The Key to Satan’s Success

Let us explore the critical nature of the very first lie ever spoken on earth.  This lie was the springboard that led our world into sin.  Its purpose was to slander GOD’S character and the perfect value of His Word.  By believing this lie our Premier mother, Eve, ignored GOD’S only warning, which was to stay away from the one poisonous fruit in the Garden of Eden.  GOD said, “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen.3:4.  Eve ate the poisonous fruit.  She then brought the fruit to Adam, and he also ate.  This brought the curse of death to the earth.  From this point on, man was incapable of being entrusted with the care of life.

Said Satan to Eve, to deceive her into eating the poisonous fruit, “Ye shall not surely die.” Gen.3:4.  The very first sin was committed on earth when Eve believed she wouldn’t die.

The whole world is chained to the false belief that Satan’s words are a true statement.  But Jesus said of Satan, “he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44.  And yet, the belief in the natural immortality of the soul is embraced as a doctrine of faith by every major religion of earth including Christianity.  They all teach, “Ye shall not surely die.”  Is their fundamental belief true that one’s consciousness continues after death with awareness and physical sense even after the death of the body, which provides all of life’s experiences?  Does the blind receive sight at death or the deaf child his hearing?  Does the victim of brain damage receive intellect or the amputee a limb?  We will explore everything the Bible says on this subject and resolve the contradiction between the first lie of the Devil and the Bible’s definition of death.

Memory text: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He [Jesus Christ] Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Heb.2:14,15.

There is no greater bondage than the fear of having one’s conscious existence come to an end forever.  Next to people’s hunger to discover a loving GOD Who lives to serve, man’s instinctive fear of death is the greatest leverage to lead people to consider the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But this fear of death is not given any consideration by most people; and with countless others its Biblical meaning has been perverted; and we must understand how this slanders the Gospel of Christ.  To get our bearings, let’s review the first time death is mentioned in the Bible.  In the beginning GOD told Adam, “And the LORD GOD commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden ye may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ye shall not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”  The only warning ever given to Adam was very simple and plain.  No mystical meaning of death is allowable in this context.  GOD said that should Adam eat of that fruit he would die, i.e. cease to exist, period.  Adam did not exist until GOD created him, and GOD assured him that neither would he exist after he died, because, as Solomon, the Bible’s wisest man said, “in all points as he came, so shall he go.” Eccl.5:16.

Today’s churches have removed the Bible’s definition of death by invalidating the plain meaning of the words "die," "death," "perish," "devour," "destroy" and "consume," implying that they are synonymous to life’s continuation, not its end.  Every dictionary including those of the Greek and Hebrew languages defines the above words as antonyms to life, never synonyms.  And yet, today’s dominant Christian view directly contradicts many verses of Scripture, as we will see, and actually works against the Gospel of Jesus Christ and "the power of His resurrection." Phil.3:10.  Billions of people refuse the Gospel call simply because they don’t believe they are going to die.  The whole world says "Amen" to Satan in his inaugural deception, which led our world into sin.  Once GOD’S foundational warning of death is overruled the rudiments of the Gospel are viewed as foolishness and is the leading reason Christianity has no power to wake up the world from its stupor of complacency.

GOD does not speak in riddles or use mystical symbolism when He speaks of these issues with His children: "I have not spoken in secret…I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right." "All the words of My mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them. They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge." Is.45:19; Prov.8:8,9.

Defining death from Scripture

       Man’s understanding of the true meaning of death is vital in the sight of GOD because the very first doctrine of Christ that the Holy Spirit led the Apostle Peter to teach on the day of Pentecost outlined clearly that to be dead is to be unconscious.  Said Peter very simply, "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried…For David is not ascended into the heavens." Acts 2:29,34.  If David, who is listed among the greatest of GOD’S servants is not in heaven where is he?  Don’t let the Vatican answer, or the mainstream Protestant churches.  At virtually every funeral their priests assure the family of the deceased that their departed loved one is now "with Jesus." "Bill’s looking down from heaven" is one many assurances given by nominal Christianity.  Is their assurance given to the family true or are they merely extending to the bereaved a rope of sand?  Jesus did not tell the Pharisees how Abraham is watching from heaven, but rather said, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." Jn.8:56.  In other words, before his death, Abraham was given a vision showing him the coming of Christ: that through his family the Savior of the world would come; and this comforted him until his death.

Let us allow the Bible to answer the question of where David is. The wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, gave the clearest words in the Bible concerning what happens to all people when they die.  As you read his words keep one thing in mind: Solomon is the only man to whom GOD said, "Lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart: so that there was none like thee before thee; neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee." I Ki.3:12.  GOD assures the devoted Bible student that the counsel given by this man is a true witness; and all who refute GOD'S personal assurance on this have exalted their own opinion above the Word of GOD.

Said Solomon, as a wise old man at the end of his life’s journey, "The living know that they shall die but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun…for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." "As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came…that in all points as he came so shall he go." Eccl.9:5,10; 5:15.  The Bible teaches that we did not exist before we were formed in the womb; and neither shall we exist after we die.

Every testimony of after-death experiences, séances, voices and appearances of the deceased, each of these supernatural manifestations works to overthrow these words of the Holy Bible.  Miracles of satanic origin are ever working to overrule GOD’S Word, always getting back to Satan’s very first words recorded in the Bible: "Hath GOD said…?" Gen.3:1.  Miracles are evident all around the world to secure people’s rejection of GOD’S Word; and Satan, who was given dominion of the world has jurisdiction to utilize his deceptive magic.

Even the mainstream churches, that claim allegiance to the Bible’s every word, disagree with both Peter the humble Apostle and Solomon, the Bible’s wisest man.  Every mainstream denomination: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Congregational, Evangelical, Episcopal, Pentecostal, First Church of Christ, etc., all say, "These men of the Bible do not speak the truth."  The highly revered Bible scholar, Ken Taylor, the author of the very popular Living Bible (a paraphrase translation), said these words in his footnotes below those words of Solomon: "These words are Solomon’s discouraged opinion, and do not reflect a knowledge of GOD’S truth on these points."  This highly revered man in the Christian church has just called the Bible’s wisest man a liar. Worse than that, he declares that the words of GOD Himself are a lie when GOD personally assures the devoted Bible student that we can trust Solomon’s testimony (I Ki.3:12).

Ken Taylor and every mainstream-Christian church declare their wisdom to be superior to the Word of GOD, actually exalting their own authority above the authority of GOD’S Word while hypocritically claiming their subservience to that word.  This is one of many contradictions of nominal Christianity to the plain “Thus saith the LORD.”

Another example from men of supposed scholarship: Dakes Annotated Bible has this to say on Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes, "This is true as far as the dead bodies are concerned. They do not know anything and they are not conscious in the least, for they came from dust; but the souls and spirits of all men are immortal and continue in a full state of consciousness between death and the resurrection of their bodies. The bodies do not have reward at death and will not have until the resurrection; then rewards will be meted out to the righteous before the millennium and to the wicked after the millennium. The souls and spirits have some reward at death, being admitted to heaven if they are righteous, and to hell if they are wicked."—Dake Annotated Reference Bible.

Solomon said, "they have no more reward."  Dake says they "have some reward."  Solomon said, "the dead know nothing."  Dake says the dead "continue in a full state of consciousness."  Do you see the open war against the Word of GOD?  "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your GOD which I command you." Deut.4:2.  According to these men, "All scripture is [not] given by inspiration of God" II Tim.3:16.

Let’s get to the heart of the matter: To be conscious means to be aware: to have senses, emotions, thoughts and calculations; this is the only definition of consciousness.  The editors of the Dake Bible as well as all popular theologians have created an absurd, mystical definition of what defines consciousness by saying the human body has consciousness.  The body is conscious?  The blood is aware?  The lungs think? The fingers calculate?  Neither the Bible nor common sense can give sanction to this mystical rubbish.  The consciousness applies only to the awakened mind housed in a corporeal frame, and through this union the experience of life exists.  Scripture says in Genesis 2:7, "And GOD breathed into the nostrils of Adam the breath of life and man became a living soul."  The Bible says that a living soul requires the marriage of a spirit to a living, breathing body, all formed and united by GOD; and the two become one.  This is the Biblical definition of a "soul."  But upon death there is a divorce of that union of spirit and body, and therefore the consciousness cannot exist; and thus, the soul, which is the union of the two, ceases to exist.  Solomon, in his closing words of Ecclesiastes wrote, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto GOD who gave it;" because, "In all points as he came so shall he go." Eccl.12:7; 5:15.

Other Bible writers Who agreed with Peter and Solomon

       Let us delve a little deeper into the wellspring of the Bible.  The Apostle Peter and Solomon were not alone in teaching that unconsciousness is the true meaning of death.  GOD discusses death in every book of the Bible.  The psalmist wrote that at the moment any man dies, "in that very day his thoughts perish" [Hebrew word, eshtonoth, meaning thoughts]. Ps.146:4.  And concerning the faithful of all ages who lie in the grave, David himself wrote: "The dead praise not the LORD; neither any that go down into silence." Ps.115:17.  So, none of the dead are praising the LORD today, including David, as Peter said.

Long before the Prophets and Apostles, a man named Job understood clearly the meaning of death: "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh [it does not say "in my spirit"] I shall see GOD." Job 19:25,26.  Job understood that after his death he would not see GOD until the resurrection at the Second Coming of Christ.  Said the LORD Jesus Christ in compliment to those words of Job, "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." Jn.6:40.

A very important New Testament illustration: When Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha died, Martha said to Christ "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jn.11:24.  And when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead (after being in the grave for four days) Lazarus gave no description of heaven or of any conscious experience when he returned from the grave.  Throughout the Bible there is no testimony of any after-death experience given by anyone.  But the one Bible passage that trips people up is where the witch of Endor conjured up the appearance of the dead prophet Samuel (I Sam.28:15).  This was merely a demon impersonating the great prophet of GOD.  Even Christ Himself when resurrected gave no testimony, but told Mary, "I have not yet ascended to My Father in heaven." Jn.20:17.

How different is the church’s view!  None can claim obedience to the teachings of the Holy Bible and at the same time deny its most simple words; but this is precisely what is being done.  Today’s Christianity has perverted the meaning of other verses of Scripture, thereby creating contradictions within the Word of GOD on this and other sacred doctrines.  We must understand the church’s use of mysticism in its interpretation of the Bible’s plain language.

Now all of us have been handed a lot of ideas in our upbringing; and very few people can claim that the things they believe were discovered on their own.  What is marvelous to consider is that when the Holy Bible is taken to other countries and the people there are not taught the "tradition of men," the Bible’s simple teaching on death rises to prominence in their understanding from the very beginning of their studies.  GOD has spoken plainly, but men have chosen to remove GOD’S intended lessons and replace them with ancient doctrines of pagan idolatry, which were held by men of the most primitive ignorance.  Said Paul, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron." I Tim. 4:1,2.  All of this has but one goal: to keep the sinner trapped in his or her sins, "and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death." James 1:15.

The Bible does teach that

some are "alive" in heaven today

       The Scriptures teach that only Enoch, Elijah, Moses and those resurrected with Jesus Christ are in heaven today (Gen.5:21-24; II Kings 2:11; Matt.17:1-3, Jude 9; Matt.27:50-53).  Enoch and Elijah, who were translated from the living, are archetypes of the multitudes who will be translated to glory from the living (I Th.4:17).  Moses and those resurrected with Jesus are the archetypes of the vast throng who will be raised from an unconscious death at Christ’s second coming.  These are the only ones alive in heaven today.  All others, without exception, must wait unconscious in the grave until the coming of Christ before they can taste once more of life.  This includes Mary, the mother of Jesus, and all the dead saints whom Catholicism teaches are not dead but intervene with their blessings in the lives of those faithful to the Catholic Church. Please note: all the faith in the world will never transform a lie into truth. No matter how much faith one can muster, it will never make 2+2=5.  In the eyes of all Christendom faith has become synonymous with presumption; and presumption has no part in the kingdom of heaven. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of GOD." Rom.10:17.  To circumvent the truth on this and other doctrines of Scripture the church has to boast of its superior authority to the Word of GOD: “The church is above the Bible.”—The Catholic Record.

Every after-death experience, every miracle of the "Virgin Mary" [which have been numbered upwards of ten thousand, even giving visions to Pope John Paul II and other Biblically illiterate souls (Matt.22:29)]; every personal contact with departed loved ones; every answered prayer from departed loved ones or the dead saints: all of these are a deception to lead people to think their life goes on after death, either in bliss or in fiery torments.  (We will address Christianity’s universal doctrine of eternal hellfire momentarily).

GOD commanded the children of Israel to have nothing to do with the dead, period; and all who are associated in this deception GOD says it is an "abomination" in His sight (Deuteronomy 18:9-13; Is.8:19).  King Saul, the first king of Israel, shut the door on GOD’S salvation forever when he searched out a witch to be his intercessor to gain an audience with the dead prophet Samuel.  In effect, Saul turned to Satan for salvation; for Saul knew well the commandment of GOD to shun any association with the dead as specified in the book of Moses.  The witch at Endor even acknowledged Saul’s previous persecution of all who practiced witchcraft (I Sam.28:9); but Saul’s feverish desire controlled his better judgment, and this made GOD’S Word void, forever in his life.  And the one who appeared before Saul was not the prophet Samuel.  He looked like him; he sounded like him; but it was not him.  It was a demon angel working to deceive Saul to his eternal ruin.  Satan secured the eternal ruin of the life of Saul, the first king of Israel through corrupting Scripture’s doctrine on the state of the dead.  And today’s Christianity is poised to fall into the exact same trap.

You see if men will not honor GOD’S Word here they would not honor it in heaven.  It would not be safe to take them to heaven.  And the great controversy between Christ and Satan deals specifically with The Honor of GOD’S Word.

The church’s arsenal to oppose the truth

       So why does virtually every church disagree with the Bible and even misuse other statements of Scripture to contradict the plainest words of Scripture?  Let’s examine this.  The two leading texts that have been used to secure the contradiction to the plain "Thus saith the LORD" are these words of Christ while on the Cross, and His Apostle Paul:

    1. "Verily, I say unto thee[,] today thou shalt be with Me in paradise." Lu.23:43. (Please notice the placement of the comma in the text)

    2. "We are confident, yea, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the LORD." II Cor.5:8.

In the first text, something as simple as a comma has been used to lead the world to believe a lie, and has perverted the meaning of Christ’s words to that faithful thief who was crucified at His side—that condemned thief—the only man on earth who called Jesus "LORD" in the day He died for the sins of the world (Lu.23:42).  Fact: there was no punctuation in the original Greek manuscripts that the Apostles themselves wrote.  It was added centuries later when pagan rites and ceremonies had secured their success in contaminating the purity of the Christian faith.  The text should read thus: "Verily, I say unto thee today[,] thou shalt be with Me in paradise."  This view is verified due to Christ’s own words after His resurrection when Mary Magdalene recognized Him and with joy was clinging to His feet.  He said, "Touch Me not for I am not yet ascended to My Father in heaven." Jn.20:17.  Is not "paradise" with the Father in heaven?  Therefore, Christ did not go to heaven on Friday before the Passover Sabbath as nearly every church teaches that He did.

In the second text, Paul’s passage in II Corinthians 5 is discussing his fervent impatience to be free of "this body of death" (Rom.7:24) and receive the "glorified" body (Rom. 8:17) to be received at Christ’s second coming, as Paul described in I Corinthians 15:20-23: "In Christ shall all be made alive [they are not alive now] But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits [He is alive], afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming [at the second coming the saints will then be made alive]. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to GOD the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power…The last enemy that will be destroyed is death."  Paul was not giving a study on the state of the dead in II Corinthians 5, but was upholding the fact that a glorified body untainted with selfish lusts awaits every faithful believer when Christ comes as Paul stated in I Corinthians 15.  Paul does not contradict himself.

                     Common sense abandoned

       Jehovah, the angel Gabriel, Job, Jesus and the Apostle Paul called death "sleep" (Deut.31:16; Dan.12:2; Lu.8:52-55; Jn.11:11-14; I Cor.15:51; I Th.4:14).  Job said: "So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep." Job 14:12.  Simple questions must now be asked, Are you awake while you’re asleep?  Are you conscious while unconscious?  The obvious answer is no.  Or have you ever been knocked out?  Many people have.  I was knocked out for six and half hours when I was a victim of a hit and run accident.  The span of time between my going unconscious and my coming to went by in the blink of an eye.  This is how fast the passage of time will seem to David between the time of his death and the time of Christ’s coming to raise him from the dead—in the blink of an eye.

All would agree that every falsehood taught as truth perpetrates a disservice to man.  And yet, every popular Study Bible from Dake, Nelson, Zondervan, Holman, or Cornerstone, they all avoid the truth as it is “in Christ” concerning the Ten Commandment Law, the state of the dead, and the true prophetic history of the Christian Church.  They avoid these life-giving doctrines like the plague.  Not one of them addresses the Bible’s many warnings that disqualify the soul from everlasting life.  None prepare their readers to stand in humble obedience before the LORD Jesus Christ.  And all, without exception, contribute to the downfall of souls.  Biblically antagonistic theologians are handing a "peace and safety" message to the Christian church; and their outward piety is no indication of inward godliness as the Savior Himself warned the church leaders of His day: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Matt.23:27,28.  This same condition exists with our religious leaders today.  We, corporately, are no wiser in our generation; for by promoting Satan’s first lie as a true statement the eternal loss of GOD’S children cannot be measured—not until the Judgment.  There is a great need today for the Spirit of reformation to give backbone to the church as when John the Baptist said: "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance" Matt.3:7,8.

Said Peter of the Vatican and all other apostates claiming service to GOD but who walk in denial to His warnings: "They that are unlearned and unstable wrest [Paul’s writings], as they do the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction." II Pet.3:16.  The whole controversy between Christ and Satan lies over the legitimacy and comprehension of the Word of GOD.  The churches give a pleasing fable, but GOD said,  "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Hos.4:6.  Satan is diligent to tempt the minds of men with thoughts that are rebellious to Scripture, whose sole intention is to create contradictions and confusion, leaving the human mind off balance in its understanding, thus affording Satan the upper hand.  Through confusion ignorance prevails.  And through ignorance, sin remains in the life.  How do you best sabotage Biblical truth?  By standing between Scripture and those who desire its knowledge, creating a detour through confusion.  Today’s theology has the Bible writers all contradicting themselves.  These contradictions have one purpose: to keep you off balance in your understanding.  And when you’re confused where do you turn for understanding?  The very ones who promote the confusion: thus securing your failure of understanding.

And yet, the Bible contains the perfect instruction for all: "Seek ye out of the book of the LORD and read: no one of these shall fail." Isa.34:16.  In spite of this, most people refuse to harness truth on their own and they turn to their leaders for answers.  It has been the work of most professed Christians to seek confirmation to live a sinful life.  The sinful heart naturally gravitates to lies.  Many a man when shown the error of his way from a plain "Thus saith the LORD" will politely say, "I’ll go pray about it."  In other words, "I’ve rejected what the Bible says: I just need to go and work out how to justify my rebellion."  The Bible says to do the opposite: "Lean not unto thine own understanding" and "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." Prov.3:5; Ps.146:3.  The Bible leads us to the same Holy Scriptures that led Jesus Christ to the Cross and held Him there until His death: "To the law [the Ten Commandments] and to the testimony [the written Word of GOD]: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Is.8:20.

 The simple answer to the question

of how Christ conquered death

       Most ministers do not understand how Jesus conquered death. The typical statement of Easter sermons is, "the resurrection of Christ is a great mystery."  There’s nothing mysterious about it.  GOD does everything with logical precision.  The legal framework of GOD’S plan of salvation is well within the boundaries of understanding.  The Bible says, "The soul that sinneth it shall die;" and "The wages of sin is death." Eze.18:4; Rom.6:23.  Death is to be the eternal prison for every sin that is committed.  Death (or nonexistence) is GOD’S legal domain for sin—a vault to hold all the bitter fruits of selfishness.  That is the sole function of death.  It has no other purpose.  So, when Christ became a man He was "made of a woman, made under the law." Gal.4:4.  "Under the law" means that when Christ united the sinful human nature to His Divine nature He came under the same death sentence that we all received as an inheritance from Adam; and we were all a part of him when he sinned thus bringing condemnation to himself and to his family.  Jehovah Himself, in becoming a man adopted man’s condemnation of death.  And when Jesus Christ was forced into the grave at the hands of lawless men, having never united His will with sin, either by thought or deed, the grave had no legal right to hold Him: it had to set Him free; for death can only hold sin of which Christ had none!  On the day of Pentecost Peter said, "it was not possible that he should be holden of it." Acts 2:24.  And because He is our Creator, [the Father and now son of the family of Adam (Rev.22:16)], the whole of mankind is to share in this victory that our "Everlasting Father" and "Creator," Jesus Christ gained on the behalf of His children (Is.9:6).  The essence of the legal framework of salvation is this: Only the Father of Adam had the legal right to redeem the family of Adam.  This is why we see the genealogy of Christ (from Mary’s lineage) recorded this way in the book of Luke: "And Jesus Himself…being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of…Noah…the son of Adam, the son of GOD." Luke 3:36-38. Said Christ of Himself, "I am the root and the offspring of David," Rev.22:16.

This is why even “the wicked” are to be raised from the dead in the second resurrection (Jn.5:28,29; Rev.20:6); for Christ has saved the whole human race from what the Bible defines as the first death; and the first death is a bequest of the Gospel and rests in the legal and legitimate fact that Christ has redeemed us from the condemnation that we all inherited from Adam’s original sin: placing the entire human race in the position of Adam before he sinned—while he stood in the place of his innocence.  Through Christ all mankind is now viewed by our heavenly Father as though we had never sinned!  The new probation restores our ability to choose GOD’S deliverance from all sin and be restored to eternal life.  This is the essence GOD’S message of salvation.

Even though the whole human race will be raised from the grave the Apostle Paul said that only those who participate in "the first resurrection" (Rev.20:5) at the Second Advent of Christ will be given immortality: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming." "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." The return to consciousness is yet future for all who lie in the grave.  All who do not participate in "the first resurrection" of the godly among men will "perish" and will not be given immortality as John 3:16 so clearly says: "For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Bible words of "perish," "death," "die," "devour," "destroy," and "consume" are not mystical symbols for continued consciousness. "Let no man deceive you." Eph.5:6.

 Deductive reasoning is a close companion

in the study of Scripture

       GOD never demands His children to step away from their reasoning powers. "Come now, and let us reason together saith the LORD."  And, "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind," wrote Paul. Isa.1:18; Rom.14:5.  There is clear evidence showing how the pagan traditions of mysticism, (which always work against logic and reason) entered the Christian church soon after the death of the Apostles.  And the purpose of mysticism is simple: to confuse the mind so that it cannot understand GOD’S commands and purposes for His children.  To allow mysticism (emotional feelings promoting self-idolatry) to rule in one’s life is a sin in the eyes of heaven, for mysticism exalts itself above reason.  It is also listed in the Bible as among "the works of the flesh," and is synonymous with "sorcery" (Gal.5:19-21).  When emotions are allowed to rule as one’s only counselors in life the character will never grow.  This is why Solomon said, "With all thy getting get understanding." Prov.4:7. Through your gathering of understanding, Satan becomes helpless to rule in the life of the Bible-believing Christian.

 Corrupt evangelism

       The books of heaven have recorded tens of thousands of lies spoken at evangelistic crusades.  False pretenses have brought tens of thousands to the Christian church.  And without GOD’S leading hand to deliver His children out of the many errors taught by the various churches all would come under Satan’s delusions.  And most in fact do. One epic example: C. Everett Koup was the Surgeon General under President Ronald Reagan.  He gave the opening statements for Billy Graham’s nationally televised crusade, which aired on CBS television in the early 1990’s; and his very first words were, "Every soul lives forever." The very first words of that evangelistic crusade were a lie and refuted the most basic doctrine of the Word of GOD.  Please remember, these are men who believe and teach that your unbelieving mother, father, son, daughter, or friend will be held in a fiery torture chamber to suffer excruciating pain throughout eternity as examples of those who dare to reject “GOD’S love.”  Every lost man, woman, and child, who lived a brief moment of time in a life of sin, who didn’t ask to be born who they are, when they are, and what they are, will all be rewarded, including little children, with an eternity of agonizing torture in the flames of hell.  And to this they heartily say, “Amen!”  This is why C. Everett Koup said, “Every soul lives forever.”  To create fear, they present Christ as a torturing Savior.  This is their prime tool of evangelism, and is another example where the whole Christian world has said "Amen" to a lie; and any decent, compassionate human being now has the legitimate right to claim their own sinful standard of mercy to be superior to that of GOD’S. The declaration, “If this is Christianity I don’t want it” is the cry of our agnostic society.  Fact: the leading reason we have an “ungodly” society is because of churchmen perverting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  “Woe unto those who decree unrighteous decrees.” Isa.10:1.  We will show the Bible’s definition of the fate of all deluded souls momentarily, but this future view, among other prophetic views held by today’s Christianity is why GOD calls Protestant America, “the false prophet.”

Do the religious leaders repent of their contribution to the sinful degradation of our society today?  Never. Protestant leaders from Jerry Falwell on down lead their congregations to cheer and give applause to those they believe will suffer an eternity of torture in hellfire.  I heard one minister at the International Seminary in central Florida describe how my "lost" mother will writhe in agony in the flames of hell forever.  And after his demonic discourse he said, "Now let’s stand and give GOD a round of applause."  Said Christ to the leaders of His people, then and now, "If ye were blind ye should have no sin; but now you say, We see. Therefore your sin remaineth." Jn.9:41. The 9^th Commandment forbids the bearing of false witness: the harboring of any lie.  Ministers trample this law under foot, with a self-righteous spirit, assuring themselves that they are safe.  There is a grotesque spirit ruling the Christian church today.  It is a spirit that refuses perfect obedience to the Word and Will of GOD.  Our religious leadership perpetuates the very snare that entrapped our Premier Mother Eve to disobey GOD’S Word: “Ye shall not surely die.” 

Incontrovertible proof that our religious leaders are lying

       The Bible calls all deceivers "stiffnecked," "blind guides," "ravening wolves," and "generation of vipers," for they lead all people to shun the most obvious of all evidences supporting the Biblical view being presented to you.  "The tree of life," whose fruit alone provides GOD’S gift of immortality (I Cor.15:51-54), the fruit that Adam was denied access to when he sinned (Gen.3:22-24), ushering his eventual death (Gen.5:5), is only found in the city of GOD, the New Jerusalem—nowhere else (Rev.2:7; 22:2,14).  Through the fruit of this tree alone is man given immortality.

If the most simple teaching of GOD’S salvation is rejected by the leaders of Christianity what of the "weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith?" (Matt.23:23)  How many more could have been brought to the kingdom of heaven if the Bible doctrines of salvation were presented in the purity of truth without the cancerous sapping of spiritual blackmail, pagan philosophy and mystical allegories.  Because of this unjust and mystical rubbish, presented to the whole world as GOD’S truth, most ministers of the church do not understand the rudiments of the Gospel and how the Bible must forever remain to them as a sealed book, because every rudiment of salvation has been literally deleted and replaced with arrogant declarations of unconverted sinful men.  The ignorance of previous generations is no excuse for today’s rebellion against Biblical truth.

 Summation

       The near universal belief of conscious awareness after death is the most sinister fraud against the message of salvation because people don’t believe they’re going to die!  Satan is the author of this continuing lie, and yet, the churches “know not” that they are serving Satan in its promotion.  The contradictions men have devised, where Paul’s words contradict himself as well as Peter, or where Jesus contradicts Solomon, James contradicts Paul: each of these destabilizing influences proves the illegitimacy of our religious leaders views.  The Bible always agrees with itself in every doctrine, and there is harmony between every passage edifying the church.  "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." I Cor.14:32,33.

In the near future, Satan is going to raise the stakes in his game of deception; and those who believe their departed loved ones and friends are in heaven will be visited by demons impersonating their departed loved ones and friends (Deuteronomy 18:9-13; I Samuel 28:7-20).  The Bible clearly teaches (as we will see) that demons will appear, professing to be holy angels and even the Apostles.  The Apostle Paul warned the church of Galatia of the dangers of this very deception: "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached to you, let him be accursed." Gal.1:8.  They will appear before the leaders and congregations who do not understand this rudiment of salvation; and the counsel they give will lead to "sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death." Ja.1:15.  That is what this deception is all about: to keep men fastened to sin.  And GOD does not have the legal right to protect his children when "they receive not the love of the truth" but "believe a lie" (II Thess. 2:10-12).

 The boundaries of GOD’S protection lie only in truth

       Why is this issue so important to have a full understanding of?  For men to remove the true fate of those who choose to remain bonded with their sins is to assault the Great Love of GOD in His rescue of the human race; and this in turn removes the truest sense of urgency of the Gospel call, that men might turn from their chosen path of sin, and embrace the Love of GOD demonstrated through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  By perverting the meaning of death the church has removed the logical and legal framework of Christ’s salvation, literally amputating the superlative doctrine of all Scripture.

All throughout history demons have appeared before men as angels, saints, loved ones, ghosts and goblins, and have been promoted in every culture and religion, literally haunting people by the millions, frightening little children to tears generation after generation.  Even the Devil’s impersonation of the Virgin Mary has rapped in vision vulnerable little Catholic girls, showing them the tormented souls of countless men in the flames of hell, speaking the soft-spoken words: "This is where the sinners go."  This was the testimony of a Catholic lady named Conchita Gonzalas, in the movie, Armageddon.

A dear Catholic friend of mine, Joanne, was truly assaulted with a satanic encounter when she believed the Bible’s teaching on the value of obedience to all ten of the Commandments of Jesus Christ (not just obedience to eight, which the Vatican promotes) as well as the Bible’s definition of death.  As she rejoiced in the logic and plainness of the Scriptures she was soon lured into a satanic deception aimed at hers and her family’s destruction.  A supernatural manifestation was shown to her little girl, who came to her and said, "Mommy, my guardian angel is visiting me in my bedroom: come and see."  Joanne and her Pentecostal friend went into the bedroom but could not see the angel; only her little girl was allowed this rapturous vision.  Being leery, the Pentecostal friend prayed, "I pray this house be covered in the blood of Jesus."  Suddenly, blood covered the walls of the little girl’s bedroom that only Joanne’s little girl was allowed to see.  Joanne began to ask questions of the angel.  The angel would answer to the little girl and the girl would relay the answer to her mother.  After only a few minutes, the “Virgin Mary” appeared; and soon after came the appearance of “Jesus” Himself.  Joanne asked a question to the one who appeared as Jesus, "What was the great work you did while you were here on earth?"  The response was silence. Joanne asked her little girl, "What did he say?"  She said, "He’s just sitting there smiling, mommy."  Joanne then knew that this was a demonic deception threatening the soul’s salvation of her own little girl. She then said, "In the name of the LORD Jesus Christ I command you to leave my daughter."  And they all left, including the blood on the walls.

Do you see how intense things are progressing in the last great struggle over the souls of men?  I know this woman.  This was her testimony to me.  And she was not lying.  Other well-known testimonies include a woman who claimed Christ showed her the lake of fire; and as they walked along its banks, the poor, tortured souls would cry out, "Help me LORD,” “have mercy LORD;” and this woman said that Christ just kept walking, facing ahead, showing no emotion, ignoring their pleas for help.  Another devout Catholic lady was given visions by Satan’s impersonation of the “Virgin Mary,” who commanded this lady to write a book, where she took a dictation, word for word from “Mary.”  And this is promised to every Catholic to be GOD’S leading hand.  In the middle of the book, these words of "Mary" are recorded, "I tell you the truth."  You can find this book right next to "His Holiness," the pope’s book in Walmart.  Sadly, in the eyes of heaven, these books are no less ungodly than the books of Harry Potter, Agatha Christie, or Stephen King; for to work against the truth as it is "in Christ" is to work against life, period!

Why does not GOD have the legal right to protect people, including little girls from the deceptive magic of Satan?  The rules of engagement between Christ and Satan are little understood in the church; and this ignorance makes them vulnerable.  To venture onto Satan’s enchanted ground is to come under his jurisdiction; and he will stretch his authority as far as he is allowed.  It all lies over the issue of people’s free will.  Because of their freedom to believe as they themselves choose to believe (or are led to believe through the opinions of others) this makes them subjects of Christ or of the Devil in the principles of life, and there is no neutral ground.

One sad example: Princess Diana went to see a psychic.  And this psychic told her that she was to die in a car accident.  This "prophecy" came to pass and Diana died a horrible death.  Of her own free will Diana surrendered to the jurisdiction of Satan and was overcome, plain and simple.  Only in the judgment of heaven will people see how many have followed a similar path as that of Diana, surrendering their wills to fortunetellers, psychics, tarot cards and crystal balls.  GOD gave to us a list found in Deuteronomy 18:9-13 that warns of every harmful practice that leads people to come under the legal jurisdiction of Satan.  This knowledge is 3,400 years old and people still don’t get it: even ministers of the church!   The most fearful responsibility this world will ever know is the work of GOD.  Too many men eagerly take up the work for which they are unfit.  And far too many take this work and use it for selfish ease and gain.  The ease loving ministers have no concept of their responsibility before the GOD of heaven; for if they did the example they would set before their congregations would be far different than they are. The “Oral Roberts” of this world, who claim GOD as some common mobster and thug who collects protection money; the “Benny Hinns” whose power to "slay in the spirit" is absolutely condemned of Scripture because it is nothing short of demon possession [which is one of only three reasons in Scripture for the loss of strength in the presence of Divinity (1. Rebellion against Christ: Jn.18:6; Matt.28:4; 2. Direct vision from GOD: Dan.10:16-18; Hab.2:2; and 3. Demon possession: Mk.3:11)]; the “Schullers” whose "peace and safety" message is not preparing one soul to stand in the battle of Armageddon (I Th.5:3).  The “Rod Parsleys” who work the congregation into a frenzy akin to an insane asylum declaring, “Now the Holy Spirit is here,” in total opposition to the Bible’s litmus test of godliness, “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” Ja.3:13-18.  Then there are the “D. James Kennedys”, the “Pat Robertsons” and “Jerry Falwells” who strive to gain an authority over government that Christ never ordained and commanded should never exist (Lu.22:24-26).  All these men continue to perpetuate lies that betray the truth as it is "in Christ" leading their flocks to their eternal ruin because they all endorse the free exercise of sin against the Ten Commandment Law: with no humility and no repentance.

 The final drama

       Which leads us to the very last issue of our study on death: the punishment of “the wicked.”  Here we are today with a whole host of prophetic views being given by Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Pope John Paul II, Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, Jack Van Impe, Perry Stone, Jimmy Swaggert, Oral Roberts and many others.  Now remember, these are men who are working to lead the whole world into universal transgression of GOD'S Holy Law, for they selfishly pick and choose which ones they will obey and trample the ones they will not.  Their lawlessness, their prophetic views, their whole concept of the GOD of heaven is demented.  This is easily proven through one universal doctrine held by them all: the doctrine of eternal torture in the fires of hell for all who "obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." II Th.1:8.  It is rather easy for them to promote this doctrine considering they don't believe they will be among those who will be roasting, toasting, cooking, stewing, baking, broiling, frying and crying for all eternity. 

So anyone who is baptized into the Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Evangelical and many other churches is publicly acknowledging their acceptance of this doctrine of everlasting torture in hellfire; for one's chosen denomination makes them accomplices with the doctrines of that denomination.

But let's look at the Bible’s definition of GOD'S perfect justice and see how it will be played out in the end of time.  The words of Paul exalt the perfect justice of GOD: "Be not deceived GOD is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." Gal.6:7.  GOD’S judgment of the deeds of men must be flawlessly calculated.  Said our LORD Jesus, "Every idle word that men shall speak it shall be held against them in the judgment." Matt.12:36.  No more, no less should the sins of unrepentant men be counted against them.

“The lake of fire” is coming to this world but the mainstream Christian churches do not uphold the plain fact taught over and over again in the Bible that the fire goes out.  To overrule this fact, all of them teach that a brief life of sin, a life contaminated with the inheritance of a selfish nature, a life that none asked to born into, will be rewarded with an eternity of suffering in the flames of hell for everyone who rejects the love of Jesus Christ.  Essentially, these men teach that the Nazi concentration camps of Bergen-Belsen and Auschwitz will seem like “a summer camp” compared to the eternal concentration camp GOD has in store for everyone who rejects “His love.”  Plainly, this is a contradiction in terms; but men have always rejected the most obvious evidence when it threatens their sinful lust to remain in power.

This tradition of pagan idolatry brought into the church through Rome, which provides ample leverage to espouse the use of tyranny as well as assassinate the character of GOD’S Love demonstrated on the Cross of Calvary is found in nearly every church.  One example: The Light House Baptist Church in central Florida put this statement on its billboard for all to see: "Where will you spend eternity: smoking or non-smoking?"  This sadistic humor is the most corrupt statement that could ever be associated with the Cross of Christ.  This “belief” is an oxymoron at the highest level: to teach in the same breath that "GOD is love" (I Jn.4:8) and a sadistic torturing tyrant.  This doctrine makes Nero, Hitler, or any of the world’s sadists look like nice guys for they at least killed their victims after they tortured them.  When men torture their fellow man they are viewed as having the most despicable character of any creature; but when GOD does it they declare it as something holy, just and good.  It only meets their sinful desire to hate and not love.  This doctrine places the Christian on dangerous ground as the Apostle John so clearly stated, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” I Jn.3:15.

That threat of purgatory, Rome’s doctrine of writhing in the flames of hell forever and ever, which both papal and protestant priests use to frighten men into submission to their authority, not GOD’S [by which Satan seduces this acceptance through a variety of deceiving miracles (Rev.13:14)], the Bible teaches that these men will give an account of their bearing false witness against GOD’S truth in the great day of judgment, when every man stands before His Throne, to display before the witnessing universe their relationship with the Ten Commandment Law (Eccl.12:13,14).  As said before, this is the goal of Satan’s mechanisms of deception: to keep men fastened to sin and thereby disqualified from both the companionship of the Holy Spirit and the kingdom of heaven.  And to bear false witness against Christ is blasphemy of the Holy Ghost: "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matt.12:37.

Fact: The vast majority of Christian ministers will hear these words in the day of judgment: "Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?" Jer.13:20. "But unto the wicked GOD saith, What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest My words behind thee." Ps.50:16,17.  Only at this time will they, with their flocks, come to the full realization that, "the harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." Jer.8:20.

Before we review the plain "Thus saith the LORD" on the fate of the wicked, let us examine two lessons of Sacred Writ: 1. How Christ suffered the punishment for the sins of the world. 2. The parable of Christ that has been wrested from its intended lesson and corrupted by sinful hearts to espouse an everlasting fiery hell for the wicked.

1. What was the punishment that Christ suffered? In the garden of Gethsemane, the stress of bearing the sins of the world was go great upon Him that His blood vessels ruptured, producing the sweat of blood that dripped from His skin to the earth. One thing must be understood as we review the events leading to the Cross: the punishment of sin that Christ suffered, occurred while He was alive, not after His death—this is important; for it is directly related to the punishment that “the wicked” are to endure before their death in "the lake of fire:" the time when they are reduced "to ashes upon the earth." 

As our Savior hung as a spectacle condemned by both Jews and Romans (a condemnation that exists even unto this day) the Bible says, "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." Matt.27:45. From noon ‘til three the Father made it pitch black so that none could witness the dying agonies of His dear Son.  This agony of the Savior words cannot describe; but the duration of Christ’s suffering was short.  The suffering that our Savior, Jesus Christ endured was not due to the double scourging of Pontius Pilate; nor was it the nails that pierced His hands and His feet when He was literally nailed to a tree as the supreme “trophy” for the “big game hunter” of sinful man; nor was it due to the difficulty of breathing while mounted on the crucifix, where it is said that crucified victims typically lived up to a week in this brutal execution before they suffocated and perished.  No, no! His agony was carrying the sins of the entire human race: the guilt, the torment, the feelings of responsibility for the gargantuan cry of woe emanating from this world throughout its agonizing history where trillions of life forms that Christ intended to receive blessing, peace and joy in the day He created them—all are perishing—drowning in desperation, fear and pain!  (Never forget, over 800 verses of Scripture verify Christ as the Creator of all things.)  In addition, the weight of sin was coupled with the thought of being forever removed from the presence of His Father.  He could not see the victory that the Bible prophesied was surely His while in His agony.  This was not a time when He could sing praises to GOD.  Medically speaking, He literally died of the broken heart (Jn.19:34).

Our LORD and Savior entered the grave without the comfort of the foreknowledge of His being delivered from it.  He thought sin was so distasteful to the Father that His separation from Him was to be eternal (Matt.27:46).  But He chose to lay down His existence—forever.  His willing condescension to become a man and the humiliation He bore will never be measured, for who can measure the self-emptying love of GOD, whose Love is as infinite as time and space?  As His life faded, in the end Christ placed His fate in the hands of His Father regardless of the outcome, because the salvation of His children was more important to Him than that of His own life.  This was The Incarnate Love Born of Heaven.  This is the same Love that rules the whole universe: the same Love the whole world including apostate Christianity is defiantly at war with because they reject the Holy Law of GOD that commanded our very salvation.  His closing words to His Father were, "into thy hands I commend my spirit." Lu.23:46.  Wrote Solomon, "The dust shall return unto the earth and the spirit shall return unto GOD who gave it." Eccl.12:7.

Christ died the same death that those who must face the second resurrection must face: the Bible calls it "the second death."  This is a death from which there is no hope of a resurrection.  Such will be the case with the wicked in the end of time, as we will see the Bible texts clearly and without perverting the meaning of words.  Men, corrupting the meaning of Scripture is the whole reason the doctrine of eternal torture by fire came into existence in the first place.  The Protestant teaching of everlasting torment is merely an extension of the pagan/Catholic doctrine of purgatory whose essence teaches that Christ’s sacrifice is insufficient and His method of justice corrupt by any standard.

"False shepherds" have always held perverted views on the character of GOD.  GOD summed it up to the religious leaders this way, "Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit….These things thou hast done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes." Ps.50:19-21.

Let’s sum up the simple arithmetic of this problem: if the wicked are to suffer in the flames of hell throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity then Christ didn’t suffer the punishment for the sins of the world (as all the churches agree that He did); for He must suffer that punishment, otherwise we still need a Savior—Jesus must join the wicked in the eternal fiery abyss.  To refute this simple deduction, the abstract statement is given, "He conquered hell."  What did Christ conquer? Most ministers of the Gospel don’t understand how Christ conquered the domain of death let alone what He has saved the sinner from.

Christ said to the religious leaders, then and today, "Ye shall die in your sins." Jn.8:21,24.  Death means just what is says in the Bible: no mystical meaning; no allegorical definition—no spaced-out wonder.

2. "And the disciples came and said to Him, Why do You speak to them [the religious leaders] in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given…Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." Matt.13:10,11,13.

The most common passage used of today’s churches to support the teaching of GOD’S eternal torture chamber is in Luke, chapter 16: the story of the rich man and Lazarus.  This parable of Jesus Christ describes the rich man, "in hell," "being in torments," crying to "Abraham" to send the beggar, "Lazarus" who "was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom" to his "five brethren," "lest they also come into this place of torment."  And Abraham’s response, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." Lu.16:19-31

To declare this parable of Christ as a literal story illustrating the fate of the wicked is a Biblical absurdity.  With the exception of its moral (ver.26), every aspect of the parable contradicts Christ’s own doctrine (Matt.10:28).  Also, this was a well-known story in Christ’s day.  It was called "The Fable of Tantalum." (See The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Eddersheim, pg. 669).  But in the original, as was taught by the rabbis, the rich man was the one in heaven, and the poverty and ill ridden Lazarus was the one in fiery torments.  You see, in Christ’s day, the Jews taught that the rich were rich due to their godliness and therefore had a guaranteed entrance into heaven; and the poor and sickly were in their condition due to their ungodliness and therefore condemned to eternal damnation.  This theology made the rabbis very rich, for the flattery of the wealthy class received its reward.

Jesus reversed the roles of these two characters in this story by placing Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom and the rich man in torments, thereby exposing the popular doctrine as false.  This is affirmed in Luke 18:24-26, when He said, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?"—If the rich were most likely lost, what of those without the blessings of good health and prosperity?  The church today has taken Christ’s one intended lesson in His parable (ver.26) and has literally amputated it, replacing it with an artificial doctrine that assaults the Love Born of Heaven and promotes "doctrines of devils" that the Apostle Paul warned would enter the church (I Tim.4).

Although the majority of ministers shun the concept of GOD'S Love in its fullness, this does not discount the willingness of GOD to accept their repentance.  It is only through their desire to hold to their own hideous character that they attribute the spirit of their own cruelty to that of a loving GOD.

 Scripture’s outline: clear and concise

       When the Millennium Sabbath for the saints is concluded (II Pet.3:8; Rev.20:4) they return with Christ in the New Jerusalem to carry out the verdict against the wicked (Rev.20-21). This is the time of the second resurrection, the time of "the judgment and perdition of ungodly men."  The Bible says that the whole surface of the earth will be broken up and transformed into one seething ocean of lava called the "lake of fire."  The mountains you see today will no longer be.  The great oceans will be transformed into vast clouds of steam.  The whole of earth’s terrain will not remain.  This is what the Bible teaches is the last great drama of earth’s sinful history.

But the Bible teaches that the fire goes out after reducing every trace of man’s sinful existence "to ashes upon the earth."  Satan, his demons, and his pawns among men, the Bible says, "they shall be as though they had never been." "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner…are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."  Please note: Sodom and Gomorrha are not burning today.  It is the destruction that is "eternal" not the fire. "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch…for they shall be ashes…in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts." Ob.16; Ju.7; Mal.4:1-3.

There are many passages on this fate of death for the ungodly in the end of time: the most potent being the highly detailed Prophecy of Satan’s own fiery doom:

   "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." Eze.28:12-19.

       And all who have violated the same Ten Commandment Law that condemns Satan will receive this same fate as Satan:

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city [New Jerusalem, (whose descent from Heaven corresponds to the second resurrection), at which time Christ makes Himself known to the vast throng who will then stop in their tracks: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." (Rev.20:11,12)]: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are [the Vatican and Protestant America: the two tyrannical religions insincerely professing Christ as their Savior], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Rev.20:7-10

In these words is described the scene that after all the wicked among men have perished (as John 3:16 says) Satan will suffer on.  “Day and night” he must experience the pain he caused others to feel: no more and no less (Gal.6:7).  This is the perfect justice of GOD (Matt.7:2).  After which time the prophecy of Satan’s demise will be fulfilled: "I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth…and never shalt thou be any more."  Once Satan is forever vanquished Christ will say, "It is done." Rev.21:6.

 Misusing Scripture to maintain a self-serving authority

       The great stumbling block for the renegade churches on their doctrine of eternal torture, among their other "doctrines of devils" (I Tim.4:1), is their misuse of the Bible words, "for ever," "eternal," and "everlasting." 54 times "for ever" is used in Scripture to describe that which has ended; therefore, it is the outcome of the punishment that is "eternal," "for ever," and "everlasting," not the punishing. "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." "Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them." "For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be…. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away…Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found." Rev.11:18; Ps.21:9; 37:10,20,36.

The justice of GOD that is to be meted out against the wicked in the Great Day of Judgment, the suffering that is to be experienced by those condemned to eternal death will match exactly to the suffering they have caused others to feel through their heartless indifference, no more-no less.  This is the justice of GOD!  Said Paul, "Be not deceived: GOD is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." Gal.6:7.  This is to be their final experience of life before they perish and cease to exist forever.  But prior to their demise they are to see the Love that GOD had for them in His patient tender calls for them to obey their own conscience concerning justice, mercy and love.  But their continued rebellion against their innermost convictions has reaped its reward: everlasting death.  "But your iniquities [or selfishness] have separated between you and your GOD, and your sins [transgressions of His Holy Law] have hid His face from you that He will not hear." "For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon—that He may do His work, His strange work, and bring to pass His act, His strange act." Is.59:2; 28:21.  To a loving GOD the destruction of life is foreign to His purposes and strips away His hopes for the life that He created to only receive bountiful blessings with eternal joy and peace. But GOD will never remove man’s liberty of conscience.  They chose to die.  GOD will not take their choice away: "As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" Eze.33:11.  To not hear the mournful hope in His tone of voice is to not understand His Love. 

But after GOD’S perfect justice is meted out then the great lake of fire will go out.  Sin and sinners will be no more.  Wrote the prophet John, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away…And GOD shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain [for any living thing throughout creation]: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:1,4.  The pulse of universal peace and harmony will extend throughout the whole of the universe: to be the playground, the classroom, and the sanctuary for the children of GOD—forever.  Said Paul: "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things GOD hath prepared for those who love Him." II Cor.2:9.  This has been and will ever be the intended purpose of GOD for His children.  And the assurance is given, "Affliction shall not rise up the second time." Na.1:9. The redeemed of this world will have such a bitter taste in their mouth for the fruit of sin that they will never again choose to eat of its poison.  Remember, the greatest gift next to life is liberty of conscience.  Men will freely choose the ways of GOD forever and believe His Word—forever.  Universal peace and freedom will endure throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity, fulfilling the great closing words of childhood fables, “And they lived happily ever after.” Amen.

   "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind…And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree [immovable] are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD." "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." Rev.21:1; Is.11:6-9; 65:17, 21-25; Rev.21:5.