Friday, October 6, 2017

The Love and Fairness of God, Part 5 of 7 - In all His Dealings with Mankind

By John Foll, written 8/21/2017 to 9/06/2017.
© Copyright 2017 John Foll

Sin will not Rise a Second Time:


Evidence that sin and sinners will not rise up a second time after their destruction:

(We are giving this to you from several different Bible versions to help you see it better.)

What do ye imagine against the LORD? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.” Nahum 1:9 KJV.

Whatever you devise against the LORD, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice.” Nahum 1:9 NASB.

Whatever they plot against the LORD He will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time.” Nahum 1:9 NIV.

What do you plot against the LORD? He will make a full end; He will not take vengeance twice on His foes.” Nahum 1:9 RSV.

Can there be any doubt about the meaning of this text? If not read the verses 1-8 before it.

Why is it that sin cannot rise a second time? It is because sin and sinners are no more! Note that the RSV says God will not take vengeance twice on His foes. Why? Because He will make a full end of all sin and all unrepentant sinners. This also speaks against what some people have believed that sinners will be given a second chance, after the probation of their life here, or after they have burned in hell for a while to purge away all of their sins. No way. And no, sinners are not eternally burning, and there is no hope of them ever being saved again, or escaping from the burning fire, because they will cease to exist in ANY form when they are utterly destroyed. Jesus also stated this same truth when He declared: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 KJV. Can it be any more clear than what Jesus stated here? We are not to fear anything that man or devils can do to us, but we are to fear (reverence) Him who can destroy both the body and soul in hell. Here it is so clear that God has the power to destroy the body and soul in hell. This means that when God punishes the guilty sinner in the ‘fires of hell’ or ‘the lake of fire’ as described in Revelation, that the body and the soul will both be completely destroyed. It also means that the soul will not go on living apart from the body after the body is destroyed, because God destroys BOTH the body and soul in hell. There will be no endless burning of the wicked in hell. God will not take vengeance on His foes twice.

Paul declares that the last enemy to be destroyed is death. “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under Him.” 1 Corinthians 15:23-27 KJV. If the last enemy that is destroyed is death, how can sinners be punished endlessly after this? Paul clearly states here that Jesus will put down all rule and authority and power, and put all enemies under His feet. The phrase “put down all rule” or authority and power refers to the practice of killing the conquered foe of the enemy, so that they had no more power. Jesus said, talking about the future destruction of the wicked, “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence." Luke 19:27 NASB. This represents the destruction of all sinners and evil angels, who did not want Jesus or His Father to reign over them. In the same way the conqueror destroyed their enemies, Jesus and His Father will destroy their enemies too in the Lake of Fire. After Jesus and His Father ‘slay’ their enemies, they cease to exist, just like the conquered enemies of the kings who were put down or killed. To believe in the endless punishment of the wicked, is to not believe Paul’s or Jesus’ testimony here. Even death is destroyed!

John in Revelation also declares that death and Hades (or Hell) were cast into the Lake of Fire and destroyed: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15 NASB. Note the KJV says “Hell” instead of “Hades”.

So we see that the Bible teaches that even Death itself, and Hell itself are destroyed in the Lake of Fire.

(To Be Continued!)




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