One of the modern ideas we have as to why there has been so much
distortion in the Bible regarding changes to the name Yahweh into Lord
(Adonai), stems from Exodus 20 and Leviticus 24. The commandment was to not
take the name Yahweh in vain or call down curses on Yahweh. That meaning and
idea became distorted to the end that superstition took the place over reason.
Instead of teaching people the truth, some took it upon themselves to change
the Bible so that no one would make a mistake. The problem with deciding to
distort the written word is that no one has the original intended ideas any
longer. Further, that decision led to many rifts and factions among people who
all claim to believe in Yahweh, because everyone has a different idea of who
Yahweh is. Not knowing who Yahweh is, makes all people susceptible to
everlasting punishment. At the end of the age, there will be a separation of
all those who were not harpazo’d and each will be judged according to their own
works. We talked about the elementary thinking of many post moderns who cannot
believe that a loving God would punish anyone, but Jesus was quite clear as to
eternal punishment and what actions may lead to it. Therefore if we have
intentionally misrepresented Yahweh to the world, we may be setting people up
for judgment with the goats instead of the sheep.
The idea of vain speech being a form of damnation is incorrect.
The idea behind the consequence of speaking vainly regarding Yahweh is
uncleanness. If one became unclean in the Old Testament administration, then
one had to go through the process of being cleansed or atoned for. Today, Jesus
is the only atonement, so even if one blasphemes Yahweh, he/she is forgiven.
Matt 12:31-32 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy (every
evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things) can be
forgiven men, but blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit shall not and cannot be
forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but whoever speaks against the Spirit, the Holy One, will not be forgiven,
either in this world and age or in the world and age to come. AMP
Mark says the same thing; let’s look at the King James here.
Mark 3:28-29 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven
unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:29
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but
is in danger of eternal damnation: KJV
In this administration or dispensation, blasphemy is forgiven
against Yahweh, Jesus, and everyone else except for the Holy Spirit. In both
Matthew and Mark The Message says the
same thing, which explains it a little better.
Mark 3:28-30 "Listen to this carefully. I'm warning you.
There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven. 29 But if you persist in
your slanders against God's Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who
forgives, sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own
perversity all connection with the One who forgives." (from THE MESSAGE:
The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights
reserved.)
In this time period of the age of the Holy Spirit, one does not
have to be frightened of Exodus 20:7 and becoming unclean due to an infraction,
or afraid of Leviticus 24:16 and being put to death. But the idea of vainly
speaking of Yahweh is deeper and less severe than we have been led to believe.
Firstly, we must take note of the three usages of Aleph Tav here, marking the
AZ or Alpha Omega, who we know is Jesus. Take note also in the AP Polyglot, the
‘et #853 shows up as #3588 and is sometimes translated as “the”.
Ex 20:7
7
|
aý
not 3808 lϡ |
aC*t!
Thou shalt take 5375 t¡i´´¹° |
Áta#
853 °e¾- |
Á<v@
the name of 8034 š¢m- |
hw`hy+
the Lord 3068 Y®hwâ |
;yh#ýa$
thy God 430 °E_lœhey½¹ |
aw+V*l^ in vain; 7723 lašš¹w° |
yK!
for 3588 kî |
aý
not 3808 lϡ |
hQ#n~y+
will hold him guiltless 5352 y®naqqeh |
hw`hy+
the Lord 3068 Y®hwâ |
ta@
853 °¢¾ |
Árv#a& that 834 °¦šer- |
aC*y]
taketh 5375 yi´´¹° |
Áta#
853 °e¾- |
omv=
his name 8034 š®mô |
(Interlinear Transliterated Bible (TR Edition).
Copyright © 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved. [For more detail see
the full copyright page.])
OT:7723 shav' (shawv); or shav (shav); from the
same as OT:7722 in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally
(ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false,
subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain): KJV
- false (-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers
and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003,
2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Vain
speech is false speech, but it seems that the translators who
translated the Bible from Greek back to Hebrew used a harsher word for vain due
to their own religious ideas. There are several words the translators could
have chosen yet they picked the harshest one. There is a list of correlating
Hebrew words on the AP Polygot’s Greek word 3152 page. The older Greek texts
use the word vain as in “empty or
pointless”. It is not so overwhelmingly bad that it is evil, just pointless. Understand
that by using this as a manipulation tactic we have misunderstood Yahweh and Elohim because we call Yahweh
by the term Elohim as if it is a
name, but Elohim is a title. Yahweh is an Elohim along with angels, the devil, and humans. Basically,
according to the Jews, Jesus is the only one who is not an elohim, as the title
elohim is used broadly and generally. Therefore we would have been better off
to continue to call Yahweh, Yahweh, rather than confuse names and titles,
unless we intend to use His name as a manipulation on others.
Exodus 20:7G3756You
shall not G2983take G3588the G3686name G2962of the lord
G3588 G2316your
God G1473 G1909in G3152vain. G3756 G1063For G3361no way
G2511shall the lord cleanse
G2962 G3588the one
G2983taking
G3588 G3686his
name G1473 G1909in G3152vain.
http://studybible.info/ABP_Strongs/Exodus%2020
NT:3152 mataios (mat'-ah-yos); from the base of NT:3155;
empty, i.e. (literally) profitless, or (specifically) an idol: KJV - vain,
vanity.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:3152 mataios, mataia, mataion, useless, to no purpose, 1
Cor 15:17 (from Thayer's Greek Lexicon,
Electronic Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights
reserved.)
The reality is that one should not speak useless or
pointless words about Yahweh because that would make that one unclean. We
didn’t really have to go so far as to take out the name Yahweh and make it
Adonai, or call Him Lord instead of Yahweh. However, the uncleanness is easy to
fall into if one wants to use Yahweh as a manipulation over others. Saying
Yahweh is doing something or going to do something is not what we should be
speaking to others. We should instead let others have that relationship with
Yahweh. We do not have to threaten people by saying that Yahweh will punish
people or Yahweh will harm people unless Yahweh actually says that. The
prophets are the ones who will hear from Yahweh and Yahweh will tell them what
he wants people to know. However, false prophets use Yahweh’s name in all kinds
of profit-less ways and it is our job to discern and not swallow everything. In
other words, we should not forget to think and commune with Yahweh. Prophecy is
the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, as we will see shortly.
Now Leviticus 24 is a very interesting section because
instead of inflaming this verse it seems the translators did the opposite by
downplaying it. I’m not positive, but it seems that there are not very many
people who have cursed Yahweh who have been stoned to death. Even though one is
to die for this infraction, it does not indicate eternal punishment. In the old
days before Jesus came everyone went to Hades, some to punishment and some to
Abraham’s creek. In today’s administration men can curse Yahweh and not die. In
context this is very strong. Do not imprecate Yahweh. That means do not call
curses down on Yahweh.
Leviticus 24:15G2532And G3588to the
G5207sons G*of
Israel G2980speak!
G2532And G2046you
shall say G4314to G1473them, G444A man,
G444a man G1437if G2672he
should curse G2316God, G266[2 the sin
G29831 that
one shall take]
16G3588[2the
G36873one
naming G11611And] G3588the G3686name G2962of the lord,
G2288to
death G2289let
him be put to death! G3037[7with
stones G30361Let 5stone
G14736him G39562all G35883the G48644congregation].
G1437Whether
G5037 G4339a
foreigner, G1437or whether
G5037 G849.1native
born G1722in G3588 G3687his
naming G1473 G3588the G3686name G2962of the lord,
G5053let
him come to an end. http://studybible.info/ABP_Strongs/Leviticus%2024
NT:2672 kataraomai, kataroomai; to curse, doom, imprecate evil on: Rom 12:14 (from Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic
Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
It is not something misspoken, this is severely
intentional. This is written in a very creative way. There are several “double”
words in different forms, such as man man
(verse 15); naming name, death death, stones stone, and naming
name (verse 16). The Holy Spirit had it written this way to make a strong
point which is to not curse Yahweh because if one does so he/she should be stoned
to death. This is prophecy given to Moses which is doctrine and we will look at
that idea shortly. Let’s look at this in another Septuagint version.
Leviticus 24:15 And speak to the sons of Israel, and
thou shalt say to them, Whosoever shall curse God shall bear his
sin. 16 And he that names the name of the Lord, let him die the
death: let all the congregation of Israel stone him with stones; whether he be
a stranger or a native, let him die for naming the name of the Lord. http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Leviticus/index.htm
Imprecating Yahweh’s name is a big deal, but not one that
we should hide Yahweh’s name over. It is not something one accidently does,
therefore people should have been taught correctly. Instead we have people who
do curse Elohim. But again, Elohim is a title, so therefore technically one is
allowed to call down curses on Elohim. It seems like a way around the command
doesn’t it? Isn’t this exactly what the Pharisees were doing, finding ways to
skirt around the laws and commands? Again, this is not a comparison to
blaspheming the Holy Spirit, because that can cause one eternal damnation, but
Leviticus and Exodus do not indicate eternal consequences. That is something to
take note of and teach correctly as we have many people today maligning and
slandering the Holy Spirit which has a more severe consequence than vain speech
or imprecating Yahweh.
In the case of speaking blasphemies against the Holy Spirit
as in the New Testament, it is not just useless or purposeless speech it is
vilification, or impious speech (Strong’s # 987, 988, 989). This is speaking
evil and Jesus says that anyone doing this against the Holy Spirit is not
forgiven. In this administration the Holy Spirit is our defense attorney, as
well as the prosecuting attorney for the world. Speaking evil of the Holy
Spirit is cutting one’s self off from the one who is judging this age. Blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit puts one in danger of eternal damnation. Eternal is
forever, and that is something to be concerned about. However, in this
dispensation no one can remedy speaking evil of the Holy Spirit by changing the
name of the Holy Spirit; instead, what people have done is simply attempt to
erase the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Think about what has happened regardless of the
dispensation we live in. People have erased the name of Yahweh and distorted
who he is, and erased the ministry of the Holy Spirit and denied the Holy
Spirit’s function. It would seem to me that there has always been a plan to
disregard the God Head, either by scaring people and making them fearful over
the usage of the name of Yahweh or scaring people into believing the ministry
of the Holy Spirit is evil. Even though there is a different administration,
there is the same basic fear tactic promoted by those who seem to be religious
and make themselves leaders over others. In order to make the Holy Spirit’s
ministry useless, those who didn’t believe on the events of the Pentecost attempted
to do away with some books about the Holy Spirt which were written before Jesus
came, such as Solomon’s Book of Wisdom and Sirach’s Book Ecclesiasticus. The
Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom deserves our understanding. The Holy Spirit
speaks in Ecclesiasticus as in Proverbs 8 regarding Wisdom in creation.
Ecclus 24:1-10 Wisdom shall praise herself, and shall glory
in the midst of her people.2 In the congregation of the most High shall she
open her mouth, and triumph before his power.3 I came out of the mouth of the
most High, and covered the earth as a cloud.4 I dwelt in high places, and my
throne is in a cloudy pillar.5 I alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and
walked in the bottom of the deep.6 In the waves of the sea and in all the
earth, and in every people and nation, I got a possession.7 With all these I
sought rest: and in whose inheritance shall I abide?8 So the Creator of all
things gave me a commandment, and he that made me caused my tabernacle to rest,
and said, Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thine inheritance in Israel.9 He
created me from the beginning before the world, and I shall never fail.10 In
the holy tabernacle I served before him; and so was I established in Sion. KJV
The Holy Spirit was given rest among Jacob’s heirs and
established in Zion. The Holy Spirit has an inheritance in Israel in that
administration and an inheritance in all the ethnos, peoples, who believe on the Holy Spirit in our present
administration.
Ecclus 24:18-20 I am the mother of fair love, and fear, and
knowledge, and holy hope: I therefore, being eternal, am given to all my
children which are named of him.19 Come unto me, all ye that be desirous of me,
and fill yourselves with my fruits.20 For my memorial is sweeter than honey,
and mine inheritance than the honeycomb. KJV
The Holy Spirit is eternal. Those who believe on Jesus are
eternal. There are benefits on earth in knowing the Spirit of Wisdom. Here in
verse 24 we see the idea of Yahweh being the mighty almighty Elohim, as we
previously studied, which is the same phraseology as Jesus calling himself I
AM.
Ecclus 24:21-24 They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and
they that drink me shall yet be thirsty.22 He that obeyeth me shall never be
confounded, and they that work by me shall not do amiss.23 All these things are
the book of the covenant of the most high God, even the law which Moses
commanded for an heritage unto the congregations of Jacob.24 Faint not to be
strong in the Lord; that he may confirm you, cleave unto him: for the Lord
Almighty is God alone, and beside him there is no other Saviour.
The Holy Spirit makes known Jesus as Savior. The Holy
Spirit has doctrine and it’s called prophecy. Prophecy is given to prophets.
There are false prophets among us and it is important to understand that
prophecy is for all ages, which means the predictions of those claiming to be
prophets who are extorting money from people are not prophets. It is not the PT
Barnum effect. Prophecy is doctrine not predictions and guesses. Prophecy is
not vague but specific. Prophecy requires action, not a “wait and see”
approach. Moses said not to call curses down on Yahweh otherwise that one was
to be stoned to death. That is doctrine from the Holy Spirit that is specific
and requires action.
Ecclus 24:32-34 I will yet make doctrine to shine as the
morning, and will send forth her light afar off.33 I will yet pour out doctrine
as prophecy, and leave it to all ages for ever.34 Behold that I have not
laboured for myself only, but for all them that seek wisdom. KJV
Prophecy is given by the Holy Spirit for all ages. Thankfully
someone thought to put some of the seventy books of the Septuagint back into
our modern Bibles. The Holy Spirit is eternal, Yahweh is eternal. Therefore it
is up to us to look to the eternal beings to understand what we are to do
rather than change or erase or manipulate the Bible to our liking. This is not
some PT Barnum false prophecy of “there will be storms in the south” this is
instead direct; the consequence is death but not necessarily eternal
punishment. Death in Hades has torment and punishment for some, and later when
the dead are judged some will be found righteous by their works as we shall
soon read. Therefore, we didn’t need to erase Yahweh’s name to make all people
behave correctly, instead we simply needed to teach consequences to actions.
And really, who calls down curses on Yahweh among the saved, no one. There is a
group of people that may in fact call down curses on Yahweh who “hold on” to
the devil. Solomon tells us something that helps us to understand this issue of
erasing Yahweh or the Holy Spirit.
Wisdom 2:22-3:1 As for the mysteries of God, they knew them
not: neither hoped they for the wages of righteousness, nor discerned a reward
for blameless souls.23 For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be
an image of his own eternity.24 Nevertheless through envy of the devil came
death into the world: and they that do hold of his side do find it.3:1 But the
souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch
them. KJV
We were created to be immortal but the devil caused death,
and those people who hang onto the devil find death. However, the righteous do
not end up in eternal damnation. Notice that there is eternal damnation for
cursing the Holy Spirit, but not for cursing Yahweh. Yet the righteous have a
reward and they do not suffer damnation. Why not let people who are bent on
imprecating Yahweh do what they want? They are holding on to the devil’s side,
not Yahweh’s hand. The summation here is speaking vain, useless words about
Yahweh makes one unclean and imprecating Yahweh brings death. Everyone dies, so
this is simply a sooner death rather than a later death. But imprecating or
vilifying the Holy Spirit brings eternal punishment, which is not simply a
sooner rather than later death, this is a forever problem.
When Jesus comes in his glory he will separate the sheep
and the goats. When does Jesus come in his glory? At the beginning of his millennial
reign. What comes before the sheep and goat judgment is: the harpazo; the first
three and one half years of tribulation; Jesus’ coronation as King; the second
three and one half years of tribulation; the Day of the Lord. Later after the millennial kingdom, we see everyone who has been in
the grave being judged. Remember last week we discussed the place of weeping,
wailing, and grinding of teeth.
Matt 25:31-34 When the Son of Man comes in His glory (His
majesty and splendor), and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on
the throne of His glory. 32 All nations will be gathered before Him, and He
will separate them [the people] from one another as a shepherd separates his
sheep from the goats; [Ezek 34:17.] 33 And He will cause the sheep to stand at
His right hand, but the goats at His left. 34 Then the King will say to those
at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God and
appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. AMP
The first group of people are sheep, those who by their
works have been found righteous. This needs some clarification because many
people mix this up. Today, during the administration of grace - the time of the
Holy Spirit on earth, we are redeemed by our faith. Our rewards are based on
our works, what things we did that were worthy of gold and not burned up at the
bema judgment. Even if one does not
have any rewards but believes on Jesus, that one is still redeemed. Many may not
receive the rewards they thought they would because their actions were in error
and when tried by fire there is nothing left. This is only for the people who
are redeemed, those who had a relationship with Yahweh and believed the Messiah
would come, those who believed on Jesus when he was on earth, and those who
believed on Jesus as Messiah since his death. This group of sheep are not among
the redeemed.
The sheep and goat judgment are for a different group of
people. The redeemed are harpazo’d before the tribulation, they are caught up
to heaven. The sheep and goat people are those who died before Jesus came and did
not have a relationship with Yahweh or believe in the coming Messiah, as well
as those who rejected Jesus when he was on earth and since his death. Those are
the sheep and the goats. In other words all those who are the sheep and goats
rejected Yahweh and/or rejected Jesus. They have all been waiting in hades (where
there is weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth) for the King to come and
judge them. Once King Jesus comes in his glory, and death and hell give up the
dead, Jesus will separate them. Remember Solomon’s words, those that hold onto
the devil’s side find death? There are intentionally evil people in this group
at the end of the age as well as those who were not intentionally evil. Some
people were simply rejecters of Yahweh and Jesus’ lordship while they lived on
earth. While all these people, the sheep and the goats, rejected Jesus as
Messiah, there will be some who, by their works, find the kingdom that had been
prepared for them from the foundation of the world. What do they have to do to
obtain the eternal kingdom?
Matt 25:35-40 For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was
thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me
together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me, 36 I was
naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and
ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me. [Isa 58:7.] 37 Then
the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave
You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink? 38 And when did we see
You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You? 39
And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You? 40 And the
King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of
the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.
[Prov 19:17.] AMP
Here is the key point to what Jesus was saying, like the
story of the Good Samaritan, we are to take care of our fellow humans and not
take advantage of other people. The point is that these people, the righteous,
cared for others. Jesus looks at the works of the sheep as things they did to
Jesus himself, but in their minds they were just helping people. Solomon said
that humans were made in the image of God’s own eternity. Humans are precious
to Jesus, but the devil persuades people away from Jesus, giving them death.
The goats will go into eternal punishment.
Matt 25:41-46 Then He will say to those at His left hand,
Begone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and
his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you
gave Me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me and
entertain Me, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison
and you did not visit Me with help and ministering care. 44 Then they also [in
their turn] will answer, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? 45 And He
will reply to them, Solemnly I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it
for the least [in the estimation of men] of these, you failed to do it for Me.
[Prov 14:31; 17:5.] 46 Then they will go away into eternal punishment, but
those who are just and upright and in right standing with God into eternal
life. [Dan 12:2.] AMP
The place the goats go (those who hung on to the devil’s
side) will be the same place prepared for the devil and his angels. At the end
of the age, death and hell are thrown into the lake of fire. This is why the
childlike understanding of the postmodern group is faulty and very dangerous.
There is a place of eternal damnation, and it is for these people, along with
the devil and his angels. These are people from the time of Adam until the end
of the age that disregarded other humans, they did not help anyone else and
while they also rejected Yahweh and/or Jesus, they lived for themselves. It is
not Jesus’ choice where the sheep and the goats go, people have made that
choice for themselves, and Jesus is just executing the judgment based on their
own decisions. Certainly if one of these goats saw Jesus hungry, thirsty, or in
prison, they would have helped him, knowing he would come back as King. But
because they only saw humans, not Jesus, they did not care for them.
This is the condition of judgment for all those who have
rejected Yahweh and/or Jesus and treated other humans poorly. Those who have
blasphemed the Holy Spirit and led people into the rejection of Yahweh/Jesus by
changing the words in the Bible, those who intentionally held onto the devil’s
side, or those who have intentionally misled and mistreated the innocent will
find eternal damnation. The people who are the religious leaders were not, and
are not, teaching this to people. They are preventing many from entering the
kingdom. Jesus had a few words for some of those people which is applicable to
religious leaders today.
Matt 23:13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
pretenders (hypocrites)! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces; for
you neither enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are about to go in to
do so. AMP
Matt 23:15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders
(hypocrites)! For you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and
when he becomes one [a proselyte], you make him doubly as much a child of hell
(Gehenna) as you are. AMP
Shame on all of us for not teaching the truth but instead
teaching a fictional religion for people to follow. Tell the truth, vain speech
of cursing Yahweh is not the same as cursing and vilifying the Holy Spirit. Woe
to those religious leaders who, mock healings, miracles, and tongues! They have
created a fictional religion that prevents them and their followers from
entering the kingdom of heaven. Woe to those religious leaders who rally others
under them as proselytes, converts, or followers, who blaspheme the works of
the Holy Spirit, making them children of hell just like themselves.
The end of the Book of Revelation tells us when the end
judgment comes. The first resurrection is the time of the martyrs, those who
confessed Jesus as Lord and were beheaded. These people did not take the mark
of the beast and they live for one thousand years with Jesus.
Rev 20:1-6 THEN I saw an angel descending from heaven; he
was holding the key of the Abyss (the bottomless pit) and a great chain was in
his hand. 2 And he gripped and overpowered the dragon, that old serpent [of
primeval times], who is the devil and Satan, and [securely] bound him for a
thousand years. 3 Then he hurled him into the Abyss (the bottomless pit) and
closed it and sealed it above him, so that he should no longer lead astray and
deceive and seduce the nations until the thousand years were at an end. After
that he must be liberated for a short time. 4 Then I saw thrones, and sitting
on them were those to whom authority to act as judges and to pass sentence was
entrusted. Also I saw the souls of those who had been slain with axes
[beheaded] for their witnessing to Jesus and [for preaching and testifying] for
the Word of God, and who had refused to pay homage to the beast or his statue
and had not accepted his mark or permitted it to be stamped on their foreheads
or on their hands. And they lived again and ruled with Christ (the Messiah) a
thousand years. [Dan 7:9,22,27.] 5 The remainder of the dead were not restored
to life again until the thousand years were completed. This is the first
resurrection. 6 Blessed (happy, to be envied) and holy (spiritually whole, of
unimpaired innocence and proved virtue) is the person who takes part (shares)
in the first resurrection! Over them the second death exerts no power or
authority, but they shall be ministers of God and of Christ (the Messiah), and
they shall rule along with Him a thousand years. AMP
The sheep and goat judgment happen before the one thousand
year reign of Jesus Christ. That means anywhere from six thousand years to the Day of the Lord, there have been people in Hades waiting to be judged. It
seems scary to hinge eternity on one’s works rather than on the acceptance of
Jesus Christ.
Rev 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and the One
Who was seated upon it, from Whose presence and from the sight of Whose face
earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 I [also] saw the
dead, great and small; they stood before the throne, and books were opened.
Then another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were
judged (sentenced) by what they had done [their whole way of feeling and
acting, their aims and endeavors] in accordance with what was recorded in the
books. 13 And the sea delivered up the dead who were in it, death and Hades
(the state of death or disembodied existence) surrendered the dead in them, and
all were tried and their cases determined by what they had done [according to
their motives, aims, and works]. 14 Then death and Hades (the state of death or
disembodied existence) were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second
death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's [name] was not found recorded in
the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire. AMP
Their cases were determined by what they had done. There
are two deaths, the first being Hades when their physical bodies died on earth.
Remember the rich man who saw Abraham and Lazarus in Abraham’s bay or creek, he
was in the first death. All those who die without Jesus are in the first death.
Jesus rescued the redeemed from Abraham’s bay or creek and took them to
Paradise. The redeemed are awaiting the harpazo when they will rise along with
the redeemed of earth. The others in Hades stay in Hades until the white throne
judgment. Recognize, some of those people have been in Hades for thousands of
years, such as Cain and Nimrod, along with anyone else who rejected Yahweh or
Jesus. They are judged according to their motives, aims, and works. The second
death is where the goats go to eternal punishment.
We see that there is a plan that has been mapped out since
the foundation of the world, a place of eternal life, even for those who
rejected Yahweh or Jesus but who did do the right things for their fellow
humans. Unfortunately, because of the envy of the devil there came death. There
are those who reject Yahweh and/or Jesus and treat others poorly, and their
final place is in the lake of fire. Eternity is forever.
Remembering Jesus’ words to the Pharisees, they were
shutting the kingdom of heaven in men’s’ faces. The Pharisees weren’t going to
enter into the kingdom of heaven and they were keeping others from entering.
Not only did they keep others from entering the kingdom of heaven, they searched
out disciples and made them sons of hell too. How did the Pharisees keep people
from the kingdom of heaven? They changed the name of Yahweh to a title, then
they scared people into thinking they would go to eternal damnation if they used
Yahweh’s name improperly. Then they denied Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and the
out-workings of the Holy Spirit. They said the things the Holy Spirit was doing
on the earth, such as healings and miracles, were being done by demons. The
religious leaders made people afraid of the name Yahweh, then they themselves
were blaspheming the Holy Spirit which is unforgivable. This crazy behavior has
the envy of the devil written all over it.
Intentionally cursing Yahweh is worthy of death, going to
Hades, but not necessarily eternally. Speaking vainly of Yahweh makes one
unclean, not eternally punished. Speaking defamations regarding the Holy Spirit
and the works of the Spirit does endanger one to eternal damnation. It is
better for us to understand this correctly rather than throwing out names and
changing meanings. The redeemed are not going to eternal punishment. Those who
have been martyred for Christ are not going to eternal punishment. Those who
are in danger of eternal punishment are those who rejected Yahweh and/or Jesus.
Then from that group, those whose works are kind towards others are given the
eternal kingdom that was prepared for them. Those whose works are unkind
towards others are given eternal fire. The simplicity of the vetting process is
to give everyone a chance to choose rightly. It is not the desire of Jesus to
send people to the lake of fire but there are those who intentionally hang onto
the devil, and those people do find death. It would be better to teach people
about the choices they have based on the truth of the scripture rather than
change the doctrine the Holy Spirit has given via prophecy, which is to be
recorded for all ages.
