He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18 NKJV
I've written many blogs in Dutch, my native language. But this subject is one of the hardest that I have ever written about. This is because this subject is so entrenched in the christian world. The belief is that if someone does not believe in the Son of God, Jesus, this person will go to hell because he did not believe. Jesus speaks multiple times about the judgement. Everything Jesus has said is true also this text from John 3.
The reward for sin is death. We can't appear righteous before God apart from Jesus. Jesus said, He who believes in Me, will not be judged. Jezus also said, I'm the way and the life (John 14:6). He who believes in the Son of God will live even if he dies (John 11:26). This means that we take part in the first resurrection. If a believer in Christ dies, he will be reunited with Jesus Christ in heaven. There is still the kingdom of the dead but that has no control over the believer. He who believes in Jesus is not only cleansed by His blood but also takes part in the first resurrection. This means that with Jesus' second coming His servants will receive a physically resurrected body, those who are not raptured. (1 Corinthians 15:51-54). They can be seen physically by the ones who will still bealive after the great tribulation.
Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ will die. Death has not been conquered for them. The kingdom of the dead is the place where they rest until the final judgment. Paul wrote in the 1st letter to the Corinthians. Death, where is your sting? Where is your victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55)? This does not apply for the ones who did not receive Jesus as their Savior. For them victory has not been achieved. But will all these people go to hell? Is it that plain and simple? I think not. Jesus speaks multiple times about the judgmemt.
'who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation. Luke 20:47 NKJV
'The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.' Matthew 12:41-42 NKJV
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.” But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. Matthew 11:21-24 NKJV
In all these parts of the Scripture Jesus is speaking in a difference of judgment. The Pharisees were merciless and plundered the weak for useless prayers. Those who should know better did not show kindness but were unkind. They were held responsible for this and therefore they will receive a heavier judgement. The man of Nineveh will rise up at the day of Judgment and the queen of the South. They will judge the generation that rejected Jesus. And then there are the cities of Capernaum and Bethsaida. They will be brought down to Hades. On the day of judgment it will even be better for Sodom. Sodom the city full of wickedness, the city where it sins would rise up to heaven (Genesus 18:20). For them the day of judgment will be more bearable.
That day of judgment is not the day when Jesus will come back and will speak justice between the sheep and the goats, despite people being judged to the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41). The Judgment of Revelation 20 is the final Judgment. But we find this Judgment also in the book of Daniel.
'And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.' Daniel 12:2
Some to everlasting life. When Jesus died at the cross he went to the kingdom of the dead. He received power over this kingdom. He rose up from the dead and he took captives (Ephesians 4:8). He overcomes death and when you are captive that means that you have been in the might of someone stronger than you. You can't come out of this prison by yourself unless there is someone stronger who binds the man of the house (Marc 3:27). That someone is Jesus the Son of God. The realm of the dead is not empty. There are still people there and they wait for the Final Judgement. They have no part in the first resurrection.
Again we can see from Jesus his own words that there is difference in Judgement. So if all go to the lake of fire why is there difference in judgment? It doesn't make sense and that is not what we read in Revelation 20 either. There is 1 Judgment and 1 Punishment en that is the lake of fire, the second death. There is no difference, What is characteristic of the last judgment are the following things:
Books will be opened and another book will opened, the Book of Life;
All of the dead will rise up for the Judgement, the death in the sea and the realm of the dead;
The death and Hades will be thrown in the lake of fire;
If someone is not written in the Book of Life he will be thrown in the lake of fire;
All the dead will be judged according to their works.
Why will the Book of Life be opened if no name is written in it because everyone who did not believe will go to hell? What is the use of opening an empty book? Verse 15 of Revelation 20 states that if someone is not written in the Book of Life he will be thrown in the lake of fire. There are names in the books, these books will not be blank. The condition for life or the fire is based on the fact in which book your name will be written. You don't want to go into the lake of fire. It's the most horrific place imaginable. You will never get out of there. I believe based on the Scripture that it is possible for people to be written into the Book of Life at the Final Judgement. I believe that based on the fact that the Book of Life will not be empty. A believer in Jesus Christ, who is a child of God will not take part in this Final Judgment. A believer in Jesus Christ has no part in death but in life through Jesus Christ Resurrection. The realm of the dead is not the location for the believer.
How it will go exactly, who will be written in the Book of Life and who will not is not explained in detail in this part of the Scripture. But there are many heavenly things which are not revealed to us (2 Corinthians 12:4, Revelation 10:3-4). There is an example in the Old Testament that I want to highlight and that is from the book Isaiah. When Isaiah sees the Throne of the Lord he says the following thing:
So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. Isaiah 6:5-6 NKJV
The seraphim confirms that Isaiah has sin. Therefor he touches his mouth with a live coal. We see something heavenly happening here that is revealed to us because Isaiah had written it. In the book of Job we read a conversation between God and satan in the heaven. We see how God thinks and speaks about His servant Job. We do not read that Job was not righteous. There was no one like Job (Job 1:8, 2:3). I believe that there is a Judgement and that it is possible for people that will be able to accept Jesus as their Savior. In Amir Tsarfati’s book named, "Has the Tribulation Begun?", he writes about Revelation 20 that this counts for the people that die during the millennial kingdom. I totally agree with that but I also believe it is more than just the people that died during the millennial kingdom. All of the dead will come before the Great White Throne. And there will be alot people. There are so many people that have died since God created the earth and man. And all of these people will come before the Great White Throne and they will be judged.
Maybe this example wil sound familiar to you because in the Netherlands it is used for Evangelism. In this example we are told that everyone's house is on fire. And if so you don't stand there and analyze what you should be doing. You try to extinguish the fire. The person that does not believe in Jesus Christ yet is that house which is burning. The Christian needs to tell that person about Jesus to extinguish the fire but he hesitates. It is an example used to motivate you to tell everyone about Jesus and to Evangelise. I honestly question if that should be our motivation. Do we need to Evangelize based on the fear of judgment or based on the love of Jesus Christ. Because we follow Christ we are able to do His will. And it is that will that does miracles and saves people. That will show true kindness. It was God that loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). And that love is in us and that love should motivate us. Let the mind of Jesus Christ also be in us (Philippians 2:5). He came to do the Will of the Father and to search His honor. If you approach people from the perspective of judgment they will reject or even hate you. And with that Christ that you try to represent. But if you approach them with His love, through the Holy Spirit, then you approach people with the right approach. That is not the love of man but from God. Look at the Rich Young Ruler. Jesus loved him (Marc 10:21), but that did not change His approach to this man. Jesus did not compromise, and rightfully so. Had the rich young ruler said yes then he had received the riches and eternal life. If Jesus had accepted him without this command the young ruler would have never been able to inherit the true riches of His kingdom and is that love of God?
John is clear about it. He who has The Son of God, has life, he who does not have the Son of God has no life. He who does not accept Jesus will receive death because victory over death has not been achieved for him. Not that it is impossible but there is no faith in Him who is the Resurrection and the Life. The realm of the dead is not a fine place, it's not as it should have been. The realm of the dead and death itself are enemies and it is therefore that they are thrown into the lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14). But it is clear the realm of the dead is not the same as hell. Death came through sin as God told in Genesis 2:17. And death does not please God.
I do not believe in universal reconciliation. It is not true that all will be saved. There are many people in our time that deliberately choose God's enemy. You can't imagine it but it is true. There will be people who will be forever in the lake of fire. You don't want to think too long about that. But to believe that everyone who does not believe in Jesus will automatically go to hell is a doctrine that I can't find based on the Scripture. There will be people among the dead whose name will be written in the Book of Life and who will receive redemption through Jesus Christ. They will be judged based on their works and then we will see the value of these works.
And that brings me to the most important message of this blog. Do you trust the Son of God? Do you believe that He will judge righteous over friends, children or family who have died without you knowing if they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour? Are you willing to lay that fear, that uncertainty on the altar and to trust Him completely? At the Final Judgement peoples names will be written in the Book of Life. I can't tell you how this will happen, what I can tell you is that this judgment will be righteous. We all have a personal relationship with Jesus, if you have received Him as your Saviour, as the Son of God. Pray for your family, your friends or children when the Holy Spirit brings them into your mind. Do not let them go. Look at Job (Job 1:5). He sanctified and they got saved. I think that when we will be in His presence we shall understand why we need to be obedient in our walk with Him and in our prayers. Then we shall see what happened through all of this. The outcome of this will be that He will be worshiped and not we. That is pure.
This will remain, Jesus can be trusted completely and He is worth it all. Do not wait, life without Him is no life, but a lie. Choose for Jesus Christ today. You will have a life with love and fulfillment that surprises any understanding. And that will remain for eternity, certainly.
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