Daily Devotional, Year 3 – July 16 (Eternal Torment? Part 26: “Where is the Land of Forgetfulness?”)

By admin On May 30th, 2024

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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – July 16

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Eternal Torment?

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Part 26:

“Where is the Land of Forgetfulness?”

To read Part 1, click here… “September 8th (Eternal Torment?)”

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“Wilt Thou (God) show wonders to the dead?

shall the dead arise and praise Thee? Selah.

Shall Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave?

or Thy faithfulness in destruction?

Shall Thy wonders be known in the dark?

and Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

Psalm 88:10-12

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Is Hell, “the land of forgetfulness”?https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_The_Bad_Rich_Man_in_Hell_(Le_mauvais_riche_dans_l%27Enfer)_-_James_Tissot_-_overall.jpg

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And if it is a land, then it must be a place of conscious existence! Right?

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And so, then we can conclude that Hell is a place where the lost souls will exist forever and ever!

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Right?

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Brooklyn Museum – The Rich Man In Hell – James Tissot – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED

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Well, these questions certainly beg for an answer. And so, perhaps a few minutes of exploration into these questions might not be such a bad thing, don’t you agree?http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Optic_stub.svg/200px-Optic_stub.svg.png

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Listen again to today’s signature Bible passage…“Wilt Thou (God) show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise Thee? Selah. Shall Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or Thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall Thy wonders be known in the dark? and Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? Psalm 88:10-12

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This above passage certainly raises some questions about death and Hell.

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Magnifying Glass – svg – Wikimedia Commons  – Share-alike License

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“THE LAND OF DARKNESS”

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bonnat02.jpgNow, listen to this next passage from Job.  

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Listen as Job longs for death…“Wherefore then hast Thou (God) brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave…Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the LAND OF DARKNESS and the shadow of death; A LAND OF DARKNESS, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.” Job 10:18, 19, 21, 22

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Notice that this passage speaks of death as the “land of darkness”. And yet, Job says of it…“I should have been as though I had not been” Job 10:19

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Job (oil on canvas) by Bonnat, Leon Joseph Florentin (1833-1922) – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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“LAND OF DARKNESS” NOT THE CHAMBER OF ETERNAL TORMENT

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And so, even in literal death which the Bible calls, “the land of darkness”, God reveals through Job that there is no conscious existence there. Job confesses that, “I shouldhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foggy_Church_Graveyard.jpg have been as though I had not been”. No torture. No torment. Just a return to non-existence. Everything is now forgotten.

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The fact that there is no eternal chamber of horrors is a very wonderful vindication of God’s character, which has been maligned over the centuries by misguided and erring humans who did not understand how to “rightly divide the Word of Truth.” 2nd Timothy 2:15

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Foggy Church Graveyard – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons 2.0

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A SPIRITUAL MEANING

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But “the land of forgetfulness” has an earthly application as well. Oh yes, it applies to the grave. But there is a spiritual meaning as well!http://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/painting_198722/William-Brassey-Hole/The-sorrow-of-king-David

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Listen to the Psalmist’s complaint to his Lord and God found in verses 6 and 7 of this same Psalm 88…“Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and Thou hast afflicted me with all Thy waves. Selah”

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So here above, the Psalmist is woefully mourning his great sufferings, and declares that God has laid him in the lowest pit, in which he is suffering intense afflictions from the hand of Almighty God! And this lowest pit is a place of “darkness, in the deeps”!

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And yet, his sufferings are here on earth, and not in some netherworld dungeon!

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David’s sorrow – Wikigallery – Public Domain

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TORMENT YES! ETERNAL TORMENT NO!

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And so, this new, additional information begins to expand our scope of understanding into just what is, “the land of forgetfulness”.

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_The_Bad_Rich_Man_in_Hell_(Le_mauvais_riche_dans_l%27Enfer)_-_James_Tissot_-_overall.jpgOh yes, this lowest pit is a place of torment. Verses 6 and 7 of this Psalm 88 make that perfectly clear!

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Listen again to Psalm 88:6, 7…“Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and Thou hast afflicted me with all Thy waves. Selah.”

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Here we have a very good example of how the Bible has been mis-interpreted, because of improper Bible study by unsanctified minds from the apostate churches back in earlier centuries. They just did not compare scripture with scripture and spiritual things with spiritual to rightly interpret the Word of Truth. They saw the parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus, and a number of other passages, and stopped right there, without trying to balance out ALL the relevant scriptures.

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Brooklyn Museum – The Rich Man In Hell – James Tissot – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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JONAH IN HELL?

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Now listen to this next passage from the little Book of Jonah…“Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and He heard me; out of THE BELLY OF HELL cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For Thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me.” Jonah 2:1, 2

http://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/painting_334242/Frederik-van-Valkenborch/Jonah-And-The-Whale

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Here again, Jonah was going through afflictions. He called this place, “Hell”. Oh yes, it was the belly of a whale. as it says in Matthew 12:40. But this horrendous scenario of Jonah in the whale’s belly was merely a picture of the place of afflictions which many Christians must go through, in the purification process.

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And notice that Jonah’s situation was similar to the Psalmist’s. Jonah was “in the deep” in which God’s “waves passed over me.”

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Jonah & the Great Fish – Wikigallery – Public domain

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JONAH & PSALM 88 VERY SIMILAR

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Now compare this with the Psalmist’s experience…“Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in http://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/painting_198722/William-Brassey-Hole/The-sorrow-of-king-Daviddarkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and Thou hast afflicted me with all Thy waves. Selah.”

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In both cases, Jonah and the Psalmist spoke of God’s afflictions as “waves”. And while Jonah was, “in the deep”, the Psalmist was in, “the lowest pit…in the deeps”.

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David’s sorrow – Wikigallery – Public Domain

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AFFLICTIONS FOR PURIFICATION

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But why were both Jonah and the Psalmist being afflicted? What good is it to be afflicted by God? What is God’s purpose for afflicting these two men?

http://article.wn.com/view/2013/09/06/Bets_on_US_jobs_data_could_lead_gold_south/

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Listen to Psalm 119:67, 71, 75… “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy word….It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes…I know, O LORD, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.”

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Yes, in faithfulness and love, God chastises His people, so that they will eventually, “come forth as gold”. Job 23:10.

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Afflictions are one of God’s chosen means of purifying His people.

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Gold smelting – Public Domain – wn.com

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PAUL TOOK PLEASURE IN AFFLICTIONS?!

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http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures/The%20Early%20Church%20Artwork/target8.htmlListen to Paul’s incredible testimonies regarding afflictions…“And He (God) said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2nd Corinthians 12:9, 10

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Paul “most gladly” went through various afflictions, so that God’s grace and power could, “rest upon me”.

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Paul knew these things were for his eternal good!

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Paul Shipwrecked – Acts 27:41-44 – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain

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“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten”

Ecclesiastes 9:5 

.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CalvaryCemeteryQueens_edit.jpg

But as to death being “the land of FORGETFULNESS”, this above verse pretty much explains why.

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Simply put, Sheol (“the grave”, or “Hell”), is a place where one’s thoughts and memory perish. It’s all forgotten!

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They simply cease to exist. 

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Graves at Calvary Cemetery Queens – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:At_a_loss.svg

WHY CALL AFFLICTIONS “HELL”?

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But just one more question needs to be asked: “Why does God consider this present world, the place of our earthly afflictions, to be “Hell”?”

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And that question will be explored in tomorrow’s devotional.

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 Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License

 

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bad rich

TO READ PART 27, GO HERE…

July 17 (Eternal Torment? Part 27: “What & Where is Tartaroo?”

Brooklyn Museum – The Rich Man In Hell – James Tissot – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USMC-100506-M-2360J-038.jpg

TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Let me not be given to a close-minded spirit. But help me to love truth, no matter if it means I will be hated by my own brethren…

Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_book_magnify2.svg

READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… Planet of Rest: Doctrine of Eternal Torment, or you can also read this shorter article…AUGUST 19 (Apocalypse Now! Part 6: Fire & Brimstone!)

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

 

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“It (God’s Covenant) shall be established…

for ever as the Moon…

and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.”

Psalm 89:37.

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GOSPEL INSCRIBED ON THE MOON

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The Bible states… “It (God’s Covenant) shall be established for ever as the Moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven (sky). Selah.” Psalm 89:37

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God’s Covenant (The Gospel) has been inscribed in the sky. In the night sky, predominantly. It has been established “as the Moon, and as a faithful witness…”.

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There will be,  “signs in the Sun… moon, and…stars” (Luke 21:25) just before the end, was a promise made by God.

.Write-adam-Total-Lunar-Eclipse-December-21-2010-wikimedia-commons-share-alike-license-e1375327509135

But we didn’t know exactly what those signs would be (although many thought they knew).

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Nor did we realize that these signs would be pointing us to present Bible truths!

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Moon – Lunar Eclipse by Jiyang Chen – Wikipedia – share-alike-license

 

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“THE SCORNER (THE PHARISEE)”

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Once_in_a_Blue_Moon_(40034339832).jpgListen to the following revelation concerning the evil which exists within the hearts of men…“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, AN EVIL EYE, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” Mark 7:18-23 

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Please tilt your head to the left. Do you see a man with a very long pointed nose. (Obviously, the sketch to the right is just an exaggeration in order to help you find the face in the photo to the left.)

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Do you see an angry look? His right eye-brow is raised as if he is judging.

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This second face in the Moon appears to be that of a combination of a man as well as a fox. Or maybe a wolf. Doesn’t he have a long narrow nose like a wolf or fox? Maybe even a dog. Nevertheless, the expression on his face, as he appears to look down upon the Earth, is that of scorn. Unlike the  first Moon-man’s sad shock and awe; this ‘man/fox/wolf/dog’ appears to be that of anger and scorn. As if he is disgusted at the sinful planet below.

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He is very moral, you see!

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Moon – Public Domain – 2nd face Pharisee Scorner – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_book_magnify2.svg

READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… Moon Into Blood Trilogy: 2nd Face: The Evil-Eyed Pharisee Scorner

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bad richTOMORROW…

July 17 (Eternal Torment? Part 27: “What & Where is Tartaroo?”

Brooklyn Museum – The Rich Man In Hell – James Tissot – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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20+ MINUTE AUDIO STUDY IN JEREMIAH 

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ALL‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

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THIS STUDY #195 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…

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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain

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Those who are interested in using photos on this page may click on provided link below each photo, to get to Wikimedia Commons for various licensing details & tags, and all other necessary information on any particular photo. Most tall, narrow photos have been cropped or reduced by this website to make them a better fit on phone screens.

 

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