Saturday, September 22, 2012

Revelation 20:13-15


13 And the sea delivered up the dead who were in it, death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) surrendered the dead in them, and all were tried and their cases determined by what they had done [according to their motives, aims, and works]. 

14 Then death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 

15 And if anyone's [name] was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.

Jesus shows John here that it is not a given that all who are raised from the dead will be hurled into the Lake of Fire. Only those whose names were not found in the Book of Life. Think about it? When Jesus was crucified, He went to Hades and preached the Truth to the lost, 1 Peter 3:19-21. Jesus was raised from the dead after three days, so what happens to the people who died after Jesus was raised from the dead, but were never given a chance to hear the Truth? Do these people not have a chance like those before them did? The ones who died before Jesus was crucified were given an opportunity to hear the Truth, why not these other people? Does our Father respect one person over another?

Think of people who never heard the Truth finally being raised and reunited with their bodies, couldn’t they be called and chosen then? Sure they could be, our Father gave the ones that Jesus went and preached to in Hades a second chance, why not these people? Our Father knows who will and who won’t accept Jesus, because the only way that people can be saved is if the Holy Spirit empowers them to be saved, 1 Corinthians 12:3. So their names will be in the Book of Life and they will be saved. This is not totally a day of guilty judgments, it is also a time of salvation, a day of pardons! If it wasn’t, why would our Father not just tell us that all of the dead were lost, they are all guilty, and they are all thrown into the Lake of Fire. Why ever bring out the Book of Life, it would not be needed, because no one who was raised up would be in it!

Jesus told us that many are called, but only a few are chosen.

For many are called (invited and summoned), but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14

Our Father does not respect one of us over another. On this earth during our first life, not all people will be called to be the Bride of Christ, Jesus teaches us that many will be called, but not all. So doesn’t it only make sense that here, at this time of judgment, when the dead are raised, that everyone will be called? Only a relatively few may be chosen  to be the Bride of Christ, but as we have seen before when Jesus talked about the Wedding Feast, our Father does offer almost everyone else thee opportunity to be a guest. 

No comments: