The Final Chapter

[brotherjim]

The end of this age will culminate with the second resurrection of all who have ever lived and were not a part of the first resurrection. It will be quickly followed with the eternal, divine judgment of their lives.

God, who is perfectly just, will have assembled the Most High of Supreme Courts. Jesus will sit on the Judgment Seat, and the Holy Ghost will be the Prosecuting Attorney. Like any good attorney, the Holy Ghost will have already assembled an air-tight case against those whom will be charged.

There will be no further Court of Appeals. Since those whom will both be found guilty and whose names are not found in the Book of Life, will be ordered by this Court as punishment for them to be escorted under restraint to the edge of heaven and tossed into the Lake of Fire, their souls to be destroyed with no chance of again existing, it’s of the utmost importance absolutely no doubt remains as to their guilt AND as to the perfect justice of their punishment.

Those who were also resurrected but not destroyed, as well as all of the angelic/spirit creation, will continue on for all eternity. These will live in total, perfect, and complete harmony with each other and with God. For this cause, there can never be any doubt as to the final decisions of God that ushered in this new era. Those living on with God will never have any unanswered questions or wranglings of the mind or any doubt whatsoever as to the perfect justice of the Father. All will be known; all will be crystal clear; all will be in the perfect Peace of agreement with the hearts and minds of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

All of this will necessitate that when the Holy Ghost presents His cases of each before all of creation, that those accused will have no grounds whatsoever for argument. Since there’s no second chance, and since all must witness a perfect proceeding if they are to live on eternally unabated, the Prosecution MUST offer such an undeniable and complete litigation the very first time so that it will not leave any grounds at all for defense. Each so sentenced to death must be left speechless and without any ability to deny the Truth of their guilty life AND just punishment.

Absolutely no one, defendant or onlooker, human or angelic, will be able to disagree. All will know that they know all is perfect and perfectly just and necessary.

Now suppose, on the other hand, that some WERE able to give voice to a doubt. Imagine if you will that some, after sentenced to death, had grounds to request a reconsideration. Can you fathom the confusion and questioning of God’s perfection that would be the result - both then and forever? And can you understand how this just cannot be allowed? After all, this is the final presentation by God of His right to assume control of the New Heaven and new earth, based upon Him being the ONLY one perfect and just enough to rule it. We must all come to know that we know there MUST be a one world government, and it MUST be ruled by the One who alone is perfectly incorruptible enough to preside as Head.

So suppose one of these whom must be destroyed - for they have no desire to live in Love and Peace with all others, and they have no desire to submit to the ultimate authority of God in all they do, and they have no desire to worship and praise the Creator for eternity - could in fact offer the following defense:

"God, I now know I’m guilty of sin. I can offer no defense in this. But God, I was never born-again! You know because You made me, that I existed on the earth in a body of flesh that could not help but succumb to its dictates and me therefor sin. I didn’t have a chance to live holy and repentant before you.!



"God, consider all these who stand before you on the OTHER SIDE of the courtroom awaiting their Judgment as well. You say they are the sheep separated from us on this side whom are the goats. Unlike me, all of them were born-again during their earthly life. Through that New Birth they were given the keys to your further Graces. And through the availability of those further Graces, they had access to the power whereby man can overcome the sins in his life.

"Jesus, I now know and cannot deny, that even You Yourself was for a brief time made like man. I know you as did other men relied upon Grace to overcome the adversaries of the world. And I now know of the Apostle Paul, whom although he began as a great sinner, committed his life to learning of and seeking and obtaining and implementing into his earthly life the Graces and Virtues of You that were necessary in order for him too to overcome the world. And I see others standing here as well, ‘round about this courtroom, who were also overcomers in their lifetime.

"But God, what about all these others waiting their turn before you, and whose names were written in the Book of Life, and yet who abused you and your Grace? They did not consider their New Birth as a means to the same end you and Paul and some others justly did. They declared their being born-again THE end. They found among Your Holy Word a way to interpret the scriptures to mean that once they were converted by being born-again, the rest was all up to You. They did not cooperate in your ongoing, mutually cooperative process of sanctification. They buried their heads in the sand, said all was already covered by Your Blood, and they had no choice but to continue in sin since they were still stuck in a body of flesh.

("And some are even teaching others to follow them in their abuse of Grace, thereby dragging others into error along with them as well! How could you let that continue on the earth?! Doesn’t Your Word say such self-appointed teachers will receive a harsher judgment?))

"These whom you are possibly allowing to escape the same fate as I, are they not also deserving punishment? Do they also not have to pay some penalty? Is it fair that I should pay for my sin with the destruction of my very soul, when they get away scot free and obtain the same place of glory as you and Paul and some others already have? How can that be fair?

"God, after all, consider also your Old Covenant children. Were they not cut off from You because of their rebellion and hardness of heart? Well, God, from what I can now see and know, it would seem as these so-called sheep of Yours, after they were born-again and they too became Your children, also hardened their hearts of rebellion and proceeded down the same path as the Hebraic Jews. So how can You justly have cut off the OT Jews and allowed these NT disobedient ones to not face death, much less remain grafted in and not pay some penalty for their continuing sins?

"Or is it that You excuse them from such penalties, because they did not know what they were doing WAS sin? Is Your defense of Yourself going to be that these whom were born-again were only responsible for those sins they did know were sin? Well, then, if their allowed an escape from punishment because they maybe didn’t realize how arrogant they were and what the Meekness of Christ truly is, or they did not realize what they thought was their walking in Love in no way resembled the true unconditional Love of You as described in the 13th Chapter of Your Words through Paul first written to the Church at Corinth, how can you destroy me for not knowing you by Way of the New Birth, i.e. because of my ignorance, and not them who did have available the OPPORTUNITY to know?

"So God, if you carry out this sentence of me because You say I hid from the Truth of Your Word, how can You justify that against those whom You’ve made Your children who also hid from ALL the Truth of Your Word? How were such allowed to obey only those NT commandments of Yours that they had little trouble in feigning, but were free to hide from the rest and their hearts remain hardened against the many further attempts by You to challenge the iniquities still remaining in them? With all due respect, Your Honor, how can You say such is fair?"

God’s response??: Ummmmm, well, ahhhhhhh.........................

Therefor we should see there must not be available a defense; there CANNOT exist such defense.

"But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. . . . For the time is come that judgment MUST begin at the house of God . . . Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened onto you."

"Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection . . .."

"It is finished."

Copyright 2003 by brother jim - brotherjim@mail.com - may be freely shared if this notice is included.

 

[brotherjim]

"And I say onto you, ‘That many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven. But the CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’"

"And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man whom had not on a wedding garment: and he said onto him, ‘FRIEND, how did you come in here not having a wedding garment?’ And he was SPEECHLESS. Then said the king to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’"

"The LORD OF THAT SERVANT shall come in a day when he looks not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him off, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

"Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened onto TEN VIRGINS . . . ‘And you cast the unprofitable SERVANT into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’"

"Then shall you begin to say, ‘ We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets.’ But He shall say, ‘I tell you, I know you not whom you are: depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.’"

What, and whom, do these above scriptures speak of?

Traditionally, the church has taught that such refer to the lost. That half of the church adhering to the doctrine of conditional security of the believer have likely said such passages speak of those whom were once born-again but then backslid, or perhaps who were mistaken to think they were ever born-again in the first place. The other half of the church attesting to the unconditional security doctrine likely say such verses speak of the unbeliever or, again, maybe those who thought themselves saved but never experienced a genuine born-again experience to begin with.

But WHAT IF these excerpts from the Bible are not about either the above traditional understandings? WHAT IF they speak of those whom were born-again, and who will have missed out on the first resurrection, and yet whom in the second resurrection are still considered "children" and "servants" and "virgins" of God? WHAT IF the "outer darkness" and the "weeping and gnashing of teeth" does not at all, or does not just, refer to hell and/or the Lake of Fire, that fate of the unbeliever?

First, let’s consider how the church may have come to traditionally believe what it has:

"Therefor I say onto you, ‘The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.’"

In my chain reference Bible, the verse above is connected to Matt. 8:12’s "children of the Kingdom." I therefor assume tradition says such are called children who were once the OT JEWS, and who were cut off from the Kingdom at the first advent of Christ. But WHAT IF such is mere intellectual presumption and incorrect? WHAT IF such really refers to born-again children of the New Covenant?

"Which have forsaken the right Way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam . . . These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest: to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever."

"Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever."

Here above it has been assumed such "darkness" refers to hell and/or the Lake of Fire. But WHAT IF such is speaking of something, some place, other than the place of the unbeliever?

"The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one . . . The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and them whom do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Tradition would say it SEEMS clear that there’s a distinction here IMPLYING that since those cast out are "children of the wicked one," then this must mean unbelievers. And then since it’s unbelievers who will experience "wailing and gnashing of teeth," then this can INTELLECTUALLY BE REASONED to be connectable with all the other scriptures speaking of "weeping and gnashing of teeth." (But how interesting it is to note that although both "wailing" and "weeping" are translated from the same Greek word, only in this one verse above, which MAY refer to unbelievers, is "wailing" used, while all others, which MAY refer to those other than unbelievers, use "weeping.")

But WHAT IF the use of "wailing and gnashing of teeth" used in this one verse above, should not necessarily be connected to all other occurrences so as to imply all speak of the same people? WHAT IF "the furnace of fire" is not EXACTLY AND TOTALLY INCOMPASSING the same as "outer darkness"?

If we will allow ourselves to consider for a moment the conditions that will exist after The Millennium, it may shed some light upon the subject [pun??].

Many have come to assume there will no longer be a sun in the next dispensation. But WHAT IF the scriptural references to this merely indicate that the shining of the sun will just not be necessary in New Jerusalem because the Light of God will outshine it? WHAT IF there will still be a sun as always, its existing being for the benefit of the "new earth" as it has always been?

Imagine if you will, the New City resting atop the globe of the new earth, and from its peak flows out the Light of God. Well, unless such Light is unlike the physics of any other and will bend around corners, can we see how because of the curvature of the earth such light could only shine down so far - perhaps the top third or so of the sphere, when its rays will continue off in a straight line and away from the bottom two-thirds or so of the earth? IF TRUE, would it then not require a sun to illuminate the lower and more distant from New Jerusalem portions of earth? And what about the wall around the New City itself: would this not cast a shadow and block the Light of the Father from shining beyond the Gates? Would a natural sun not be required to illuminate the world on the outside of these walls?

I looked up the word "outer" and saw that it refers to something on the "exterior" - it is in fact the Greek word where we get the English word "exterior" from. And I looked up "darkness" and find that it comes from the Greek "shade" and "shadiness." So WHAT IF the "outer darkness" does not at all refer to the hell and/or Lake of Fire which be the fate of the unbeliever, but refers to a SHADED portion of the new earth on the EXTERIOR of New Jerusalem?

Why is there a new earth anyway, if all experiencing eternal life, as it has been PRESUMED, will live in New Jerusalem?

Why is there a first and second resurrection, if all who are born-again face the same identical eternity of life - as has been PRESUMED? (Is it just because of some presumed chain of events during the presumed 7 year Great Tribulation - even if true?)

Then we also have:

"Then shall the King say onto them on his right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’"

Tradition again says that since these "sheep" of the second resurrection are to also "inherit the kingdom" as did those of the first resurrection, all must then experience the same blessed fate. But WHAT IF the inheritances are not the same at all? What if, when compared to being tossed into the Lake of Fire, ANY lesser experience would most certainly have to be considered as something "blessed," even if such means their eternal life will be lived out beyond the gates of the New City and in the lesser light of the natural sun instead of the greater Light of the Father?

So WHAT IF the "blessed and holy . . . that have part in the first resurrection" are "merely" MORE blessed than those whom are blessed in the second resurrection? WHAT IF just because "the second death has no power" on those of the first resurrection, this didn’t imply that we should PRESUME those in the second resurrection will not also be found taken out from under this power, insofar as its power results in the eternal death of the soul?

Referencing my earlier post where I suggest that many who are born-again are also haters of God, because they have not come to the understanding of God’s further sanctifying Graces whereby we enter into a rest of the Spirit and a trust and knowledge that only He can make us further holy. Such do not find truth in the scriptures attesting "His commandments are not grievous" and His yoke and burdens are easy and light to bear:

WHAT IF those of us who have the bumper stickers and air fresheners and refrigerator magnets with the proclamation "Jesus is Love" and "Jesus Loves Me" are at the same time unknowingly haters of God? WHAT IF those of us who form a line and dance around the perimeters and aisles of our church sanctuaries as we jubilantly sing "Blow the Trumpet in Zion," all the while not realizing such an inappropriately uplifting song is based upon Joel Chapter Two which speaks of anything but joy, but rather of the church being judged by God as being found indulging in iniquity, is merely our ignoring the other aspects of Jesus equally applicable as His Love? WHAT IF our supposed love of the Lord Jesus is merely us refusing to face the reality of His righteous anger and judgment, and our living in a state of self-denial? WHAT IF we outwardly express our love of Jesus in these placating manners, all the while secretly despising Him for His judgment and justice and requirements He placed upon all human beings as can be summed up in the NT Two Commandments of Love, and for which we exist in disobedience and rebellion?

WHAT if any or all of the above challenges to tradition will be found in the end to be Truth, and tradition deceptive and beguiling lies of our adversaries?

And will I be found hated and despised for suggestively bringing them forth? And why? WHAT IF this is because we "love the praises of man more than the praise of God"? - which is hoped to one day be "Well done, My good and faithful servant" (and of note not found mentioned within the passage of Matt.25:31-46)?

(And WHAT IF all questions herein were intended here by God of a rhetorical nature, and since such things are neither preached in any of our churches, nor possibly for many never before even thought of, they must be answered by each individually between themselves and the Spirit of God; the Spirit of Truth?)

Copyright 2003 by brother jim - brotherjim@mail.com - may be freely shared if this notice is included.

 

[brotherjim]

WHAT IF that which differentiates those who qualify for the first resurrection from those of the second, is summed up and epitomized in the last chapter of John, in the discourse between Jesus and Peter just before Jesus’ final ascension?

(While most know, for those who don’t there are several types of love referred to in the Word. Two of these are the Greek words "phileo" and "a-gap-e." The first is the love as of a friend, and the second a far greater and profound, unconditional love that does not depend upon any established and/or conducive relationship.)

So to paraphrase, and both condense and amplify John 21:15-17:

"After Jesus and His disciples had dined together for the last time, Jesus said to Peter, ‘Peter, do you a-gap-e, unconditionally Love Me more than these peers of yours?’ Peter answered, ‘Yes Lord, You know that I love you as a friend.’ Then a second time Jesus asked Peter, ‘Peter, do you a-gap-e, unconditionally Love Me?’ And again Peter answered, ‘Yes Lord, You know that I love you as a friend.’

"Jesus finally gave up trying to get Peter to admit, or not, that Peter Loved Him unconditionally. So Jesus succumbed and asked Peter a third question He knew peter could at least testify of, ‘Peter, do you [at least] love me as a friend?’ And finally Peters answer matched the question, for he replied a third time, ‘Lord, You know that I love you as a friend.’"

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So WHAT IF the difference between those who will partake in the first resurrection and the second, is whether we Love God and all men unconditionally with a-gap-e, or just love those who we want to be friends with and love only those aspects of God we are willing to recognize, respectively?

(This is not to imply anything regarding Peter, for just as further works of sanctification are required to bring the born-again Christian to the place of the Father’s Love perfected in their hearts, so too can we assume Peter eventually was also brought to that deeper place of relationship and fellowship.)

WHAT IF the church, by and large, has inappropriately been claiming some promises of God, all the while ignoring the very obvious qualifiers inserted within such scriptures?

For example (the qualifiers highlighted by me):

". . . HE THAT LOVES ME shall be Loved of My Father, and I will Love him, and will manifest Myself to him. . . . and We will come onto him, and make Our abode with him. . . . For the Father himself Loves you, BECAUSE YOU HAVE LOVED ME."

"And we know that all things work together for good TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD . . .."

". . . ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM.’"

"Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM."

". . . ‘Has not God chosen the poor of this world rich in Faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM?’"

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So what, then, qualifies us as those "that Love Him"? Is it the keychains and t-shirts and lapel pins we wear attesting to the fact? For the more zealous, is it the gospel tracts we hand out or the ones we encounter and attempt to witness to with our extensive knowledge of the Bible, or is it the time we fritter away in intellectual debate on Christian internet forums? Or does God require some additional proof beyond what we have convinced ourselves is evidence? WHAT IF the Word sets another, higher standard?

"He that has My commandments, AND KEEPS [by implication, ALL OF] THEM, he it is that Loves Me . . .."

"If a man Loves Me, HE WILL KEEP [by implication, ALL] MY WORDS . . .."

"And this is Love, THAT WE WALK AFTER [by implication, ALL] HIS COMMANDMENTS . . .."

So for those of us who have experienced hurts, disappointments, frustrations, injustices, etc., and we have secretly and perhaps unknowingly blamed God and judged Him unfair or unloving or uncaring - as if the Word didn’t attempt to amply warn us that our lives are but a "vapor" and we do not encounter anything that is not "common to all men" (so how could a fair God [too greatly] sovereignly intervene for us and not all men?) - can we honestly claim to possess an unconditional Love for God and man when we have buried within us resentments and anger and bitterness and even hatred?

By now you’ve likely read me as writing repeatedly that it’s impossible for any human being, Christian or not, to unconditionally Love God and every other human with every facet of their being. There is just too much rooted in our hearts that prevents the perfect Love of the Father from being perfected in it and flowing through and out of the heart. But the NT commandments of God require such regardless. And God, whom is NOT unfair, would never require of us that which He has not made provision for. The fully ripened fruit of the Spirit of Love IS available and waiting to be instantly and miraculously bestowed upon all whom will give up those still-hidden oppositions to it of the heart. And I personally cannot find it an option in the Word.

So will we choose to continue and HIDE BEHIND the Cross and HIDE UNDER the Blood, or will we allow that Blood to cleanse us from our continuing unrighteousness and allow ourselves to be broken in humble failure at the foot of the Cross, then looking to heaven for what additional cleansings and Graces are needed for us to obey ALL the commandments of the New Testament?

Only God can supply what we need to obey and Love God:

"AND THE LORD DIRECT your hearts into the Love of God . . .."

Some of you have stated how you’ve come to know that Jesus fulfilled the law. But have you used this knowledge to revel in your liberties, or to voluntarily submit to Love in how your acting out these freedoms affect others? WHAT IF, like as Jesus died for the sins of the whole world but each must personally apply this and be born-again, this fulfillment of the law also requires we individually apply it to our lives and meet its requirements?

"Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefor LOVE is the fulfilling of the law."

Jesus fulfilled the law not just because He became our sacrifice, but because such sacrifice made available the additional Graces of God not previously available to God’s children.

"Be you therefor followers of God as dear children: And walk in Love, as Christ has also Loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor."

"Beloved, if God so Loved us, we ought also to Love one another."

There are other scriptures as well that indicate who will qualify for the first resurrection. Many confine it to the "overcomers." We overcome when we walk according to the Word, and not in step with those on our left and right who we see and say are living no more holy than we are. We are overcomers when we have done whatever was necessary to see the hand of God rid our hearts of those elements opposing the manifestation of the Love of the Father perfected in our hearts. For we are overcomers when we are equipped to obey ALL of God’s NT commandments, and such requires our Loving Him with all our being.

(And after Love is perfected, we are then moved on to the next fruit in its fullness.)

For those believing in and awaiting some pre-trib. rapture of saints, WHAT IF the Word declares such will happen only for those of the first resurrection. And IF all the above are truly qualifiers, and we should likely personally know of no one walking this way, what does this say about how many would be raptured? WHAT IF and when such a rapture occurs, those ascending can be counted on our hands. And even for those in foreign lands who we claim are zealous for the Lord and worthy to be admired, WHAT IF even the vast majority of these have failed to obtain the fullness of God’s Love in their hearts, whereby they’ve been enabled to obey all God’s commandments? - and that because we’ve exported to them both our watered down, beguiling version of the Gospel and our anesthetizing praises assuring them they have "arrived." And WHAT IF such is true and any rapture will come and go without hardly a notice? - or at least a discernment as to what took place. Hard to imagine, huh?

And finally brethren, WHAT IF all these suggestives are Truth and not one pastor, teacher, evangelist or prophet can be found today believing and preaching it?

(And pastors, WHAT IF all this is Truth, and you have kept it from being shared in your sanctuaries under the guise of protecting "your" flock?)

"My little children, these things I write onto you, that you sin not . . .. And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments [of Love - and Meekness, etc.]. He that says, ‘I know Him,’ and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His Word, in him verily is the Love of God perfected: hereby we know that we are in Him. He that says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked."

Copyright 2003 by brother jim - brotherjim@mail.com - may be freely shared if this notice is included.

 

[brotherjim]

"And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

While I have always preferred to use the KJV Bible, and have found more often than not that its translators were wise, WHAT IF their commitment to the overall poetic finesse of its translation has led in at least this one example below, to the church’s misunderstanding of the above verse?

Beloved born-again children of the Heavenly Father - although not necessarily "espoused…children of the bridechamber" (I’m sincerely deeply sorrowed to "suggest"), check your lexicons and dictionaries - avail. for viewing free on-line @ crosswalk.com - and see if you can justly deny the following paraphrased and amplified by me [?] as being possible:

"And cast the unprofitable servant out into the shaded exterior of the Kingdom: where there will be found those with deep regrets and clenched jaws of resentment."

Copyright 2003 by brother jim - brotherjim@mail.com - may be freely shared if this notice is included.

"O [Israel, Israel], you that kill the prophets, and stone them whom are sent to you, how often would I have gathered Your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not." Jesus