Hi John,
Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Who are the people who receive the rewards at this judgment? Is that the Elect who were resurrected and who have reigned with Christ as described in the previous verses of chapter 11? The conflict I see is that the Elect have already been judged in their physical lives and they have already received their rewards when they met Christ in the air. Can this still be the Elect?
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.
Every person will have to give account for all the works they have done in this life. So "if anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward" for any good that is found in them.
The Lake of fire is for teaching righteousness (Isa 26:9), so any good character traits a person has from this life will remain. But character traits that a person has that are not good/righteous will be burned out. That is the purpose of the Lake of fire, to purge people of wrong behavior by teaching them.
Dan 12:1-2 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.
Daniel is specifically told that "thy people will be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book". Daniel's "people" are the Old Testament remnant. "Thy people" are certainly not the Elect of the church age. Doesn't it say that some of "thy people" will be delivered and found written "in the book"? Isn't that referring to the book that was opened in Rev 20:12? Since some will be found written in the book, doesn't that mean that some will be found acceptable to Christ and will enter the Kingdom of Heaven and will not be cast into the Lake of Fire? Isn't that what faith does for us and for them?
http://bible-truths.com/bible.htm ---------------------------
Just what is the "the book of life?" The King James (and others) makes it sound like the "book of life" is a literal book that is in the possession of the Lamb (Jesus Christ). Hence people believe that Jesus carries a literal book that has literal pages in it, on which are written literal names of the saved saints. Here is how the book of life is presented in the King James Bible:
"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb…" (Rev. 13:08).
Why is this book called "the book of life?" Most would answer: because of the names that are WRITTEN inside who are promised LIFE. Maybe then it should have been called "the book of NAMES." Whether we emphasize "the
book of life," or "the book of
life," both are wrong. Something is missing? What? The same thing that was missing in Rom. 8:28, only this time it is CHRIST Who is missing. Put back the missing word, and we have a WHOLE NEW SCRIPTURAL TRUTH:
From King James Version:
"…whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb…"
From the Concordant Greek Text (Page 713):
"OF-WHOM NOT HAS-been-WRITTEN THE NAME OF-him IN THE SCROLLet OF-THE LIFE OF-THE LAMBkin"
From the Emphatic Diaglott Interlinear (Page 8843):
"…of which not has been written the name in the scroll of
THE life of the Lamb…"
This book is a whole lot more than the "book of life." Rather this book is: "the book of THE LIFE OF THE LAMB!" WOW!
What a Truth we lose when we "take away" the definite article "the" from this verse of God’s Book. Why oh why would God have to write our names "IN A BOOK?" How absurd! Do we think that God has a POOR MEMORY and FORGETS things if He doesn’t WRITE THEM DOWN?
No, our names must be written in "THE LIFE OF THE LAMB" or our lives are not worth anything. Here is how Jesus Christ is our "Book of Life:"
"For the law of the Spirit of LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2).
Our lives must be written in "The BOOK of the LIFE of the LAMB." It is "The Book of THE LIFE of THE Lamb." The book is the LAMB’S LIFE. The Lamb IS THE BOOK—JESUS CHRIST IS THE BOOK! When we "take away" from God’s "Book" we take away FROM JESUS CHRIST. We diminish "THE LIFE of the Lamb" down to a mere physical "book"—a book of paper when translators, "take away from the words of the BOOK of this prophecy" (Rev. 22:19).
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As you stated above, the Old Testament "remnant" do have to be judged and purged of their carnal nature. However, I do not know of any scripture that says that cannot happen while they are in the Kingdom of Heaven. Are not God's Elect considered in the Kingdom of Heaven during their physical lives? Isn't that when they are being judged to purge their carnality? Why can't that be the case with the Old Testament remnant?
Because anybody can only enter the kingdom to reign with Christ through the door - Jesus Christ, which is only being offer at this time.
John 10:7 Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
v. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
The first resurrection happens only once at His return, those that do not have Christ indwelling at that time will not enter, not even John the Baptist.
Luke 7:28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
mercy, peace and love
Kat