Part 1… Eternal Salvation
There are so many Christian denominations which all proclaim to have the right interpretation of the Bible, which helps one see, not all can be right at the same time about that claim. It is also true that many of them are right on many things.
So this is when the Bible becomes so dear. Knowing the Bible IS THE WORD OF GOD it helps settle all the controversies, which is why it is so important to have a good knowledge of Scripture.
It is important to be skeptical & to always ask WHY? So don't cling to any Bible “interpretation” or doctrines, you may have, if you are shown or find Scriptures which prove something different to what you believe, as Paul wrote... 1Co 8:2 And if any man thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 1Th 5:21 Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.
I am not claiming to have the correct interpretation of the Bible about everything, but I am saying to you: First ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what He meant when He inspired these passages that I am sharing with you, then read these Scriptures, use whatever Bible translation you like best, and better yet compare different translations & look at the original writings, & then, let the Spirit lead you into what is His!
Personally I like to read all the text from where Scriptures are being taken, just to see the full view in consideration, that's good to do as well. Please bear with me if I sound a little over explicative or my letter is too long.
Part 1... Eternal Salvation
Mat 7:11 … If you then, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him?
- Beautiful Bible passages that illustrate the amazing Love of God for us & the Eternal Life He promised us!
1Jn 4:7-11 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
God DOESN'T lose children. If I were God, all powerful & loving & have not the capacity to lead my children to safety then I wouldn't be that perfect, or would I? Do you think God the Father would ask us to do something He couldn't do Himself?
Look, He inspired Paul to write that the Leader must 1Ti 3:4-5 ruling his own house well, having children in subjection with all honor.(For if a man does not know to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Would He required this from us if He couldn't do it Himself?
Then … John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.
Eph 1:3-14 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Rom 8:28-34… and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers. But whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, those He also justified. And whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Truly He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he condemning? It is Christ who has died, but rather also who is raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Rom 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Col 1:12-17 giving thanks to the Father, who has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
FOR HE HAS DELIVERED US FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS AND HAS TRANSLATED US INTO THE KINGDOM OF HIS DEAR SON; IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE REMISSION OF SINS; who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of all creation. For all things were created in Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.
John 6:40… And this is THE WILL OF HIM that sent me, THAT EVERY ONE WHICH SEES THE SON, AND BELIEVES ON HIM, MAY HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE: and I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.
Phil 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that HE WHO HAS BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFECT IT UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST...
Those are overwhelming promises about the REALITY OF ETERNAL SALVATION for God's Children. No room for doubt!
- Okay but: Are there not plenty of Scriptures about Hell. What about them?
Well, the Bible says clearly that not all living human beings are Children of God.
Jesus told the Jewish religious leaders... John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Mat 13:24-30 The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, an enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, No; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Later on Jesus explained the parable.
37-43 He that sows the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father; who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The Scripture talking about those who will worship the Antichrist says: Rev 13:8 and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
So as we can read in those Scriptures, God's Children have been chosen before the foundation of the world.
So Hell is: everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels & his children. Mat 25:41
Part 2… The Judgments
Now, there are plenty of admonitions in God's Word with the guidelines, we God's Children are to follow, for there will be a judgment with rewards & recompenses.
In the Scriptures, We can read about what clearly seems to be three different Judgments;
1 Judgment of the Saints
Even though the Bible indicates that a man is judged after his/her death, Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment. Those who were & are saved by Grace & who believed & confess Christ as Lord & Savior will appear before the throne of Christ & there are plenty of Scriptures that speak of having to do so. Which will most surely be held right after the “Rapture”...
Mat 24:31 And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 1Th 4:16-17 For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord.
Psa 1:5-6 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Notice the ungodly will not stand in judgment in the congregation of the righteous.
Luk 21:36 Watch therefore, praying in every season that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall occur, and to stand before the Son of Man.
2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to that which he has done, whether good or bad.
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
1Co 3:13-15 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
If our works fail to pass the fiery test we will suffer loss, but we of course are still Sons of God saved forever.
1Jn 4:17 In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, even so are we in this world.
We read that the Lord Jesus took to Heaven with Him all the Saints who had died before He first came to Earth as a man. This happened when He was raised from the dead, all those Children of God who had not yet gone up to Heaven, because they were waiting for Jesus, in Paradise, to redeemed mankind, then Jesus took them with Him up to Heaven.
See, Jesus himself was sent to the prisons beneath the Earth 1Pe 3:18-20 For Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, indeed being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit; in which also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, those who had disobeyed, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared (in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water);
Eph 4:8-10 Therefore He says, "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men." (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same also as He who ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)
So we see that Jesus went, right after his death, into Paradise, Luk 23:43 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” So the very same day after they both died in Calvary, later on they met in Paradise, where Abraham & all other saints were waiting for Him. But we know that Jesus also went into Hades, a prison, also a place of torment, which is not the same as Hell which is the Lake of Fire, & it was there that He witnessed to the spirits in prison. Both places Paradise & Hades are in the lower parts of the Earth. Remember Lazarus could see Paradise from Hades, Luk 16:23. After Jesus’ resurrection, He ascended up on high & He led captivity captive to Heaven. Remember Jesus told Mary Magdalene Jn 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Another amazing fact is that all of us Christians, were also risen with Jesus when He was risen from the dead & are sitting with Christ in Heavenly places. And I believe it is so because I read it in the Bible, even though I don't know how that all works out, but with God nothing is impossible.
Eph 2:4-6 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us 5 (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), 6 and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,
So this judgment, the judgment of God’s Children, seems to be held before the Marriage of the Lamb: Rev 19: 7b-9 For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he said to me, Write, Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God. The Church has been judged “Righteous” & therefore granted to be dressed in fine linen.
Even though the “Righteousness of us, the Children of God, is being given to us because of Christ Righteousness... 2Co 5:21 For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
… Nevertheless our recompense will be according to our works even after being saved & in Heaven.
Mat 25:23 His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord
Mat 5:11-12 Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in Heaven IS GREAT.
Mat 10:41-42 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a just one in the name of a just one will receive a just one's reward. And whoever shall give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink, only in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, He shall in no way lose his reward.
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
There are also some very encouraging passages about the Day of Judgment for the Saints...
1Jn 4:17-16 In this love has been made perfect among us, THAT WE MAY HAVE BOLDNESS IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, because as He is, even so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
2Pe 2:9 the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the Day of Judgment...
Jud 1:24-25 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and TO PRESENT YOU FAULTLESS BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF HIS GLORY in great joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
Also, you can read over the promises given to “overcomers” in Revelations 2 & 3.
2 Judgment of the nations
Right before the One Thousand Year Reign of Christ on Earth...
Rev 19:20-21 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet doing signs before it, (by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast), and those who had worshiped his image. The two were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were slain by the sword of Him who sat on the horse, it proceeding out of His mouth. And all the birds were filled from their flesh.
In that Rev 19:29-21 we see that both the Beast (the Antichrist) & the False Prophet are thrown into hell, after the Battle of Armageddon, right when the Saints get ready to judge.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark on their foreheads, nor in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Mat 25:31-32 But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He shall sit on the throne of His glory. And all nations shall be gathered before Him. And He shall separate them from one another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats.
There will be people, nations, who will survive the Wrath of God, & after being judged, will be allowed to enter into the Millennium Rein of Christ.
Jude 1:14b-16 Behold, the Lord came with myriads of His saints, to do judgment against all, and to rebuke all the ungodly of them concerning all their ungodly works which they ungodly did, and concerning all the hard things ungodly sinners spoke against Him. These are murmurers, complainers, leading lives according to their lusts. And their mouth speaks proud things, admiring faces for the sake of gain.
Who will we reign upon during those Thousand Years? The nations who survive God's Wrath chosen by God to do so...
When you read Daniel 7, it clearly states that after the destruction of the “Beast” who is no other than the Antichrist, the One World Government, other nations are spared.
Dan 7:9-13 I watched until the thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days sat, whose robe was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool. His throne was like flames of fire, and His wheels like burning fire. A stream of fire went out and came out from before Him. A thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The judgment was set, and the books were opened. Then I was looking because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke. I watched until the beast was slain, and his body was destroyed and given to the burning flame. And the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away. Yet their lives were made longer for a season and time. 13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and He came even to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. 14 Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his Kingdom that which will not be destroyed.
In Daniel 7:12… the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away. Yet their lives were made longer for a season and time…
Representing the nations who were under certain kings & their lives were prolonged after the return of the Lord Jesus.
Dan 7:26-27 “‘But the judgment will be set, and they will take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end. 27 The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’
3 White Throne of Judgment
After the One Thousand Years Millennium, the rest of mankind, all those who died throughout the ages will be judged, even the angels as well.
Rev 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and Him sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And a place was not found for them. And I saw the dead, the small and the great, stand before God. And books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead in it. And death and hell delivered up the dead in them. And each one of them was judged according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire.
It is my view in the following passages, that those who for different reasons didn't get a chance to accept Jesus as their Lord while on Earth due to different circumstances, will get a chance there & then. We know by John 3:36 that all those who heard about Jesus & rejected his Lordship are dammed... John 3:36 He who believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. If we review the different translations of John 3:36, that “who does not believe” is who refuses to believe.
So at the White Throne of Judgment” all those who rejected Jesus having heard the Gospel will be dammed into the “Lake of Fire and Brimstone” which is Hell, & all those found in the Book of Life who will be given place in the New Earth where all their deeds will be judged. I know some will say: But how will they get saved? Well the same way we did... Eph 2:4-9 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Part 3… New Heavens & New Earth
So after the at the White Throne of Judgment, all the rest of the dead will be judged out of those things which are written in the books. The New Heavens & the New Earth will then be made by God just like this world were we live now, & God the Father, God the Son & God the Holy Spirit will dwell among us.
I was once in a Bible class where a pastor said that absolutely everyone that takes part of the Second Resurrection & is judge at the “White Throne of Judgment” will be thrown in Hell. When I asked: what about verse Rev 20:15 which talks about those found in the Book of Life? He replied that no one will be found in it because those in the “Book of Life” were raised in the “First Resurrection”.
So if that is the case, why even open the Book of Life at that time at all? & where do the nations in the next chapter come from?
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
21:3 And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
21:4 And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying out, nor will there be any more pain; for the first things passed away.
21:24 And the nations of those who are saved will walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
22:1 And he showed me a pure river of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
22:2 In the midst of its street, and of the river, from here and from there, was the Tree of Life, which bore twelve fruits, each yielding its fruit according to one month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
So if all those on the New Earth are Christians, the Israel of God who rose in the First Resurrection, why do some nations still need healing? And why do they live outside the New Jerusalem?
Well, let's take a look at...
Mat 11:21-24 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the powerful acts which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes!
22 But I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to the heaven, shall be brought down to hell. For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day;
24 But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.
A pastor said once in a class I attended, concerning Mat 11:21-24, that apparently some parts of Hell will not be as hot as others. Which leads me to think that in his mind he thinks... How in the world could God have such great mercy with those cities? It is beyond some religious people's concept of righteousness. So for some religious people, in their understanding of God, He being more tolerable with some cities means... He will not have them burn as hot as others.
Do we forget that it was God who rescued us when we were still death in sins & we deserved hell too; hadn't it been for Jesus' sacrifice, that's where all of us would have ended!
So what I understand is that the Israel of God, Christ's Bride, the Ecclesia, God's Children are risen in the First Resurrection, all that are God’s, from the Old & New Testament, while those Christians who will still be alive at the return of the Lord, will be transformed & given their new Celestial bodies in the “last day”.
1Jn 2:2 Jesus is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Jn 6:39-40 This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
When we will all be gather together in Heaven, at the "Rapture", right there the “Day of the Lord begins” or as named in some prophecies by the prophets of the Old Testament “The Day of Yahweh “, God's Wrath falls on Earth.
After the Wrath of God, Jesus will establish His Kingdom on Earth for a Thousand Years.
Then after the Thousand Years we; the Church, will live in the New Jerusalem in the New Earth forever and those others who were found in the Book of Life at the “White Throne of Judgment” will live on the New Earth, outside the “New Jerusalem”, until God reveals something else.
If I don't get to see you while we're still alive here on Earth, I will see you after the “Rapture”, immediately after the Great Tribulation & right up there at the Marriage of the Lamb, well there will be so many of us there that I guess it will take us eternity to get to say hi to all.
I love you!
Blessings… Love in Jesus... Alejandro
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