Saved ignoble

Skittles are my son’s favorite candy.  I decided to test him one day on his love for me by using the small candies as bait.  He was ten years old at the time and I left him in the house alone as I snuck out back.  Before I left, I told him that he can eat any food in the house except for the package of Skittles that I left in the middle of the house on the kitchen table.  If he ate of the Skittles left on the table, then he would be punished.  I peered through the kitchen window as my son walking up to the package of skittles on multiple occasions.  Each time though, he refused the urge to eat the forbidden candy.  Then, I saw my son’s best friend sitting outside and asked him to come over.  I paid the friend ten dollars to go in the house and test my son by convincing him to eat the skittles.  He gladly accepted and was given entrance into the house after knocking on the front door.

     Wow!  Look at those skittles the friend exclaimed excitedly.  Let’s eat them he shouted.  My son calmly explained that they could eat anything in the house except for the bag or skittles.  Otherwise, he would be punished by his dad.  The friend said, “Is that really what your dad said, will you really be punished?”  The friend continued to chip away at my son’s defenses and the urge to eat his favorite candy combined with his neighbors encouragement, became too much.  My son ripped open the bag of skittles and ate.  He gave some to his friend as well.  As soon as I saw him eat, I jumped through the back door and said, “Why have you eaten of the skittles that I told you not to eat?”  I angrily sent his friend home and banished my son to his bedroom where he would stay for the rest of his life.  He died an eighty year old man, never once leaving his room. 

     Of course, the only truth to this story is that my son does like skittles.  The rest is fictitious and completely ridiculous.  But, I have a story that is even more ridiculous and even more untrue.  It is the story that is told in religion today.  It is a story of a loving God that would put His creation that He loves in a situation that would lead to failure, and then apply this failure to every creature leading most of creation to eternal separation from Himself.  However, the reason why this story is such a believable lie is that, as religion skillfully always does, it contains some truth.  For instance, God did put Adam and Eve in a situation in which they would fail.  Also, this failure or sin did spread to all of creation though it was a part of God’s plan from the very beginning.  This will be discussed later in the book.  Unfortunately, the true parts of the story lead to one of the greatest lies of all:  The unscriptural lie that anyone, let alone most of creation will spend an eternity burning in hell. 

     Did you think punishing my son for the rest of his life for eating skittles was a ludicrous punishment?  Well, how about Adam and Eve eating of the fruit?  This was a sin committed by a finite human being that has eternal consequences?    How about the people that were born after Adam?  What about us today?  We will sin because we inherited this sin and death from Adam.  Therefore, all humanity is heading to eternal hell as a default at birth.  This story is infinitely worse than me punishing my son and separating him from my presence for the rest of his life for eating skittles.   The truth, the full truth, is that God intended for Adam and Eve to sin and consequently bring sin and death to all humans.  Then, through using sin and death, God will shape all humanity into His perfect creation.  We will look into this more later.  For now, it is important to not add words to scripture.  The eternal hell as we know it, does not exist anywhere in scripture.  The consequence for man’s sin was always and will always be death.  For the wages of sin is death…(Romans 6:23).  The wages of sin is not eternal torture, but death.  We would remain dead if it were not for Jesus coming to death and providing the way out through His suffering, death and resurrection.    Jesus saves us from death because He experienced death for us.  He did not experience eternal hell because it is not what He is saving us from and the popular hell that has been taught in religion is simply not what people think.  The place of eternal torture of flames and suffering simply does not exist. 

      So to play devil’s advocate, I ask the question:  When was hell created?  In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth…(Genesis 1:1).  There is no mention of creating hell at any point throughout the scripture.  The bible says that Jesus was slain since the foundation of the world in Revelations 13:8, so sin was already part of God’s plan.  Yet, God did not mention the eternal place of torcher.  Then God created Adam and Eve and told them not to eat from the tree in the midst of the garden or they would go to ETERNAL HELL!  This was perfect timing to threaten Adam and Eve with this awful fate so maybe they will listen to God.  Wait a minute; this is not what God said.  He said that if they ate from the tree then they would die.  Adam and Eve touched the tree and ate from the tree.  This is it, the first sin of mankind!  What a great time for God to introduce the concept of eternal hell for sinners.  However, eternal hell was not discussed, but like God said, Adam and Eve would die or begin to die when they ate of the fruit.  DEATH, not eternal hell, is the destiny of all mankind because of the actions of Adam. 

     Okay, now I got it.  God would certainly introduce the eternal hell concept after the first murder ever recorded.  Cain and Abel were the offspring of Adam and Eve.  Cain was angry that God accepted his brothers sacrifice over his, so he lured Abel to the field and proceeded to kill him.  Cain took the life of his brother in a hot rage of jealousy.  Now, God will speak to Cain about his future destiny in eternal hell.  Indeed, God did speak to Cain: Now you are cursed, away from the ground which has opened wide its mouth to take your brother’s blood from your hand.  When you serve the ground, it shall not continue to give its vigor to you.  A rover and a wanderer shall you become on earth (Genesis 4: 11-12).

     In Genesis 4:13, Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear.  This was Cain’s response to God punishing him.  How did God punish him?  God punished Cain by not allowing the ground to yield crops for him anymore and making him a wanderer on the earth.  If this was too much for Cain to bear then how is he going to respond to the knowledge that eternal hell awaits him?  Well, the truth is that God never mentioned eternal hell because it does not exist and has never entered His mind.  Eternal hell, if it were real, would have been introduced right from the start, don’t you think?  God never threatens anyone with this torment.  Death is the enemy and the end result of man’s mortality and sin, not hell.  There is no passage of time or sensations in death and we would remain this way forever if it weren’t for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Jesus will one day destroy death for every last human being.

     Follow the rest of the Old Testament and you will find no mention of the eternal hell that is taught in popular religion.  Did you know that the apostle Paul, in his thirteen letters, never mentions hell at all, not even once!  The book of Revelation mentions the Lake of Fire, but this is not hell and does not serve the purpose of the eternal hell taught by religion.  The Old Testament uses the word ‘Sheol’ which simply means the ‘grave or abode of the dead.’  People go to the grave and are unseen when they die.  This word ‘Sheol’ is translated in the bible to mean ‘hell’ but this simply is not the eternal hell of popular belief.  They do not go to eternal hell but simply go to the grave.  That’s fine that the Old Testament does not threaten humanity with the eternal flames of hell or that the Apostle Paul doesn’t mention it in the New Testament.  It doesn’t matter one might say, Jesus spoke on hell so it must be real.  Well yes, the word hell is found in the four gospel accounts of the New Testament but that word does not mean what you think it does. 

     Jesus Christ did not speak English while He was on Earth.  Therefore, His words have been translated in any given English bible.  The word ‘Hell’ that is attributed to coming from the mouth of Christ has been translated from a Hebrew word ‘Hinnom.’  This is a location of a valley near Jerusalem.  The word ‘Gehenna’ is the Greek word used in the gospel accounts and was derived from this Valley of Hinnom.  Samuel G. Dawson sums up the origin of ‘Gehenna’ in his article Jesus’ Teaching on Hell:

Gehenna, the name of a valley on the south and east of Jerusalem…which was so called from the cries of the little children who were thrown into the fiery arms of Moloch, i.e., of an idol having the form of a bull.  The Jews so abhorred the place after these horrible sacrifices had been abolished by King Josiah(2 Kings 23:10), that they cast into it not only all manner of refuse, but even the dead bodies of animals and unburied criminals who had been executed.  And since fires were always needed to consume the dead bodies, that the air might not become tainted by the putrefaction, it came to pass that the place was called Gehenna.

     So, the word that Jesus actually used was Gehenna not hell.  Gehenna was actually a physical place near Jerusalem where trash and the bodies of dead criminals were thrown.   It has nothing to do with an eternal place of punishment.  The people that Jesus spoke to would have known this because this place was used to sacrifice little children to idols such as Molech.  Jesus was speaking of earthly punishments and death, just like the entire Old Testament punishments.  Jesus was talking about a garbage dump in each of the twelve passages that he preaches on hell.  This hell, rather Gehenna, is on the earth and physical.  It is not under the earth nor eternal. 

     God’s destiny for humanity is to create sons and daughters?  What about all those who will be in hell?  Well, the fact of the matter is that the word “hell” as defined to be an eternal place of torment, simply does not exist in scripture.  Yes, the word “hell” exists in the bible but that is a gross mistranslation and it is simply not found in the original Hebrew and Greek scriptures.  I encourage anyone to do a concordant, or any, word study on the word “hell” each time it is used in the bible.  The most common words used for hell are “Sheol” in the Old Testament, “Gehenna” and “Hades” in the New Testament.  The meanings for these words are as follows:

Sheol – Grave, pit or abode of the dead.

Hades – unseen

Gehenna – actually a physical location in Jesus’ time.  It is actually a valley south of Jerusalem. 

     These words have nothing to do with life after death and certainly do not refer to a place of eternal torment.  The eternal torment deception entered the church through mistranslation and corrupt leadership.  It is a lie that deceives millions and keeps perhaps even more at an arms distance from God.  I would have to write page after page to fully explain how the work ‘hell’ crept and slithered it’s way into the bible.  The mixture and influence of Greek Mythology and Ancient Egyptian folklore is where thes corrupt leaders learned of hell.  Then, they used the fear of hell on people so that they could control the masses through fear and deceit.  This has been passed down from generation to generation in nearly every religion.  However, nothing, no teaching at all could be further from the truth of who God and Jesus Christ are than the teaching of eternal hell.  This teaching of hell tarnishes the true love of God and makes him a sick, “love me or a will torture you forever,” lunatic. 

      This false teaching of eternal hell, I believe, is the number one reason people run from religion.  After all, how can humans fully trust a God that would torture most of his creation?  The answer is:  they cannot.  But, the glorious truth is that God will not torture anyone in hell forever but will save each and every human being.  The scriptures that support this truth are too numerous to count. 

     George Carlin, the late comedian, and a man I admired for speaking out against the corrupt elite who run our governments and world, once did a bit on how ridiculous religion is.  He stood up in front of his audience and said that religion has actually convinced us of the most absurd thing in the world.  I can’t quote him word for word, but he told the audience that there is some creator high in the sky who wrote down a bunch of rules on stone tablets and commanded people to follow them.  However, the comedian goes on the say, if we break these rules he will send us to a place where we will be tortured, humiliated, burned and we will be experiencing unimaginable pain and suffering, and we will be in this place for all eternity.  But…..God loves us!  When Mr. Carlin said these words the audience burst into laughter and applause.

     Most Christians would condemn this comedian; however he and many like him see the absurdity of an all-loving, all-powerful god sending people to such a place as the eternal hell described.  Many people do not believe in God because they cannot justify how He is portrayed as love and then creates the most terrifying place imaginable and then sends most of His creation there.  Or, they look around the world and see starving children, murder and death that can make the world such a terrible place.  This is the opposite of love unless, one day, God sets every wrong right, and makes the best possible everlasting good out of every evil, for each and every human being.  He will!

     Back to George Carlin, I respected this man very much because he looked, like many today, beyond the phoniness of today’s world and exposed the elite agenda of corruption within our governments, corporations and media outlets of the world.  I just wish he, and others, would be able to look past the curtain of phoniness and lies of religion to see the truth.  George Carlin takes the god of religion for what he is, an absolute joke, but never bothered it seems, to find out the truth about God.  There is little truth in religion, about as much truth as in our governments and television programs. 

    How can Christians and people of various faiths love a god that loves so conditionally?  If you toe the line, the Christian god will love you and be there for you.  But, if you don’t believe the right way or do the right thing, this god will torture you forever.  How can a person put their trust in a being like this?  I trust God because I know He will bring me home and I don’t need to perform for Him to stay on His good side.  It may be a brutal process, but I know when it is all said and done, I will be a Son of God.  This will happen because of God, not because of me. 

Comment sent to me: Scott Hicko No, it is quite clear in many verses that the destruction is permanent. What you are referring to is ademic death, the first death inherited from Adam. From this death Jesus shed blood redeems us. The second death is the opposite, that’s why Jesus warns of it so sincerely, there is no resurrection from the second death. The second death is judgment from God not death we were born into because Adam sinned. What is the purpose or nature of a judgment that all are saved from anyway? If all are saved then no judging is needed, there would be no other outcome no decision to make. 2 Thessalonians 1:9 says eternal eternal αἰώνιον (aiōnion) Adjective – Accusative Masculine Singular Strong’s 166: From aion; perpetual. Psalms 37:38, Psalms 52:5 So you think God says repeatedly that the wicked are done away with but the truth is exactly opposite of that? Is that a logical position to take?

My response: You confuse the means with the end, my friend.  Death is ‘permanent’ for all without the resurrection of Christ Jesus.  Psalm 68:16 and Job 36:7 use the same Hebrew word for ‘permanent’ to describe the rule of kings and God dwelling on a mountain.  Does God dwell on the mountain forever and do kings rule forever?  Nope, all authority and power is nullified by Christ (1Cor15:25) when all is subjected to God.  Either way, the psalmist did not have access to the full scope and accomplishment of the cross as revealed to the apostle Paul.  Job 14:14 asks if a man dies, will he live again?  They were sealed up in the permanence of death and nobody, even good people, had a hope of getting out of this state.  Eventually, Christ Jesus justifies, gives His righteousness to humanity…in order for all humanity to be vivified, each in their own order of course.  In the end, salvation does not rely on your righteousness, but only on Christ’s. 

As far as 2 Thessalonians 1:9, αἰώνιον (aiōnion) is used in Titus 1:2 to describe God’s promises before eternity αἰώνιον (aiōnion) began.  How can something happen before eternity αἰώνιον (aiōnion) began?  Not possible, but it can happen before the ages began. You must translate these words consistently, not just mix and match them to fit your interpretation.  ‘Aion’ means age… αἰώνιον (aiōnion) is the adjective, as you stated, of ‘aion.’  The adjective form of the noun cannot have an opposite meaning of that noun…like hour, hourly, day, daily. 

God will be all in all as 1 Corinthians 15:28 says.  The context of the all in all is ALL that die in Adam.  So, scripture is saying that God will be all in all that die in Adam and yet, you say many will be lost forever?  Scripture says that death is abolished by putting on immortality, yet you say Christ made no provision for the second death?  Romans 5:18:19 says that those that die in Adam are justified by Christ.  1 Corinthians 15:22 says that all that die in Adam will be vivified in Christ.  Vivified means being made alive beyond the possibility of ever dying again…the process is described in verses 54 and 55.

Jesus never spoke about the second death, ever.  His earthly ministry spoke of the patriarchal promises of Israel ruling the earth.  Those out of that Kingdom would miss out on that kingdom, not eternity in the second death.  You ask ‘What is the purpose or nature of a judgment that all are saved from anyway?’  The result of judgement is described in Isaiah 26:9 when those that are judged LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS.  See, God is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers (1 Timothy 4:10).  Believers have a special salvation in that they are vivified first, unbelievers will come to a realization of God and Christ’s cross through judgement.  You fail to see that Paul’s revelation is ‘to whom the consummations of the eons have attained (1Cor10:11-12).’  Paul describes the completion of Christ’s work at the end of the ages…which is…God being all in all…the same ‘all’ that die in Adam are the same ‘all’ justified by Christ (Rom5:18-19)…the same ‘all’ created by God through Christ (all creation), will be reconciled to God through the blood of the cross (Colossians 1: 15-20).  Any mention of destruction, death, casting out, weeping and gnashing of teeth, having a part in the lake of fire…etc….occurs before God saves everyone through Christ, each in there own order as many will have to go through judgement. 

PJ, God wills all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth and He works all according to the counsel of His will (eph 1:11).  You end the game at halftime and deny that God will complete the four quarters.  In the end, you will see that God’s judgement is part of His love and that we are saved by God, through Christ…and not by human achievement.  You see, death is our curse and Christ Jesus entered it and gives us His immortality to save us from it.  Your belief that Christ does not actually save us from death because the second death is too powerful for the cross, makes no scriptural sense.  You cannot see the forest through the trees as you cannot see God’s complete plan, His complete love, nor His complete sovereignty through your own self-will.  Good luck to you. 

Email:  You’re right that God is love, but God is also holy, righteous and just. The bible says only the devil, the beast and the false prophet will be tormented forever and ever. But the dead whose names are not found in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. Psalms 42:7 says that that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever. We can’t know who will face judgment. People are free to do as they wish and we can love them even if we know they may end up freely doing something that results in their death, or even eventual judgment. We love people because God has commanded it and because we’ve been saved and because we just might save others – not because we know anyone’s final disposition. But God will repay each person according to what they have done – Romans 2:6. Read Ezekiel 18. When God says men will die for their sins, do you think he’s referring to the same natural, bodily death we will all experience? If so, what would be the point of the text? If not, then he’s clearly referring to a death that will last forever. The lesson is to be like the man in verses 5-9 and live

My Response to this email:  God’s righteousness and justice are a part of His love, not separate from it.  He dealt with sin on the cross and therefore is still righteous while justifying humanity.  You think that what Christ went through on the cross was not enough to deal with sin?  You do if you think your works add to it.  That’s the self-righteousness Paul talks about.  Isaiah 26:9 says that when God’s judgements come upon people, they LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS.  How can the devil, the beast, and the false prophet be tormented forever and ever?  Are there two eternities?  No…there are two ages though.  The 1000 year kingdom and the new heavens and the new earth age are the future ages of the ages and this verse should be translated ‘ages of the ages.’  The word that you use to translate as ‘eternity’ is the Greek word ‘aion’ which means ‘age.’  A simple concordant study and bible text usage of the word, proves this.  At the end of the ages, all are saved through the death, entombment, and resurrection of Christ…Colossians 1: 15-20 and 1 Corinthians 15: 21-28.  What happens to those humans in the SECOND DEATH when Jesus abolishes death in 1Cor15:27?  Well, v. 54 and 55 of the same chapter answers that…they are made alive in Christ.

You want to quote psalms and Ezekiel that speak of the permanence of death?  The truth is that everyone is locked up in death, even the good will die.  This is a permanent condition if Christ didn’t do what He did.  You said, ‘People are free to do as they wish and we can love them even if we know they may end up freely doing something that results in their death, or even eventual judgment.’  Yet, scripture says that God does WHAT HE PLEASES WITH PEOPLE ON THE EARTH (Daniel 4:35), He works ALL ACCORDING TO THE HIS WILL (Eph 1:11).  Romans chapter 9 through 11 ends any possibility that humans act independent of God.

You continue to quote Romans but are missing the entire point.  The first three chapters, up until 3:21, Paul is saying those that follow the law and do good works will have life aonion and those that don’t will be out.  He is setting up the standard of God’s righteousness.  But here is the kicker and what you don’t understand:  NOBODY CAN DO IT.  That’s why Paul says in Romans 3: 9-11 that NOT ONE IS JUST, NOT ONE IS SEEKING OUT GOD.  Then, he says ‘by works of law, no flesh at all shall be justified (Romans 3:20).’  There goes you salvation by works my friend.  Paul is setting the stage that through the law is recognition of sin (3:20) and NOBODY CAN ACHIEVE GOD’S RIGHEOUSNESS THROUGH THEIR OWN WORKS. 

So how do we attain God’s righteousness?  Now, Paul goes into the answer in the rest of Romans chapter three starting in verse 21:  A righteousness of God THROUGH JESUS CHRST’S FAITH FOR ALL AND ON ALL WHO ARE BELIEVING.  See, we are justified GRATUITOUSLY in His grace (rom3:24) which means we are NOT SAVED BY ANYTHING WE DO but are saved by Christ’s work.   Salvation is of God:  He gives faith to those that have a special salvation, the rest come to realization THROUGH JUDGEMENT (1 Timothy 4:10).  See, we don’t have to separate God’s love and judgement as His judgement is part of His love.  Now, we walk in good works and love BECAUSE we are saved, not in order to be saved.  Search the scriptures and you will see that you believe in ‘yourself’ for salvation and have denied the completed work of Christ on the cross.  Run from that and embrace what Christ has done for you.  All is of God. 

The following is a response to an email and video outlining common christian fallacies. Names have been deleted.

1)  The satanic belief in human free will:  Let’s call it what it is…salvation by human will power.  It is self-salvation and denies God and Christ Jesus.  Paul says to heathen Greeks that in Him (God), we live and move and are (Acts 17:28).  He gives to us life breath and all…and He gives this to all (Acts 17:25).  We are reliant on God for everything as we can give Him nothing that He has first not given to us (Romans 11:36).  This includes faith (Romans 12:3), repentance (2 Timothy 2:25), good works (Ephesians 2:10).  He is the Potter and we are the clay and though we can go against His stated will and disobey, we can NEVER go against His intention (what He planned for us to do).  Read Romans chapter 9 a hundred times if you have to and see if this is not true.  It is a dangerous thing to believe that Christ’s work needs your free-will addition to it.  Free will actually denies the completed work of Christ on the cross in favor of ‘self.’  

2)  Absolute vs. Relative:  One must understand these concepts to understand scripture.  The bible says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart and another scripture says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.  Which is true?  Both.  God, in the absolute viewpoint, does everything.  In the relative viewpoint, humans make decisions and live/move.  Humans make decisions in the relative and in the absolute sense, God causes them to make every decision based on His plan from the very beginning.  For instance, 2 Timothy 1:9 says that God has chosen believers since before the foundation of the world…that is absolute.  Then, those who are chosen are born, live their lives, and eventually believe in the relative sense.   All caused by God.  

3)  Ages of time:  If one does not understand that God operates in ages of time and NOT ETERNITY then scripture will not be understood.  God is eternal, yes of course, but He does not operate with us in eternity.  He operates in ages.  The Hebrew word ‘Olam’ and the Greek words ‘aionious and aion’ mean ‘agelong, pertaining to an age.’  These are the words used by erroring bibles to mean eternity.  So every time you see the word ‘eternal’ it is actually ‘agelong.’  This can be proven easily by using the bible itself.  Jonah 2:6 says that Jonah was in the belly of a fish forever (Olam).  We know that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, not forever.  The word is olam and it pertains to time, not eternity.  It simply cannot mean eternity.  Aion and Aionious are the Greek equivalent to Olam. 

* Here is what the King James Version does: ‘Aion’ means age.  The adjective form of ‘aion (strong’s 165)’ is ‘aionious (strong’s 166).’  Aionious is the adjective form of aion.  King James Version translates ‘aionious’ to mean eternal.  The adjective form of the noun cannot mean something different than the noun it is derived from.  Example:  hourly and hour—daily and day.  Therefore, as proven in scripture, ‘aionious’ cannot mean ‘eternal.’  For instance, 2 Timothy 1:9 and Titus 1:3 say before times eternal(aionious).  How can something happen before eternity began?  It doesn’t, it happens before the ages were created.  In revelation, Jesus reigns for the eternities of the eternities if you translate this word consistently with the King James.  How can someone reign for two eternities?  Makes no sense, not to mention that scripture says Jesus’s reign comes to an end.  The word ‘aion’ means ‘age’ and the word ‘aionious’ means ‘agelong.’  God created the ages and every creature through Christ Jesus and when the ages end, every creature is saved by Christ and God is All in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).  Christ Jesus gives up His reign because there is no need to reign anymore because every creature is perfected.  He is a perfect Savior. 

* Greek is the most exact language on earth, that is why God chose it.  There is a Greek word that means ‘endless, unending’ and it is Strong’s 562 (aperantos), used in 1 Timothy 1:4.  If God wanted to say ‘endless’ then this word would have been used.  He didn’t because it is agelong, not endless.  Thus, aion and aionious used. 

*  We are in the 3^rd ‘wicked’ age as Paul describes.  The last two ages are as follows:

Age 4 (1000 years) – the weeping and gnashing of teeth are those that are excluded from this kingdom, not eternity.  This is followed by everyone being raised for the ‘Great White Throne’ judgement.  Then, heaven and earth are consumed with fire.

Age 5 (New Heavens and New Earth) – nobody knows how long this age is…could be thousands of years.  The curs, enchanters, paramours, murderers, etc. that have their part in the lake of fire are outside during this age, not for eternity. 

Consummation – this is the end of the ages when death is destroyed by Christ Jesus giving His immortal life to all creation.  This is what is explained in 1 Corinthians 15, Colossians 1, Romans 5:18-19, and many other places in scripture. 

4)  Eternal hell:  It has been said, you included, that Jesus spoke about ‘hell’ more than anything else.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Hell is an English word and was never spoken by Jesus or anyone in scripture.  The word Jesus used was ‘Gehenna’ or in the Hebrew, the ‘Valley of Hinnom.’  This is a physical place outside Jerusalem that burned the bodies of dead people.  This place was operational during the time of Christ and will be again during the 1000 year kingdom.  The fire of Gehenna burns the bodies UNTIL those bodies are completely consumed, not for eternity.  This place has nothing to do with eternal conscious torment.  Jesus warned about being excluded from the 1000 year kingdom, not torturing people in eternal fire.  While He was on earth, Jesus came for ‘the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ only (Matthew 15:24).  He came to fulfill the patriarchal promises of Israel.  All this has to do with the Millennial Kingdom.  Paul’s message that he received from the glorified Christ explains the deeper meaning of the cross, beyond Israel. 

     *Therefore, those who are weeping and gnashing of teeth, are out of the kingdom and not in eternal hell.  

     * The curs, enchanters, paramours, murderers, etc. that have their part in the lake of fire are outside during the New Heavens and New Earth age, they are not in eternal hell.

     * You and pastor Matthew confuse the end with the means.  Unbelievers and the wicked are judged and many will be ‘out’ of the 1000 years and the ‘New Heavens and New Earth’ ages.  Missing out on the two glorious ages that Christ reigns is a BIG DEAL.  God doesn’t need to punish vindictively for all eternity, but instead, uses the ages of time to bring all under Christ.  That’s the God of power and love, not the christian god.  

5)  Death is death:  Death is not life somewhere else.  The ‘immortality of the soul’ is a pagan doctrine and it simply denies the work of Christ.  Ecclesiastes says that ‘the dead know nothing.’  Death is equated to sleep, unconsciousness, repose in scripture.  There is no sensation, passage of time, nor any experience in the death state.  It is non-existence.  Scripture says the dead ‘cannot praise God,’ so they are not in heaven or anywhere else, because they are dead.  In fact, 1 Timothy 6:16 says that Jesus ALONE and no one else is with Him has this immortal life.  This was after the cross.  Hence, we are not with Christ until the resurrection…from the dead.  Daniel 12:2 – From those sleeping in the soil of the ground many shall awake, these to eonian life and these to reproach for eonian repulsion.  Heaven and hell is not located in the soil, these people are dead. 

     The wages of sin is death, not eternal hell.  We inherit death from Adam, not eternal hell.  Jesus entered DEATH for us, not eternal hell.  Death will be destroyed by Christ Jesus because of His death for our sin, His entombment, and His resurrection.

The book of Colossians begins with talk of an expectation reserved for believers in the heavens.  Then, in the first two chapters of this letter the words realize and realization are pelted upon the reader of this scripture.  Why?  I think this is because the truth spoken of is so rarely realized by people and it is a truth that transcends all. 

AN EXPECTATION IS RESERVED FOR YOU IN THE HEAVENS – This is a special reward for those who truly know God.  Yes, all will be saved, but some will have a special reward in heaven based on a realization that has been given to them by God.

Colossians 1:6 — …from the day on which you hear and realized the grace of God in truth.

Colossians 1:9 — …filled with the realization of His will…

Colossians 1:11 — …bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the realization of God…

Colossians 2:2 — …realization of the secret of the God and Father…

Alright, so what is this secret realization that God gives to a select few?  A realization that brings certain people to a special salvation that is at the core of truth revealed by our creator?  What is this realization that Satan and his minions in the church and all over the world fight to keep people in the dark over?  For the answer, I think we need to look at the major verses within this mighty letter to the Colossians.  Those verses are Colossians 1: 15-20, which speak of just Who Jesus Christ is…Here it reads:

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 among the dead, that in all He may 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. 

There, I believe, is the secret.  The above scriptures mention that all is created through Jesus Christ, whether they are in the heavens or on the earth.  This includes all beings, whether angels or demons, believers and non-believers, the whole lot!  Understanding that all is created through Jesus is part of this realization.  The second and most glorious part of this realization, one that most people do not get, is that through the blood of the cross Jesus will bring all of these humans and entities to God.  It is through the blood of the cross and through Jesus Christ that every last being will be saved.  This is based on nothing the human or entity has done, but based solely on the work of Jesus Christ.  This is the realization:  I am saved by Jesus Christ and will one day be a son of God, just like Jesus.  However, this is not because of the good I have done nor the bad I have avoided.  It is all of Jesus Christ. 

Philippians verses 9 thru 14 complements these scriptures in Colossians by exclaiming that God highly exalts Him with the name that is above every other name, that in the name of Jesus Christ 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 (Philippians 2: 9-11). 

So, in Colossians we are told that Jesus created all and will bring all to God through His death and resurrection.  Then, in Philippians, we are told that every knee in the celestial, terrestrial and subterranean will bow to Jesus and their tongues confess that He is Lord.  You can, like some church going people, believe that this is something that should happen but doesn’t or that it is some forced confession from an eternally defiant being.  However, neither of these two scenarios would be for the glory of God, the Father. 

You see, the fact that God created all beings through Jesus, His only Son, then put them through evil and brought them back to Himself through the blood of His Son so that each and every one of them will know His good works and bow with confession that Jesus is Lord, gives God glory.  A forced confession or talking about something people should do but don’t, does not give God the glory as scripture proclaims. 

So here is the glory that Colossians and Philippians proclaim.  God created His Son, Jesus Christ, then created all creation through Him.  At the appointed time, Jesus appeared on earth to live, suffer, die and be resurrected for all humanity and entities.  God uses this process of living, evil, suffering, death and resurrection to create humans to be His own Sons and Daughters, just like Jesus Christ.  Jesus is simply the first. 

So that, my beloved, according as you always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much rather in my absence, with fear and trembling, be carrying out your own salvation into effect, for it is God Who is operating in you to will as well as to work for the sake of His delight (Philippians 2: 12-13).

Therefore, our salvation is unique in the sense that we are all unique human beings.  God will save a select few with a special salvation and then the rest with salvation.  In the end, all will be saved and God will dwell in them.  However, each person will work through their own salvation, not that they will save themselves, but in the sense that each person will experience unique trials, sins, pain, triumphs, death and all God’s ordained circumstances and reactions given to them by God since the beginning of time.  God orchestrates it all, as the very next verse says that it is God Who is operating in you to will as well as work for the sake of His delight.  It is all of God, He causes us to do both the good and bad and directs our lives and circumstances to His desired salvation for us.  God chooses to bring us to the greatest possible eternity that we will enjoy even more because we went through our unique pain.  THE END GAME:  ALL SAVED THROUGH THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRST TO ENJOY AN ETERNITY TAYLORED MADE, HAND-NITTED FOR THEM BY THE ALMIGHTY GOD!

Written by Norman Labelle

                                                                                                                                                                                           

(A look into 1 Corinthians13 – the Love chapter)

What does “love believes all” mean? (vs.7)

1Corinthians13  (CLNT)

1 If I should be speaking in the languages of men and of the messengers, yet should have no love, I have become resounding copper or a clanging cymbal.

2 And if I should have prophecy and should be perceiving all secrets and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so as to transport mountains, yet have no love, I am nothing.

3 And if ever I should be morselling out all my possessions, and if I should be giving up my body, that I should be boasting, yet may have no love, in nothing do I benefit.

4 Love is patient, is kind. Love is not jealous. Love is not bragging, is not puffed up,

5 is not indecent, is not self-seeking, is not incensed, is not taking account of evil,

6 is not rejoicing in injustice, yet is rejoicing together with the truth,

7 is forgoing all, is believing all, is expecting all, is enduring all.

8 Love is never lapsing: yet, whether prophecies, they will be discarded, or languages, they will cease, or knowledge, it will be discarded.

9 For out of an instalment are we knowing, and out of an instalment are we prophesying.

10 Now whenever maturity may be coming, that which is out of an instalment shall be discarded.

11 When I was a minor, I spoke as a minor, I was disposed as a minor, I took account of things as a minor. Yet when I have become a man, I have discarded that which is a minor’s.

12 For at present we are observing by means of a mirror, in an enigma, yet then, face to face. At present I know out of an instalment, yet then I shall recognize according as I am recognized also.

13 Yet now are remaining faith, expectation, love — these three. Yet the greatest of these is love.

Before we start, I think it’s important to note that within the chapter, the “Love” factor is contrasted with the mention of the gifts of “speaking in tongues” and “prophecy” and “knowledge” (vs.1-2). It’s furthermore contrasted with the major part of the following chapter, for the very first words of chapter 14 befittingly start with “Be pursuing love” – it then continues to speak of those same gifts again.

I think it’s paramount to keep in mind what kind of “Love” is here being spoken of.

We agree that Paul was inspired by God when he wrote everything he wrote. We can also agree that it was God Himself expressing His will and intentions via Christ, through our apostle. That being the case, we must understand and acknowledge that God’s expressed will and intentions are always based on His particular and unique type of “Love”. This type of Love is in a class of its own. It defines the essence of His whole entire Being and that of His Son, Christ Jesus. As far as God’s Holy Spirit is concerned, it can only reflect and express that same love identically as God does.

What I’m talking about is AGAPE love. A Spiritual, Divine, Godly, altruistic, empathetic, sympathetic, all-encompassing love. This has nothing to do with the 7 other types of love that exist in the Greek language. Out of the 7 other “man-centered” love applications that exist, there are 2 which are most often expressed and frequently used throughout scripture – “Brotherly love” (Gk: φίλος Philos/Philia) and “carnal, erotic, sexual love” (Gk: ɛρως eros), which are both under the category of man-centered love.

 The eight different types of love, according to the ancient Greeks, are:

• Eros (sexual passion)
• Philia (deep friendship)
• Ludus (playful love)
• Pragma (longstanding love)
• Philautia (love of the self, ego)
• Storge (family love)
• Mania (obsessive love)
• *Agape (Divine, all inclusive)

* The first 7 are completely “man-centered”, the last one is God’s unique,

   all-encompassing outward love towards all of mankind and His angelic

   creation.

SPECIAL NOTE: When we see the word “love” in the chapter at hand, we must be fully persuaded that it’s talking exclusively about “agape” love. (Gk: ἀγάπη, ἀγάπην). Agape is used 9 times in chapter 13. Not once is the use of the word love applied with an another meaning such as those listed above.

SEE INTERLINEAR: 1 Corinthians 13 Interlinear Bible (biblehub.com)

We should consider 2 ways of interpreting the love Paul is talking about in this chapter;

Is Paul (thus God), trying to a) convey an “instructive” view of “God’s” agape love?

(i.e: how we must be loving and behaving towards one another, via His “Agape” love?),

or

b) is Paul (thus God), simply giving a “descriptive” view of the true nature and application of His agape love?

Either way, we benefit from a deeper, more profound perspective.

Before I proceed, I’ve cut & pasted 2 excerpts of explanations I’ve seen online. Maybe we can glean some additional understanding from them.

EXCERPT #1 (in relation to vs.7)

This word “belief” comes from the Greek word “pistis” which is usually translated simply as “faith”. There is some question whether this phrase refers to the Christian’s maintenance of their beliefs about God and Christ and the gospel. If that was the case, a more literal translation of “has all faith” would be more appropriate. However, in context we notice that Paul is explaining to the Corinthians what their regard for one another should look like. Paul is describing an attitude toward others that is manifested in action. As such, the expression “believes all things” is best understood as that attitude which assumes the best in others.

To “believe all things” means that we give others the benefit of the doubt. It means that we expect the best. It means that we are able to overlook the offences and failure of others. It means we believe that over time we can commit ourselves to one another. “Believing all things” means that we are willing to trust one another.

Perhaps you are struggling to “believe all things” about others in our church. Perhaps you are quick to expect others to fail. Perhaps you don’t believe that others will respond to things like they should. You doubt that they are capable of doing what they promise.

You believe they will fail. You believe they will fail you. Failure to “believe all things” is marked by suspicion; we suspect that others are being deceitful, hiding their true intentions and motives. You believe that despite someone’s own words, that they are up to no good. It is marked by stewing inwardly, dissecting the actions and remarks of others, interpreting their every act. We anticipate being offended and prepare our rebuttals. We anticipate being let down and prepare our scathing critique. We accuse the motives of others, assuming that their ultimate purposes are selfish.

Failure to love in this way is also a most hyper-critical thing. So many times, I have been so quick to note someone else’s sin, usually privately, to myself, and considered them a lost cause. I have considered entire persons on the basis of only their most recent actions. I have used words “always” to my expectations for others sin, and “never” meeting my expectations. In this way I have reduced others to a mere caricature of their true selves.

This sin has many consequences, but most notably it costs us friendship. When we sin in this way, we ultimately close ourselves to relationships with others. To protect ourselves from being hurt, we doubt others, and this prevents us from opening our hearts to them and forming the Christian bond of fellowship.

EXCERPT #2 (in relation to vs.7)

First, is this instructive, or descriptive? What I mean is, is Paul saying that to be loving, this is how we must behave? Or is he saying, someone who loves just naturally displays these characteristics?

Second, if this is instructive, what does it mean that love believes all things? (vs.7). Love hopes, and bears/endures, I get, but believes? Let me use a personal example: an adulterous spouse. I love her and she claims with great energy that it will never happen again. I believe her, but it does. And she claims again that it will stop. I believe her?? Every time? For how long?

If it is descriptive, then believes makes sense, because as the cliche says, “Love is blind” so of course love believes all things.

Now to get back to the difficult statement at hand, “Love believes all” ….

In Greek, the root word from which we get “faith”, is the noun PISTIS (Gk: πίστις), and the verb “believe” is PISTUEO (Gk: πιστεύω). Faith means Belief – a persuasion, an assurance, a firm conviction, faithfulness. The 2, (faith and belief) go hand-in-hand.

All is of God. Of this, we are sure. God is Spirit, of this we are also as sure. That means the Spirit we’ve been given by God, as a down payment, an earnest, gives us the ability to love as He loves – that is, in an “agape” way, an all-encompassing way. We have also been given our belief and faith by God. We therefore have faith and belief by God’s love, which trumps any limited, temporary gifts He provides along the way to build us up. (i.e: speaking in tongues, prophecy and knowledge). Having the agape love of God in us means we no longer need accompanying signs to prove our calling and standing. Just as God is all-sufficient, His love is just as all-sufficient.   

In vs.1, the “speaking in tongues” is an outward show of the Holy Spirit and an inward sign that confirms God’s operation within the one who has received this particular gift, but it’s incomplete in and of itself, if it’s not accompanied by love.

In vs.2, having the gift of “prophecy” and perceiving secrets and “knowledge” while all the while having faith, they too are incomplete, thus not all-encompassing, if they’re not accompanied by that same love.

In vs.3, even if you sacrifice your worldly possessions, even if you fast (denying your body), or even if you sacrifice your very life through martyrdom, all of those particular sacrifices are unsatisfying, incomplete and meaningless, if not accompanied with love.

In vs.4,5,6, we have a list of what love is not. The contraries are listed with the use of the word “not”, to point us toward the opposite of what love is. By listing a bunch of “is-nots”, it’s actually painting a broader picture of what constitutes “mature love” (the agape type). This is where God is directing our steps to show us more of His true nature. If we grasp what this list conveys, we grow in our appreciation of Him and His love. The intended purpose of the natural growth process is to bring us to maturity and have us bloom in the full realization of His Love.

When we believe that love is what motivated God to implement His plan, and that love’s full effect is to know God deeply and intimately, it is meant to bring us to a full and complete sense of His endgame. Love is the motor, the driving force that accomplishes His wanting to be All in all.

When we believe God, which is Love, we can actually believe all, thus “Love believes all” (vs.7). Believing “all” means believing the full potential behind God’s motivation and the full realization of His will.

If we believe that God will be All in all, we must also believe that “All” His love will also be fully transferred to inhabit “all” of His creation. This result can only happen when death is swallowed up, Satan no longer has a grip over others and Christ has subjected all to Himself and ultimately hands His Sovereignty over to our Father. When all of this will have occurred; lies and deceptions, carnal ambitions, hate, jealousy, boasting, pride, greed, self-centeredness, injustice, will have all vanished. Love will reign as God intended all along. It will be the driving force within all of His creatures.        

In vs.9-13, it speaks of “instalments”. I take that to mean an allotment, or earnest, or down payment – a foretaste and foreshadow of something much more meaningful and grandiose. In these verses, Paul is saying that while in a limited state of infancy, the gifts of speaking in tongues, prophecy and knowledge were given our early brethren while they were babes in Christ. The gifts God gave them were to accompany them in their growth process. Once having matured, these gifts were no longer necessary, therefore, as Paul would say, “to be discarded” (vs.10-11). Our early brethren were weaned off these crutches as they transitioned in their growth towards maturity.

If we are given a .001% or even a full 1% of His Holy Spirit as an earnest, I also believe we’ve been given the exact same corresponding ratio of His agape love.

Our Loving God believes in all that He put into motion – the tangible and the intangible (including Love).  Love is believing all that encompasses His qualities and attributes. Through His inspired and revelatory Word, we can determine His Greatness by terms such as; Light, Wisdom, Eternal, Omniscient (all-knowing), Omnipotent (all-powerful), Truth, Good, Just, Righteous, Holy and Perfect.

All of the preceding qualities and attributes are proof of His uncontested Sovereignty. Because we know Him in this way, we can trust him wholeheartedly with an unwavering assurance that He wants us to share those same qualities. That being said, we know that His/our “Love believes all”.   

What motivates us to reverence God so much???  Why do we trust in Him so blindly and unconditionally???  What makes us so confident of His Love for us???   What else can possibly explain our urge to want to honor Him???  Remember, He loved us first, before we loved Him. How can we explain the love we have for Him???

How can we reciprocate the Love He has for us???

For now, it can only be done through the 1% down payment He gave us through His Holy Spirit. Just as God told Paul that His grace was sufficient, so now, this allotted, apportioned Love we’ve been graciously given is also sufficient. However, to compensate, God also gave us our blessed hope and “expectation” (Titus 2:13) while we await the remaining 99% of His full-measure of agape Love.

HIS WHOLE PLAN from inception to consummation, from before the eons, to after the eons, was, is, and always will be motivated by the essence of His Being, agape LOVE.

God made sure His whole plan was Perfect and Flawless. When His plan was determined as such, He sealed it by the counsel of His Will – to withstand all of time.

Asking the question, what does “Love believes all” mean is a valid question, but to get to the root of the matter, the inquisitive mind asks an even more important question; “believes all of what?”. Love believes all that God has declared to be Truth. Love believes the Righteousness of God and all that sprouts from it.

Love has no boundaries. It isn’t limited by space or time, just like God. If love was restricted to believing only certain things (not “all”), it would have limits or boundaries. It would be prohibitive from knowing God fully in all His splendor.

I think understanding this, is what motivated/inspired Paul to write the following;  

Romans 8:35-39 –  Romans 8 Interlinear Bible (biblehub.com) – scroll down to vs.35-39

“³⁵ What shall be separating us from the (agape) love of God in Christ Jesus? Affliction, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

³⁶ According as it is written that “On Thy account we are being put to death the whole day, We are reckoned as sheep for slaughter.”
³⁷ Nay! in all these we are more than conquering through Him Who (agape) loves us.
³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor messengers, nor sovereignties, nor the present, nor what is impending, nor powers,
³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other creation, will be able to separate us from the (agape) love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord”.

In vs.38 & 39, Paul is focusing on the “boundless” power of agape Love. He expresses Love as having no boundaries for him, just as we should consider for ourselves. Our apostle is showing us by example that the Love he’s describing believes all. 

Romans 13:10 – Romans 13 Interlinear Bible (biblehub.com) – scroll down to vs.10

“Love is not working evil to an associate. The complement, then, of law, is love”.

As you know, we, the Body of Christ are His complement. Christ needs us, we need him. From this verse, we can say the same about law and love. They are complements of each other. When God/Christ gave the 10 commandments (the Law) to Moses, God/Christ did so out of their agape Love. This very same Law was later explained as being resumed into 2 commandments – to love thy associate as thy self and to love God with your whole being.

Matt.22: 37-39 – Matthew 22 Interlinear Bible (biblehub.com) – scroll down to vs.37-39

“Now He averred to him, “You shall be (agape) loving the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with you whole comprehension. ³⁸ This is the great and foremost precept. ³⁹ Yet the second is like it: ‘You shall be (agape) loving your associate as yourself.’”

God’s love is so “all-encompassing”, that He summed up the whole law into these 2 simple commandments. By God doing this, His Law/Love applies not only to Israel but to the Gentile nations as well, making His Love, “all-inclusive”.

I will close with a last example. It’s found in John 21:15-17 + vs.20

¹⁵ When, then, they lunch, Jesus is saying to Simon Peter, “Simon of John, are you (agape) loving Me more than these?” He is saying to Him, “Yes, Lord, Thou art aware that I am (philo) fond of Thee!” He is saying to him, “Graze My lambkins!”
¹⁶ He is saying to him again a second time, “Simon of John, are you(agape) “loving” Me?” He is saying to Him, “Yes, Lord, Thou art aware that I am (philo) fond of Thee!” He is saying to him, “Shepherd My sheep!”

¹⁷ He is saying to him the third time, “Simon of John, are you (philo) “fond” of Me?” Peter was sorry that He said to him the third time “Are you (philo) “fond” of Me?” and he is saying to Him, “Lord, Thou art aware of all things! Thou knowest that I am (philo) “fond” of Thee.” And Jesus is saying to him, “Graze My little sheep!

By the above text (vs.15-17), it’s evident that Peter never once told Christ that he “loved” Him in an “agape” way. Rather, he always answered Christ in a human way, with mere fondness. Why so? My theory on this, is that Peter didn’t have the Holy Spirit indwelling in him. He had the Spirit ON him but not IN him (as all Israelite Kingdom believers for that matter), as opposed to us, the Body of Christ, being indwelt with the Spirit.

I think our calling is more special than that. God and the risen Christ, choose to live within us. What a privilege! Because of that down payment, earnest of God’s Spirit, we can actually claim to “agape” our Elohim because He imparted that special privilege to us. Think about this – if Christ came down to visit you today and had the very same conversation with you, and if you were asked 3 times if you “agaped” Him, would you answer, that you were merely “fond” of Him? …or would you embrace Him and tell Him you agaped Him? This of course is a no-brainer to any member Christ’s Body.

In contrast, check out vs.20, of the same chapter, where John writes;

²⁰ Now Peter, being turned about, is observing the disciple whom Jesus (agape) loved, following, who leans back also on His chest at the dinner and said to Him, “Lord who is it who is giving Thee up?”

While penning this event, John obviously knew the difference between the words he was writing. He knew what Philo meant, and he knew what Agape meant. But he wrote vs.20 exactly the way God wanted it to be written. I think it’s to show us that they (including John), couldn’t (agape) love Christ the way Christ (agape) loved them. They, Peter and John were carnally man-centered, God’s love is more complete and comprehensive.

Norman Labelle

                                                                                                                   October 2021

Consider Wheat as Righteous Israel and Barley as the Body of Christ among the Nations.

Wheat and barley are both in the grass family.

Psalm 103:15 (CVOT)

As for mortal man, his days are like grass, like a blossom of the field, so is he blossoming.

The Differences

Wheat:

Grass and seeds are consumed by humans

This will be the case in the Millennial Kingdom.  Israel will feed the nations, both spiritually and physically, in health and wellness.

Field growth can reach 3 to 5 feet, or 1.5 meters.

Each head contains 30-50 wheat grains.

Barley:

Humans consume hulled barley.

Both grain and fodder are used to feed farm animals/Nations (curs, dogs).

Field growth can reach up to 4 feet or slightly over 1 meter, subservient to Israel in standing.

Top portion contains spikes that produce 20-60 grains.

Field Maturity

Barley and Wheat, in biblical times, were planted at the same time in autumn and ripened in spring.  Barley matured faster and would be harvested sooner. The first fruits of this grain were offered during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

Wheat ripens later than barley, in fact, seven weeks or forty-nine days later, hence, the Feast of New Grain, or the Feast of Weeks, on traditional Shavuot.

The most important cereal was barley. It was grown in fringe areas of the field due to its robust tolerance to harsh conditions.

Possible Foreshadow

Unleavened Bread, representing the nations, does not rise, as does Israel, in the eyes of God who are His chosen people.  At Passover, unleavened bread is served with bitter herbs.  These herbs could represent Israel’s bitter jealousy toward the nations and the evangel of grace which was rejected by Israel, delivered by the apostle Paul, over a period of years, as well as rejecting their Messiah at Pentecost on a national level.

Further thoughts

Barley, or the Body of Christ, is harvested first and snatched away.  

Wheat has its own Festival of New Grain.  The Wheat harvest pictures the gathering of Righteous Israel at the Second Advent of Christ.  They will reign in a 1,000-year Millennial Kingdom, Feast of the Lamb, and Wedding Supper with Her Bridegroom.

RL Buick

Thanks to Norman Labelle for article input.

March 2023

There are two major things that stand out to me when I read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

1. The numerous statements that teach the fact that believers were chosen since before the world even began.
2. The extreme emphasis placed on believers sharing an active role with Christ in the celestial realm.

So much of this information is in chapter one of Ephesians, I encourage you to read this book, it is mind blowing and tears the chains off of the religion that holds us in bondage.  Ephesians talks about pre-destination to the fullest extent and explains that we have nothing to do with being chosen, it is all of God’s grace and sovereign choice.  God chooses some to be saved and have a higher calling, then at the end, His grace will eventually save every single person that has ever walked the face of this earth and more.  

I don’t have fancy words to relate this to anyone, so I am just going to present the scripture that says this so plainly.  I will be referencing a lot of scripture is this paper because there is so much that talks so plainly about our destiny.  I am going to underline and stress the importance of the scripture speaking of the celestial realm, God’s sovereign pre-destined choice (lack of human free will), and our relationship to Christ.  The scripture will be presented and I will make key points in relation to those scriptures.   

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in Christ, according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight, in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Jesus Christ; in accord with the delight of His will, for the laud of the glory of His grace, which graces us in the ‘Beloved.’  — Ephesians 1: 3-6

1. This is the first of many times the book of Ephesians mentions believers in company with the celestials.  The celestials are a heavenly realm that seems to be a different destiny for believers than for the earthbound, Jewish believers.  More on that as we proceed.
2. In these verses, Paul says that God chooses us, in Chirst, before the disruption of the world.  This verse is talking about believers.  So, if believers are chosen by God before the world ever began, before they were born, before they did anything good or bad, before they even had any knowledge, then how can this be a human free will choice to come to belief?  Simple, it has nothing to do with human free will.  God chooses, before time began, who will believe and who will not.  Those who believe in this life will have a special salvation and a special purpose both on earth and as Ephesians attests, in the celestial realm.  Those who do not believe or have not been chosen by God, are still under the almighty’s control, but will be saved at a later time.  
3. Again, the last part of these verses say the believers were designated beforehand for the place of a son for the delight of God’s will for the laud of the glory of His grace!  Humans having nothing to gloat over but God’s grace.  He lavishes that grace upon us because it is His sovereign choice, not our reward for following rules or being good enough.  God really seems to enjoy lavishing His grace upon His creatures, and eventually, though in a certain order, that grace will touch all.  

The next scripture segment I am going to refer to also speaks of the destiny of the believer and again, the prefix pre- and the word beforehand are used to describe the decision of God as choosing people before they made any action towards Him.

In Him in Whom our lot was cast also, being designated beforehand according to the purpose of the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will, that we should be for the laud of His glory, who are pre-expectant in the Christ (Ephesians 1: 11-12).  

So God once again makes it clear that He has pre-destined certain people to a specific calling.  In addition these verses speak of God operating all in accord with the counsel of His will.  You see, God has planned each and every moment of our life before we came to be.  Then, our lives are carried out to this end as God operates all, and absolutely all according to His will.  God has a specific calling for each individual and has a specific journey set up to get each of us there.  It is all of God.  Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we are living and moving, and are …” We cannot escape God’s plan any more than we can operate without living, moving and being.  These things, God upholds and directs in all people. 

Okay, so now I am going to back track a little and go to the first line of the above scripture that says, In Him in Whom our lot was cast also… and I am going to talk about just what the destiny is for the believer and the manner in which Jesus Christ and His body of believers will complete God’s perfect plan of saving all humanity.  

So scripture says that the believer’s lot was cast also with Jesus Christ, in fact, the group of believers that have been pulled from the many to believe God’s truths are referred to as Chirst’s body.  Christ will not go anywhere without His body.  Therefore to know what the believer’s position is, we need to look at what Christ’s allotment or position is.  This is explained in Ephesians 1: 18 – 23.  The following are important parts from this portion of scripture:

• Revelation is the realization of Him, the eyes of your heart having been enlightened, for you to perceive what is the expectation of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of the enjoyment of His allotment among the saints … (Ephesians 1: 18 – 19).  This scripture says that the saints will enjoy Jesus Christ’s allotment.  They enjoy this allotment because they have been given a realization, by God, of who Jesus and God actually are.  The realization that Jesus is the savior of the entire world and that nothing can be added to His work on the cross.  It is of pure grace.  In addition to this, God orchestrates all according to His will and His delight to navigate all people on their personal road of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  All will come to this realization, but those who come in this life have a special salvation in which they are now to enjoy what Christ enjoys.  
• So what is Christ’s allotment?  … rousing Him from among the dead and seating Him at His right hand among the celestials, up over every sovereignty and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this eon, but also in that which is impending: and subjects all under His feet…(Ephesians 1: 20 – 22).  I don’t think this comes as a major surprise to a lot of people that Jesus is above all.  However, the next bit of scriptural understanding might come as a shock.
• This is continued from Ephesians 1: 22 — … and gives Him, as Head over all, to the ecclesia which is His body, the complement of the One completing the all in all.
• I am also going to add this verse in Ephesians 3: 10-11 which states that now may be made known to the sovereignties and authorities among the celestials, through the ecclesia, the multifarious wisdom of God, in accord with the purpose of the eons…Once again, we have the body of believers being used by God to teach beings in the heavens, whether good or bad.  

Okay, there is so much here.  This verse mentions that Christ is head over all, and then, and then, it mentions that He is given to the ecclesia (group of believers) and this ecclesia is Jesus Christ’s body!  Jesus goes nowhere without His body, that is why these people will share in all the glory that Jesus has.  In fact, as this scripture mentions, the body of believers are Christ’s complement.  The word complement means “the perfect completion of.”  Therefore, the believers perfectly complete Christ and will share in His glory and in His mission.  

What, then, is Christ’s mission that his faithful will partake in?  Jesus is the one completing the all in all, meaning that those who believe in Christ will be involved in completing the all in all as well.  In essence, believers will be involved in saving all beings in the celestial and earthly realms.   So here it is, the plan that God is using to save all mankind:

First, the bible teaches that many are called but few are chosen.  The few, very few chosen to be a part of the body of Christ are those who, in this earthly life, were given the realization that Jesus Christ is their savior apart from anything that they have or have not done.  Those that believe in the sovereignty of God and reject human free will completely.  Those that reject the doctrine of eternal hell and truly believe that Jesus Christ will save all of humanity.  These people have a special salvation and will join Jesus Christ in bringing the rest of creation to the realization of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.  

Second, the bible teaches that Jesus Christ will, with His body and all, save all those that were unbelievers in their earthly life and all celestial entities that opposed God throughout the ages, so that God will be all in all.  First come the believers of the truth, those who were called out of religion to the glorious freedom of Christ.  Then those believers, along with Christ, will be used to bring everyone else to the true realization of Christ and God’s sovereignty, love, grace and perfect plan that will save every man, woman and child that has ever walked this earth.  That is Jesus’s mission, to reconcile all things to God through His death and resurrection on the cross.  He will not fail, not at all, He will not fail even one person.  

Alright, now we are moving on through the book of Ephesians.  Can you believe that everything covered so far was only chapter one?  Well now, in chapter two there is another mention of the fact that believers will be seated in the celestial realm.  

…and rouses us together and seats us together among the celestials, in Christ Jesus, that, in the oncoming eons, He should be displaying the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2: 6-8).

Not only does the above scripture speak of believers being in the celestial realm but also gives the reason and process for these believers having this high honor.  First, these scriptures mention nothing of believers earning this calling as the next scripture will solidify, however, the reason some people are chosen for this destiny is because God is displaying unlimited, unimaginable riches of His grace.  Why?  Because He is showing believers kindness in Christ Jesus.  

Now, the next verses I really want to focus on.  For this is how all humanity is saved, both those who are saved now and those who will be saved later.  The next scripture blows the doors off of every single religion that claims to know Christ and then require its congregation to do works for salvation or maintain salvation through works.  Here it is:

For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not of you; it is God’s approach present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting.  For His achievement are we, being created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God makes ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them (Ephesians 2: 8-10)

There it is, we are saved by grace through faith.  Grace is completely unmerited on the part of the human, it is imparted in us no matter what, at our assigned time.  Yes, this grace does come through faith, but that very faith is also given to us by God.  Therefore, it is not of you, not at all.  Even if the human had some little part, for instance, like accepting the gift or being smart enough to make a faith choice for Christ, then they could boast in their part in the salvation process.  However, this verse says that no one can boast, why, because they have done NOTHING to receive salvation.  It is all of Christ Jesus.  

Are you going to believe this scripture?  Here are some things that are taught that deny the saving work of Christ that the church and individuals directly boast in:

• Lie #1:  Jesus Christ died for us but you must make a personal decision to accept Him into your heart.  This boasts in self because the person must be smart enough or aware enough to make the proper choice.  This puts the ultimate responsibility of salvation on the person’s decision rather than on God.  This is human pride at its worst.
• Lie #2:  You must follow the Ten Commandments or any other rules presented in the bible or concocted by the church.  Rule following for salvation directly denies grace.  Rule following has a place with Israel, for believers, rules and especially the Ten Commandments were given to show our failure and point us to Jesus Christ.  The second someone puts doing or not doing a specific act a condition of salvation, they are denying the full work of Jesus Christ.  
• Lie #3:  Jesus is just one of many ways to God.  Although all will be saved in the fullness of time and according to God’s perfect plan, there are not numerous ways to God and it does matter what a person does.  The bible says that no one will come to the father except through Jesus Christ.  We will all be saved, yes, but we will all come through the door that is Jesus Christ.  All will come to realize Jesus Christ as savior and all will be with God because and only because of the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.  There is no other way, but all will find it in God’s timing and order.  
• Lie #4:  A man is self-made and works out his life and presents it to God.  The verses above mention that WE ARE GOD’S ACHIEVEMENT!  He creates us and showers His blessings upon us.  Just like in Psalms 139:16 where it is said that every day of our life was planned before one of them came to be, the plan is hand-crafted, specific to each individual and it is all of God, we have no say in the matter.  
• Lie #5:  We do good works of our own volition.  Ephesians 2:10 says that believers are being created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has made ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them.  God appoints who will believe and when, then He created good works for them to do before they had any say in the matter.  People do not do good or bad of their own free will, their works were decided beforehand and they must complete them as God has ordained.  

You see, God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all.  Now to each one of us was given grace in accord with the measure of the gratuity of Christ.  Wherefore He is saying, 

                Ascending on high, He captures captivity and gives gifts to mankind (Ephesians 4: 5-8).

These scriptures attest to the fact that we are all given gifts of grace according to God’s choice.  Not all people are given the same amount of gifts or grace but given a measure according to God’s favor and delight.  However, in all the works of humans, it is God who operates because He is over all and through all and in all as scripture attests.  In Him, in the Almighty, we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).  Indeed, God holds us in the palm of His hand until that day in which He perfects us through His Son, Jesus Christ.  

Paul spoke of the fact that he was given this grace.  A grace that has been concealed from the eons in God and now is being proclaimed.  God has created all and now, through Paul, God is letting all know of His transcendent grace that will be made known to even the celestials through the body of believers that receive this grace.  That now may be made known to the sovereignties and the authorities among the celestials, through the ecclesia, the multifarious wisdom of God, in accord with the purpose of the eons… (Ephesians 3: 10-11).  The ecclesia, the body of believers, will make known to the celestials the grace and love of Jesus Christ.  Believers have a great destiny to bring this message to entities of heaven, both good and bad, to proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and just what the Lord has done for them.  Eventually, these chosen believers will have a hand in bringing all of heaven and earth, all who have ever lived, to the grace and perfect salvation that comes through the realization that Jesus Christ is the savior of all mankind and indeed, all of creation.

The last scripture we are going to look at in Ephesians again references the believers destiny with respect to the celestials.  Paul is talking to believers here when he says, for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials (Ephesians 6: 12-13).

Paul, once again, talks about the believers work with the celestials, in fact, here he speaks of the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.  Notice that these evil forces are in the celestial realm or the heavens, not in some dark fiery underworld.  Believers will have a hand in redeeming these celestial beings.  Yes indeed, the beings of wickedness will be saved just as the most evil human beings, will one day be saved.  

If one compares Ephesians 6:12 to Colossians 1: 15 – 20, it can be seen that the same evil entities mentioned in Ephesians 6:12 are reconciled to God in Colossians 1: 15 – 20.  This is the plan of God, to set beings against Him for a time and once the drama plays out, He brings them back to Him.  How does He do this, by making peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20). 

I was once a typical Christian.  I went to church, tithed, went on short-term missionary trips, taught Sunday School, and went to ‘Outreach Events’ whenever possible.  Of course, there was always something missing, something I just didn’t get, but I could never put my finger on it.  However, I just did not realize that what ‘I didn’t get’ was so massive and life changing.  This revelation was the fact that the True God was the complete opposite of the phony god that I was worshipping in Christianity.  I first started to come to a true realization of the Real God when I read a verse in TIMOTHY.  This verse is in 1 Timothy 4:10 and states that ….God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers. 

This verse sat in my mind and heart for a long time.  I was afraid to pursue this scripture because I thought I was abandoning my faith, I felt my pastor and church would shun me and perhaps I would fall into heresy and become a backslidden Christian that the bible talks about.  Old ladies, who seemed sweet, would condemn me to hell and would seem to be happy about it.  However, I continued to study scripture and realized that many verses and stories support the fact that through Jesus Christ, God would eventually save every single human being that has ever lived.    

The scripture mentioned above stood out to me because it says that God is the savior of all mankind and then qualifies the believers with the word ‘especially’ which means they have a special salvation.  However, this also means that if God saves all mankind and the believers have a special salvation then everyone else will have salvation.  There is no way this verse could mean anything else but the salvation of all.  Unless you want to take the position that God is a savior of those whom He does not save, then this scripture clearly teaches that God will save unbelievers while specially saving believers. 

There is another verse in First Timothy that resonated with me.   Saviour, God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).  Clearly, to me, it is that God truly does want every last human to be saved, lest He is not love at all.  But, if God wills something or wants something to happen, will it?  Or will the almighty God want something and not be able to obtain it?  This didn’t make sense to me because we are talking about a sovereign, mighty God.  Well, it doesn’t make sense in scripture either.  There are so many verses in the bible that speak to God accomplishing His will and all that He wants.  These verses are too numerous for this short paper but I will touch on a few. 

…One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His Will…(Ephesians 1: 11-12)

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:35).

Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him (Psalms 115:3).

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ (Isaiah 46:10).

God does not contrive weak wishes that He wants and cannot bring to pass.  He wills it, plans it, ordains it, and BRINGS IT TO PASS!  God is not a man that He wishes and dreams only to have those wishes and dreams fall through His fingers.  He is God.  He will accomplish all that He wills and He wills to save everyone from death. 

People cannot shun the love of God forever.  In fact, 1 Timothy 1: 14-15 says that the grace of our Lord overwhelms, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.  This faith and love will overwhelm even the hardest of sinners.  This was the very example that the apostle Paul gives, that of God overwhelming the worst of all sinners, Saul of Tarsus.  This is what the apostle Paul had to say about the way Jesus Christ saves:

Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, foremost of whom am I.  But therefore was I shown mercy, that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ should be displaying all His patience, for a pattern of those who are about to be believing on Him for life eonian (1 Timothy 15-16).

This is the pattern for salvation for us, we have done nothing to neither deserve nor desire it, but God overwhelms us and saves us whether we like it or not.  That is what He did to Saul of Tarsus and that is what God will do for us.  All humans will be knocked off their horse sooner or later and will come to the realization that Jesus Christ will save every man, women and child.  All humans will come to the realization that they had nothing to do with their own salvation, but that it is all based on the mercy of God and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Some will come to this realization now, some will come later.  However, in the end, God will be all in all, all will have the spirit of God.

     I hate funerals.  At funerals, people say stupid things.  For example, “Look at Aunt May, she looks so beautiful and peaceful.”  Mind you that Aunt May is dead and in a coffin.  But, people want to say that she looks great as a dead body?  Then, I would hear people say, “Well Aunt May is alive in heaven looking down on us right now.” I understand that people say things like this to comfort themselves and others because nobody likes death.  However, do people really want to comfort themselves and others with pagan doctrines of false teachings just because it’s easier to swallow?  The truth is that Aunt May and all our loved ones that have died are dead and will not regain consciousness until resurrection day.  We may not like death but it is part of the process that we must go through in order to put on immortality and everlasting life.  Jesus went through death to show us the way home, through death.  The resurrection is a big deal!

     Eternal hell is the most disgusting fable ever told!  But, Jesus is the savior of the world, the entire world.  So we must ask:  What does Jesus save us from?  Well, Jesus saves us from sin and death.  But, just what exactly is sin and death?  This question and many others are actually answered in scripture.  Let’s first take a look at the Garden of Eden and the modern concept of sin and death:

     Satan is the greatest liar of all time.  He is a master of deceit because he includes as much truth in a lie as possible.  God told Adam that From every tree in the garden you may eat, yea eat.  But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you must not eat from it;  for on the day you eat from it, to die you shall be dying (Genesis 2:16).  Notice that God told Adam this one and only rule before Eve was even created.  Therefore, Eve would have received the knowledge of God’s instruction from Adam.  So Satan, right off the bat, attacks the one who would have received the word from another human, rather than straight from God.  Otherwise, Satan would have started with Adam. 

     But the serpent said to the woman:  Not to die shall you be dying;  for God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be unclosed, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3: 4-5).  Now, the knowing good and evil part of Satan’s comments was actually true.  In Genesis 3:22, God said:  Behold, man has become like one of Us in knowing good and evil.  The “knowing good and evil” part actually happened and is part of the process of God developing us into a perfect creation.  Humans must have an experience of good and evil to have the contrast to fully enjoy the glory and goodness of God.  However, the lie of Satan was delicately woven into the truth.  The lie was that Adam and Eve would not die or begin to die once they ate of the fruit.  Sadly today, religion continues to teach this lie of Satan within church walls. 

     Scripture says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).  Christians simply do not believe in the scriptural definition of death as will be shown.  For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing whatsoever (Ecclesiastes 9:5).  The bible says that the dead do not know anything.  Popular religious and Christian belief is that a part of the soul lives on and goes to heaven or hell immediately.  Thus, these religions confirm and teach the lie of Satan that surely we will not die, but continue to live in some other realm.  This lie diminishes the power of the resurrection and as we will soon see, causes people to deny the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ without even knowing it. 

     In the Old Testament death was very physical.  The patriarchs died and went away.  There was no mention of them or other humans living somewhere else after they died.  Jesus spoke of Gehenna which was a physical location.  The grave was referred to as a place people went after death where they were no longer seen.  The bottom line:  death is the absence and opposite of life.  There is no feeling, sensations, passage of time or anything else in death as scripture says the dead know not anything.  Death is not life for part of the soul in another form but is indeed death.  Death may be a brutal, horrible process but, being dead is like being in a deep sleep with no thoughts, emotions or anything else.  You will wake up at the resurrection and even if you were dead for 2,000 years it would feel as if you had just died.  Jesus suffered, died and experienced the death state for us.  God raised Him from the death state to show us how Jesus will one day raise us from the death state.  Jesus is not snatching our soul back from heaven or hell at the resurrection to put us in some different body.  He is raising us from the dead to have life.  Then, at the Lord’s appointed time, and only then, do we put on our immortality.

     We need to digress and talk about the false doctrine of the ‘Immortality of the soul’ and then look at the true definition of the ‘soul’ from scripture.  First, where does the belief that a soul goes to heaven or hell immediately after death come from?   I am not going to get into too much detail about this but it can be traced back to ancient Egypt.  Then from Egypt, the mythology of the soul living after death crept into Jewish and Greek thinking throughout the ages.  As a result, religion and churches injected this belief into their doctrines.  However, there is no scripture in the bible that teaches the immortality of the soul or that a part of a person lives on after death.  The church simply mixed pagan doctrines from Egypt that ran down the pipe to their own cultures and accepted it as truth.  Satan works in subtle ways.  The immortality of the soul denies death, the very thing that Christ came to save us from.  Not only that, the immortality of the soul denies the fact that Jesus ever died.  One way Satan attacks the truth is by denying what Jesus did and what He saved humans from by redefining the word death to mean something it doesn’t.  If the soul lives on and humans don’t actually die, then Jesus doesn’t save us from death and He never actually died Himself. 

     This is not what scripture teaches as all.  The Old Testament teaches that Adam died, Abraham died, Isaac died, Jacob died, Moses died and so on and so forth.  There is no mention of any part of these people existing somewhere else after they died.  Basically, they ceased to exist and have no thought, passage of time, or sensation at all as the dead know nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5).  So what is life and death?  Let’s take a look at what scripture teaches about what the soul actually is.

     God formed the human out of soil from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the breath of life; and the human became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).  Let’s break this down.  So God formed a body from the ground, it was a human body.  Then, God blew the breath of life into the human and the human became a living soul.  This teaches that the soul is the combination of a body and breath of life from God.  The body was not alive, it had no feeling or self-realization when God formed it from the soil.  Okay, God’s next step was NOT to create a soul and put it in the human!  No, His next step was to blow the breath of life into the body.  The breath of life came out of God and into the body.  Therefore, the fusion of the body and the breath of life became a living soul.  The Hebrew word nephesh (5315) is the word used for soul.  It is described as a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion.  The important point here is that the soul is not a separate part of a person that lives forever, rather a soul is formed when body and God’s spirit come together. 

     The word nephesh is used many times in scripture when God was creating living beings.  And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living soul (nephesh), each according to its kind: domestic beast, creeper and land animal, each according to its kind (Genesis 1:24).  Some bible translations sub the word creature in for soul in this scripture.  However, the Hebrew word used to describe all the creatures that God created, is nephesh, the same word meaning soul when God created the human.  So in essence, all living creatures have a body and when that body is combined with God’s spirit, they became a soul.  They do not have a soul! 

     When God blew the breath of life into Adam’s body, Adam had no consciousness or sensation when the breath was still with God.  God formed a lifeless body and it was not until He breathed spirit into Adam that he became aware and alive.  He became a living soul!  A soul was not but into him.  I’ll repeat this hundreds of times because it is so important.  If there is no body then the soul cannot exist, if there is not spirit or breath of life then the soul cannot exist.  The soul is only formed when there is a body and God puts a spirit or breaths the breath of life into the body.  The combination of the two is the soul.

     So what happens when people die?  And the soil returns to the earth just as it was, and the spirit, it returns to the One, God, Who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7).  People die and their bodies are lifeless, they become part of the earth, rot and decay.  The spirit (breath of life) of the person returns to God, Who gave it.  Now this spirit is not an immortal soul that goes to heaven or hell.  Remember, the soul or nephesh is the combination of body and spirit.  At this point, the soul no longer exists and the spirit of the human goes back to God just as it was with God before He blew the breath of life into Adam.  Adam had no consciousness or sensation until the moment God blew spirit into him, he was just a lifeless corpse.  For those of us that die, the spirit leaves our body leaving it lifeless and the spirit goes to God just like Adam’s spirit was the moment before God breathed life into him.  We have no consciousness, thought or anything else when our spirit goes to God.    For the dead know nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5).  This is death and we sin because we are going to die.  This is the destiny of all humans and creatures on earth and this is what we must be saved from. 

     The following are some excerpts from the book of Job chapter 14: 10-14:

But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more

So he lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, people will not awake

Or be roused from their sleep.

If someone dies will they live again?  All the days of my hard service I will wait for my

Renewal to come.

     There are many other verses in scripture that teach that the dead are dead.  There are no verses in scripture that teach that humans or their soul go anywhere else but the grave when they die.  The above selection in Job is one of many that relate death to sleep.  In fact, this passage teaches that humans will not be raised or awakened from their sleep until the heavens are no more.  We don’t go anywhere when we sleep, we are unconscious.  Death itself is a deep sleep and the bible does not leave any doubt about the teaching that no part of the human is alive anywhere else.  Then, the million dollar question asked in Job 14:14:  If someone dies, will they live again?

     As I was driving up the highway to Michigan, I saw a giant billboard that read:  If you died today, would you go to heaven or hell?  This seems to be the question that religion asks.  Little do they know that this question is blasphemy and contradicts the truth of the scripture.   Simply put, it is the wrong question.  The question that should be asked is in Job 14:14 that IF SOMEONE DIES, WILL THEY LIVE AGAIN?  Death is the problem!  We would remain dead forever and never rise from the grave if someone didn’t save us from this fate.  Death is what we need to be saved from, not eternal hell.  IF SOMEONE DIES, WILL THEY LIVE AGAIN?  YES, because Christ Jesus went to the grave and God raised Him from that grave.  Christ will do the same for each one of us at our appointed time.

     You see, the resurrection is a big deal.  It is the answer to the problem of sin and death; in fact, it will destroy sin and death completely.  The teaching of the ‘Immortality of the soul’ makes resurrection day unnecessary.  If people or their souls are in heaven and hell immediately after they die, then what is the purpose of the resurrection?  At resurrection, Christians would have us believe that souls are snatched from heaven and hell, given a new body at resurrection, and then returned to heaven and hell.  That makes sense only to illogical, unscriptural based, religious minds.  Nowhere in scripture is this taught.  God said man would die and Satan lied about it.  The church believes Satan and not God.  The bible says the wages of sin is death.  Moses died and went to the grave along with the patriarchs of the Old Testament.  Jesus died and was in the dead state for three days.  We all die and will be dead until the resurrection!  This is serious because if one believes that Jesus’s soul went somewhere else at His death then they are denying that Jesus actually died.  This leads to another great lie of the Christian religion, THE TRINITY!

     Satan is an evil genius because he tricks people into thinking they believe in Jesus when their own teachings actually deny Jesus.  The trinity is one of those lies.  Religion teaches that God is one in three parts, the father, son and holy ghost.  This is not true as scripture would attest and not only that, but it denies the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ when you follow this teaching all the way through.  First, from the mouth of Christ Himself:  I am going, and I am coming to you.  If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I (John 14:28).

     If one is greater than the other, then they are not equal.  No sense in getting into a squabble over who is greater, God or Jesus but these words from Jesus indicate that they are not the same being.  Jesus is God’s son and He has all the attributes of His Father but He is not His Father.  When we look at Jesus, the full representation of God is seen.  However, God and Jesus are not two equal parts of the same being.  In fact, Jesus Christ actually will give up His reign and subject Himself completely to God.  How many times have you heard that?  Yes, Jesus will give up His reign and subject Himself to God at the appointed time.  When will Jesus give up His reign?  Jesus will give up His reign after He destroys death and saves the last human being and the last bit of creation.  Christ Jesus will raise every, man, woman and child from the dead and give them immortality along with the rest of creation.  At that point, Jesus hands over the entire creation that He saved, including Jesus Himself, to God so that He will be all things to all creation.  Don’t believe me?  Here are the scriptures that prove it.

Thereafter the consummation, whenever He (Jesus) 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 enemies under His feet.  The last enemy is being abolished: death (1 Corinthians 15: 24-27). 

     The above scripture shows that Christ will reign until He puts all enemies under His feet.  This word ‘until’ means that at this point in God’s plan, Jesus ends His rule and completes His mission of destroying death and saving all creation.  Jesus gives up His rule and presents His accomplished work to God, His Father, NOT to Himself.  Then, the bible goes on to say that Jesus will subject Himself to God so that God will be all in all.  Notice it does not say that Jesus subjects Himself to Himself but to God.  Clearly, there are different roles between Jesus and God.  Jesus and God are not one.  They may be one in purpose but not in being.  God is Jesus’s Father.  Jesus is the Son of God as the bible says over and over. 

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 Corinthians 15: 27-28).

     Jesus will be subjected to God once He fulfills His mission of saving all creation.  He is a separate entity from God but always follows the will of God and is the perfect manifestation of the Father.  In this way, they are one.  However, they are not one being.  The trinity denies the work of Christ because if you follow the teaching all the way through then Jesus did not actually die on the cross.  The trinity says that Jesus’s body died but that He was still alive in the form of the Father.  If this is the case then Jesus never experienced the death state for us and is not our savior.  This is how subtle tricks from the devil get religious people to think they believe in the truth but deny it with their own false teaching.  However, Jesus did die; both His body and being, and God raised Him from the dead.  Jesus was dead like we will one day be dead.  So, we will rise as He rose because of His death.  We will follow Him in death and then follow Him in resurrection.  Jesus is our Savior that suffered and died for us!

     Now, if God is not a trinity then what is He actually doing with respect to His Son?  The truth is that God is expanding His family to have many sons and daughters just like Jesus!  God will give immortal, blissful life to all of His creation through the suffering, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.  However, Jesus saves some before others.  This is all a part of God’s will and foreknowledge.  God chooses to conform people to the image of His Son so that these people will become His very sons and daughters.  This is an expanding family and not a trinity.

     Certain people are called according to the purpose that, whom He foreknew, He designates beforehand, also, to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the Firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8: 28-30). 

     Jesus saved the world and is going to be the Firstborn of many brethren.  This means that Jesus is creating people to be just like Him, His very brothers and sisters.  This would not be possible if Jesus was part of a trinity.  Christ Jesus did more than just save us from death; He was the first Son of God and is creating us to be sons and daughters of God as well.  We are sons and daughters of God because and through Christ Jesus!

The spirit itself is testifying together with our spirit that we are children of God.  Yet if children, enjoyers also of an allotment, enjoyers, indeed, of an allotment from God, yet joint enjoyers of Christ’s allotment, if so be that we are suffering together, that we should be glorified together also (Romans 8: 16-17).

     God gives belief to people that He designated beforehand to develop into the sons and daughters of God.  These people are the first fruits of those that will enjoy the allotment of Jesus Christ.  This is a special calling for selected human beings, but, if we continue reading in Romans 8 it is evident that all of creation is groaning for the revelation of the sons of God.  Why does all creation want to know who the sons of God are?  They also want to be freed from sin, corruption and death.  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. 

     Then, as scripture says, the rest of creation will put on the freedom of the children of God.  You see, God is creating a family through Jesus Christ giving His creation the same attributes.  Jesus was the first, and through Jesus, God will bring home all of His precious humans.  Some He will bring into the family before others, but rest assured, God will one day be All in all.  We will all be children of God because of Christ Jesus.

     I would like to leave one final note on this topic.  There are instances in scripture in which Jesus is praying to His Father, God.  For example, Jesus prayed to God in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His death.  He also prayed on the cross.  If Jesus and God are equal parts of the trinity, then was Jesus praying to Himself during these times?  I don’t think so.  Now, Jesus does and did accomplish the will of God perfectly.  He is the image of the invisible God, BUT, He is indeed the Son of God.  Jesus is the Image of the invisible God, firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15).  Jesus prayed in Gethsemane that there be another way to save the world besides crucifixion but He put God’s will first.  He prayed on the cross that God would forgive those in the process of killing Him.  He did not run up to heaven to answer His own prayer.  Jesus prayed to His Father, not Himself.  Jesus died and did not exist for three days when He was in the grave.  He was not alive in the form of the Father or in any other form or realm of existence.  He was dead.  Jesus was dead, asleep, just like we will one day be dead.  Jesus was raised to new life and He will do the same for us at the resurrection…but not until the resurrection.