And after He has hurt him deeply, He heals it all, so that no pain remains.
Dear GTW: Welcome to the God of unlimited. His hurts are soothed with the salve of His glory, and ends with expansion into more and more of Him.
I'm a universalist now: but
Quote = The Colossian's passage is an exception because there are extremely strong exegetical grounds for taking "all" literally there. Far stronger than Romans 5:18 and 1 Corinthians 15:22, even. I think that passage is the only reason I'm a universalist now (though I confess I find Ezekiel 16 and Isaiah 57:16 to be rather compelling as well).
Well, my friend, if Col. 1:20 is the "only reason" you are a universalist now, you evidently must acquaint yourself more fully with the Scriptures including Romans 5: and 1 Cor. 15.
"And
all mankind (all flesh) will see/ shall see God's salvation."
"The Lord will be terrible unto them; for He will famish all the gods of the earth, and men shall worship Him,
every one from his place and
all the isles of the heathen." -Zeph. 2:11-
"Men shall worship Him"
"Every one"
"From his place"
"And all the isles of the heathen"
Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out all My burning anger; for
all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal. -Zeph. 3:8,9
The purpose of our Lord's burning anger, and zeal, and devouring? =
"For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that
all of them may call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent (shoulder to shoulder).
Our Lord declares through His prophet that He will bring all men, "all of them", to worship Him with one consent, from their place, as He purifies lips by His burning fire, to call upon Him.
"The Lord of Hosts will make unto all peoples a feast of rich food, a banquet of matured wine well refined. And He will destroy the face of the covering
cast over all people, and the veil that is spread
over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God shall wipe away tears from off
all faces;....for the Living Life has spoken it.
All men, even the isles of the "heathen" serving the Lord shoulder to shoulder! The veil, covering "all people", and "all nations, destroyed. Swallowing up death in nothing short of victory! Tears wiped away from "all faces." The One who endorses such statements? = The Living Life who has spoken it!
"I will gather the lame, and gather the outcasts,
even those whom I have afflicted...and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from now on and forever.