Parakletos that helps us today!
Joh 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another [G243 - different type] Comforter [G3875 - parakletos - Intercessor, Comforter, Consoler, Advocate], that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be IN you. I [Yeshua] will not leave you comfortless [G3737 - orphaned]: I will come to you.
Yeshua had to go away from them physically, in order that He could return to them Spiritually!
Yeshua IS our parakletos!
He said so Himself above!
"I will come to you".
1Jn 2:1 LSB My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [G3875 - parakletos] with the Father, Yeshua Christ the righteous;
Why is Yeshua speaking of Gehenna fire?
Is He speaking literally, or is He trying to express a Spiritual matter through a parable?
I'll give you another example...
Yeshua said:
Mat 5:29-30 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 [G1067 -gehenna]. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, 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 [G1067 - gehenna].
Does Yeshua literally want you to pop your eyeball out and give it a toss?
Does Yeshua literally want you to chop off your right hand?
Does Yeshua literally want your whole body to be cast into the garbage dump?
Or - is He trying to make a point to us in His PARABLE?
Is this figurative language to get us to understand something more Spiritually important?
"without a parable spake He NOT" (Matt 13:34).
First, let's establish what Yeshua did NOT say...
Did Yeshua literally say...
"If your right eye offends you because you're looking (lusting) after another man's woman, repent of your lust and pop your eyeball out - go ahead, give it a toss, or God will cast you into hell fire to be tortured for all of eternity where the worms never die and the fire never will end and your teeth will be drawn to nubs because of gnashing"
Really?!
God would do that to any of His children because of lust?!
Mat 5:29-30 And if thy right eye offend [G4624 - entice to sin] thee...
Does the human eye, a physical organ, literally cause one to sin?
Or, is Yeshua speaking figuratively, through a parable?!
The eye does not cause sin... it's our carnal condition... it's our heart!
NOT our literal, physical blood-pumping heart!
If this passage was speaking literally, there should be millions, maybe billions / quad-trillions of one-eyed, left-handed Christians inhabiting this world, and throughout history attempting to save themselves from an eternal garbage dump of fire and worms otherwise known as Gehenna (hell)!
Don't even mention those who had no knowledge of this before we all had three or four Bibles in our desk drawer and a copy of e-sword on our phones!
Think about that!
Mar 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: ALL these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
"The lust of the eyes" itself is a figure of speech!
We physiologically "look" with our eyes, but the sin of lust comes from our carnal heart!
Again, not the blood-pumping organ of aortic veins!
Why then?!
Why is this literal, yet still figurative, garbage dump outside of Jerusalem suddenly transformed into a LITERAL hell-hole that fries unbelievers like bacon on a hot skillet for all of "eternity" (again... another stuffy guy word that doesn't exist in Scripture) while us believers watch on from Heaven with a bucket of popcorn in our laps as if we're watching a Saturday matinee?!
I'll tell you why! Stuffy guy!
How can this whole, so-called doctrine of hell be established on an argument from silence?!
Is there ONE passage, in ALL of Scripture, that literally describes this eternal hell-hole of misery and unending punishment for "unbelievers" that dictates this insanity?
NO! There's not!
Don't you think a loving Father would give us some kind of VERY LITERAL warning if such a place really existed?!
I would certainly warn my children.
You CANNOT find a literal warning of Christendom's definition of hell in the entirety of Scripture!
Don't you think that's something He would've explained to His children, in black and white, at the very front of our manual (Bible) if it were an issue?!
Instead, we get this blasphemous argument from silence - from Egyptian fables!
Satan doesn't change the entirety...
He just sticks in a little "white lie" here...
... a little change there (hoping nobody notices... I noticed Satan!)
... he softly, subtly, whispers into the ear of stuffy guy (and, all of us!)... in order to DEVOUR US!
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:
Satan deceives the WHOLE WORLD:
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which DECEIVES the whole world...
WHY?
So that he can USE man to create a detour away from the Father...
God CREATED and USES Satan as His adversary for this very purpose!
WHY?!
Isa 54:16 Behold, I [God, the Father] have created the smith [Satan] that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
Why would God do that?! Destroy what?!
1Co 5:4-5 ... to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh [carnality!], that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Yeshua.
We must learn as His children!
Did you know this?!
2Co 4:3-4 But if our Gospel be HID [wait, the Gospel is hid?], it is HID to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world [who is the god of this world? Satan] has blinded the minds of them which believe not, UNLESS the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Wait a minute... what?!
Are you telling me that God, the Father - created Satan, His adversary - to hide the Glorious Gospel of Yeshua?
Yes - I am.
Why?
It's a treasure... we must work to find it! It's a lifelong process!
Mat 13:44 Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides, and for JOY thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
I can't hide my treasure any longer. These blogs are mostly for my family, but if someone else is able to be blessed... I consider this my treasure - I want to share it with you.
Php 2:13 For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
What is God's good pleasure?
My good pleasure will be to see my children fully understand who their Heavenly Father IS - who Yeshua IS - and pass that on to their children, and their children's children.. for generations to come!
This is what our Heavenly Father intends for us!
1Co 13:13 And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; BUT the greatest of these is LOVE.
It is morally, and most of all Spiritually IMPOSSIBLE to LOVE if you wish this abominable doctrine of "hell" on any human being, throughout history... Yes - even the Hitler's of this world.
People hear this and they think... "you're an idiot... I'm not reading any more... How can God reconcile Hitler to Himself?!"
Paul said that he was the greatest sinner that has EVER lived (do we think Paul LIED?).
It took God about 3-4 SECONDS to save Paul.
God saved Paul in one flash of light!
Paul didn't WANT to be saved - he had no choice in the matter!
Paul wanted to go to Damascus and PERSECUTE AND SLAUGHTER CHRISTIANS-- that's what Paul wanted to do.
But God... there's that phrase... I love it!
"But God" had other plans for Saul/Paul. And so first He converted Paul.
That took about 3-4 seconds... who knows? Maybe even faster.
Then God told Paul what he ABSOLUTELY WOULD DO, and Paul immediately began to DO THEM.
How did Paul respond?
Act 9:6 And he [Paul] trembling and astonished said, LORD, what will You have me to do?
God intentionally hardened Pharoah's heart (Exodus 9:12) and many more examples throughout Scripture and history! See my "God is the Potter" blogs.
If God can create and use Satan - He can use the Hitler's of this world to bring glory to Himself and who are we to question His motives?
Do you really believe God can't reconcile a wimp like Hitler?
Is He unable to do what He said He will do? Give me a break!
Acts 17:31 Because He has appointed a day, in the which He shall JUDGE THE WORLD in righteousness by THAT MAN [Yeshua Christ] Whom He has ordained; whereof He has given ASSURANCE UNTO ALL MEN ['all'--that would be EVERYONE], in that He has raised Him from the dead.
Isa 26:9 For when Thy JUDGMENTS are in the earth the inhabitants OF THE WORLD WILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Judgment Day will "give ASSURANCE to ALL MEN (EVERY knee WILL bend, EVERY tongue WILL confess that Christ is LORD!"...
EVERY single man, woman, and child, that has inhabited this world... no exceptions. Even Hitler "WILL learn righteousness"!
1 Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who IS the Saviour of ALL men, especially of those that believe.
Why "especially of those that believe"?
Because believers are promised "eonian life" (you'll understand that more after reading my "Whence Eternity" blogs).
Gen 18:25 ... shall not the Judge of ALL the earth do right?
But who believes these Scriptures these days?
Whether you believe it, or not... God will be ALL in ALL!
1 Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son [Yeshua] ALSO Himself be subject unto Him [God, the Father] that put all things under Him [Yeshua], that God may be ALL in ALL.
It's not impossible to understand...
... IF you understand God's insurmountable LOVE and His plan.
We cannot even begin to understand unless we understand God's Plan and His Timeline... we can't even begin to understand the depth of what Yeshua has accomplished and what He has in store for ALL of humanity!
Seriously... there's not a single pulpit I know of...
And do you know why?
I have a pretty good idea thanks to Paul.
Last I checked, there are a little over 200 "Theological" colleges in America that crank out new young preachers full of hope and ideals.
The stuffy guys of this world helped create those colleges... also helped create the curriculum.
What do you think those colleges are teaching those fresh young minds?
Once they earn their shiny, new diploma, of which they frame and proudly hang behind their office desk, some are sent out into our neighborhoods as preachers to pass on their newfound, vast knowledge that has just been handed down to them in diploma form... the little people, the uneducated, need to be taught afterall!
Paul warned us... few are listening:
2Ti 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will NOT endure sound [G5198 - true] doctrine [G1319 - instruction]; but after their own lusts shall they HEAP [G2002 - accumulate] to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the TRUTH, and shall be turned unto fables [G3454 - fiction, myth].
This doctrine of "hell" may well have started as an Egyptian fable... I'll get to that when we cover the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna).
Some of these excerpts are from my personal notes copied from 30+ years of studying... some of these notes are direct copies of various sources - I do not claim to have authored every word of this... it's just a mass collection I've tucked away over the years for my own personal studies... I didn't consider a bibliography at the time I directly copied small excerpts from various authors. Also, any emphasis (underlines, bold text, all CAPS, etc.) noted above was only meant to capture my personal attention as I studied...
