Page 52 - Gods Plan of the Ages

Lord of the Living and the Dead

key doctrine that the saint in Christ must understand and receive in order to grasp
AYahweh's plan to restore all creation to Himself is that Christ's work of reconciliation
does not stop at the grave. A great many Christians have been taught, or have in some
manner concluded, that when a person dies their fate is sealed for eternity. If an individual
died separated from God, it is assumed that they must remain forever estranged from God.
It is this belief that man has only one shot at being reconciled to God that forms the
foundation for the grotesque doctrine of eternal damnation.
The prevailing teaching in the church today is that the majority of men and women
from all ages, including the present time, are lost. They will die in their sins, never having
come to know Christ as Savior and Lord. Because the majority of mankind did not receive
Christ while they were alive on the earth, it is taught that they must be cast into the lake of
fire for eternity. Even after billions of years have passed, it is taught that these tormented
souls will have no possibility of ever escaping from torment, or being reconciled to the
Father.
Such doctrines defame God, painting Him with an image of a severity so extreme that
it beggars the imagination. The church teaches that Yahweh's wrath is greater than His love.
How could it be otherwise if Yahweh will never relent of tormenting lost souls, even after
they have endured punishments and suffering far in excess of the length of their earthly
lives? According to the prevailing doctrine of the church, a person could spend a million
lifetimes in Hell and not be any closer to being released, for it is taught that there is no
opportunity for repentance or reconciliation beyond the grave.
Having been shown by the Spirit of Christ the error of the doctrine of eternal torment,
I am bold enough to say that the god most Christians have envisioned in their minds is a
cruel tyrant. This cruel tyrant in no way resembles the true and living God. Hell and the lake
of fire do exist; There is punishment and suffering awaiting those who sin; Yahweh is to be
feared, but He is not going to subject any part of His creation to eternal torments.
If you find such a statement hard to bear due to the persistent proclamation of a
message of eternal torment, I encourage you to review again what has been presented thus
far in this book. The goal of Christ's reign is to reconcile "all things" to the Father. Christ
must reign until He fills all things; until He has subdued every enemy under His feet. This
subjection is not merely that of a conquered foe where Christ stands with His foot upon the
neck of the rebellious in heart. What the Bible declares is that a full reconciliation must take
place, attended by repentance and confession of the righteousness and power of God.
Some in teaching on the subject of the universal reconciliation of all men do err by
climbing out of one ditch only to be cast headlong into the ditch on the other side of the
road. Some deny that there is any punishment of sinners after this life. Such a conclusion
ignores a wealth of Scriptures that declare otherwise. When one considers the whole
counsel of the word of God, and have rightly divided it, they will perceive that Yahweh will
indeed punish sinners. Many will be cast into the lake of fire. Yet, the wrath of God will
come to an end when every man has repented. Yahweh takes no pleasure in punishing the
wicked. What He finds pleasure in is a repentant heart.

Ezekiel 18:21-23
"But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all
My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him;
because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. Do I have any pleasure