ONE PERSON'S CHANGE OF HEART
CONCERNING UNIVERSAL
RECONCILIATION
Dear Friends:
This article you are about to read is actually a testimony from a deacon in the SDA Church who lives in the North West. He called me a couple of years ago to order about 20 copies of my book, "THE WONDERFUL TRUTH ABOUT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER." I was completely out of stock at time, so explained that I would have to have a printer make some more copies, which I did.
This deacon wanting to help the ministry was willing to pay $10.00 for each copy, which made it possible to print extra copies with the $200.00 he and his wife sent at that time.
When this book was first published in June of 1986 I only had 11,000 printed, at a cost of only $14,500, but that was all I could afford at the time. Some friends in Fredricksburg, VA., where the book was printed, helped me to send out 4,000 copies to every SDA Church in the USA and the rest were shipped by truck to Scappoose, OR., where we lived at the time.
The remaining 7,000 were sold at only $6.95 each or given away free to people who didn't have the funds or sent in an extra donation. By about 1998 I was completely out of this book as well as "Into the Father's Heart," a 412 page paper back printed in 1982 (50,000 copies at only 46 cents each). So, I am now having to simply make copies of both books. The first 12 chapters of IFH are now available via this web site and hopefully the remaining chapters will also be available before the Jan of 2004. I will be including the concept of UR in this revised edition, which brings me back to the author of this article you are about to read.
At the time he called I mentioned to him that "The Wonderful Truth About Our Heavenly Father," did not mention anything about level 4 of the character of God, Universal Reconciliation or Restoration. He had never heard of that concept so I explained it to him a little.
Being a quiet, thoughtful and respectful man he did not argue with me about it at the time but had serious doubts that such a doctrine could be proved from the Bible. So, he decided to try and prove this concept wrong by looking up all the texts he could find in Strong's concordance about how the lost are lost forever beyond redemption, as he had been taught.
At the end of his three week study he had changed his mind or heart about this topic because he realized he could not disprove it. He then wrote the following article and sent it to me. I was pleasantly surprised and received permission to share it on this web site. He only asked to remain anonymous, so that is why his name does not appear as the author.
May the Lord
bless you as you read this article and others as well. Your
friend, in Christ, our Lord, Pastor Mike
Clute.
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Reconciliation. . .
Most people approach this term with some very skeptical or strongly preconceived notions of what God is going to do. To think that we have all the answers, goes directly against what God says for, "the whole world wondered after the beast." We look in the past at great reformers, men that we feel God used to bring his people back into harmony. And we have to admit that they, for whatever reason, did not follow all of Gods reforms, even though these needed changes were clearly presented before them in the Holy Scriptures. As a condemned man off of the street, God does not pile our sins on us to our discouragement, but God did take our sins upon himself while He leads us into all TRUTH. Let us pray that God will open our eyes that we may see his TRUE CHARACTER more clearly. Ultimately, that is all universal reconciliation (UR) is all about, recognizing the true character of The Living God our creator. There are many gods to chose from, if we don't recognize Gods true character, we remain in worship of a false god, ultimately, one Satan has set up. Please forgive me for being so blunt, for this is not meant to judge another mans servant. Universal reconciliation simply says, that when all the dust has settled, our loving, longsuffering, merciful Heavenly Father will save all, that's right, ALL mankind. Now before you stamp your feet in the dust like the all day workmen in the field, who received the same wage as the one who shows up the last hour, or before you go outside mad like the prodigal sons brother, because your wicked brother receives his inheritance back, let each one of us remember that we have all fallen short of the Glory of God. I most certainly can not cast a stone. The only one who could have cast a stone, The Lord Jesus Christ that changes not, said "neither do I condemn thee". Let us see if universal reconciliation is prophesied and preached in the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT and let us see the true character of our Heavenly Father. The prodigal son in the filth and sin of his life, made the decision to return. That decision was not forced but was prompted by the sons need, and in answer to the Holy Spirits' pleading. May I start by saying, UR is not a private interpretation and not a damnable heresy. II Peter 1:19-20 "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." II Peter 2:1-2 "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."
UR is taught and prophesied throughout the Old and New Testament and most of us have been to closed minded to see it. As for being heresy, let us see what II Peter 2:1-2 says. The identifying marks; are to deny the Lord that bought them, bring upon themselves swift destruction, and to speak evil of the WAY OF TRUTH. UR absolutely does not deny that Jesus Christ bought ALL men. Romans 5:6 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." The verse itself proves that God died to save the sinners. If these people bring upon themselves swift destruction, they are the ungodly, and the scripture says they deny the Lord that bought THEM. Nor does UR speak evil of the WAY OF TRUTH. In fact UR elevates the TRUTH far above our simple understanding of its definition. For we know from the Holy scriptures that thy law is the truth and all thy commandments are truth. Psalms 119:142 & 151. "Thy righteousness [is] an everlasting righteousness, and thy law [is] the truth." 151 "Thou [art] near, 0 LORD; and all thy commandments [are] truth." The Ten Commandments are the character of Christ. If you doubt this, you simply need to behold Christ, look upon him. Christ said I am the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE. Look inside the Ark of the Covenant and you shall find;THE WAY = Aarons rod that budded (the only way is through the high priest) THE TRUTH = The Ten Commandments THE LIFE = The golden jar of manna. John 6:51, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Christ is Holy and Righteous. How can we define Holy and Righteous but by his Ten Commandments? And now we know why Mosses broke the Ten Commandments when he came nigh unto the camp beneath the mount. Our true Lord and savior suffered outside the camp, beneath a mountain of our sins. So Christ is the TRUTH. Now look at II Peter 2:2 as it is meant to be seen. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of (CHRIST) shall be evil spoken of. Not only is UR prophesied as you shall see, but UR advocates that God keeps the truth. And how could God not keep the Ten Commandments, they are his character. Let us look at this strange act (Isa. 28:21) God does to the wicked when He rains down fire and brimstone on them. This is the same God that said "Thou shalt not kill."
We have all heard the arguments about the words KILL and MURDER. Lets keep in mind ISA. 66:3, "He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man.." If you feel this is out of context, remember that the priest who offered the lamb was not without sin. (Shown in Heb. 9:7-9 & 10:6) Ultimately if we believe God totally destroys the wicked, it won't matter if you use the word kill or murder, the end result is still the same, the destruction of a redeemed image of God. Make no mistake; if you buy and pay for something that was lost, you redeemed it. How important is it that we believe God keeps His own commandments? We are to become "Christ Like" in our character as made clear by the Holy Bible, "be ye Holy as I am Holy." If we believe that there is justifiable killing or murder of the wicked at judgment, then we are worthy of the rebuke "depart from me ye workers of iniquity, for I never knew you." Christ knows them not because they do not know His true character. The world expects God to destroy the wicked, it is not strange to do something that is expected. The truly strange act would be to save by cleansing, these people that are worthy of destruction. Heb. 10:28-29 "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses;" 29 "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace" It is one thing to be worthy of something and it is another not to receive it. Praise be to God that we all have not received what we have had coming for the sin we have committed. The wicked are worthy of destruction, but it will not be out of character with God when He cleanses and saves them. We are an evil nation and we have laws against killing anyone because they do not believe like us. And yet people see nothing wrong with our God destroying the wicked because they do not believe like He does. Satan came to destroy. The true God, came to reconcile the world unto Himself. UR sheds great light on why we are to love our enemy. That enemy (created in the image of God) will be in heaven with you. They will be a new creation in Christ, cleansed of the wicked nature, and totally remorseful of the wicked deeds they have committed. Let no man call something unclean that God has cleansed. Sure, it sounds like a tall order but, Isa. 50:2 "Wherefore, when I came, [was there] no man when I called, [was there] none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because [there is] no water, and dieth for thirst."
Isa. 59:1 "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." We are talking about the "Shepherd and Bishop of our souls." This same shepherd left the 99 in safety and went after the one lost lamb, and sweeps the house for one lost coin. Are we not more precious than gold or silver to our Lord? Do you think that the Lord is incapable of accomplishing His will? II Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God made us all, He made the righteous and the wicked. Do you think that our Heavenly Father makes mistakes? Isa. 64:8-9 "But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we (are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand." 9 "Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we [are] all thy people." Christ rains down fire at the end the same way He has in the past, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The early rain was at Pentecost, which was the Holy Spirit. The latter rain will be when He rains down His Holy Spirit again at the judgment after the second resurrection. Even now we are in anticipation of a latter rain, known as a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit before what? Before the great harvest. James 5:7 "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain." We all are the harvest or fruit of the earth. Matt. 5:44-45 "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" 45 "That ye may be the children of, your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Did you notice that the Father in heaven will send rain on the just and the unjust? Our God which changes not, sent the Holy Spirit (in the form of tongues of fire) on the just at Pentecost. Who do you think He will send to the unjust in the latter rain? II Peter 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Matt. 23:38-39 "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." 39 "For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Jesus said this in Matt. to the wicked whom He shall resurrect 3000 years later. At this point Gods rain shall fall on them, every knee shall bow and give glory to God. I Tim. 4:8 "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."
Keep in mind, 1 day = 1000 years and 1000 years = 1 day. God created the earth in 6 days and man has been working for almost 6000 years. God gave us the 7th day rest and this earth will lay at rest during the millennium, or the 7000 to the start of the 8000 year period. At the end of the millennium, the start of the 8th day, God will raise the wicked for judgment. Christ sent the Holy Spirit (in the form of tongues of fire) almost 2000 years (or 2 days) ago. Add to this the millennium or 1 day, and you have 3 days from the early rain to the latter rain at the judgment of the wicked (on the start of the 8th day). It is very simple and we are told not to be ignorant of 1 day = 1000 years. Now let us look at the scriptures with it in mind. Hoesa 6:1-3 "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. 3 Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth." Luke 13:32-33 "And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and tomorrow, and the third [day] I shall be perfected. 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem." Is the perfection Jesus speaks of here, the reuniting of the two sheep folds after 3000 years? I believe so. John 10:16 "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd." In the last part of Hoesa 6:3, notice how the Lord comes to the wicked (as the latter rain [and] former rain unto the earth) in 3 days or 3000 years, when they are resurrected. Lets look at the wicked who are resurrected at the start of the 8th day or the 8000 year (the second resurrection). When was all Israel to be circumcised, "he that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy money." Gene. 17:12 "And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which [is] not of thy seed." Lets remember II Peter 2:1, and not deny the Lord that bought us, for Christ died for the ungodly. Remembering again, these people "bring upon themselves swift destruction" so they are not the righteous, but on the cross our Lord still bought them. All Israel was to be circumcised on the 8th day. *If the righteous go to heaven for the millennium or 7000 to 8000 year period, they have no need of circumcision when they return. The only group of people in need of circumcision, let alone the fact that they are resurrected on the proper day for it, are the wicked.
Deut. 10:16 "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked." The fire and brimstone, fire being the Holy Spirit, and the brimstone meaning the cleansing that they actually used the brimstone for back then. Mala. 3:2 "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he [is] like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:" Prov. 16:15 "In the light of the king's countenance [is] life; and his favor [is] as a cloud of the latter rain." The questions that immediately come up, are; (1) UR has taken away the wickeds right of choice and (2) why would anyone want to lead a holy and righteous life if you are going to be saved anyway? (1) On the wickeds right of choice; in asking this question, it shows little to no faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to change a persons mind. Look at Paul who says, I Tim. 1:15 "This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." God through Paul, is telling you this for a reason, there are no mistakes in Gods word. Look also at the question Paul asks Jesus in Acts 9:5 "And he said, Who art thou, Lord?" This is a question that the ungodly or lost would ask. For if Paul does not know Jesus, Paul is worthy of the rebuke, "depart from Me ye workers of iniquity for I never knew you." If the chief of sinners changes his mind after a brief encounter with Christ, "The Counselor", what kind of example is that for the rest of the sinners who are not chief? We should never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit to convert the soul. Remember that the prodigal son, of his own free choice, returned home. He was not forced. Samson broke every commandment there was to break. At the end of his life; he was blind (showing he was spiritually blind), his body (the temple of the Holy Spirit) was physically chained to a pagan temple, he did not even know the answer to his own riddle. For nothing is sweeter than the word of God and nothing is stronger than our living God. Psalm. 119:103 "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! [yea, sweeter] than honey to my mouth!" Isa. 26:4 "Trust ye in the Lord forever: for the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:" On top of all the evidence are Samson's last recorded words, Judges 16:30 "Let me die with the Philistines." With all that said, Samson in Heb. 11: is to be saved. Our God is truly merciful and longsuffering. Number (2), if one was to ask, what is the reason for leading a holy and righteous life now if we are all to be saved in the end, what does that question suggest to you? This question shows no true love for Christ. The people wanted to make Christ king because He gave physical bread to the thousands, not because He was the true bread from heaven which the Father gave. The people looked to and loved the physical reward and loved not the Word nor the Father who sent Christ.
From these people He withdrew, without condemning them. The love is not true when one hand is held out for a hand shake and the other hand is held out for the anticipated and promised reward. We should love Christ because He is Holy, Righteous, Longsuffering, and Merciful. We desire to behold that which we love and we become like what we behold. Henceforth, when there is a lack of desire to become Christ-like, this indicates a lack of love for Christ. Rev. 21:8 "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 burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Is not judgment to start at the house of God. Topping this list are the fearful, because like the others, they show not a true love for Christ. Many a man will do a better job of keeping the commandments than those that enter the Kingdom of God, and shall not enter in with them. The fearful are just what it says they are, they may do a better job, but that is just what it is to them, a job, for a reward and in fear of the punishment if they are counted as a wicked servant. Ask your self, which servant stays to defend the sheep, the hired servant, or the Son of the Father that owns the sheep and loves them? Take a little closer look at Paul. If asked is Paul, who at a glance seems to have written half the New Testament (inspired by the Holy Spirit), is Paul saved? Believing the Holy Bible, Paul is saved. And yet with an introduction showing that the Holy Spirit does not want you to miss this point, Paul writes "sinners; of whom I am chief." I Tim. 1:15 "This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." How can the CHIEF of sinners be saved? In verse :13, "Who was before a blasphemer' and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief." Paul says he obtained mercy, because he did it ignorantly in unbelief. I can not find one sinner who could not justly use that excuse. If they truly believed and loved Christ and were not ignorant, they would never have sinned. Verse :16 "Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." We should really take notice when we have a FIRST PATTERN to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. How does the chief of sinners who by his own words (Acts 9:5 "Who art thou Lord") is counted as the Gentiles which know not God (I Thess. 4:5), how is he shown mercy as a first pattern and SAVED? Lets look at the first pattern of what happens to the UNGODLY which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Lets do away with the notion that Paul represents the group of the ungodly that turn to Jesus or are converted before their death.
What happens to the wicked at the return of Jesus at the resurrection? II Thess. 2:8-10 "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." At the return of the Lord, the wicked are struct down by the brightness of His coming. So which ungodly group does Paul represent when he was struct down on the road to Damascus by the brightness of Christ appearing? Acts 9:3-4 "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Paul is the first pattern of the wicked struck down by the brightness of Christ at the coming resurrection. Paul was on the road to Damascus, which is just outside the promise land of the twelve tribes of Israel and is the ancient capital of Syria. Neither is it ironic that in looking at the maps of Pauls time, you will find that Damascus was a center hub for trade between Palestine and Chaldea. Or as we better recognize them, all of Israel and Babylon. In looking at the maps, all the roads seem to lead through Damascus. If you were leaving the promise land on your way to Babylon, the sea and mountains were on your left, and to the right of Damascus was wilderness, so you went through Damascus. In viewing the map, you are reminded of the verse, broad and wide is the path that leads to destruction. Nor should we find it ironic that Christ sent Ananias into Straight street to INQUIRE of Saul in Acts 9:11. The Holy Spirit shall also inquire or seek the welfare of those lost. The Holy Spirit will not force His will upon their choice. Acts 9:8-9 "And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought [him] into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink." Here again we have the wicked not seeing Christ again for 3000 years until they said blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Matt. 23:39 "For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Paul was led blind neither eating nor drinking, to outside the promise land, just as the wicked which are dead neither eat, drink, nor see, and are in prison awaiting judgment outside the promise land. So Ananias was not only sent by Jesus Christ himself (as in Matt. 23:29 "in the name of the Lord") but the name ANANIAS means JEHOVAH'S GRACE. Jehovah's Grace is the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5-7 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 That being justified by his GRACE, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Learning a lesson from Samson's blindness (spiritual blindness) the scales which fell from Paul's eyes after 3 days may not only represent the wickeds sight returning at the second resurrection, but also Jesus opening up their minds unto His washing and regeneration of the Holy Ghost. Also notice that Christ sent Ananias to Saul not Paul, for Paul had not as yet received Ananias the representative of the Holy Spirit, to receive a new name as a new creation in Christ. There are many more details to this first pattern but please do not think that the scriptures are contradicted by universal reconciliation. There is truly a death in the fire of the Holy Ghost, but it is a death of the FIRST BORN. The first born had to die before the House of Israel could leave Egypt, the House of Bondage. We are all born into bondage, born into sin. What do the words WHICH HAVE say to you? Two little words that show past tense of an accomplished deed. Exod. 20:2-3 "I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me." There was a cleansing that took place in the desert after the death of the first born in Egypt. After this cleansing (the older men of war died) in the desert, Israel crossed the river Jordan (which means to go down or descend) representing death. So Israel crossed death into the Promise Land as we are to cross from death unto life. Our release from the bondage of sin has already been paid for on the cross by Jesus. As the house of Israel chose a lamb, so we choose Jesus. As Israel chose to leave bondage and the first born was dead unto them, so we choose to leave the bondage of sin and the first born in us, our sinful nature is dead unto us. Israel was baptized under the cloud and through the Red Sea, as we are baptized in a watery grave (which is a good conscience towards God). This signifying our desire to; bury the old man of sin, follow Jesus, to profess our faith in Him and His death on the cross for our sins, and to become a living sacrifice unto God. If we do not become a living sacrifice (putting to death our sinful nature, the old man of sin, and becoming a new creation in Christ) then we take the old man of sin to the grave.
In the second resurrection, these people are resurrected with their sinful nature still attached. As shown by satan deceiving them one last time. Though Israel was baptized in the Red Sea, they would not enter into His rest because of UNBELIEF. We likewise after baptism, continue on in sin through ignorance and disbelief. The older men of war among Israel, were left in the desert, as we are to leave our first born buried at this present time, for today is the day. Heb. 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." In the second resurrection these people will suffer a death of the first born in the fire, the fire of the Holy Ghost known as the latter rain. As the Holy Spirit now leads us into all Truth, He shall lead the second resurrection into all Truth. The wicked still have to make the choice to crucify the first born themselves. John the Baptist spoke of the two baptisms. Matt. 3:11-12 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and [with] fire: 12 Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Both groups or resurrections are represented in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4-Heb. 3:7-18 "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 , So I swear in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be ,in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not," Heb. 4:1-8 "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it]. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5 And in this [place] again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day." There was in the desert an acceptable day to enter the promise land. Just as there is now for us an acceptable day of rest and an acceptable time to enter heaven in the coming resurrection, so harden not your hearts. We now receive Gods day of rest with the other commandments (in belief like Calab and Joshua) as a token of the coming rest when we enter the promise land (HEAVEN). Look at Heb. 4:8 much closer, did Jesus or Joshua give Israel the rest or the promise land on the appointed day? NO! ABSOLUTLY NOT. So Heb. 4:8 says: If Jesus or Joshua had given them the promise land, He would not afterward of spoken of another day to enter. Heb. 4:9 shows that Jesus did speak of another day to enter the promise land, ("There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.") Also this is shown by the physical example that Israel did enter the promise land 40 years later. Also as shown in Joshua, the Lord did speak of another day to enter the promise land. Josh 1:1-2 "Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of, Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, to the children of Israel." Now lets look at the very small group that represents the first or the coming resurrection. Remember that not all provoked God on the appointed day and they received the sabbath and ceased from their works as God did, as a token, for they that followed God did enter into the promise land. Heb. 3:16 "For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses." Heb. 4:6 & 10 "6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:" "10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his." The Gentiles are represented in the crossing from death into life (crossing the Jordan). Joshua in Hebrew means "Jehovah saves". Joshua ministered unto Moses, guides Israel and is clearly a type of Christ.
Also Joshua was the son of Nun and Nun in Hebrew means "FISH". Jesus said the sign He would give, would be the sign of "Jonah". As Jonah came out of the fish, so Joshua came from the loins of Nun or FISH. So, we have a representative of Jesus (Joshua) with all of Israel (those that do the will of God) and Caleb crossing the Jordan (death). CALEB in Hebrew means "DOG". The Gentiles were referred to as dogs by the Hebrews. God is wonderful to leave us the prophesy of the crossing of the Gentiles into the promise land. Let us compare what has happened to Israel as an example of what shall happen to the "people of God", those that were paid for on the cross, "the godly and the ungodly." In unbelief they may deny the Lord that bought them, but they were still paid for. Israel did not enter the promise land on the appointed day from unbelief. The wicked will not make the coming resurrection for the same reason. Those that believed and were not disobedient, who died to self and became a living sacrifice, did not suffer a physical death in the desert. At the second resurrection, the wicked will suffer a death of their sinful nature. Israel did enter the promise land on another day as a new creation, for those that provoked God were past away. Jesus said I will never leave you. Notice in Joshua 5:12-13 Jesus who was that manna, ceased in Joshua 5:12, and Jesus reappears in verse :13 as the Captain of the Lords Hosts. Jesus was with the righteous and the wicked in the desert, Jesus is the God of the wicked also, for they are His possession, bought and paid for, whether they believe it or not. Jesus said He is the God of the living and the wicked shall live again in the second resurrection for judgment. I said earlier that there were many more comparisons with what happens to Paul, and what happens to the wicked. We should look at a few more of these comparisons to see what is prophesied for the wicked, which Paul represents. Make no mistake, it is prophesied that Paul will be in the coming resurrection, not the second resurrection. The prophecy is detailed and lengthy and it is enough to know for now that Paul's "a day and a night in the deep" according to Hebrew time, is equal to two days in the grave, or 2000 years. Paul makes the coming resurrection. After Paul receives his sight, he was sent into the camp of the wicked to preach the Gospel. Remember, Paul "ESCAPES" over the wall in a basket. Acts 9:25 "Then the disciples took him by night, and let down by the wall in a basket." Compare this to Isa. 66. keeping in mind that Isaiah 66: takes place when the wolf and the lamb shall feed together and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock. Isa. 66:16 "For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many."
So by fire = (The Holy Spirit) and by His sword (The Word of God) will the Lord plead with ALL flesh: and the slain of the Lord = (the first born) shall be many. It certainly does not sound like God is torturing these people, but pleading with them. Now look at Isa. 65:20 in a different light. In Isa. 65:17 God says "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth:" Then in verse :20, a child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. How can a child die after the earth is created a new? With UR this happens when a child gives up the first born or sinful nature, and a hundred year old man still holds on to his sinful nature and shall be accursed for it. Isa. 66:19 "And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, [to] Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, [to] Tubal, and Javan, [to] the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles." Remember Saul escaped over the wall in a basket as do those that the Lord pleads with in Isaiah 66:19 ("I will send those that escape of them unto the nations,"). It is interesting to see that Paul is still referred to as SAUL throughout chapter 9 of Acts. In Acts 13:3 hands were laid on Saul and by Acts 13:9, we have a name change, pointing to a new creation in Christ. Acts 13:9 "Then Saul, (who also [is called] Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him," God prophesied and foretold what would happen to the wicked in his chosen vessel, the first pattern, the chief of sinners, in Paul. Isa. 66:19 "And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, [to] Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, [to] Tubal, and Javan, [to] the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles." The scriptures refer to these nations as nations that drew the bow or as this scripture says, Gentiles which have not seen the Glory of God. This is a description of the lost. These nations make a tight circle around LYCAONIA, where Paul was stoned to death and drew outside the city for dead. We should not find it strange that "Lycaonia" in Hebrew, means "LAND OF WOLVES" which is a good description of the camp of the lost. Also, Lycaonia is outside the promise land. Paul suffers a death in the land of wolves, Lycaonia, as will the wicked in the second resurrection who suffer a death of the first born, their sinful nature. It is important to notice that these wicked escape as Saul did, not just over the wall, but the wicked escape their sinful nature. In reality, they are actually released from prison, the bands of wickedness. Isaiah chapter 24 speaks of the time when the earth is utterly broken down like a cottage and shall not rise again, either during or shortly after the soon coming of Christ. Verse 22 speaks of what happens to the wicked. Isa. 24:22 "And they shall be gathered together, [as] prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited." The lost are in prison. What would God choose to be done with them? Isa. 58:6-9 "[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward. 9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I [am]." Looking back at Isa. 66:20 ("And they shall bring all your brethren [for] an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.") notice that the brethren are out of the camp of the wicked that escape, they themselves are the offering (a living sacrifice), and that they are now a clean vessel (so that the Holy Spirit can now inhabit them). The old sinful nature is left behind as a carcass that is burned but not forgotten so that sin shall never enter the Kingdom of God again. Isa. 66:23-24 "And it shall come to pass, [that] from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. 24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." They leave their sinful nature or carcass where "their worm shall not die" . God gave us the answer to this in nature, for after a rain, we have all seen the worms leave the dirt. The worm can not live out of the dirt with us, the living. The worm DIES NOT in the dirt where the first born or sinful nature is to be left. There is such a vast amount of evidence prophesying UR in the Old and New Testament, that I can not even pretend to tell a portion of it. I found UR preached in every book of the Bible that I looked in. Now this comes as no surprise after finding Acts 3:20-21 "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." restitution = (strongs #605 from #600 = restore-again) Jesus will restore all things including reuniting His two sheep folds. UR has explained and made sense of many scriptures that in the past I have had no understanding of. From this point on I would like to share some of these scriptures with others that point to Universal Reconciliation. Eccl. 11:1-2 "Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth." The bread is the word of God and the waters are the people which are found after many days. A portion to seven and also to eight is in reference to the two resurrections on the seventh and eighth day.
The word of God is also given to the wicked, and we know that the word of God does not return void. Isa. 55:11 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it." II Peter 3:8-9 & 15-16 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 15 "And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." In not knowing Gods true character, they believe as I DID, that God will totally destroy the wicked. In verses 8 and 16, Peter shows that Paul used the (1 day = 1000 years) in his epistles, and asks us not to be ignorant of this. In verse: 16, Peter speaks of Paul's epistles saying ("As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood,"). Paul knew that he was the first pattern of the lost which should later believe in Jesus Christ. He knew it and He preached it as we can see in the references that he used about himself. BEING SAVED OUT OF THE LIONS MOUTH = he was identifying with the remnant, or what God saved as the scraps that were left over. I PAUL, A PRISIONER OF JESUS CHRIST = he was identifying with the wicked which are held in ward (the earth) until the day of judgment. Peter also shows in verse :16, that their understanding of the scriptures leave them thinking "transgression of the law" ends in total destruction. Their understanding and what God has prophesied are two different things. I Corin. 3:12-15 "Now if. any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." How can it be that a man's works are burned up as God came to destroy the works of the devil, and yet that man shall be saved? If your works are burned up, it stands to reason that you are wicked, and yet you are saved! This now makes sense with UR.
I Corin. 5:5 "To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." (Also) I Tim. 1:20 "Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." If the second resurrection was going to be totally destroyed, how could delivering someone to Satan save their spirit or teach them not to blaspheme? With UR this would take place in the second resurrection. If you look up the word "all" in the strong's concordance, (a11 #3956) you will find that the word "all" means all. I Tim. 2:1-6 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and [for] all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." In verse 6, it shows that evidence shall be given in due time. Many times in learning about UR and wanting to walk peaceably with all men, you will think, why should I go against the system? Possibly 95% plus of Christianity believes "God will destroy the wicked, for they are worthy of destruction." These verses show what we are called to do, fear not man. I Tim. 4:9-11 "This [is] a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 10 For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe. 11 These things command and teach." That is very straight forward. God saves all men. They may not believe now, but after a meeting with the Holy Spirit that leads them into all TRUTH, they shall believe. Heb. 2:15 "And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." God delivers the wicked who never escaped the bondage of sin "all their lifetime" Heb. 10:10 "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]." Acts 3:26 "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." It now makes sense that "judgment starts first at the HOUSE OF GOD". Paul and the other disciples taught a resurrection of the dead, the just and the unjust. These are the same just and unjust that the rain of God (the Holy Ghost) falls on. This is the reason the Jews did not want the disciples to preach. The Jews knew that the disciples were preaching the salvation of all men.
Acts 4:1-2 "And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead." Acts 24:14-16 "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: 15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. 16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and [toward] men." Acts 24:20-21 "Or else let these same [here] say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council, 21 Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day." I Thess. 4:3 "For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:" Can we think that God is unable to accomplish His will, John 6:51, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Remember Isa..66: the Lord will plead with all flesh by fire and by His Sword, the Sword being the word of God, which is Jesus, who is the BREAD FROM HEAVEN. Reve. 14:10 "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:" John 10:16 "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd." Luke 13:32-33 "And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third [day] I shall be perfected. 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem." Again we find reference to the 3 days. Jesus has been caring for us for almost 2000 years since the cross and His statement in Luke in verse 32, Jesus is perfected the 3rd day I believe in the reuniting of the two sheep folds. Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men," Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" This same Holy Ghost will fall on the wicked in the latter rain. Pslm. 146:7 "Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:" Heb. 2:9 says that Jesus "by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
Christ paid for the sins of all men. We are all bought and paid for on the cross. Which one of us would pay for something at the cost of our only sons life, something our son loved enough to give his life for, and then not retrieve that item or throw part of it away? Please notice when this happens. Isa. 11:6-12 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." So after the wolf dwells with the lamb, this is clearly after the first resurrection when the Lord sets his hand again the second time to recover "the remnant of his people, which shall be left." The remnant is what is left over after you have taken what is desirable from the whole item. The residue of men would be again, those that were left over, the last few crumbs, the one lost sheep. Men speak wonderfully of the refiners fire, and so it is, but would it not be better to be in the first resurrection, We should strive to righteousness as to be part of Gods building and not the remnant or residue of materials which are in shame but still grateful to be gathered up. Would it not be better to confess our sins and be forgiven and cleansed before than to have our sins follow us to judgement. I Tim. 5:24-25 "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some [men] they follow after. 25 Likewise also the good works [of some] are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid." In the REFINERS FIRE, the Holy Ghost shall convict the sinners heart of sin and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. May we all seek The Lord early. Micah. 7:8-9 "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light unto me. 9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, [and] I shall behold his righteousness."
James 5:7 "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain." Prov. 16:15 "In the light of the king's countenance [is] life; and his favour [is] as a cloud of the latter rain." Malachi 3:2 "But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he [is] like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:" This looks like the fire (The Holy Ghost) and brimstone (fullers' soap for cleansing by WASHING). For another example we can look at Nehemiah, who's name means "JEHOVAH COMFORTS". When Jesus went to the Father, Jesus sent us the "COMFORTER" (The Holy Spirit). We can expect Nehemiah, though he was a man with sin (Nehem. 1:6), to perform the roll of the Holy Spirit. Nehemiah was grieved by the sin and captivity of his people and so is the Holy Spirit grieved for the wicked held in prison by the grave. Nehem. 1:6-7 "Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses." Remember every knee shall bow and give Glory to God. Rom. 14:11 "For it is written, (As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Phil. 2:10-11 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] ,under the earth; 11 And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father." It is one thing to just admit your wrong, but to "confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father" is to worship. Rom. 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
We have already seen that every tongue shall confess including the wicked. The second half is if the wicked "shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him (Jesus Christ) from the dead". IF you were to find yourself raised from the dead in any resurrection, by Jesus Christ, HOW could you not believe that God The Father raised Jesus who just brought you back from the dead? Rom. 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." The prodigal son came back to the Father, (from the dead) and so will the wicked. Luke 15:24 "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." There are many comparisons in the parable of the prodigal son, but the one we should see quickly, is that the son who served the Father "was angry, and would not go in". He would not go in because he could not go in with his anger. We should be careful lest we being resentful of the "lost" being saved, we then find ourselves outside the house of God The Father. Back to Nehemiah. Nehe. 1:9 "But [if] ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, [yet] will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there." Who are these people? From Nehe. 1:7, we know that they have not kept His commandments and dealt very corruptly with God. So they are the wicked that God redeemed on the cross when they were still ungodly. Nehe. 1:10 "Now these [are] thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand." As in Heb. 4:8, Jesus speaks of another day, another set time, so dose Nehemiah set a time to accomplish the work of the Holy Spirit. Nehe 2:6 "And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For, how long shall thy journey be, and when wilt thou return, So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time." Notice that the King sends Nehemiah (Jehovah Comforts). As does the King of Kings (Jesus) send the Holy Ghost unto the wicked. We have already established these people represent the wicked, which also is shown in the fact that their "wall" is broken down which they shall want to rebuild. For Gods commandments are a wall, a hedge, a bulwark around us to keep out sin. Isa. 26:1-2 "In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will [God] appoint [for] walls and bulwarks. 2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in." Notice also that the queen, who is the wife or bride, is with the King. Do not think that the Holy Spirit mentioned this for no reason. The bride is the church and the bride has joined the King Jesus. Nehe. 2:6 "And the king said unto me,(the queen also sitting by him,)" If the bride is with the King, who is left that have sin in their lives and need to have a wall built to keep sin out? The lost.
As the prodigal sons brother, there are those that are grieved that the Holy Spirit should seek the welfare of the wicked as seen in Nehe. 2:10 "When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard [of it], it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel." Nehe. 2:11-12 "So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I [any] man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither [was there any] beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon." Here again we have 3 days representing 3000 to the resurrection of the wicked from the time when Jesus said to the wicked: Matt. 23:39 "For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Also notice the words; "I arose" and "I and some few men with me," representing a resurrection of a remnant or residue of men, what's left over. Nehemiah was there to rebuild the wall and the gates. The wicked have not this wall and are a reproach. Many have a portion of this wall but what they do have is broken down and sin enters freely. Nehe. 2:17 "Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we [are] in, how Jerusalem [lieth] waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach." We all need work done to our wall, clearly shown by the fact that we have all seen sin enter in. We all need to turn unto the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ. God is the Master Builder, The Maker, the one who in the beginning fashioned the wall. Isa. 22:10-11 "And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall. 11 Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago." Contained in Isa. 22:, is shown a second wall which man has built and not God. It is the same middle wall of partition in Ephe. 2:14-15, which Jesus did away with at the cross. You may find it shocking to see what God took no pleasure in and called it iniquity. In Isa. 22:14, is a purging or cleansing by a death (death of the first born): "And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts." Back to Nehemiah again. As the wicked are in the grave, and must rise up to begin the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit, so did those with Nehemiah, "And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for [this] good [work]." When Nehemiah was laughed to scorn, despised, and accused of rebellion, he answered. Nehe. 2:20 "Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build:"
And so God's servants will arise and build that wall of protection in each of their lives. We are all called to be a repairer of the breach for we are all His servants, even if we be wicked servants and have dealt corruptly with God. Isa. 58:12 "And [they that shall be] of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." Isa. 59:1-2 "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear." Isa. 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." II Chr. 15:3-4 "Now for a long season Israel [hath been] without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. 4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them." Exod. 33:19 "And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy." For those of you who believe God is Holy, Righteous, and that He keeps His ten commandments (which is His character), UR is the logical conclusion as prophesied in the Bible. From another point of view, if you or I, or someone you love were to wake up in the second resurrection, would you or anyone (with the scales removed so we could see clearly), would you not gladly call upon Jesus through the Holy Spirit, to change our hearts and bury the wickedness? UR does not deny the Lord that bought us, nor does it speak evil of the way of Jesus, it does not condone sin, nor go against the Holy Scriptures. There is so much more evidence to look at, such as the three harvest of Israel (barley, wheat, and grape), comparing to the little company, and the 1st and 2nd resurrection. If those that are alive in Christ are caught up together with the dead in Christ, how then in Matt. 21:31, can the publicans and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God BEFORE YOU? The "YOU", were the chief priest and elders who did not believe John. The harlots and the publicans (the repentant) can go in before the unbelievers when God saves the remnant in the second resurrection. UR harmonizes scriptures which before we had to push back from for a lack of understanding. May we all discover the true character of our LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER and may the word of God speak to our hearts always and forever. The Bible was given to sinners, was it not, and the last verse of the Bible says; Rev. 22:21 "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you all. Amen."
FOR ADVENTIST:
To start with, if you are an Adventist as I, you are right where you belong. This paper is meant to be an addition to an article (above) on UR. This is in NO way meant to be critical or condemning of Adventist. If you are reading this and have not read the article on UR (above), you are trying to snow ski and all you have are the poles. Please don't frustrate yourself with only half the story. It is human nature to condemn that which we do not understand. As most religions do, we tend to think that we have a perfect and excellent understanding of the end time events. When someone starts telling you about; reigning over the wicked for a thousand years, how people are going to burn in torment, the rapture, that a loved one is looking down from heaven, speaking in tongues, etc, you as I, smile and think (boy are they confused). And rarely is the situation an easy fix, so not to be in contention as the Bible says, we let them go right on in their belief. People will cling desperately to a false doctrine because no one likes to feel that they have been deceived. Just because your mother told you something, does not make it so. Satan came to deceive the world and the whole world wondered after the beast. To blow the trumpet and proclaim to the world that we have all the truth, to say the least, would be very premature. In the Bible we do have the truth, but it is like the car we drive, the car will take you from point A to B, but neither you nor I understand every little detail of how it works. Gods prophets both men and women, are not wrong when they say that God will rain down fire and destroy the wicked, but our understanding of what Gods fire is, changes the whole picture of our loving Heavenly Father. If I may paraphrase a prophet, there is more light to be given and it would be a sin to ignore that light. When I could not disprove UR and in fact, the Bible showed it to be true, it totally turned my world upside down. I felt deceived, lied to, and that if I had been deceived on God burning up the wicked, where else have I been deceived. I felt like I was on shaking ground and I lacked trust in my understanding of other truths that we have been given. Don't be upset with your fellow man in the same boat with you, you know who the deceiver is. God said the Holy Spirit would LEAD you into all truth, not dumping you like a ton of bricks, not like we have all thought about dumping the truth on that other confused soul. Your calling and election may be sure, but you still can't explain every detail of how the car works, even with the owners manual in your hand. God is going to do some glorious and wonderful things that even the angles desire to look into.
We being Adventist, are we excluded from the verse that says the whole world wondered after the beast? If you find the ground around you unstable you start questioning every thing you have been told, and it's a sick feeling down deep. Because once you are sure of a truth out of Gods word, you can not return to a lie, just to feel good about never having been deceived. We have all seen someone cling to false doctrine in the face of scripture that showed that doctrine to be wrong, because we have to leave that comfort zone and admit we have been deceived. If you too should find your world upside down, always remember, God loves you enough to die on a cross for YOU. You were bought and paid for while you were still ungodly in sin, He never left you, and you may be lost right now, but God knows where you are at and He knows how to get you home, even if you don't know how that's going to work.
Bare with me if I answer a few questions I have had in the past and then we can look to Gods Word and you be the judge of right or wrong. On a whole, as a group, are we deceived about Gods true character? YES. Should we ever consider leaving the Adventist Church? ABSOLUTLY NOT. Gods word is never wrong. It is our understanding of His word that has been wrong.
As Adventist, we claim to have the Elijah message, "repent and get back to the commandments of God" and I truly believe that to be true. There are four identifying signs of the third Elijah, and the Adventist church fulfills them all.
They misunderstood once before, and it amazes me how God can take a group of people out of Babylon and use them to proclaim to the world something that took place in Heaven, without them knowing it's significance until much later. On top of all that, He prophesied the event in Revelation. So knowing that we are the third Elijah which comes before the great and dreadful day of the Lord in Malachi 4:5, let us look at the first two Elijahs and see if they were mislead or deceived about Gods character.
The first Elijah had the prophets of baal killed and called down fire from heaven to destroy the two troops of fifty men. When he killed, he broke the commandment of God Thou shall not kill, he was deceived about Gods true character. Remember what Jesus said to the disciples when they asked, (Luke 9:54-56) "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias?" 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." There is the true character of God shinning through, the God that said I change not. Jesus said Elijah was of the wrong spirit, he was deceived.
The second Elijah as Jesus said, if you can accept it, was John the Baptist. If anyone should have not been deceived, it should have been John the Baptist. He proclaimed, behold, the Lamb of God, and said that he had a need to be baptized of Jesus. And yet from prison, he sent two disciples to ask Jesus,"are you the one or do we look for another?" I think it is safe to say that there was some doubt in his mind and that John was somewhat deceived.
All three Elijah's have the same message, get back to the commandments of God. They all came out of the wilderness, check it out, even John was in the wilderness until the day of his showing to Israel. And they have all been deceived about the true character of God. There are many more comparisons between the three and there are books on the subject, but you get the point. I always wondered why John had to be beheaded? Was that to show us what would happen to us? Without the head, the body has no eyes and again, the body would not be able to see the character of Christ. But, before you get all worried about our condition, lets look at the first Elijah. After the mistakes he made (breaking God's commandments, calling down fire that I do not believe was from the TRUE God of heaven), the fear he felt (which was not of God) ,God still prepared Elijah and TRANSLATED him.
Look at the second Elijah (John the Baptist), after having doubt in his heart and sending disciples to Jesus to ask if He was the one or do we look for another, Jesus said that there was none greater born among men. That looks pretty good to me.
So the big question is, where do you think that you belong? Stay in the church. Even the deceptions we are to go through, are all to the glory of God in the end. That may sound like a pretty rash statement, but if we were not so pitiful, we might think that we could handle some portion of salvation on our own and that would be sad. Elijah's name means God is Jehovah, and Elisha's name means God is Salvation. God is more than capable of saving us and we need to rest assured in His love for us. Hopefully we as Moses who wanted to see Gods face, will get to see a glimmer of Gods true character which is far greater than we had ever imagined. May God bless you.