JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND JUDGMENT
DAY
The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that only they will
survive the "Battle of Armageddon", all non-witnesses will be destroyed on site,
and that the birds of heaven will be called to eat the flesh of the dead (Revelation
19:19, 20) They teach that the world will be in peace for a thousand years, at that time
Satan will be allowed one last chance to deceive the people, at that time Satan and all
those who side with him will be destroyed in the second death. What do the Scriptures
really say about Armageddon? Below are a list of Scriptural comments examining the
teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses on this subject.
People who live in so-called "judgment
Periods" will be resurrected. All final judgment for the world is reserved for the
Millennial Judgment Day.
Adam was a sinner and was justly sentenced to
death. But so are all of his children.
Romans 3:10 just as it is written:
"There is not a righteous [man], not even one.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God.
If Adam had not sinned, no ransom would be needed.
The ransom (corresponding price) consisted of the sacrifice of the perfect man Jesus to
redeem the perfect man Adam who had sinned. Incidentally Adam's offspring were condemned
and incidentally they are redeemed.
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Romans 5:18 Therefore, as through one man's
offense [judgment] came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's
righteous act [the] [free] [gift] [came] to all men, resulting in justification of life.
1 Timothy 2:6 who gave Himself a ransom for
all, to be testified in due time.
[NOTE: In all three of these verses the
same Greek word PAS. It is also used in Matthew 24:14 "And this good news of the
kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and
then the end will come." In these four instances the New World Translation is
inconsistent, rendering it "all" in Matthew 24:14 and in 1 Corinthians 15:22,
but "all kinds" in Romans 5:18 and footnote of 1 Timothy 2:6.]
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made
a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor,
that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
Matthew 20:28 just as the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
This text cannot be understood to contradict the
thought of a ransom for all, since in Romans 5:19 The same Greek word polus rendered
"many" or "all" - "For as by one man's disobedience many were
made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."
The slaying of animal sacrifices in the Old
Testament pointed forward to Christ's scarifice to cover sins. Since it was God's
intention to redeem Adam from death, He provided him with a cost of skin.
Genesis 3:21 And Jehovah God proceeded to
make long garments of skin for Adam and for his wife and to clothe them.
There are no Scriptures to show that Adam is
excepted from the benefits of the ransom.
The World in Noah's Day
The disobedient angels, who were largely
responsible for the evil and corruption in Noah's day, were not then judged. Since their
judgment day is still future, it seems reasonable that the people will also be judged in
the future.
Genesis 6:4-12 The Neph'i·lim
proved to be in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of the [true]
God continued to have relations with the daughters of men and they bore sons to them, they
were the mighty ones who were of old, the men of fame. Consequently Jehovah saw that the
badness of man was abundant in the earth and every inclination of the thoughts of his
heart was only bad all the time. And Jehovah felt regrets that he had made men in the
earth, and he felt hurt at his heart. So Jehovah said: "I am going to wipe men whom I
have created off the surface of the ground, from man to domestic animal, to moving animal
and to flying creature of the heavens, because I do regret that I have made them."
But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. This is the history of Noah. Noah was a
righteous man. He proved himself faultless among his contemporaries. Noah walked with the
[true] God. In time Noah became father to three sons, Shem, Ham and Ja'pheth. And the
earth came to be ruined in the sight of the [true] God and the earth became filled with
violence. So God saw the earth and, look! it was ruined, because all flesh had ruined its
way on the earth. [NWT]
2 Peter 2:4 Certainly if God did not hold
back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tar'ta·rus,
delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment.
Jude 6 And the angels that did not keep
their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place he has reserved with
eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.
Romans 5:12-14 That is why, just as through
one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men
because they had all sinned-. 13 For until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not
charged against anyone when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death ruled as king from
Adam down to Moses, even over those who had not sinned after the likeness of the
transgression by Adam, who bears a resemblance to him that was to come.
There are no Scriptures to show that the people in
Noah's day are excepted from the benefits of the ransom.
Sodom and Gomorrah
The Sodomites would have repented and not been
destroyed if they had received as much light as Capernaum in Jesus' day. Sodom's judgment
day is yet future.
Matthew 11:23-24 And you, Ca·per'na·um,
will you perhaps be exalted to heaven? Down to Ha'des you will come; because if the
powerful works that took place in you had taken place in Sod'om, it would have remained
until this very day. Consequently I say to YOU people, It will be more endurable for the
land of Sod'om on Judgment Day than for you."
The Scriptures definitely
prophesy the return of the Sodomites from Death.
Ezekiel 16:55, 61-62 And your own sisters,
Sod'om and her dependent towns, will return to their former state, and Sa*mar'i*a and her
dependent towns will return to their former state, and you yourself and your own dependent
towns will return to YOUR former state....And you will certainly remember your ways and
feel humiliated when you receive your sisters, the ones older than you as well as the ones
younger than you, and I shall certainly give them to you as daughters, but not owing to
your covenant.'..."'And I, I myself, will establish my covenant with you; and you
will have to know that I am Jehovah.
Jude 7 So too Sod'om and Go·mor'rah and
the cities about them, after they in the same manner as the foregoing ones had committed
fornication excessively and gone out after flesh for unnatural use, are placed before [us]
as a [warning] example by undergoing the judicial punishment of everlasting fire.
[NOTE: If this Scripture id understood to
mean Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed and are not to come forth in the resurrection, it
would contradict the scriptural promises just cited. A harmonious understanding is
obtained by noting that "eternal" is from the Greek AIONIOS, meaning "age
lasting". Thus the people of these cities were blotted out not for all eternity, but
only until the close of the age, that is, the Gospel Age, and will come forth in the
resurrection of the Millennial Judgment Day.]
Fleshly Israel in Jesus' day
Jesus clearly said that the
period of his earthly ministry was not a time of judgment.
John 12:47-48
But if anyone hears my sayings and does not keep
them, I do not judge him; for I came, not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He
that disregards me and does not receive my sayings has one to judge him. The word that I
have spoken is what will judge him in the last day.
[NOTE: The last day is the time of resurrection.]
The Scribes and Pharisees must come forth from the
dead in the Kingdom in order to "see" Abraham , Isaac and Jacob. They will be
"thrown outside" of the position of rulership due to their unfaithfulness.
Luke 13:28 There is where [YOUR] weeping
and the gnashing of [YOUR] teeth will be, when YOU see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all
the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown outside.
Even those who crucified Jesus
were considered as doing it in ignorance.
Acts 3:12-17 When Peter saw this, he said
to the people: "Men of Israel, why are YOU wondering over this, or why are YOU gazing
at us as though by personal power or godly devotion we have made him walk? The God of
Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his Servant,
Jesus, whom YOU, for YOUR part, delivered up and disowned before Pilate's face, when he
had decided to release him. Yes, YOU disowned that holy and righteous one, and YOU asked
for a man, a murderer, to be freely granted to YOU, whereas YOU killed the Chief Agent of
life. But God raised him up from the dead, of which fact we are witnesses. Consequently
his name, by [our] faith in his name, has made this man strong whom YOU behold and know,
and the faith that is through him has given the man this complete soundness in the sight
of all of YOU. And now, brothers, I know that YOU acted in ignorance, just as YOUR rulers
also did.
Spiritual Israel, the Church
class, gains the chief favor, the heavenly reward, but natural Israel is not cast off.
Romans 11:2, 15, 25-26, 32 God did not
reject his people, whom he first recognized. Why, do YOU not know what the Scripture says
in connection with Eli'jah, as he pleads with God against Israel?...For if the casting of
them away means reconciliation for the world, what will the receiving of them mean but
life from the dead?...For I do not want YOU, brothers, to be ignorant of this sacred
secret, in order for YOU not to be discreet in your own eyes: that a dulling of
sensibilities has happened in part to Israel until the full number of people of the
nations has come in, 26 and in this manner all Israel will be saved. Just as it is
written: "The deliverer will come out of Zion and turn away ungodly practices from
Jacob... For God has shut them all up together in disobedience, that he might show all of
them mercy.
The New Covenant is yet to be
made with natural Israel and their iniquity forgiven.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 "Look! There are
days coming," is the utterance of Jehovah, "and I will conclude with the house
of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant; 32 not one like the covenant that I
concluded with their forefathers in the day of my taking hold of their hand to bring them
forth out of the land of Egypt, 'which covenant of mine they themselves broke, although I
myself had husbandly ownership of them,' is the utterance of Jehovah." 33 "For
this is the covenant that I shall conclude with the house of Israel after those
days," is the utterance of Jehovah. "I will put my law within them, and in their
heart I shall write it. And I will become their God, and they themselves will become my
people." 34 "And they will no more teach each one his companion and each one his
brother, saying, 'KNOW Jehovah!' for they will all of them know me, from the least one of
them even to the greatest one of them," is the utterance of Jehovah. "For I
shall forgive their error, and their sin I shall remember no more."
Only natural Israel was
scattered, not the Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus natural Israel is unmistakably
referred to in the following prophecies:
Ezekiel 11:16-20 therefore say, 'This is
what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "Although I have put them far away among
the nations, and although I have scattered them among the lands, yet I shall become to
them a sanctuary for a little while among the lands to which they have come."' 17
"Therefore say, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "I will also
collect YOU from the peoples and gather YOU from the lands among which YOU have been
scattered, and I will give YOU the soil of Israel. 18 And they will certainly come there
and remove all its disgusting things and all its detestable things out of it. 19 And I
will give them one heart, and a new spirit I shall put inside them; and I shall certainly
remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 in order
that they may walk in my own statutes and keep my own judicial decisions and actually
carry them out; and they may really become my people and I myself may become their
God."'
Jeremiah 32:37-41 'Here I am collecting
them together out of all the lands to which I shall have dispersed them in my anger and in
my rage and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them
dwell in security. 38 And they will certainly become my people, and I myself shall become
their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and one way in order to fear me always, for
good to them and to their sons after them. 40 And I will conclude with them an
indefinitely lasting covenant, that I shall not turn back from behind them, for me to do
them good; and the fear of me I shall put in their heart in order not to turn aside from
me. 41 And I will exult over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in
trueness with all my heart and with all my soul.'"
Jeremiah 24:6-7 And I will set my eye upon
them in a good way, and I shall certainly cause them to return to this land. And I will
build them up, and I shall not tear down; and I will plant them, and I shall not uproot. 7
And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Jehovah; and they must become my
people, and I myself shall become their God, for they will return to me with all their
heart.
Amos 9:14-15 And I will gather back the
captive ones of my people Israel, and they will actually build [the] desolated cities and
inhabit [them], and plant vineyards and drink the wine of them, and make gardens and eat
the fruit of them.' 15 "'And I shall certainly plant them upon their ground, and they
will no more be uprooted from their ground that I have given them,' Jehovah your God has
said."
[NOTE: captivity is from the Hebrew, SHEBOOTH, meaning figuratively "a
former state of prosperity.]
The Jews are to be used as a
"teacher nation" in the Millennium.
Zechariah 8:13 And it must occur that just
as YOU became a malediction among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I
shall save YOU, and YOU must become a blessing. Do not be afraid. May YOUR hands be
strong.'
Zechariah 8:22 And many peoples and mighty
nations will actually come to seek Jehovah of armies in Jerusalem and to soften the face
of Jehovah.'
The World from 1918 to
Armageddon
Some will definitely survive
Armageddon who were unrighteous and disobedient.
Zephaniah 3:8-9 "'Therefore keep
yourselves in expectation of me,' is the utterance of Jehovah, 'till the day of my rising
up to [the] booty, for my judicial decision is to gather nations, for me to collect
together kingdoms, in order to pour out upon them my denunciation, all my burning anger;
for by the fire of my zeal all the earth will be devoured. For then I shall give to
peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of
Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.'
[NOTE: The righteous already new the pure language.]
Psalm 46:1-10 God is for us a refuge and
strength, A help that is readily to be found during distresses. That is why we shall not
fear, though the earth undergo change And though the mountains totter into the heart of
the vast sea; Though its waters be boisterous, foam over, Though the mountains rock at its
uproar. Se'lah. There is a river the streams of which make the city of God rejoice, The
holiest grand tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of [the city]; it will not
be made to totter. God will help it at the appearance of morning. The nations became
boisterous, the kingdoms tottered; He sounded with his voice, the earth proceeded to melt.
Jehovah of armies is with us; The God of Jacob is a secure height for us. Se'lah. Come,
YOU people, behold the activities of Jehovah, How he has set astonishing events on the
earth. He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart
and does cut the spear in pieces; The wagons he burns in the fire. "Give in, YOU
people, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in
the earth."
Zechariah 14:1-3, 12-19 "Look! There
is a day coming, belonging to Jehovah, and the spoil of you will certainly be apportioned
out in the midst of you. And I shall certainly gather all the nations against Jerusalem
for the war; and the city will actually be captured and the houses be pillaged, and the
women themselves will be raped. And half of the city must go forth into the exile; but as
for the remaining ones of the people, they will not be cut off from the city. "And
Jehovah will certainly go forth and war against those nations as in the day of his
warring, in the day of fight...."And this is what will prove to be the scourge with
which Jehovah will scourge all the peoples that will actually do military service against
Jerusalem: There will be a rotting away of one's flesh, while one is standing upon one's
feet; and one's very eyes will rot away in their sockets, and one's very tongue will rot
away in one's mouth. "And it must occur in that day [that] confusion from Jehovah
will become widespread among them; and they will actually grab hold, each one of the hand
of his companion, and his hand will actually come up against the hand of his companion.
And Judah itself also will be warring at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations
round about will certainly be gathered, gold and silver and garments in excessive
abundance. "And this is how the scourge of the horse, the mule, the camel, and the
male ass, and every sort of domestic animal that happens to be in those camps, will prove
to be, like this scourge. "And it must occur [that], as regards everyone who is left
remaining out of all the nations that are coming against Jerusalem, they must also go up
from year to year to bow down to the King, Jehovah of armies, and to celebrate the
festival of the booths. And it must occur that, as regards anyone that does not come up
out of the families of the earth to Jerusalem to bow down to the King, Jehovah of armies,
even upon them no pouring rain will occur. And if the family of Egypt itself does not come
up and does not actually enter, upon them also there shall be none. The scourge will occur
with which Jehovah scourges the nations that do not come up to celebrate the festival of
the booths. This itself will prove to be the [punishment for the] sin of Egypt and the sin
of all the nations that do not come up to celebrate the festival of the booths.
[NOTE: Some that are left, were aggressors (in Armageddon) and again shall be
disobedient]
Isaiah 24:19-22 The land has absolutely
burst apart, the land has absolutely been shaken up, the land has absolutely been sent
staggering. The land absolutely moves unsteadily like a drunken man, and it has swayed to
and fro like a lookout hut. And its transgression has become heavy upon it, and it must
fall, so that it will not rise up again. And it must occur in that day that Jehovah will
turn his attention upon the army of the height in the height, and upon the kings of the
ground upon the ground. And they will certainly be gathered with a gathering as of
prisoners into the pit, and be shut up in the dungeon; and after an abundance of days they
will be given attention.
[NOTE: This being "given attention" (or "visited" KJV) shows
that the rulers, etc. who went down in death at Armageddon, will be resurrected from the
dead.]
The marking and slaying of
Ezekiel 9:4-6 and Revelation 7:1-3 are not literal.
Ezekiel 9:4-6 And Jehovah went on to say to
him: "Pass through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and you
must put a mark on the foreheads of the men that are sighing and groaning over all the
detestable things that are being done in the midst of it." And to these [others] he
said in my ears: "Pass through the city after him and strike. Let not your eye feel
sorry, and do not feel any compassion. Old man, young man and virgin and little child and
women YOU should kill off-to a ruination. But to any man upon whom there is the mark do
not go near, and from my sanctuary YOU should start." So they started with the old
men that were before the house.
Revelation 7:1-3 After this I saw four
angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding tight the four winds of the
earth, that no wind might blow upon the earth or upon the sea or upon any tree. And I saw
another angel ascending from the sunrising, having a seal of [the] living God; and he
cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and
the sea, saying: "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until after we have
sealed the slaves of our God in their foreheads."
[NOTE: The Revelation account continues
that only the 144,000 were sealed, showing the marking to be symbolic or acceptance in the
heavenly bride class, and the slaying symbolic of rejection or casting off from this
position, not the sealing of Jehovah's Witnesses and the destruction of all others.
Revelation 7:4 And I heard the number of
those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the
sons of Israel
Some Scriptures speak of mankind or certain ones
not rising again. This refers to their not rising throughout the reign of sin and death,
but in the Millennial Age they will come forth in the resurrection.
Job 14:10-15 But an able-bodied man dies
and lies vanquished; And an earthling man expires, and where is he? Waters do disappear
from a sea, And a river itself drains off and dries up. Man also has to lie down and does
not get up. Until heaven is no more they will not wake up, Nor will they be aroused from
their sleep. O that in She'ol you would conceal me, That you would keep me secret until
your anger turns back, That you would set a time limit for me and remember me! If an
able-bodied man dies can he live again? All the days of my compulsory service I shall
wait, Until my relief comes. You will call, and I myself shall answer you. For the work of
your hands you will have a yearning.
Isaiah 26:14-19 They are dead; they will
not live. Impotent in death, they will not rise up. Therefore you have turned your
attention that you might annihilate them and destroy all mention of them. You have added
to the nation; O Jehovah, you have added to the nation; you have glorified yourself. You
have extended afar all the borders of the land. O Jehovah, during distress they have
turned their attention to you; they have poured out a whisper [of prayer] when they had
your disciplining. Just as a pregnant woman draws near to giving birth, has labor pains,
cries out in her birth pangs, so we have become because of you, O Jehovah. We have become
pregnant, we have had labor pains; as it were, we have given birth to wind. No real
salvation do we accomplish as regards the land, and no inhabitants for the productive land
proceed to fall [in birth]. "Your dead ones will live. A corpse of mine-they will
rise up. Awake and cry out joyfully, YOU residents in the dust! For your dew is as the dew
of mallows, and the earth itself will let even those impotent in death drop [in birth].
Jeremiah 51:57 And I will make her princes
and her wise ones, her governors and her deputy rulers and her mighty men drunk, and they
must sleep an indefinitely lasting sleep, from which they will not wake up," is the
utterance of the King, whose name is Jehovah of armies.
Psalm 9:17 Wicked people will turn back to
She'ol, Even all the nations forgetting God.
Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of your face you
will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you
are and to dust you will return."
Psalm 90:3 You make mortal man go back to
crushed matter, And you say: "GO back, YOU sons of men."
The Judgment and separation of
the sheep and goats is not taking place now.
Matthew 25:31-46 "When the Son of man
arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious
throne. And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one
from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the
sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. "Then the king will say to those
on his right, 'Come, YOU who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for YOU from the founding of the world. For I became hungry and YOU gave me something to
eat; I got thirsty and YOU gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and YOU received
me hospitably; naked, and YOU clothed me. I fell sick and YOU looked after me. I was in
prison and YOU came to me.' Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words, 'Lord,
when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? When
did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked, and clothe you? When did
we see you sick or in prison and go to you?' And in reply the king will say to them,
'Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did it to one of the least of these my
brothers, YOU did it to me.' "Then he will say, in turn, to those on his left, 'Be on
YOUR way from me, YOU who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the
Devil and his angels. For I became hungry, but YOU gave me nothing to eat, and I got
thirsty, but YOU gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger, but YOU did not receive me
hospitably; naked, but YOU did not clothe me; sick and in prison, but YOU did not look
after me.' Then they also will answer with the words, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or
thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you?' Then he
will answer them with the words, 'Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did not do it
to one of these least ones, YOU did not do it to me.' And these will depart into
everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life."
First the Church class must be completed and
glorified, since they are the "angels" who are with Jesus at the time.
"Angels" is from the Greek word AGGELOS, meaning "messengers", as in
James 2:25 - Rahab the harlot was justified by works, when she had received the
messengers.
(Revelation 3:21) To the one that conquers I will
grant to sit down with me on my throne, even as I conquered and sat down with my Father on
his throne.
(1 Corinthians 6:2) Or do YOU not know that the
holy ones will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by YOU, are YOU unfit to
try very trivial matters?
(Colossians 3:4) When the Christ, our life, is
made manifest, then YOU also will be made manifest with him in glory.
The judgment is based on the works done: feeding
the strangers, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison and the sick, etc. These are
symbolic of an attitude of love and helpfulness to fellow men, assisting each other up the
highway of holiness toward perfection during the Millennial Age.
Jesus' bothers (verse 40) are those who do God's
will: "Whoever does the will of God, this one is my brother and sister and
mother." (Mark 3:34-35)
The term "brothers" need not be limited
to the Church in the Gospel Age, but can also be applied to those who do God's will in the
Millennial Age. Those who would so limit it (to try to prove the setting is not future)
run into the inconsistency of having the sheep class (earthly) ministering food etc.,
(truth) to Christ's brothers (the Church Class) while they really believe the reverse is
true - That the spirit-begotten remnant of the Church class ministers the truth to the
other sheep class.
A similar acount of the judgment day is given in
Revelation 20:11-15, and is definitely shown to be during the reign of Christ and the
Church.
"And I saw a great white throne and the one
seated on it. From before him the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found
for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and
scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead
were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. And the
sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Ha'des gave up those dead in them, and they
were judged individually according to their deeds. And death and Ha'des were hurled into
the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. Furthermore, whoever was
not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire."
The Millennial Age - the
Judgment Day taught in the Bible.
There is a day of
judgment, the Millennial Age, rather than various judgment periods.
Acts 17:31 because He has appointed a day
in which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He appointed,
having given proof to all by raising Him from the dead.
2 Pet. 3:7-8 But the present heavens and
the earth being kept in store by the same word, are being kept for fire until the day of
judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But, beloved, let not this one thing be hidden
from you, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one
day.
That time is yet future.
Micah 4:1-4 But it shall be in the last
days the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. And
many nations shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to
the house of the God of Jacob. And He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His
paths; for the law shall go forth out of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3
And He shall judge between many peoples, and will decide for strong nations afar off; and
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation
shall not lift up a sword against nation, And they shall not still learn war. But they
shall sit each one under his vine and under his fig tree; and there shall be no trembling;
for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken,
Psalm 96:10-13 Say among the nations, the
LORD reigns; and the world shall be established; it shall not be moved; He shall judge the
peoples in uprightness. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea
roar, and the fullness of it. Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it; then shall
all the trees of the forest rejoice before the LORD; for He comes, for He comes to judge
the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.
Isa. 26:9-10 With my soul I desired You in
the night; yea, with my spirit within me I will seek You early; for when Your judgments
are in the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. Let favor be shown to the
wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he will deal
unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.
Psa. 72:2-8 He will judge Your people in
righteousness, and Your poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people,
and the little hills by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people; He shall
save the children of the needy, and shall crush in pieces the cruel one. They shall fear
You as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down
like rain on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. In His days the righteous
shall flourish; and abundance of peace, until the moon is not. He shall also have the rule
from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
That judgment day will be for
the whole world.
John 5:28-29 Do not marvel at this, for the
hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come
forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have practiced
evil to the resurrection of condemnation. [judgment]
[NOTE: The New World Translation is misleading in rendering the Greek word MNEMEION
as "memorial tombs" since the correct definition is "monument, grave, tomb,
or memorial", which gives the thought of man's memory of his loved ones, and does not
refer to God's memory at all. All the dead are in God's memory and will be raised for
judgment. Those who then prove unfaithful will be destroyed eternally.]
Acts 24:15 And I have hope toward God,
which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of
the just and unjust.
Phil. 2:10-11 that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of heavenly ones, and of earthly ones, and of ones under the earth;
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
Rom. 14:10-11 But why do you judge your
brother? Or also why do you despise your brother? For all shall stand before the judgment
seat of Christ. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to
Me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
Second Death.
The Ransom sacrifice releases Adam and his
offspring from first death (Adamic), but second death is a death from which there will
never be a resurrection.
An individual must be released (reckonedly or
actually) from Adamic death before it is possible to suffer second death.
Before the Gospel Age none were released from
Adamic death, so none were released from Adamic death.
2 Tim. 1:10 But it is now made manifest by
the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has made death of no effect, bringing life
and immortality to light through the gospel
During the Gospel Age, only those who are
enlightened with the truth, justified by the blood of Christ (reckonedly released from
Adamic death), and spirit begotten, and who then deny Christ and fall away from the truth
go into second death. Only the prospective members of the body of Christ are now justified
and on trial.
Heb. 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those
who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers
of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to
come, and who have fallen away; it is impossible, I say, to renew them again to
repentance, since they crucify the Son of God afresh to themselves and put Him to an open
shame.
Heb. 10:26-29 For if we sin willfully after
we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but
a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the
adversaries. He who despised Moses' law died without mercy on the word of two or three
witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will be thought worthy to receive
punishment, the one who has trampled the Son of God, and who has counted the blood of the
covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of
grace?
Matt. 12:31 Therefore I say to you, All
kinds of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men, but the blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit shall not be forgiven to men.
During the Millennial Age, after coming forth in
the resurrection (actually released from Adamic death), those who continue to be
disobedient to God will fall into second death. The whole world will then be on trial for
life or death (second death).
Acts 3:23 And it shall be that every soul
who will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people."
Jer. 31:29-30 In those days they shall not
say any more, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the sons are dull. But
every man shall die in his iniquity. Every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be
dull. Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will cut a new covenant with the house
of Israel, and with the house of Judah,
Psa. 145:20 The LORD watches over all those
who love Him; but all the wicked He will destroy.
Rev. 20:12-15 And I saw the dead, the small
and the great, stand before God. And the books were opened, and another book was opened,
which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written
in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead in it. And death and
hell delivered up the dead in them. And each one of them was judged according to their
works. And death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And
if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake
of Fire.
Conclusion
Adam and all his children are under God's
condemnation and dead in his sight, without any standing before him, until they learn of
and exercise faith in the ransom. It makes no difference whether one dies at an early age
by a specific act of God or later in life by so-called natural causes; both are the
results of sin and divine condemnation.
Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Matt. 8:22 But Jesus said to him, Follow
Me, and let the dead bury their dead.
John 3:18 He who believes on Him is not
condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed
in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
1 Tim. 2:4 who will have all men to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The view that God desires to destroy all people
except those of one denomination is not in harmony with God's will. God desires to bless,
not to destroy mankind.
Luke 9:53-55 And they did not receive Him,
because His face was going toward Jerusalem. And seeing, His disciples James and John
said, Lord, do You desire that we command fire to come down from Heaven and consume them,
even as Elijah did? But He turned and rebuked them and said, You do not know of what
spirit you are.
Isa. 60:2-5 For behold, the darkness shall
cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but the LORD shall rise on you, and His
glory shall be seen on you. And the nations shall come to your light, and kings to the
brightness of your dawning. Lift up your eyes all around, and see. All of them gather
themselves; they come to you. Your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be
nursed at your side. Then you shall fear and become bright, and your heart shall throb and
swell for joy; because the abundance of the sea shall turn to you, the wealth of the
nations will come to you.
Acts 3:25 You are the sons of the prophets
and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, "And in your
Seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed."
[NOTE: Other texts where this promise is recorded use the word "nations",
but here the promise is made more all-inclusive with the word "kindreds", or
"families" as in the New World Translation}
John 12:32 And I, if I am lifted up from
the earth, I will draw all to Myself.
Luke 2:10 And the angel said to them, Do
not fear. For behold, I give to you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people.
Eze. 18:21-23 But if the wicked will turn
from all his sins which he has committed, and keep all My statutes, and do justice and
right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. All his transgressions that he has done,
they shall not be mentioned to him; in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.
Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Jehovah. Is it not that he
should turn from his ways and live?
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