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Episode: 526 Is This the Only Day of Salvation , and Is God Too Harsh? Part Two

 

 

 

IF THIS IS THE ONLY DAY OF SALVATION- THEN SATAN IS WINNING

 

A loving God is not turning over to Satan all the billions never saved for eternal torture in Dante's Infernal, hell. It is comforting to know that all our relatives that have passed away are asleep waiting their turn at the second resurrection when they will be given an opportunity for salvation. God has promised to resurrect all the dead- some to everlasting life in his family and others to a chance to be saved by God's grace. These are the 'rest of the dead' mentioned in Rev 20: 5-6.

 

Hebrews 8:10-11 NKJV 10 "For this is the covenant...I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God,...11 "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. II Pet. 3:9... but that ALL should come to repentance.

 

Mankind will be raised from our graves to a world with total knowledge of the true God. A world where salvation is opened to all. God is determined to save nearly all mankind. So many now are unsaved then we have to say the THE DEVIL IS WINNING OVERWHELMINGLY. But God's will has to prevail. God will be victorious! God will save the vast majority of mankind. The day is coming in the controlled environment run by God in the future when ALL will know God.

 

Habakkuk 2:13-14 NKJV 13 Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts That the peoples labor to feed the fire, And nations weary themselves in vain? 14 For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea

 

In Romans 11:26 Paul says that ALL Israel shall be saved. Further all mankind will also be saved, or the vast majority. Some few will be among the defiantly wicked and go to the lake of fire. However even this lake is not torture, but a quick permanent end for the wicked while the devil will be tormented forever by his being locked up permanently. God does not want us to perish but to survive and that is why Jesus became our Passover sacrifice.

 

Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

Note that God died so we would not PERISH. Nothing in that verse is about burning forever in hell fire. Let us look carefully at Revelation 20:11-14, which key points include :

 

1. The books ( Biblios or Bible) were opened. People finally are able to understand the message fully.

2. The book of life was open for more entries.

3. They will live in a controlled world and be judged by the Bible.

4.Death itself is eliminated for all but those few who rejected God. They die the second death, and it is over quickly. They are put out of their misery and cannot cause others misery either.

 

Re 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne....12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 ...and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

 

Remember judgment is a process with the person understanding what is required of them. Now is our chance to gain salvation and be judged and become baby Gods. God will help us to remain faithful and be in that first resurrection. But we do suffer a greater risk because this is not the controlled world of tomorrow, this is Satan's age. Therefore be strong and determined to obey. The world awaits the 'sons of God' .

 

Rom 8:17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

 

THE POSITIVE AFFECTS OF GOD UPON ISRAEL SHOW HIS KINDNESS

 

Relative to other nations Israel was kinder and more merciful than all their pagan neighbors. Why? Because of the influence of the Eternal God and His Laws. God was not creating the wonderful Kingdom of God at that time but God's rules put His people in a better place than other nations.

 

1 Kings 20:31-32 NKJV 31 Then his servants said to him, "Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life." 32 So they wore sackcloth...servant Ben-Hadad says, 'Please let me live.'" And he said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

 

Israel was known as a kinder and more merciful nation than others and this included even in warfare. Historically enemies know that when they surrender to people of the book they will receive kinder treatment. This can be shown in the history of America, Israel and Britain. How has the influence of the God of the Bible made this a kinder world​?

 

1-Eliminating the gladiatorial games

2-Eradicating slavery

3-Elevating women's status

 

Note the following scriptures taught in the ancient world.

Galatians 3:27-29 NKJV 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 

People today probably think those are all very obvious positions but, in the ancient pagan world, when Paul wrote these words, it was quite revealing and significant.

 

4-Building hospitals and hospices

5-Advancing science and true knowledge and the building of great universities in the west

6-Advancing human rights in an otherwise cruel world

7-Opposing infanticide and human sacrifice

8- Strengthening family relations and the sacredness of marriage

 

Matthew 19:8-9 NKJV 8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."

 

1 Corinthians 7:15 NKJV 15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

 

9- Helping mankind understand universal forgiveness

 

Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

 

10-It helped the West advance in most areas ahead of the pagan world that did not have the Bible.

 

When the western world started translating the Bible into common languages western society accelerated their advancement. During the fourteenth thru the sixteenth centuries Europe pulled ahead of rest of the world in many areas.

 

Not only is the true God of the Bible not harsh- His impact on this misguided world has been toward fairness kindness and the advancement of mankind.