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.
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Gehenna
Who are we to fear?
Jesus said:
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy [G622 - appolumi, destroy, die, perish] both soul and body in hell [G1067 - gehenna].
Luk 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear Him, which after He has killed has power to cast into hell [G1067 - gehenna]; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.
Luke's account is the same as Matthew's but a shorter version.
From Matthew we learn that God is "able to destroy" our very soul in Gehenna. Note that it does not say that God will "kill the soul"... only destroy [G622 - appolumi] it.
Our personification is our soul. We each have our own individual soul, our own ego... it's our inner man.
The combination of our flesh (from the soil of the ground), breathed in to by God - His Spirit, create our soul... our inner being - us.
[G622 - appolumi] Destruction of our soul is not a wicked thing, but a good thing.
It is a good thing to lose (Greek: apollumi - destroy) our carnal soul for God's sake, and this destruction of the soul and flesh (carnality) for God takes place in Spiritual Gehenna.
Mat 10:39 He that finds his life shall lose [G622 - appolumi, destroy, die, perish... same Greek word as used above in verse 28] it: and he that loses his life for My sake shall find it.
Rom 8:13 For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.
Let's skip ahead to Matt 18...
Mat 18:8-9 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting [G166 - aionion, correct English translation - eonian (NOT everlasting!)] fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell [G1067 - gehenna] fire.
This is the very same teaching Jesus gave on the Mount, but we now have one additional factor.
The "Gehenna fire" of verse 9 is also called "eonian fire" in verse 8.
They are therefore one and the same.
Eonian fire is Gehenna fire and Gehenna fire is eonian fire.
This phrase "eonian fire" is found only one other time in Scripture:
Mat 25:41 Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting [G166 - aionion, English: eonian] fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
What is the eonian fire? We're working on this in my "Lake of Fire" blogs:
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire...
Ok... so now we're getting to a pivotal point.
Mat 18:8 is a pivotal Scripture in our understanding of Gehenna fire, everlasting fire, and The Lake of Fire.
The Spiritual Gehenna fire, is the very same eonian fire which are used to Judge Gods people - the House of God.
Then Jesus tells us it is also the very same fire that will be used to Judge Satan's messengers.
These messengers / angels of Satan are his "transformed" ministers:
2 Cor 11:14-15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed [G3345 - metaschematizo - disguised] into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if HIS ministers [G1249 - diakonos] also be transformed [G3345] as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Let's take a look at G1249 for moment... diakonos - "ministers". This is where we get our English word "deacon".
Directly from Strong's:
Probably from διάκω diakō (obsolete, to run on errands; compare G1377); an attendant, that is, (generally) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties); specifically a Christian teacher and pastor (technically a deacon or deaconess): - deacon, minister, servant.
Who might Satan's "ministers" be?
We don't have to guess... Paul just told us - ("his ministers") disguised as ("transformed into") "the ministers of righteousness".
The deceived clergymen of the Church...
MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH
Their "end shall be according to their works".
They will not be judged until the Resurrection to Judgment at the Great White Throne, and that Judgment is in The Lake of Fire after Christ's Millennial Reign on Earth at the second resurrection of the dead (unbelievers).
2 Pet 2:1-2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily [secretly] shall bring in destructive heresies [heretical doctrine], even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And MANY SHALL FOLLOW their pernicious [destructive] ways; by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of.
Again, I can't post this passage enough:
2 Tim 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they HEAP to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from The Truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Mat 24:4-5 And, answering, Jesus said to them, "Beware that no one should be deceiving you." For MANY shall be coming IN MY NAME, saying, 'I [Jesus] AM the Christ!' and shall be deceiving MANY."
Have no doubt... there are MANY that claim to come in the Name of Jesus - they even boldly proclaim that Jesus IS the Christ! What does it say? They shall DECEIVE MANY! They've done a pretty good job of deceiving it so far!
We now have it on the authority of Jesus Christ, that...
[1] Gehenna fire,
[2] eonian fire,
[3] and The Lake of Fire,
... are all the same Spiritual fire of God, seeing that "Our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29), and God does not change.
These fires ALL represent His Judgment!
Jesus says that Gehenna fire is eonian [G166 - aionion, eonian], NOT eternal as translated in our English Bibles.
The ministers of Satan will go into this eonian fire.
We only go through God's Gehenna/eonian fire for our eon, our life, our "age". A man's life is also an eon, his eon (his "age").
So eonian fire cannot be eternal, or we, God's chosen Elect, would go through Gehenna fire for all eternity. Since it is only a temporary fire for us, the very SAME fire can be only temporary for the rest of humanity as well.
_____________________________
On the very same occasion recorded in Mark 9, we have two more additions to this teaching: The mention of "their worms die not," and "everyone shall be salted with fire."
We already discussed the meaning of these worms earlier in this paper. But this added phrase of our Lord is very instructive.
Notice again that Jesus is speaking to His twelve apostles (Mark 9:35), not the multitudes.
So, when He states that, "everyone shall be salted with fire" in Verse 49, He is telling His Apostles that THEY will be salted with fire.
Hence this Gehenna fire cannot be eternal, but it is good, "Salt IS GOOD" (Verse 50).
This is admittedly a strange phrase, as technically we do not "salt" anything "with fire". It is kind of a play on words as much of Jesus words were!
As we salt food to bring out its best, so God will salt us with fire, to bring out our best. But once more, it is not eternal torture, it is temporary purification.
This is the same thing that the Old Testament priests were to do (see Lev 2:13 and Eze 43:24) with their animal sacrifices.
Salt is a symbol of purity and incorruption - in contrast to leaven and honey, which are symbols of corruption.
This is why Jesus calls His Saints, the salt of the earth!
Mat 5:13 You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Salt and fire are both enemies to corruption!
Salt prevents corruption, decay, and fire consumes it permanently!
__________________________
More later...
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
Who are we to fear?
Jesus said:
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy [G622 - appolumi, destroy, die, perish] both soul and body in hell [G1067 - gehenna].
Luk 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear Him, which after He has killed has power to cast into hell [G1067 - gehenna]; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.
Luke's account is the same as Matthew's but a shorter version.
From Matthew we learn that God is "able to destroy" our very soul in Gehenna. Note that it does not say that God will "kill the soul"... only destroy [G622 - appolumi] it.
Our personification is our soul. We each have our own individual soul, our own ego... it's our inner man.
The combination of our flesh (from the soil of the ground), breathed in to by God - His Spirit, create our soul... our inner being - us.
[G622 - appolumi] Destruction of our soul is not a wicked thing, but a good thing.
It is a good thing to lose (Greek: apollumi - destroy) our carnal soul for God's sake, and this destruction of the soul and flesh (carnality) for God takes place in Spiritual Gehenna.
Mat 10:39 He that finds his life shall lose [G622 - appolumi, destroy, die, perish... same Greek word as used above in verse 28] it: and he that loses his life for My sake shall find it.
Rom 8:13 For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.
Let's skip ahead to Matt 18...
Mat 18:8-9 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting [G166 - aionion, correct English translation - eonian (NOT everlasting!)] fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell [G1067 - gehenna] fire.
This is the very same teaching Jesus gave on the Mount, but we now have one additional factor.
The "Gehenna fire" of verse 9 is also called "eonian fire" in verse 8.
They are therefore one and the same.
Eonian fire is Gehenna fire and Gehenna fire is eonian fire.
This phrase "eonian fire" is found only one other time in Scripture:
Mat 25:41 Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting [G166 - aionion, English: eonian] fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
What is the eonian fire? We're working on this in my "Lake of Fire" blogs:
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire...
Ok... so now we're getting to a pivotal point.
Mat 18:8 is a pivotal Scripture in our understanding of Gehenna fire, everlasting fire, and The Lake of Fire.
The Spiritual Gehenna fire, is the very same eonian fire which are used to Judge Gods people - the House of God.
Then Jesus tells us it is also the very same fire that will be used to Judge Satan's messengers.
These messengers / angels of Satan are his "transformed" ministers:
2 Cor 11:14-15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed [G3345 - metaschematizo - disguised] into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if HIS ministers [G1249 - diakonos] also be transformed [G3345] as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Let's take a look at G1249 for moment... diakonos - "ministers". This is where we get our English word "deacon".
Directly from Strong's:
Probably from διάκω diakō (obsolete, to run on errands; compare G1377); an attendant, that is, (generally) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties); specifically a Christian teacher and pastor (technically a deacon or deaconess): - deacon, minister, servant.
Who might Satan's "ministers" be?
We don't have to guess... Paul just told us - ("his ministers") disguised as ("transformed into") "the ministers of righteousness".
The deceived clergymen of the Church...
MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH
Their "end shall be according to their works".
They will not be judged until the Resurrection to Judgment at the Great White Throne, and that Judgment is in The Lake of Fire after Christ's Millennial Reign on Earth at the second resurrection of the dead (unbelievers).
2 Pet 2:1-2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily [secretly] shall bring in destructive heresies [heretical doctrine], even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And MANY SHALL FOLLOW their pernicious [destructive] ways; by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of.
Again, I can't post this passage enough:
2 Tim 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they HEAP to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from The Truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Mat 24:4-5 And, answering, Jesus said to them, "Beware that no one should be deceiving you." For MANY shall be coming IN MY NAME, saying, 'I [Jesus] AM the Christ!' and shall be deceiving MANY."
Have no doubt... there are MANY that claim to come in the Name of Jesus - they even boldly proclaim that Jesus IS the Christ! What does it say? They shall DECEIVE MANY! They've done a pretty good job of deceiving it so far!
________________________________
We now have it on the authority of Jesus Christ, that...
[1] Gehenna fire,
[2] eonian fire,
[3] and The Lake of Fire,
... are all the same Spiritual fire of God, seeing that "Our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29), and God does not change.
These fires ALL represent His Judgment!
Jesus says that Gehenna fire is eonian [G166 - aionion, eonian], NOT eternal as translated in our English Bibles.
The ministers of Satan will go into this eonian fire.
We only go through God's Gehenna/eonian fire for our eon, our life, our "age". A man's life is also an eon, his eon (his "age").
So eonian fire cannot be eternal, or we, God's chosen Elect, would go through Gehenna fire for all eternity. Since it is only a temporary fire for us, the very SAME fire can be only temporary for the rest of humanity as well.
_____________________________
On the very same occasion recorded in Mark 9, we have two more additions to this teaching: The mention of "their worms die not," and "everyone shall be salted with fire."
We already discussed the meaning of these worms earlier in this paper. But this added phrase of our Lord is very instructive.
Notice again that Jesus is speaking to His twelve apostles (Mark 9:35), not the multitudes.
So, when He states that, "everyone shall be salted with fire" in Verse 49, He is telling His Apostles that THEY will be salted with fire.
Hence this Gehenna fire cannot be eternal, but it is good, "Salt IS GOOD" (Verse 50).
This is admittedly a strange phrase, as technically we do not "salt" anything "with fire". It is kind of a play on words as much of Jesus words were!
As we salt food to bring out its best, so God will salt us with fire, to bring out our best. But once more, it is not eternal torture, it is temporary purification.
This is the same thing that the Old Testament priests were to do (see Lev 2:13 and Eze 43:24) with their animal sacrifices.
Salt is a symbol of purity and incorruption - in contrast to leaven and honey, which are symbols of corruption.
This is why Jesus calls His Saints, the salt of the earth!
Mat 5:13 You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Salt and fire are both enemies to corruption!
Salt prevents corruption, decay, and fire consumes it permanently!
__________________________
More later...
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...
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