SPELLING EDITED Cc-12. WHAT DOES FREE WILL TRULY MEAN? There are two separate and completely opposite opinions concerning the term FREE-WILL. Some Christians say that everyone has the freedom to choose to believe in Jesus to be saved or to choose to deny Jesus as their Savior. But other Christians say that God has ALREADY chosen the people that he WILLS to be saved BEFORE the foundation of the world. And, therefore, according to them, people do NOT have any choice in the matter to be saved or not to be saved because it is God’s WILL to save them. And since it is God’s will, then those chosen to be saved before the foundation of the world WILL be saved eventually because God does all his PLEASURE. According to Calvinists and Reformed Theology Christians, NO person has been given FREE-WILL to REJECT salvation. And, therefore, IF they were chosen, they WILL be saved. They can NOT CHOOSE to not be saved because God’s PLEASURE WILL be DONE. That is to say, according to Calvinistic and Reformed Theology Christians. Now, at the same time, these same Christians ALSO believe that ALL other people who were NOT chosen to be SAVED were CHOSEN or PREDESTINED to be LOST, Ans they as well have NO CHOICE in the matter concerning to be saved because supposedly they were ordained by God to NOT be saved. So then, which group of Christians teaches the CORRECT SOUND Biblical meaning concerning the WILL of human beings? Does EVERY person have the freedom over their OWN WILL to choose to believe the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ to be SAVED? Or are most people DOOMED to be lost and there is NOTHING they can do to CHANGE their PREDESTINED FATE? What does the Bible ITSELF teach us? Now while it is TRUE that God has indeed foreordained ONLY a certain GROUP of people to be saved it is NOT true that God predestined only certain select individual people to be saved before they were ever born. Some of you may be wondering, What is the difference? Well, there is a BIG difference between God ordaining, let us say, Peter, James, and John to be saved and everyone else is ordained to be lost, compared to God ordaining a GROUP of people called the WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN Jesus shall be saved and everyone who does NOT believe in Jesus shall PERISH. Also, in this study in God’s word, we will cover the third group of Christians that sincerely believe the EVERYONE will eventually be saved and NO ONE will be lost because some of those Christians in that group are divided on the issue of free-will or no free-will. Let us take a CLOSER look at Ephesians 1:3-23 which is the proof-text that is used by Calvinist Christians, Reformed Theology Christians, Grace Alone Christians, and all other Christians who believe that God ORDAINED everything that happens. And thus, the THEM, there is no such thing as FREE-WILL. As you read Ephesians chapter 1 please notice that what God CHOSE, PREDESTINED, and ORDAINED is the SALVATION of mankind to be IN his Son Jesus Christ the ONLY name given by God among men whereby we MUST be SAVED. So it is the “WHAT” that God CHOSE before the foundation of the world as being the FOCUS. And the “WHAT” that God chose before the foundation of the world was his Lamb to be slain. And the “WHO” God chose before the foundation of the world is the “WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN Jesus” as the LAMB who was slain for their sins will be saved. And everyone who does NOT believe the true Gospel of Jesus Christ will PERISH in the lake of fire on the final Day of Judgment BECAUSE they believe NOT that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. For those Christian who believe that EVERYONE will eventually be saved see John 3:14-18 later. But for now, let us focus on the ERROR of INTERPRETATION made by Calvinistic and Reformed Theology Christians that has spilled over into Grace Alone Christians. Ephesians 1:3-23. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN Christ: 4. According, as he has chosen us IN HIM before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him IN love: 5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children BY Jesus Christ (Or IN Jesus Christ) to himself, according to the good pleasure of his WILL, (For SALVATION to be IN his Son Jesus Christ) 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted IN the beloved. 7. IN whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, ACCORDING to the riches of his GRACE; (For the forgiveness of sin be made available for EVERYONE THROUGH their FAITH IN the shed blood of Jesus to be the only atonement for their sins) 8. Wherein he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9. Having made known unto us the mystery of his WILL, according to his good pleasure which he has PURPOSED in himself: (For salvation to be IN his Messiah so those who are saved will be HIS workmanship and NOT our own workmanship wherein is BOASTING) 10. That, in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things. (Or more correctly that he might gather together the ALL of WHOSOEVER BELIEVES) IN Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even IN him: (AT the RAPTURE of the CHURCH before the 1000 year reign of Jesus. For you see, the English word “THINGS” is NOT in the original Greek text. This verse should read, “in the fulness of TIMES he might gather together in one the ALL of whosoever BELIEVES both in heaven and on the earth. For you see, ONLY those who are IN Jesus Christ at his COMING will be saved and given immortality. The dead IN Jesus Christ will be raised and those who are alive and remain unto the coming of Jesus who are READY by being IN Jesus Christ will be changed in a twinkling of an eye to be changed from being mortal to become immortal. We will talk about those who will be saved DURING the Millennium later) 11. IN whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated ACCORDING to the PURPOSE OF him who works all things after the counsel of his own WILL: 12. That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first TRUSTED IN Christ. (Or who first BELIEVED IN Jesus Christ) 13. IN whom you also TRUSTED, (Or IN whom you also BELIEVED in Jesus as your Savior) AFTER that you HEARD the word of truth, the GOSPEL of your salvation: (So then, God ordained that SALVATION be IN his Son Jesus and also that it be by the foolishness or PREACHING the GOSPEL so that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES the word of TRUTH might be saved) IN whom also AFTER that you BELIEVED, you were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14. Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 15. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your FAITH IN the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16. Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; .17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his CALLING, (Speaking of God CALLING people tp be saved through the PREACHING of the true GOSPEL of Jesus Christ. Many are CALLED but only a FEW are CHOSEN. So the elect ones are chosen WHEN a WHOSOEVER BELIEVES the true GOSPEL of SALVATION being IN Jesus Christ which is WHAT God CHOSE before the foundation of the world and NOT certain select individuals. I pray that God OPEN the eyes of your understanding to the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God so that you may know the hope of his CALLING) and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward WHO BELIEVE, according to the working of his mighty power, 20. Which he wrought IN Christ WHEN he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come: 22. And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23. Which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all.” So then, what God ACTUALLY CHOSE before the foundation of the world was the WAY that he would PROVIDE for WHOSEVER will TRUST in his so great a SALVATION. The Bible also teaches us that it PLEASED God to save those who BELIEVE by the foolishness of the PREACHING of the Gospel of SALVATION IN Jesus Christ by FAITH and NOT by works lest any man should boast. Now, obviously, all of that is not in just one verse of Scripture. So let us read those verses and put them together because that is, INDEED, what the WHOLE word of God teaches us under the New Covenant written in the New Testament. 1 Colossians 1:21. “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it PLEASED God BY the foolishness of PREACHING to SAVE them that BELIEVE.” Ephesians 2:8-10. “For by GRACE are you SAVED through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. NOT of works, (Speaking of the works of the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES because that is the central theme of what the Apostle Paul fights AGAINST in his writings as being ANOTHER gospel that is VAIN and has no power to save. The Jewish Christians were boasting in their WORKS of KEEPING the Law of Moses in order to be saved. And they were wrongly compelling and subverting Gentile Christian to be saved BY their own WORKS of KEEPING the Law of Moses contained in ordinances. And that is why Paul writes NOT of WORKS) lest any man should boast. 10. For (Or BECAUSE) we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created IN Christ Jesus unto good WORKS, which God has before ORDAINED that we should WALK IN THEM.” Now, I totally agree that when we are INITIALLY saved, then we must come to God knowing that our OWN works of righteousness are worthless to save us. In other words, it is FALSE teaching to say that a person must keep all the Moral laws of God FIRST BEFORE they can be saved. And church denominations, such as the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, that teaches that people can only be saved AFTER they do all that they can do FIRST are in ERROR of understanding the Scripture. Whosoever BELIEVES IN Jesus as their Savior is SAVED. But AFTER we are initially saved, God has ORDAINED that we walk in LOVE. And BY obeying his commandment to walk in LOVE we are keeping ALL the MORAL laws of God which are NOT grievous to bear. 1 John 5:1-5. “WHOSOEVER BELIEVES that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and everyone that LOVES him that begat LOVES him also that is begotten of him. (Meaning that if you say you love God and his Son Jesus then you must ALSO love your fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. Loving one another is NOT an OPTION, it is God’s COMMANDMENT that must be obeyed lest we SIN and have need to repent and confess that sin of disobeying the Gospel. For you see, the WRATH of God will not only be poured out upon the wicked but ALSO on the children of disobedience to the GOSPEL, See Ephesians 5:6, Colossians 3:6 and 2 Thessalonians 1:8) 2. By this, we know that we love the children of God WHEN we love God and KEEP his commandments. (Speaking of the TWO commandments that Jesus gave us under the New Covenant written in the New Testament and NOT the Law of Moses) 3. For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are NOT GRIEVOUS. (But according to Acts chapter 15 the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES was, indeed, TO grievous to bear. And the WHOLE church agreed to give NO SUCH commandment to keep the Law of Moses. But we are indeed commanded to overcome SIN according to the words of Jesus in the book of Revelation chapter 2 and 3 lest our name be BLOTTED OUT of the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 3:5) 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. (Speaking of FIRST BELIEVING in Jesus to be endued with POWER from on high to overcome sin in our lives through FAITH in the promises in God’s word and through the POWER of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Please read the study “HOW TO LIVE YOUR LIFE FREE FROM SIN!”) 5. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that BELIEVES that Jesus is the Son of God?” Now comes the question, “WHY do we BELIEVE the true Gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved?” There are several reasons, of which, none are incorrect and ALL are true. Here is a list of SOME of the reasons for WHY people BELIEVE or TRUST in Jesus to be saved. #1. They HEAR and trust the Gospel of Jesus Christ to understand that the gospel is the power of God to change a person’s life and that is their desire to change. #2 They HEAR and trust the Gospel of Jesus Christ to understand that the gospel is the power of God to give them immortal life and all the blessings in the worlds to come. #3. They HEAR and trust the Gospel of Jesus Christ to understand that the gospel is the power of God to DESTROY their body and soul in hell. #4. They WITNESS the blessings of God being received by those who are saved and they desire to have that same JOY and PEACE in their life. #5. They are DRAWN by the Holy Spirit and God gives them the DESIRE to CHANGE, the DESIRE to receive ETERNAL LIFE, the FEAR of PERSHING in the lake of fire, and the DESIRE to have the blessing and the joy and peace that other Christians have received from God. Now, because of the INCORRECT interpretation of Ephesians 1:4 that the Christians who wrongly believe that God ordained everything that happens also believe that the DRAWING of the Holy Spirit is IRRESISTABLE and can NOT be RESISTED. And, therefore, to THEM, they wrongly believe that EVERYONE that God DRAWS will, without fail, be saved. But at the same time, they ALSO know from many other verses of Scripture that not EVERYONE will be saved and that many people will indeed PERISH in the lake of fire. So they came up with their man-made THEORY that since God is all-powerful and there is nothing that can prevent him from having his WILL be done, then God MUST have ordained ONLY certain individual people to be saved before they were ever born. And at the same time, they theorized that God MUST have ALSO ordained everyone else to be lost. So to THEM, there can be no other solution to harmonize all the verses of Scripture. Some Calvinist and Reformed Theology Christians even HATE what they believe but they have NO FREE-WILL to believe anything else because they do NOT believe that FREE-WILL even exists. And that is sad because some of them do indeed believe that all people have the FREEDOM to CHOOSE what they eat and drink, which clothes they desire to wear and so forth and so on. BUT when it comes to having the freedom to choose to BELIEVE or NOT to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then they CLAIM what they call RELATIVE will and ABSOLUTE will. And, to THEM, absolute will means everything that God has ORDAINED will, without fail, be done. And relative will is what God has NOT ordained, speaking of the little things like making your own choice as what you yourself desire to wear each day and what you crave to eat one day but on another day something else is what you desire to eat. Now, to ME, they seem to be CONTRADICTING themselves with their theory of two kinds of wills, absolute will, and relative will. For you see, IF SO BE that God has ordained EVERYTHING then that can be no such thing as “RELATIVE” will where people do have the freedom to chose the little things in life. Let me say this another way so you will be sure to understand what I am saying. Most Christians who believe in the NON-Biblical type of predestination say they believe that God ordained EVERYTHING that happens. But when you confront them face to face and ask them if God ordained mass murders to kill innocent children then they will say NO. At least most of them will say no. However, some of the EXTREME Calvinists and Reformed Theology Christians will say that the hate to say yes, but they MUST say yes because they sincerely believe that God ordained EVERYTHING that happens including ALL the evil in the world. And by saying that there can be no such thing as “RELATIVE” will EITHER. And that means that people are programmed robots or puppets on a string. And even Jesus did not have any free will to resist temptation. Jesus saying not MY will be done is a LIE. And thus Jesus being TEMPTED is all a LIE as well. And even our temptations are a LIE because God is CONTROLLING our every, thought and action. And with that kind of ABSURD theology no wonder people BLAME God for everything EVIL that happens. Sometimes I think to myself that Calvinist, Reformed Theology, and Grace Alone Christians do not even understand how to read SIMPLE words in the Bible that even a small child can understand. Please consider the following verses of Scripture. Matthew 13:24-30. “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25. But while men slept, his ENEMY came and sowed (SEEDS of) tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, did not YOU sow good seed in YOUR field? From where then has it tares? 28. He said unto them, An ENEMY has DONE THIS. (And NOT that God himself ORDAINED this as some Christians falsely teach) The servants said unto him, Will you then that we go and gather them up? 29. But he said, Nay; lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. 30. Let both grow together UNTIL the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather you together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to BURN them: (And NOT to SAVE them by burning them in the lake of fire to purge their sins away. But rather gather them in bundles TO burn them in the lake of firs on the final Day of Judgment) but gather the wheat into my barn.” If you cannot see that God has an ENEMY that is messing with his plan of salvation for mankind then you are NOT CORRECTLY understanding the WHOLE word of Almighty God. Act 13:10. “And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, YOU child OF the devil, YOU enemy of all righteousness, will YOU not cease to PERVERT the right ways of the Lord?” Can you not see that Lucifer BLAMED God for creating him with a sin NATURE that caused him to rebel against God? Can you not see that every teaching the BLAMES God for all the evil in the world is a doctrine of devils and those teaching such doctrines are CHILDREN OF the devil being used by Satan to PERVERT the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 5:6-8. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8. Be sober, be vigilant; because of YOUR ADVERSARY the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9. Whom RESIST steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10. But the God of all grace, who has CALLED us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Now, the reason that I point out TO BURN them does NOT mean to SAVE them is because one ERROR of God ordaining EVERYTHING that happens has led to another ERROR. What I mean by this is that some Christians have come out of Calvinism and Reformed Theology because they have seen the ERRORS of interpretations made by Calvinistic and reformed Theology Christians. Christian universalist Christians who believe that God will eventually save everyone have seen from the word of god that it is WRONG to teach that MOST of mankind is PREDESTINED to be burned alive in the lake of fire. But they have KEPT some of their misguided belief in God ordaining everything that happens to come up with THEIR own theory the EVERYONE will eventually be saved. They CLAIM that those who are not saved in this present world will either be saved during the Millennium or through a so-called PURIFYING fire of the lake of fire after they are resurrected from the dead. And, consequently, they also still hold to their misguided belief that there is no such thing as a person having FREE-WILL. At least when it comes to being saved no one has the freedom to chose NOT to be saved. And their line of reasoning is WHY WOULD anyone reject salvation after seeing God and his Son Jesus on the throne with their own eyes to HEAR the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be saved. Now, that is a very compelling argument, IF SO BE, that on the final Day of Judgment all the UNSAVED who will be resurrected will, indeed, HEAR the Gospel of salvation. However, that is just their ASSUMING that the resurrected unrighteous will HEAR the Gospel of salvation either on the Day of Judgment or while they are BURNING in a supposedly NON-LITERAL lake of fire for an AGE or short period of time that the Bible itself does NOT call an AGE. Let us take a moment and read Revelation 20:7-15 to see if we can find any sound Biblical evidence of the lake of fire being an AGE or a span of time, either short or long, that God gives one last chance for the resurrected sinners to HEAR the Gospel and repent and overcome sin. Revelation 20:7-15. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan (The ENEMY of God) shall be loosed out of his prison, 8. 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. 9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10. And the devil (Satan, the ENEMY of God) that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Or more correctly shall be tormented day and night TO age of ages) 11. 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. 12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the BOOKS (PLURAL) were opened: and ANOTHER BOOK (SINGULAR) 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. 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were JUDGED every man according to their WORKS. (Please notices that ALL the resurrected dead were JUDGED right after they are resurrected and NOT after the so-called AGE of the PURIFYING away their sin that is supposedly depicted as a METAPHOR of a NON-LITERAL lake of fire) 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15. And WHOSOEVER was NOT written in the book of LIFE was cast into the lake of fire.” Now to me, I find that in the final Day of Judgment at the end of the Millennium there will be TWO different groups of people. One group of people WILL be FOUND written in ANOTHER book of LIFE while the rest of the people resurrected will NOT be found written in the book of LIFE. And ALL of those people that will NOT be found written in this OTHER book of LIFE will be cast alive into the lake of fire to eternal DESTRUCTION, to PERISH, to everlasting DAMNATION, SHAME, CONTEMPT and NOT to be SAVED as some falsely teach. Also, to me, death and hell are symbolism depicting Satan and the unseen demonic evil spirits called devils that follow Satan and who also INFLUENCE people to follow the ways of Satan. And here is why I say this. Please read Revelation 6:8. “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his NAME that sat ON him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” Also, since there are a lot of prophecies concerning Isaac and Ishmael, and Jacob and Esau, then to me, death and hell being cast into the lake of fire could be symbolic for the seedline of Ishmael and Esau that follow radical Islam. Almost all Christians realize that radical Isalm is NOT a religion that follows the one true God. For you see, Muslims that follow radical Islam KILL God’s people, the Jews, and the Christians. That was just a side thought. If you would like to learn more of why I believe that Islam is the MARK of the beast then please read the study, “COULD ISLAM BE THE MARK OF THE BEAST?” The main point that I want you to see right now is that first, there is NO sound Biblical evidence of the lake of fire being an AGE between the final Day of Judgment and the age of ages that will begin with God creating a new heaven and a new earth. Here is the LITERAL meaning of Revelation 20:10. Revelation 20:10 from the LITERAL translation. “And the ADVERSARY, the one DECEIVING them, was cast into the lake of fire and SULPHUR where the wild beast and the false prophet ALSO shall be TORMENTED day and night TO age of AGES” Now, if so be, that my theory is correct and the heavens and the earth passing away with a great noise where the very elements will be melting with fervent heat to BECOME the LITERAL lake of fire, then every one of the wicked may not be tormented INSTANTLY by the DEVOURING fire to perish. It MAY takes several days and night for the complete earth to be totally engulfed in literal fire. So the TORMENT for some who are cast alive into the lake of fire MIGHT be the knowledge that there is no ESCAPING their doom to be burned alive. Also, considering the VAST number of unrighteous people who have died and will have died since Adam to the final Day of Judgment it MIGHT take several days and night for all of them to be judged first, and then cast into the lake of fire to be destroyed. In other words, some are judged on day 1 and cast into the lake of fire, and on night 1 some more are judged and cast into the lake of fire. And then on day 2 the many days and nights of JUDGING and casting into the lake of fire will continue UNTIL all the wicked are judged and cast into the lake of fire. So each individual person's TORMENT MIGHT only last a few minutes. I personally do NOT believe in ETERNAL TORMENT in eternal flanes of fire fro all eternity. Please read the studies “DOES REVELATION 20:10 TEACH ETERNAL TORMENT?” and “IS THE DOCTRINE OF HELL BIBLICAL?” Either way, the lake of fire is NOT an AGE where those who will be cast into the lake of fire will be taught the Gospel of Jesus to be SAVED. Secondly, the white throne JUDGMENT takes place BEFORE the casting of those NOT found written in the book of life. So everyone will have ALREADY been JUDGED. And the very next chapter, Revelation 21:1-8. BEGINS the age of AGES when God will make all things new, meaning God will create the new heaven and the new earth wherein only the righteous will inherit. For you see, Revelation 21:8 clearly teaches that all the UNRIGHTEOUS will be cast into the lake of fire. And that is the direct OPPOSITE of being saved and inheriting the age of ages to live on the New earth or in the New heaven for all eternity. Revelation 21:1-8. “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. (Again, I myself believe that the heavens passing away with a great noise and the elements melting with fervent heat will BE the lake of fire. I also believe that since the word “SEA” is used at times in the Bible to refer to the WICKED, that the phrase “NO MORE SEA” speaks of there being NO MORE WICKED people or Satan and his fallen angels to DECEIVE the righteous created IN Jesus Christ in the new heavens and the new earth) 2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (I am seeing the holy city as being a literal FLYING city of God, a mothership so to speak, that will be in the air or in the orbit of the earth over the city of Jerusalem down on the surface of the earth. Please see the study “WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT UFO’S?” And all the immortals will be in the city of God above the earth while all the mortals will be down on the surface of the earth. And I believe that in the SECOND harvest at the END of the Millennium there will be ANOTHER rapture of the SECOND WITNESS of God described in Revelation 11 as one of the TWO witnesses. And that second witness will the saved IN Jesus DURING the Millennium/ For you see, a REMNANT of the children of Israel along with some saved ALIVE Gentiles left alive of the nations after the FIRST HALF of God’s wrath before the Millennium will go into the Millennium in their MORTAL bodies to be TAUGHT of the Lord his WAY of salvation IN Jesus Christ) 3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, (Or the CITY of God, the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven is with men. The New earth could very well be much larger than this present earth to accommodate such a large city) and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4. 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 the former things are passed away. 5. 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. (Now, to INTERPRET this verse to mean that EVERYONE will be made new creatures created IN Jesus Christ to be saved is to completely IGNORE the CONTEXT of verses 7, and 8) 6. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7. He that OVERCOMES shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8. BUT the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have THEIR PART in the lake which BURNS with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” I myself am absolutely sure beyond ant shadow of a doubt that the lake of fire is NOT a PURIFYING fire to purge away all the sins of the resurrected wicked. But, just for the sake of me possibly being wrong, let us ASSUME that the lake of fire ins NOT a LITERAL fire but rather another AGE after the Millennium but BEFORE the age of ages when God creates the new heaven and the new earth. Now we all know that while gold and silver can indeed be PURIFIED in a fire we also know that wood, stubble, and hay BURN and are CONSUMED in a fire. Wood, hay, and stubble can NOT be PURIFIED in a fire but rather they get DESTROYED in a fire. So then, to be consistent in the interpretation of the lake of fire being SYMBOLIC then one must also KEEP the symbolism of wood, hay, and stubble as being symbolic for the wicked sinners. In other words, you cannot CHANGE the symbolism of wood, hay, and stubble for meaning the UNSAVED in one verse to now mean the wood, hay, stubble are now GOLD, SILVER, and PRECIOUS STONES that can NOT be destroyed in the fire. With that in mind, please read 1 Corinthians 3:11-15. “For other foundation, can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12. Now if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (Speaking of two DIFFERENT types of Christians that are being built on the one foundation, Jesus Christ. The GOLD, SILVER, and PRECIOUS STONE Christians are the Christians being built to be rooted and grounded in the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ to ENDURE unto the END to be SAVED to inherit the worlds to come. And the wood, hay, and stubble Christians are being built on FALSE teaching where they will NOT endure unto the end to be saved. And thus, according to the CONTEXT those Christians who do NOT endure unto the END to be saved WILL be BURNED in the lake of fire on the Day of Judgment) 13. Every man's WORK (Speaking of the laboring to make Christians disciples) shall be made manifest: (Meaning that every Christians will be JUDGED) for the day shall declare it, because it (The JUDGING of the Christians we disciple or teach the word of God) shall be revealed by fire; (Or by trials) and the fire (Or the fiery trials) shall try every man's WORK (The people we disciple to be Christians) of what sort it is. (Whether they be gold, silver, and precious stones to be SAVED. OR whether they be wood, hay, and stubble to be BURNED alive in the lake of fire tobe DESTROYED) 14. If any man's WORK abides (Or REMAINS faithful unto the end to be saved) which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (Over and above the reward of eternal life. BUT) 15. If any man's WORK shall be BURNED, (On the Day of Judgment in the LITERAL lake of fire to be DESTROYED then) he shall suffer loss: (Speaking of the loss of the reward that he would have received if he built Christians of GOLD, SILVER, or PRECIOUS STONES) but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” Meaning that ALL Christians will be tested to see if they will endure unto the end to be saved or if they are wood, hay, and stubble Christians to be destroyed in the lake of fire. There is one more point that I want to make again concerning FREE-WILL. If you recall, there are some Calvinist and Reformed Theology Christians and even som Grace Alone Christians that believe that God ordained EVERYTHING that happens. But yet some of those Christians OPENLY admit that there are TWO different kinds of wills. They claim that there is the ABSOLUTE will that has NO freedom to choose AGAINST what God has ORDAINED to BE. And I totally agree. As much as we dislike to see that God has ordained a period of GREAT tribulation there is NOTHING we can do to PREVENT the GREAT tribulation from happening. So then, it is sound Biblical teaching to say that everything that God PROPHESIED in his word WILL, INDEED, HAPPEN. And thus, human WILL has no effect on what God has indeed ORDAINED by PROPHECY to happen. But is there anywhere in God’s word of PROPHECY that God has ordained EVERYTHING that happens? For the sound Biblical answer to that question please read the study “IS GOD ALL-KNOWING?” Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you CONTINUE to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark. RETURN TO HOMEPAGE AT
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