Does God really want all (i.e. everyone) men to be saved, and not to perish in the lake of fire? When I write that he wants, it means that God does not just hope or that he would be happy if all would be saved. It means that God does not accept the outcome that the majority of mankind will be lost. Everything is possible for God!
Mat 19:26: Jesus looked at them intently and said, For humans this is impossible, but for God all things are possible. – Would not God, therefore, do as he wills when it is possible for him? Ok, let us believe it is so. But what does it mean?
This is easy to agree with. However, what follows from this is, that people, and especially the theologians say, “No, this can not be possible.” What then cannot be possible? The fact that the entire Bible interpretation of end-time judgment is wrong! I am trying to prove why God actually needs to save all people. God has acted wrong, unfairly, in relation to humans. He has created people to be different, with different gifts. He has given people faith, a lot to some, a little for some others. Of course, it is easy for the “saint” to find salvation, while the ordinary man is fighting for his daily bread. Although I often reproached God, I have to confess like Isaiah (55:9): For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my [God’s] ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts
In mainstream churches, the old doctrine of eternal torture in a fiery lake has been proclaimed for centuries. The Church’s doctrine of the second death is still in force today. It has been proclaimed so many times in the Bible so clearly that it must be literally true! This was now irony from me. Theologians do not just seem to realize that this is a figurative expression. If this doctrine is true, it should be proclaimed time and time again. Only recently has the situation changed. Who has even heard at church today of the hell in a burning lake? Hardly anyone, because such message does not sell God’s word to people.
The perfect opposite of this doctrine is the doctrine of universalism meaning that “everyone will come to heaven”. In this chapter, I deal with both. When I say that all go to heaven, I mean that the interpretation of the will of God is that all be saved. In other words, universal reconciliation – the view that all human beings will ultimately be restored to a right relationship with God. God always does what he wants, even to save all people.
When reading these writings the reader will have to be moved between the two options. Just like I did. However, I hope that the solution will ultimately be found. The right solution can be found in the will of God, if only we can properly interpret it. How can we be able when our Lord said, Go, and tell this people: Hearing you hear, but do not understand; and seeing you see, but do not perceive. (Isa 6:9)
God’s Advance Plan
Both Satan and people are willing to sin and are therefore responsible for it. However, God is prepared in his foresight to cover the sins of men and has decided before the foundation of the world to send the Redeemer: I Pet 1:19-20 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of times for your sake. What does foreknown mean? It does not mean existence, but awareness of the future.
Rev 13:7 It was given to him [Satan] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed.
God has planned everything before the foundation of the world: Satan’s rebellion, the fall of Adam and Eve, Christ’s ransom sacrifice, the Second Coming of Christ as King of the Millennial kingdom, and finally – the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment.
People know that God has created the world, but what God has planned for the future, people have no idea. Many think that God failed in his creation plans and suddenly, Satan rebelled. God makes no mistakes, but everything proceeds according to his plans. He knows in advance what is going to happen, because he causes these events.
Rom 11:36 For all things are from him, by him, and for him. Glory belongs to him forever! Amen.
Isa 45:6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me: I am Jehovah, and there is no one else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah, who does all these things.
– God produces both happiness and peace but also evil. Perhaps we have thought that God, in his goodness, only creates joy and happiness. Why would God deliberately produce evil?
KJV translates רַע raʻ badness; Strong’s H7451 as follows:
evil (442x), wickedness (59x), wicked (25x), mischief (21x), thur (20x), bad (13x), trouble (10x), sore (9x), affliction (6x), ill (5x), adversity (4x), ill favoured (3x), harm (3x), naught (3x), noisome (2x), grievous (2x), sad (2x), miscellaneous (34x).
God has created the world and also created Satan, the “king of this world.” Apparently, Satan’s actions are part of God’s predetermined plan because otherwise God as almighty would have destroyed Satan as soon as Satan settled against God’s will. Why did God allow this? Why did God allow Satan to seduce Adam and Eve for sin and thereby allowed sin to come into the world with all its consequences? I will also deal with these consequences in this chapter.
So, if God has predetermined everything to happen, it means that God will fix everything in the final judgment and not punish the people with the endless torture of such that God himself has caused or let happen.
Christ died for all, both good and evil. The bad ones just don’t understand this. Because of their lack of understanding, should they be sent in the lake of fire for eternity? Paul did not understand that he did great injustice to Christ and Christianity. What did Christ do – he converted Paul to Christianity by force!
Joh 11:41 … Then Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. 42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude that stands around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Jesus said in John 11:41-42 that God always hears him (not only hears, but also fulfils his request). Luk 23:42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude that stands around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When Jesus was being crucified, he said: Luk 23:34 ”Father, forgive them, for they don’t know [understand] what they are doing.”
We can be sure that the Jews who demanded the crucifixion of Christ have been forgiven of their deeds. If such terrible deeds can be forgiven, even without asking, are not our actions forgiven, even if we were so absorbed by the world that we could not even apologise for them. God’s fire can purify us all, no matter how disgusting our deeds may be. Jesus stopped Paul, who was filled with anger on his way to arresting more Christians. Jesus could have destroyed Paul with consuming fire, but he chose otherwise; he forced Paul to change his mind and Paul became a keen Christian and supporter of Jesus.
What if Paul is not the only one who is forced into faith; what if after the last judgment billions of people are on their way to the lake of fire. Does Jesus leave them in the fiery lake to suffer and goes to rejoice with his saints in New Jerusalem? Or does he force them all in the same way as he did with Paul?
– The learned theologians, however, testify that God cannot forgive anyone who sins if he does not repent and ask for forgiveness. But, as Jesus said, “they do not understand what they are doing”. When the spiritual fire of the lake burns them, they will understand – and repent – and ask for forgiveness – and will be forgiven.
Rom 3:10 As it is written, “There is no one righteous. No, not one. 11 No one understands. No one searches for God. 12 All have turned away. Together they have become worthless. No one shows kindness, not even one person!
– We can, of course, be comforted by the fact that if we regret our sins, we will be forgiven and be saved. Unfortunately, the majority of mankind does not even understand that they have sinned or done anything wrong. In fact, these people imagine the opposite; they are good believers, Christians. Or they are good Muslims, Shi’ias, or they are good atheists, who don’t need God. They just want to be good people. All of these do not understand. But still, there is no one who does what is good, not one.
– Here, Paul is exaggerating a little. We know that when Christ comes for the second time, the righteous, or saints of the first resurrection will come to meet him in the clouds. But in the big picture, Paul is right.
God has predetermined everything:
Act 4:26 The kings of the earth take a stand, And the rulers take council together, Against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do all that your hand and your will had predetermined to take place.
God had previously known about the Fall and also the work of Satan’s seditious activity and the attempt to become king of this world. He had pre-planned the birth of his son into the world, as the saviour from the power of sin.
He had – this may be difficult to understand – decided to give his son Jesus to be crucified.
