Daily Devotional, Year 2 – January 4 (Eternal Torment? Part 4: Impossible Idea?) 

By admin On October 15th, 2014

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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – January 4

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Eternal Torment?

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Part 4:

“Impossible Idea!”

TO READ ALL ETERNAL TORMENT ARTICLES, CLICK HERE…September 8th . . . . Eternal Torment?

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“Is not this the fast that I have chosen?

to loose the bands of wickedness,

to undo the heavy burdens,

and to let the oppressed go free,

and that ye break every yoke?”

Isaiah 58:6

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Does the church-doctrine named “Eternal Torment” make any sense in the light of this above passage?

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Is the church-doctrine known as “Eternal Torment” an impossible idea, in the light of all Scripture, not just some Scripture?

http://truthbook.com/urantia-book/paper-147-the-interlude-visit-to-jerusalem

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Listen again to today’s signature Bible verse…“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6

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Quite the opposite of God making people suffer eternally, this above verse instead, tells us to undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free”!

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So then, why would God engage us for a lifetime of discipleship, trying to teach us to NOT oppress others, and then turn around and lock up 90% or more of the world’s inhabitants in a fiery netherworld torture chamber, to be tormented endlessly?

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Does that make any sense!?!

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James Tissot Jesus Commanding His Apostles – Brooklyn Museum – US public domain

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BIBLE EASILY MISINTERPRETED

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The problem is, that God has written the Bible in such a way that it can easily be misunderstood!

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Bible,_Notre-Dame_du_Taur,_septembre_2011.jpgListen… “As also in all his (Paul’s) epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” 2nd Peter 3:16

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Yes, as this above verse reveals, the Word of God can be very deceiving to those who have not received “a new heart”, nor are filled with God’s “Spirit of truth”! (Ezekiel 36:26 & 1st John 4:6)

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Yes, the unconverted can get into a lot of trouble with Bible interpretation! 

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And such doctrines as “Eternal Torment” are the result of unsanctified minds presuming to become the teachers of the Bible!

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La Bible, Notre-Dame – CROPPED IMAGE – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License

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BREAKING EVERY YOKE!

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“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_The_Exhortation_to_the_Apostles_(Recommandation_aux_ap%C3%B4tres)_-_James_Tissot.jpgThis above passage from Isaiah reveals a God who hates to see humans oppressing one another! 

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But God also says here that He hates seeing humans being shouldered with heavy burdens! And He hates to see humans suffering under heavy yokes!

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And so, considering all the Bible passages which speak of Hell as the grave, why do so many insist that God has some netherworld torture chamber in which He will mercilessly torment each and every unsaved human for all time and eternity?

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It just doesn’t make any sense! It totally goes against His Character!

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The Exhortation to the Disciples – 1886-94-by James Tissot – Wikipedia – public domain.

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NOT PROPERLY BALANCING THE SCRIPTURES

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Oh yes, there is that parablehttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_The_Bad_Rich_Man_in_Hell_(Le_mauvais_riche_dans_l%27Enfer)_-_James_Tissot_-_overall.jpg of a rich man in flames of torment.

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And Revelation 14 does speak of the smoke of their torment rising up for ever and for ever.

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But those allegories must be tempered with so many other passages which say things like… “Why died I not from the womb?…For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest…” Job 3:11, 13

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Why in the world would God allow Job to say such a thing, if God eternally torments all the Lost http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bonnat02.jpgOnes? God would be a deceiver to allow such a misleading statement to be uttered by Job! Again, it just doesn’t make sense! It’s an impossible idea!

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You simply cannot arrive at final truth using some verses while ignoring others which you don’t like! Which don’t align with your church-doctrine!

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Listen again… “There (in Sheol, Hell, the grave) the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.” Job 3:17-19

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This passage doesn’t make a stitch of sense if their souls are instead being tormented for ever and ever and ever!

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Brooklyn Museum – The Bad Rich Man in Hell – James Tissot – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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

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SOMETIMES AN ABSURD NOTION!

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The fact is, if 90% or more of all humans who have ever lived will be eternally tormented, then the Gospel would not really be very good news for the vast majority who have lived on the earth, now would it?

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And if your unsaved loved ones will be suffering endlessly with no hope, then Heaven would not be a very nice place to live, would it?

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And in answer to this, most Bible teachers say that “all the former things will be forgotten”, meaning that we will simply forget about all our unsaved friends and loved ones!

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Yes, they tell us that we won’t even give a second thought about our lost loved ones, nor all those billions of Lost Ones who are being endlessly tortured through the ceaseless ages! They tell us that we will live in eternal bliss, while those we once loved will be forever suffering intensely, without one drop of hope for God’s mercy!

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“And we won’t even care”, today’s Bible teachers tell us, “because they’re merely getting what they deserve!”

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This above drawing of Whistler’s Mother in flames in Hell’s fires, is merely showing the absurdity of this old Catholic church-doctrine! “Sorry Mom”, says Whistler, “You’re just getting what you deserve! You should-of become a Christian!”

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Whistler’s mother in Hell – Not for public uses

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FORMER TRIALS & HEARTACHES FORGOTTEN

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But the fact is, when God says, “the former things will be forgotten”, He is merely saying that we won’t give a second thought to all the horrible things that we once experienced back here on earth.

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Because, compared to the wonderful things in Heaven, our light affliction back here on earth will seem like a very light thing! (see 2nd Corinthians 4:17)

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And so, when God says. “the former things are forgotten”, He is by no means telling us that He has our loved ones secretly locked up in a subterranean torture chamber, screaming for just one drop of mercy from a merciless God!

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Hell’s Torment and Tormentor – Wikipedia – public domain 

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ANCIENT CHURCH DOCTRINE

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Unfortunately this ancient church doctrine called “Eternal Torment” has somehow survived through the centuries, being based on a misunderstanding of proper Bible hermeneutics (methods of interpretation).

.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_100326-N-4774B-066_Chaplain_Lt._Jason_Gregory_reads_bible_verses_on_the_weather_deck_aboard_the_guided-missile_cruiser_USS_Bunker_Hill_(CG_52).jpg

No friends, God does not have a cruel chamber of horrors in the lower regions of the earth. Nor is He the kind of Lord who mercilessly torments all those who reject His love! 

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“O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever!” 1st Chronicles 16:34 

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What we need to do, is to begin looking at the Bible with an open mind, and fresh eyes, just like those noble Bereans, who “received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11 

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US Navy – Chaplain Lt. Jason Gregory reads Bible on weather deck – Wikimedia – US Govt. Public Domain

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Microphone_icons#/media/File:Icon_announcer.svgTO READ PART 5, CLICK HERE… 

JANUARY 20 (Eternal Torment? Part 5: The Talk Show)

Announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public-Domain

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Otto_Greiner_Betende_H%C3%A4nde.jpgTODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to rightly divide Thy Word. Help me to know Thee more and more, through a good knowledge of Thy Word…

Praying Hands – Otto Greiner – Wikimedia – .bassenge.com – Cropped image – 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… “September 8th (Eternal Torment?)” 

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

.picture - soldiers of the cross - armor up!

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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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EARTH: PLANET OF REST

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Counting the Sun as the 1st heavenly sphere, the Earth is the 4th heavenly sphere.

.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg

If we extend our theory (and it’s just a theory) that God created our solar system to correspond to the commandments, the Sun corresponding to the 1st Commandment, then Planet Earth would correspond to the 4th Commandment: the Seventh-day Sabbath.

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And so, on the very planet that corresponds to the commandment that exalts the idea of “peace” and “rest”, there exists very little peace. And very little rest. Ironic, isn’t it? 

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And so the 4th member of our solar system, being Planet Earth, will be the host for this article.

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The Earth seen from Apollo 17 – NASA & Wikipedia – 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” 

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burning_Man_2013_Photo_chapel,_The_wedding_party!_(9660390094).jpgTOMORROW…

JANUARY 5 (The Lord Shall Have Us In Derision)

Burning Man – 2013 -Chapel – Wikimedia – Creative Commons License

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http://christianimagesource.com/prophet_jeremiah_g341-prophet_jeremiah__image_2_p2281.html20 MINUTE+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY IN JEREMIAH 

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NOBLE BEREANS (OPEN-MINDED BIBLE TRUTH-SEEKERS), YOU 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 IS STUDY #369 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…

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

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