Mankind’s Fate

Mankind’s Fate

This is a Bible study. A look at why we believe what we believe.

Where did we get those beliefs from?

Does God’s word confirm or challenge our beliefs?

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Why do we believe what we believe?

Is there a “heaven” and is the future of Christ’s devotees to live there with Jesus and the Father, forever?

Is there a “hell”, a place of eternal fiery torment?
Is there a resurrection of the dead? Why?
Is God ultimately fair? Does He truly love the world (John 3:16)?

The opening passages of the Bible show us a number of things.

The Creation came about through the command or Word of God. God spoke and man came into existence (Genesis 1 & John 1).
Man was a special creation which God became personally involved in. God “…formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). God moulded man from the soil. He was personally involved in the forming of the man and personally breathed life into him. Likewise God Himself formed the woman from Adam’s own rib.
God spoke directly with the newly created couple. He spoke with them and walked with them. God roamed freely about the garden where Adam and Eve lived and they roamed freely there too.
God provided food; basically fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs (Genesis 1:29). God made a garden and that Garden became their home, and very little effort was required of the humans to survive.
Humans lived in peace and harmony with the animals, and they were given “dominion” over all creation. Life was easy. There were no threats, or so it seemed.
God created us (mankind), not as a plaything but as an important entity; one He cared for, one He treasured. Humans were not His puppets; they had free will.
God did not burden them with rules and regulations, just one prohibition – one. “Do not eat …” of this one tree: “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”. To do so meant death.
Within the garden was another tree: The Tree of Life of which the humans could freely eat – no restraint, no constraints. If they ate from that tree, they would live forever (Genesis 3:22).
The first chapter of Genesis implies an incredible potential. All animals were made after their “kind” but humans were created not after any other likeness other than God. God made us in His likeness. Nothing else is described as being in the likeness of God, only the people!

The significant points for this study are that humans were important to God. God was open to and enjoyed the company of His people. He offered Life to them, to live forever. But should they eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would die. Without a very in-depth study of the Bible, one may only surmise at the purpose of Humans being made in the likeness of God Himself – but the Bible does have some strong indicators of God’s ultimate intention. This study hopes to bring out some of that reasoning.

Some thought provoking questions arise from these first chapters of the Bible.

If no one ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, then would humanity have lived forever – Adam, Eve and all their offspring? Was this God’s hope and intention? Could Adam have behaved differently? Eve had been beguiled, but what of Adam? Was his error intentional? And why? They ate and they eventually passed away and this was a direct consequence of eating of that tree. It was not the sin, per se. Now they had knowledge of Good and Evil, and it would have been unwise of God to allow them to eat of the Tree of Life and live forever.

Was there a path back to that original state of pure grace? Could humans ever overcome that decree? What must it have been like to be banished from their home, the only home they had known? Were they banished from God – or were they banished from reaching out to eat the fruit of the Tree of Life?

God offered eternal life – to live forever – to the humans whom He created to be like Him. He established a relationship with them, and their potential was to live forever in harmony, peace, safety and communion with God. Was this God’s plan and hope for all of us?

It is implied in these first three chapters of the Bible that, in taking and eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve sinned. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). “The day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). We are doomed, and God’s plan is thwarted unless God has another plan to fall back on, or was His plan all along.

One may ask if God’s plan for humans to live was now of no consequence, because the Deceiver gave voice to man’s natural curiosity? Why bother with that one tree when they had food in great abundance? Why covet knowledge rather than reach out for the Tree of Life? The Deceiver told them, “You will not surely die …” He implied that God had lied and that God withheld wisdom from them. “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Indeed, God agreed with that synopsis. “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” Therefore, “he must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the Tree of Life and eat, and live forever.” God banished the couple from having access to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:22-24).

So, our reality is that we are mortal. We die. There is no mention of an eternal soul within us. No. We die. We cease to exist, and it would stay that way unless God paved a way for us to be redeemed and for this dastardly work of the Deceiver to be reversed.

What else happened in the Garden before they were tossed out? God covered their nakedness. The people were now painfully aware that they were naked. God covered them with skins. It is suggested that the skins were from an animal that was sacrificed for them, which makes sense, it had to come from somewhere. Some say this was the first sacrifice for sin. The people lived to a ripe old age, but perhaps a substitute death or sacrifice had been made on their behalf to “cover their sin” in the interim. They still had an appointment with death. “Dust thou art, and to dust thou wilt return” to “the ground from which thou wast taken” (Genesis 3:16-19).

To the Deceiver, God made a special proclamation that day.

That the Serpent was cursed more than all animals and that he would crawl on his belly and eat dust.
That there was enmity between the Serpent and humankind (Eve’s offspring) and specifically, that one individual would “crush” the Serpent’s head despite the Serpent biting at his heel (Genesis 3:15). This is the first indicator that God intended a Saviour to come and Champion humankind. Ultimately He will overcome our enemy.

It would seem apparent from scrutiny of these early accounts that humans are very vulnerable to the wiles of the Deceiver, but we will eventually be rescued from his evil influence.

The Deceiver was identified by Jesus as Satan, who was a liar from the beginning (John 8:44), and is considered a murderer, perhaps because he engineered the death of humans. He has no good will toward us except to dominate and destroy us.

Questions to Ponder.

Why is there enmity between mankind and Satan?
Why is he intent on destroying us?
Why did he set out to compromise us?
Why are we so vulnerable to his lies?
Does Satan hate us and if so, why?
Why did Satan put a wedge between humans and God?
In overcoming Satan, will God restore our rightful intimate relationship with Him, where He dwells with us and walks freely amongst us again?

Satan’s lies were indeed very deadly to humans, and we are still vulnerable until he is completely overcome. The Devil, Satan, is likened to a prowling lion that is looking for someone to devour. He is the enemy of humans and an enemy of God’s people, but we are to resist him, standing firm in the faith (1 Peter 2:5-9). The Devil does not want us to live. Why?

Another observation in reading these early accounts is that truth is twisted with deceit to sound both true and appealing. Using truth and half-truths is a well-used ploy of any con artist or deceiver. Deception is a powerful tool.

The subject is death. And this study focuses on the resurrection. Who is to be resurrected and when, and what happens then? Is Heaven our ultimate destination? Is the earth disposable? What is the New Earth spoken of in Revelation? What do John’s visions and revelations tell us about man’s destiny, or fate?

Considering death, there were people brought back to life through the power of the Holy Spirit, in both Old Testament and New Testament times. Consider Elijah and the child, and consider Lazarus. The disciples understood there was to be a resurrection of the dead.

The Valley of Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37 (Please read this whole chapter.)

It describes an extraordinary scene. It shows an incredible future event. The whole house of Israel – all their dead, will come alive. They had been dead for a long, long time. There was no hope for them. Dead people, millions of them, their bones coming together and muscle and sinew forming and internal organs and skin, and life being restored to them. Millions of people. Why? What does the passage say?

When they come to life, these dead people, restored to life, it is said they “Will know that I am the Lord.” Anyone who has read the Bible story about Israel knows that Israel always rejected God. They took on the worship of idols. They did not know God, but they will.

What is the point of the entire House of Israel being raised and knowing that God is God of all, the Lord? Why raise them? And what happens then?

“They came to life and stood upon their feet – a vast army.” God says to them, “Oh my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them.” God raises an entire nation and possibly in all their generations – a vast hoard of people restored to life.

God continues speaking to these people whom He raised from the dead (resurrected), “Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord.” And what happens then? God says, “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.” They will both receive the Holy Spirit of God and they will LIVE! God then explains that this whole hoard of people will be settled in their “own land”.

These are dead people, God’s people. This prophecy says plainly that “these bones are the whole House of Israel” and that these people will live despite having been dead for a very long time. They will be raised back to life. They will be blessed with the Holy Spirit of God. They will know God as their Lord. They will live. They will settle in their “own land” and they will live. Does this imply that death no longer holds them in its grasp? What does it mean when God says they will live? Does it mean that although they had tasted death, the penalty for sin, that now that they know God and have His Spirit in-dwelling in them that they are no longer subject to death? God says they will live, not with any caveats. He no longer says, “thou shalt surely die”. He says, “You will live.” What can this mean, and is this blessing reserved only for Israel?

The Resurrections of Revelation

The gospel accounts and the whole of the New Testament give testimony to the fact that Jesus died, was buried, remained in the grave for three days and three nights and was resurrected to life. Death has no more power over him. He Lives. Jesus was taken up into Heaven and administers the role of High Priest on our behalf at this present time. Jesus was described as the “first of the firstfruits” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 21-23). Firstfruits is a term that describes an early harvest. We can deduce that Jesus is a type of forerunner and others will follow. God’s plan for people is outlined through the rituals or pageantry associated with the ancient festivals of Israel which God instructed them to observe when they were still in the wilderness on their way to the promised land. Jesus, as the very first of the firstfruits was represented not only in the Passover as the sacrificial lamb, but also as the very first of the grain harvest. The very first sheaves of grain were presented to the priest who “waved” them holding it over his head and presenting them to God, so to speak. It is easily recognisable that Jesus was the First to enter Heaven. God accepted Him as the wave sheaf depicts. He is the First of the Firstfruits.

However, did you know that the Feast of Pentecost is the “Feast of Firstfruits”. One calculates when it will occur annually, by counting. The day one counts from is the first Sabbath during the Unleavened Bread Season which occurs immediately after Passover. It is most likely that in the year Jesus died, this was the day He was resurrected and was taken into Heaven to be presented to the Father. This day is identified in the New Testament as the first of the weeks. That is to say it was the beginning of the counting. Seven weeks must pass before Pentecost occurs. This first Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection is highly significant. Fifty days later on the Sunday, the fledgling church was gathered together and the Holy Spirit of God was bestowed upon all the believers. It was a momentous occasion (Acts 2)!

On this day, the ancient Israelite festival pageantry included a ceremony that involved another wave offering. This time it was two loaves. God would accept the Church into Heaven. The giving of the Holy Spirit at this time was incredible and signified God’s acceptance of ordinary people into His personal realm. It was purported to have occurred at exactly the same time as the priests would have been waving the wave loaves. How extraordinary!

Here, two separate parties have been accepted by God, each in its own season. First, Jesus, then later the church. These wave offerings depict clearly that certain people will be accepted into Heaven (Revelation 14:1, 7:4-8, 9-10). Indeed, Jesus said to his disciples that even though they did not understand where he was going, they would indeed follow (John 13:36–14:4).

There is a third Harvest Festival that Israel celebrated in their annual worship schedule. The Feast of In-gathering at the end of the growing season. This is after summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and falls in September or October (Leviticus 23:33-44). The significance of this celebration will be explored as we read on.

However, we must turn our eyes to the Book of Revelation and John’s visions and insights to gain a better understanding of resurrections. In Revelation 14:1-5 John sees Jesus, the lamb of God, with 144,000 people, and it is clear these are God’s people as they wear His name written on their foreheads. In this scene it states these have been redeemed from the earth. They are considered pure and blameless before God. They were purchased from among men and are offered as Firstfruits to God and the Lamb. How much clearer could it be that a harvest to God, depicted in the ancient Holy Days schedule, is more than a ritual, it is prophetic in nature.

Going back two chapters or more in the book of Revelation, we understand God deals justice to the corrupt woman (a vagabond church), to the Dragon, and to the Beast, who dominates the world in league with these two other abominable characters. Chapter 11 speaks of two witnesses who prophecy at the end time and ends in a Final Trumpet blast.

Then a glorious pronouncement is made; “The kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ and He will reign forever.” The Kingdom of God is to be set up on Earth.

Some things are not for our understanding at this point of time, there are some matters that remain sealed. The contents of the Little Scroll of Chapter 10 and the utterances of the Seven Thunders. It is not given to us to know this yet, but God will reveal it when He desires for His people to know. We do not yet have all the knowledge. Not all of God’s secrets are manifest yet. Acknowledging that some matters are not yet revealed is a matter of faith; God’s people must remain faithful in the meantime.

Returning to the 144,000, they are also mentioned in Revelation 5:9 and 7:3-10. Purchased by Christ’s blood and sealed by God, this 144,000 must be the same group of people mentioned in chapter 14. Alongside this number is an innumerable multitude, serving at God’s throne. They are protected, loved and housed by God. They have suffered tremendously, but are now safe and comforted. However, these many thousands seem not to be included with the 144,000 but in fact came out of the Great Tribulation. And they are in heaven, led to rivers of Living Water by Christ Himself. They will Live.

We have seen Jesus described as the First of the Firstfruits (the very first person to be risen to Heaven, accepted by God) and we see the 144,000 described as the Firstfruits. Now we are told of a great multitude that cannot be counted. This implies that each of these people are saved and safe and that death has no further power over them.

Paul has something to say about resurrection – that at the last trumpet sound (mentioned earlier) God’s faithful are raised from the dead and those who remain alive in Christ at that time, will be taken up into the heavens and will be with Christ forever (1 Corinthians 15:3-11 & 20-21). Paul makes an interesting observation; “As in Adam, all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive”, but each in their own turn. Christ, then those who belong to Him. Ultimately, the Kingdoms of the World will be made subject to Christ. He is King of Kings. Another startling revelation is that even “death” itself is subdued and will not exist any more. All things will be under Christ’s authority, and Christ is subject to the Father.

In 1 Corinthians 15:45 Paul explains the exponential difference between Adam and Christ. Adam was only a living being, but Christ is a “life-giving Spirit”. We are like Adam until Christ changes us and He makes us like Himself (1 Corinthians 15:45-50). We will become imperishable and no longer subject to death. Paul plainly says this occurs when the last (or 7th) trumpet sounds. Speaking of those who are in Christ, the dead are raised to be imperishable and those who are still in mortal bodies will be changed. Christ overcomes death. He is a life-giving Spirit.

During this cataclysmic time the Deceiver who opened the gate for death to enter the world, will be seized and locked into an abyss where he cannot influence mankind. His “sentence” is one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3). But after this he will be set free for a short time.

Reading on, certain people came to life and reigned with Christ for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4). However, the “rest of the dead” did not come to life until the one thousand years were finished. The rest of the dead do come back to life, but not until the one thousand years is completed. Of the first group, it is said that the “second death” has no power over them. Yes, they become immortal (compare 1 Corinthians 15). But the “rest of the dead ” will not be raised immortal and the second death would have power over them; they are raised mortal

The aforementioned resurrection is therefore a pre-eminent resurrection, both superior and first in time. These people have a role to play in God’s Kingdom, as kings and priests and will reign with Christ throughout the one thousand year period. Christ will subdue the world and bring it under His rule. The world will no longer be captive to the Deceiver. God has freed us from his murderous intent. The fate of Satan ultimately is in the Lake of Fire.

Turning our attention back to the “rest of the dead” who all rise from their graves regardless of the type of death they experienced. They stand alive before The Great White Throne and our great God judges them. His authority and presence are so overwhelming that the heavens and earth flee from Him. There is no longer any place for them.

One might ponder how many people stand among this crowd. It is everyone who did not attain the first resurrection? Our world population today numbers in the billions. It is almost 8.2 billion. It increases annually, at present, by just shy of one percent (around 80 million per year). Think also about how many generations of people lived from Adam to the flood; then from Noah through to this generation until the Millennium; then from those survivors of the Great Tribulation and their offspring, through the Millennium. This is the vast multitude that “the rest of the dead” consists of. No doubt multiples of billions of people. People die every day, either never hearing of Jesus, or not embracing the name of Jesus. It is not given to everyone to be called and certainly the vast majority have never heard the gospel. So vast a number one’s mind boggles to try to imagine this.

There are some loose strings not yet tied up. God’s word has purpose (Isaiah 55:11). It will achieve what God intends. What is God’s intention for the “rest of the dead”? Remember, we have seen that “as in Adam all will die, so in Christ shall all be made alive”. But to what purpose? We have seen that indeed Israel will be made alive, they will receive God’s Holy Spirit and they will live. God surely did not create so many billions of people in vain. God is love.

What is the nature of this judgement? We see that there is a judgement and there is one of two outcomes for the individuals who stand before the Great White Throne. Either their name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, or they are cast into the Lake of Fire to die the second death. Notice that each of these people have already paid the penalty of sin which is death and yet here they stand before God. Why? Can they throw themselves down begging God’s mercy and grace? What would God’s reaction be? Are they in this position because of their personal decisions or because Satan abducted us and controlled our minds from birth? God is the judge.

What is the nature of this judgement? We see “the books are opened”, but what books are those? We see that people are judged according to their deeds and according to what is written in the books. By what criteria might an individual have his or her name written in the Lamb’s book of Life?

The Mercy Seat, The Throne

When at Sinai, Moses was given “blueprints” for the building of the tabernacle and these same specifications were followed to build the temple many many years later. Without going into detail regarding the building and courtyards etc., the inner sanctum, which was out of bounds for everyone, was known as the Holy of Holies. It represented the very throne of God. Two cherubim guarded the throne and beneath the throne was the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant contained three religious icons from that era; from the birth of the nation Israel, and the establishment of their Covenant with God. Within that Holy chest were the two tablets of stone on which were inscribed the 10 Commandments written by God’s hand; Aaron’s rod that budded – a dead stick that came to life; and a jar full of manna by which God nourished Israel during their time in the wilderness (Exodus 25; Hebrews 9:4). These were indeed relics of incredible significance which recall God’s intimate relationship and involvement with Israel. They represent both His presence and His miraculous interventions on their behalf. The Holy of Holies was indeed occupied by God as Israel wandered the wilderness, and His presence was later evident in the dedication ceremony of the Temple in Solomon’s time (Exodus 33:7-10, 1 Kings 8:10-12).

The Mercy Seat, God’s earthly throne, was gold. The cherubim were gold. The Great White Throne may or may not be representing the very throne of God, but it most likely does. If it is a “mercy” seat as it is called in the Old Testament, then it reflects God’s compassion and at minimum, His considered attention to each person’s case as they stand before Him and have their lives scrutinised in context of what is written in the open books.

We have established earlier that the human race was in effect hijacked by a devious enemy who apparently thwarted God’s plan for people. However, we also saw that God will have the last word on the matter. Satan will meet his fate. But what of mankind? Have we been pawns in a cosmic battle? How guilty are we if we have been so despitefully used by the enemy? What of God’s justice and mercy?

We know that in Adam all die, but we also have a promise that in Christ shall all be made alive! Ultimately death itself will be overcome. Death and Hell will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. Death will have no power. Perhaps Satan’s work will be nulled and cancelled completely.

It is appointed to man, once to die and after this, the judgement. In 1 Corinthians 15 it is stated that Christ will overcome and subdue all “rule”, all “authority” and all “power”. Every single entity will be subject to the Father! Jesus is given responsibility to undertake this huge task. Everything will be subject to the Son and the Son subject to the Father, “so God may be all in all”.

As mortals, death has this power over humans, but Jesus will negate its power. Death and the grave and all its trappings will be eradicated.

What of Judgement

As we stand before a judge, he or she weighs up a number of matters brought before the court. And the sentence may be harsh, bringing the full weight of the law down on a guilty party, or the sentence may be merciful. At the Great White Throne Judgement, who is it who sits upon that throne? Who is the judge? One might conclude it is Jesus because all authority is given unto Him. He represents the Father in the affairs of mankind. Jesus is the righteous judge who will not base His judgements on what is seen or heard, but in righteousness He will judge (John 5:25-30; Isaiah 11:3-4).

In human courts, once a person has served his or her time, it is done. Justice has been served. A number of passages in the Bible depict the judgement. The parable of the sheep and the goats; the story of Lazarus and the rich man; and Revelation 20’s Great White Throne Judgement. These may all refer to the same event. God’s great wrath meted out at Christ’s return is a judgement on the earth and on the Kingdoms and Empires of men. Daniel 12 shows the future in terms of Governance over the Earth. We know Jesus’ Kingdom will be eternally set up on Earth. This too is a judgement of sorts and speaks volumes about God’s wrath rightly meted out.

However, did you know judgement is also a process over time. Judgement is upon the House of God now. “For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God”. God extends His mercy to us at repentance and we are buried with Christ at baptism. We are “raised” as a new man. But unfortunately, occasionally we fall short of God’s standard. We then return to God in prayer and humility and repent of our sin, Jesus Christ’s blood covers our sin. Yes, we are judged and found guilty, but because we have faith in the blessed blood of Jesus, we are forgiven. Should we not repent and should we continue in sin, there remains no further sacrifice for sin. We are doomed (1 Peter 4:17, Hebrews 10:26). For us then, judgement is a process as we mature in our walk with Christ. We must become increasingly like Him. Our Conscience is pricked by the Holy Spirit and we exercise our capacity to recognise when we are falling short of His marvellous loving example and we repent (Hebrews 12:11-13). Yes, for the church judgement is a process as we are growing to be like Him.

If that is the nature of the judgement of God’s people, what is the nature of judgement of people not drawn to Christ in this church era? Have we condemned them before the judgement? What then is the purpose of the Great White Throne Judgement?

We can talk about God’s purpose. Why did He create us at all? Are humans play-things, like a child’s dolls? Why create us so sophisticated, the pinnacle of everything in the physical creation – and more – made in the image of God Himself? What is His purpose?

We can discuss numbers. “Many are called but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). “Because the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them” (Matthew 13:11). It seems very few choose this way at this time (Matthew 7:13). What is the ratio of called people to chosen ones? Few choose to go down the narrow path. What of those who have had no choice. They have not even heard the name of Christ, nor have been exposed to the Gospel story. The vast majority of people who have ever been born will either not have heard of Christ, or will not have been moved to belief and faith. The ratio could be thousands to one. It would seem that God made man in vain, if many thousands are sent to the eternal fire with every one life saved. Is God’s plan for man a flop? A disaster? A big mistake?

Does God care at all for “the rest of the dead”? Did He create them solely for destruction?

Has God been impotent to protect and care for the people He created in His own image? And has the Evil one won in the majority of cases? How foolish this makes God sound! There has to be more that we as yet do not understand.

Ezekiel 14:22-23 states; “… you shall know that I have done nothing without cause …” says the Lord. We believe God is All-powerful. We believe God is just. We believe God is Loving and we believe that God is merciful. We understand that God made each one of us in His image and we understand He did so with purpose, not as a frivolity.

Justice within Justice

Then beyond this is some simple maths and simple logic. It is appointed to man once to die (and after this, the judgement). The penalty of sin is death. Once, to die. This is the sentence that every man and woman faces. As in Adam all die.

One Human = One death
One person filled with sin = One death

Adam’s offspring = One death for each of us

A criminal stands before a judge and his case is heard. He is obviously a perpetrator of a crime, and the judge now has a responsibility to impose a penalty for that crime, according to the Law. But every judge has a certain leeway, and takes into consideration a number of things. Does the criminal have a previous record? Were they naive and led by others? Are they penitent and has any attempt been made to recompense the victim. Have they made any moves to pay back to society? How old is the perpetrator and what impact would incarceration have on that person’s future? What is the seriousness of the crime? Has any “time” already been served in prison?

Jesus was asked to act as an arbiter when a person was caught in a crime. The penalty was stoning to death. The leaders of the community were in fact baiting Jesus. But His actions dispersed the crowd of accusers. Jesus said to the person, “Where are your accusers?” to which she replied; “There is no one, Lord”. Remarkably, Jesus said to her; “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more”. This is the righteous judge.

The point is that a judge may bring down the full force of the law or may decree a lighter sentence. He or she may order home detention rather than a harsh and dangerous jail time, or may even be inclined toward clemency or even mercy. A judge may extend mercy, or a reprieve and give the perpetrator time to make things right. This is often dependent on the risk they pose to society.

Given this, at the White Throne Judgement, will God only take into account the sins (which have already been paid for through the death which those people have been rescued from) as we are all doomed, or will God exercise His Holy discretion, knowing our hearts and knowing our history and knowing what opportunity, if any, we may have had to embrace and believe the Gospel, and knowing that each person who is raised from the dead to face the judgement, has already paid the price for their sin.

Jesus said His judgement is not by the hearing of the ear or the seeing of the eye, but in righteousness He will judge. Righteousness is therefore not based on mankind’s limited view and experience of the world. It would seem that Jesus who is the life and light of the world will decide. Remember God so loved the world that He allowed His very own begotten Son to suffer death, so we may live. Also, recall that in Adam ALL die but in Christ ALL shall be made alive.

Author’s note: We can only comment on what the Bible has told us and must not impose any conclusions onto God’s word, that is not clearly stated, but we can ask questions given what the Bible does tell us.

The Lamb’s Book of Life

Reading again in Revelations 20, it appears that some will indeed not have their names written into the Book of Life, but how many? Equally how many names will be written into the Book of Life and what will guide those decisions? Here, and only here, is an apparent opportunity to reverse those terrible statistics hinted at earlier in this paper. Would God want the sacrifice of Jesus to be more thoroughly accepted by His human creation? Is that outcome a possibility? Is that outcome in keeping with God’s Love and Righteousness? Yes, there is a Hell Fire, and yes it is the fate of some to end life forever in its flames, but how many are to experience that fate is yet to be seen.

What of the Valley of Dry Bones and the whole House of Israel? Will they indeed be having an opportunity to know Christ and to receive His Holy Spirit? It would seem so. But when? And what of the rest of those who ever lived who were not descended from Israel.

Let’s hope that the Mercy Seat is just that and that God does have a way through this judgement process to redeem the many.

Finally there is a question of logic in the raising of the rest of the dead. If there is no opportunity to reverse their apparent fate, then why would God raise them only to toss them all into the Lake of Fire? They were dead and buried, why torture them by making another fate known to them, anguish and fear hopelessness and dread. Would a kind and merciful God bring people back to consciousness only to offer this kind of torture? This scenario is not consistent with the God that lovingly made humans in His own image, with his own hands, and walked and talked with them in the Garden. Surely He would like to redeem them if at all possible. Surely that is the Gospel message in its entirety.

The Gospel offers a choice between Life and Death. Humans who understand this repent and accept Jesus as their Saviour, but many either have not heard of Christ, or do not understand or believe the story. Adam and Eve were deceived. So are all of their children. Have the majority ever had a choice? Deception is deception. A deceived person believes a lie. Romans 8:7 declares that “the carnal mind (one not converted) is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be.” What can reconcile us as the human race to our rightful place with God?

There is a spirit that is hostile to God and it is this spirit that influences mankind and has done so since the beginning. Without that influence can humans think clearly again? Would we persist in reaching for a toxic fruit, or would we reach and devour the healthful and life-giving fruit of the Tree of Life? Jesus is the path back to the Tree of Life and to the Father.

God does place the blame for sin squarely on the head of our enemy – the Liar, the murderer. Satan is responsible for all the evil that has been introduced into what was a perfect world, and justice will be served. How will people behave when Satan the Enemy is no longer present to deceive them. Will God be able to restore them to His own bosom? Does He want to?

At the start of this paper it was established that the human opportunity was to live forever in harmony, peace, safety and communion with God. Was this God’s plan and hope for humanity? Can that yet be possible? Will people be given an informed opportunity to choose God, to choose Life, to choose Jesus’ sacrifice and to learn to live without sin? Let’s hope the Lamb’s Book of Life is filled to the brim with the names of the “rest of the dead”.

It is a worthy thing to hope for. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. The victory over death lies with Jesus Christ our Lord.

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-58).

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Plan Of God