Question: I've been sharing your book with my Mom, and the only thing she's had a problem with is about the Lake of Fire , that after the lost have burned to whatever degree they should, they just eventually fizzle out…Poof – they're gone, like they never existed. She said she can't find anywhere in the Bible where it backs that up. All she can find is that those who reject Jesus will burn forever in a Lake of Fire . Can you please address this?
Answer: I have traditionally gone by my visions because I have come to trust them. What I see is that the only one who does not get out is Lucifer for his debt can never be paid by him. I realize that one point is contrary to not scripture but our interpretation of scripture. I saw that those thrown in the Lake of Fire were there until their sin was paid for…then they were gone to have never existed, I realize that Christians have been taught that they will stay there forever, but I don't think that is right. Jesus said one very odd parable about going to the jailhouse until their debt was paid. Now the debt for sin was the death of the Son of God for our sins and in that light, how could that debt ever be paid otherwise. But I do believe that spending eternity in the Lake of Fire under torment is created by little men with big issues of bitterness and revenge in their hearts. I have found most of my life has been in this nature and I loved the idea that all my enemies would suffer forever because they could never pay enough for what they did to me. But we have to know God's heart on the matter, not ours. And that was a very odd story Jesus told in Matthew 5:23-25. He says this is a parable right before He explains the Ten Commandments of God.
Matthew 5:23-26 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you are thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."
(NKJ)
Now let's look at other scripture.
Jude 1:7 as Sodom and Gomorrah , and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (NKJ) (The fire is eternal.)
1 John 3 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him . (NKJ) (Whoever does not love his brother has no eternal life within them.)
I Jn 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life , and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life . (NKJ) (Only those who are n the son have eternal life; all others do not have life.)
Heb 9:15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance . (NKJ) (To receive eternal inheritance we must have eternal life.)
Heb 9:14-15 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (NKJ) (To receive eternal inheritance we must have eternal life.)
Dan 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt . (NKJ) (the contempt is everlasting)
Matt 3:12 "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire ." (NKJ) (The fire is eternal and unquenchable)
Matt 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell . (NKJ) (He gave us life…He can take it away…when the debt is paid, He can kill the soul as the body is already killed.)
Matt 18:8 "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. (NKJ) (The fire here his everlasting - "for a long time.")
You be the judge and see what the Holy Spirit says to your heart. But the way I see it |