> General Discussions
intensity of the 'lake of fire'/intensity of chastisement
GaryK:
We are all so very………..blessed.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge
because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hos 4:6
From:
Rays Replies to 'Flesh that profits nothing?'on: March 17, 2006, 09:51:28 AM
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are
spirit, and [they] are life. [John 6:63]
Does our flesh profit nothing? Was the design of mans physical body and his experiences to mean nothing?
[Ray's reply]
“Jesus did not say that there is no value to our physical experience. What He said was that the experience itself is NOT THE PROFIT ITSELF. …….. Maybe our biggest spiritual example of this is: "Come OUT of her, My people...." (Rev. 18:4). If there is "profit" to be had from being IN Babylon, then perhaps we should all go BACK IN? No, Babylon is about as fleshly and worldly as anything could ever be, and Babylon BENEFITS NOTHING, so "Come OUT OF HER My people...." The BENEFITS are IN CHRIST, OUT OF Babylon, out of the flesh and the world.”
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,7500.0.html
From LOF Part 1
“Don’t get me wrong, there will be severe chastisements on those who despise God and His Savior and His Gospel.
Make no mistake, God will judge the wicked with great severity. However, ALWAYS FOR A BENEVOLENT PURPOSE:”
http://bible-truths.com/lake1.html
From:
THE LAKE OF FIRE, Installment XV - Part D, The Myth of Free-Will Exposed, EVERYTHING HAS A PRECISE APPOINTED TIME
“Not only is our precise time of death appointed, but also our resurrection:
"If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my APPOINTED TIME will I wait [in the grave] till my change [resurrection] come" (Job 14:14).”
Here’s what has been trying to work itself through my mind for a better understanding.
We study, just as Paul instructed Timothy to do also. And we delight in the knowledge that God has so blessed us all with through Ray’s writings and teachings. Such a blessing they are.
But, we don't 'despise God", yet even still, we don’t make it as one of the ‘chosen’, the 1st resurrection. Of ourselves we can do nothing. That’s preordained of God, I understand that.
But, if into the lake of fire we go……………..even though we have gained ‘knowledge’…..…does somehow this true knowledge that we have been given lighten the intensity in the ‘lake of fire’?
And if so, will there be varying ‘resurrection’ times? Or just simply the 2nd resurrection?
It appears so from Job 14:14.
I certainly may not be seeing or understanding correctly and would appreciate a different viewpoint(s). If this has been addressed, point the way please.
gk
.
mharrell08:
We all understand that the Lake of Fire is not a literal fire, but a metaphor for how God makes us into His image. We face pressure in our lives which God uses to refine our moral character, similar to a blacksmith who refines metal objects and other minerals in real fire. We all know that, but.......
How come, whenever someone asks about the LOF in the next age, they still talk as if it is a literal fire? :D
Gary, I believe if we begin to think about us going through our LOF experience, we can better understand the next age, because that's the only living example we have to go on. Think about what makes it tough now, how God makes it tough now, His ways and means of making it tough now and that should help in understanding the LOF in the next age. Just a thought...
Marques
Kat:
Hi Gary,
--- Quote ---will there be varying ‘resurrection’ times? Or just simply the 2nd resurrection?
--- End quote ---
Matt 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
v. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
v. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
From this Scripture it appears to me that the first and the second resurrection happen close together or in rapid succession.
I have seen no where in the Scripture that indicates that the second resurrection is more than a single event. We can see many times in the Scripture "the resurrection of the dead," not the resurrections of the dead, (Mat 22:31; Acts 17:32; Acts 23:6; Acts 24:15, 21; Rom 1:4; 1 Cor 15:12,13,21,42; Heb 6:2). So it looks like all the dead are raised at virtually the same time, of course those in the first resurrection comes before those in the second.
--- Quote ---But, if into the lake of fire we go……………..even though we have gained ‘knowledge’…..…does somehow this true knowledge that we have been given lighten the intensity in the ‘lake of fire’?
--- End quote ---
Luke 12:47 And that servant, who knew his lord's will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes;
v. 48 but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more.
Certainly God is just (Isa 45:21), and Luke gives you some idea that there are degrees to punishment. But we also know that the Lake of 'fire' will try everyone's works/deeds/actions as to whether they are good or bad. So I think the Lake of fire is a character check.
1Co 3:13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
v. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
v. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
So the Lake of fire is for developing righteous character and if you already have (from this life) good character traits, you keep them and I would think you are that much further along.
So that is my way of looking at it.
mercy, peace and love
Kat
Marky Mark:
--- Quote ---But, if into the lake of fire we go……………..even though we have gained ‘knowledge’…..…does somehow this true knowledge that we have been given lighten the intensity in the ‘lake of fire’?
--- End quote ---
Hello Gary.
If you are one of the Lords chosen elect,He will not fail,its already a done deal.But if you are not of the elect,then the LOF is where all will go who are not of the elect. That LOF is Christ and His elect.
You have to keep the Faith,always.Because if the Truth that one receives is not put to use,many stripes can and will happen in the fire that purifies the person that has to learn Gods Truth.That is why we have to run the race like our lives depend on it,because,it does. Spirit is life[the real deal],flesh is death[for a season,temporal].That in and of itself is a hard pill for the world to swallow.
Luk 12:44 A servant who is always faithful will surely be put in charge of everything the master owns.
Luk 12:45 But suppose one of the servants thinks that the master won't return until late. Suppose that servant starts beating all the other servants and eats and drinks and gets drunk.
Luk 12:46 If that happens, the master will come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. That servant will then be punished and thrown out with the servants who cannot be trusted.
Luk 12:47 If servants are not ready or willing to do what their master wants them to do, they will be beaten hard.
Luk 12:48 But servants who don't know what their master wants them to do will not be beaten so hard for doing wrong. If God has been generous with you, he will expect you to serve him well. But if he has been more than generous, he will expect you to serve him even better.
Luk 12:49 I came to set fire to the earth, and I wish it were already on fire!
Luk 12:50 I am going to be put to a hard test. And I will have to suffer a lot of pain until it is over.
Hope this helps.
Peace...Mark
GaryK:
Hi Marques,
“How come, whenever someone asks about the LOF in the next age, they still talk as if it is a literal fire? ;D ”
Because:
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"
(Have you seen my new shoes? How do they look? I think they fit, what do you think?) ;D
“Think about what makes it tough now, how God makes it tough now, His ways and means of making it tough now”
I do Marques, see below.
Hi Kat,
“not the resurrections of the dead”
‘s’.
I suppose I could reply more based on what you’ve written. But why? The ‘s’ made the difference in understanding. Thank you Kat.
Hi Mark,
You just made my reading schedule for the weekend, the book of Luke. But, what you’ve written here is intense in itself. A hard pill as you say.
Perhaps I’m taking the below just a bit too literal:
“When the spiritual house that we all build falls down with a ‘GREAT FALL.’ When (notice I did not say, ‘IF’)…when our spiritual house built upon the spiritual sand falls, WE ARE LEFT STANDING ON THE SAND OF THE SEA. We are only INCHES above the very sea itself—the masses and multitudes of humanity who do not have any knowledge of God AT ALL. It doesn’t mean that we have no knowledge of God at all at this quandary in our spiritual lives; it just means that we are no closer to God than all the humanity in the sea. Hence, we are not IN the sea, but rather standing on the SAND of the sea where out spiritual house just FELL!
http://bible-truths.com/lake13.html
and this:
"And I saw as it were a SEA OF GLASS mingled with FIRE [yes, the fire of God’s spirit is a necessary part of this ‘sea of glass’]: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass [ah, they too can now walk on water which is now smooth and calm as glass], having the harps of God"
http://bible-truths.com/lake12.html
I suppose the explanation that fits is that I sometimes have doubts that God is working these ‘tough life events’ to mold this particular individual to be included in the 1st resurrection, resulting in the inevitable question…..then what? Hence, this topic. I see so very many folks who have such a tough walk in life and I feel so much empathy for them and look at my own little challenges and think ‘what a complainer I am’.
Hope this all contributes more sense for the topic start.
Thankful for the truth. Have a great weekend.
gk
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version