Simple Salvation Church of God

Posted by: Administrator on Thu, Mar 1, 2018

the fire burns day and night but not people

The Lake of Fire

Installment XVI—HELL: Part C

THE ORIGIN OF ENDLESS PUNISHMENT

[CAUTION: Some of the material near the end of this Installment contains explicit descriptions necessary to facilitate better understanding, and is for mature readers only].,

There is not one verse in the Old Testament Scriptures that speaks of punishment after death or in death. And there are only a couple of Scriptures in the Old Testament that speak of a resurrection back to life from the dead. Moses mentioned nothing concerning rewards or blessings under the Old Covenant that went beyond this present temporary life in the land. A resurrection to life other than the righteous is mentioned by Daniel only in these words:

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting [olam/eonian] life, and some to shame and everlasting [olam/eonian] contempt" (Dan. 12:2).

There was nothing in the Law of Moses that suggested anything, good or bad, after death or in death. Death was the consummation of both the sinner and the saint. It is clear that Job, Daniel, Moses, and possibly David had some knowledge of the resurrection of the dead. It was not, however, taught anywhere in the Law of Moses. To Israel under Moses, death was the final chapter.

A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

5500 BC—Creation of heaven & earth (Gen. 1:1) According to the Septuagint.

4004 BC—Creation of heaven & earth according to Archbishop Ussher.

2285 BC—The worldwide flood of Noah’s day (1500 yrs. earlier by Septuagint).

2160 BC—Building the Tower of Babel in Mesopotamia.

1995 BC—Abram [Abraham] is born in Ur of Mesopotamia.

1895 BC—Isaac is born

1835 BC—Jacob is born/1744 Joseph is born.

1700 BC—Famine in Egypt ends.

1688 BC—Jacob dies

1634 BC—Joseph dies.

1600 BC—Israel prospers in the land of Egypt for 150 years.

1450 BC—Israel is forcibly conscripted into hard labor under the 18th Dynasty.

1355 BC—Moses is born of the tribe of Levi.

1275 BC—Passover, Israel leaves Egypt, Arrives at Mt Sinai, Builds Tabernacle.

1234 BC—Israel invades Canaan under Joshua, Destroys Jericho.

1228 BC—Joshua divides Canaan among the Tribes of Israel

1211 BC—Joshua dies and Israel is ruled by system of Judges.

1025 BC—Saul reigns as king over Israel for 21 years.

1004 BC—David is made king over Israel for approximately 40 years.

965 BC—David dies, Son Solomon builds the Temple—total reign 40 years.

 450 BC—Malachi, last prophet for 400 yrs.

ADAM AND EVE WERE NEVER WARNED BY GOD OF ENDLESS PUNISHMENT

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall SURELY DIE" (Gen. 2:17).

The wages for eating the forbidden fruit was "you shall surely die." And:

"In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, till you return unto the ground [not be turned into a terrorists hellhole of endless torture in some pagan hell]: for out of it [the ground] were you taken; for dust you are, and unto dust shall you return" (Gen. 3:19).

Death began immediately. Notice a better translation of Gen. 2:17: "…to die shall you BE DYING" (Concordant Old Testament).

Their life was but a slow death until they returned to the dust of the ground. God said that their judgment for sinning was to be RETURNED to the ground from whence they came. They didn’t come from some terrorists hellhole of torture in fire, so how could they "return" to such a place when God plainly stated that they would "RETURN unto the ground?" They came from the earth and they returned to that earth.

God cursed the serpent, and God cursed the ground, but nowhere did God curse Adam and Eve. God pointed out the different judgments against Adam and Eve, such as multiplied childbearing pains, sorrow in gathering food all the days of his life, thorns, thistles, and sweat, but no mention of punishment in death or after death.

If Adam and Eve were to have a far greater punishment (trillions and trillions of times greater) at death or in death or after death, why did not God warn them of such an horrible destiny? Why would God tell them one thing and then pull a trick on them and do something totally different when the time came?

Listen to what God said to Ezekiel:

"When I say unto the wicked, You shall surely die [hey, isn’t that exactly what God did say to Adam?] and you give him not warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand" (Ezek. 3:18).

Are we to believe that God held Ezekiel to a higher standard of morality than God holds for HIMSELF?

God told Ezekiel that He would require Ezekiel’s blood if he did not warn the wicked so they could be saved from death. Do we then turn around and accuse God of a lower standard in which God Himself has utterly failed to warn the human race of a destiny that is trillions of times worse than mere death? God would hold Ezekiel responsible for the death of just one wicked person, whereas God Himself feels no responsibility for failing to warn the entire human race of a fate trillions of times more severe?

CAIN WAS NEVER WARNED BY GOD OF ENDLESS PUNISHMENT

Notice very carefully God’s conversation with Cain:

"But unto Cain and to his offering He [God] had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why are you wroth? And why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you do not well, SIN lies at the door. And unto you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him" (Gen. 4:5-7).

God warned Cain that if he did not do well, that sin would be at his door. But did God say "endless torment and punishment would be at his door?" No.

"And Cain talked with Abel, his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? And He said, What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries unto Me from the ground.

And now are you cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand: When you till the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto you her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shall you be in the earth" (Verses 8-12).

Did God threaten Cain with "endless punishment in some subterranean hellhole of torture in fire?" No. But notice Cain’s reply?

"And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from Your face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth: and it shall come to pass, that every one [any one] that finds me shall slay me" (Verse 13-14).

What? My punishment is greater than I can bear? If Cain thought being a fugitive and vagabond and having poor crops was greater than he could bear, what pray tell would he have thought had God told him that he would be punished for all eternity in some hellish pit of fire? Did God fail to tell Cain about the "endless torture" because He was afraid it would be too much for Cain to psychologically handle? Did God fail to inform Cain of his coming endless punishment because He was afraid it might discourage him, or some other unfathomable fiendish foolishness?

Search all we may, we won’t find this pagan doctrine of Christendom in the Scriptures. But hold on there’s more. We are not finished with this account of Cain yet.

"And the Lord said unto him, Therefore, whosoever slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him" (Verse 15).

Let’s all use our brains together on this one: Cain is a murderer. It doesn’t get much worse than that. Not only a murderer, but, a murderer of his OWN BROTHER. But God tells us that if someone should find and slay Cain the murderer, then that person would have vengeance taken on him seven times greater? SEVEN TIMES GREATER than burning in some fabled hell for all eternity? Seven times greater than that? Are they kidding? Are they out of their cotton-pickin’ minds? Can any human mind conceive of a punishment seven times GREATERthan being tortured in fire for all eternity?

Here then would be the orthodox logic of this whole scenario: Kill your brother, and receive a certain punishment: but kill the murderer of his brother, and receive "seven TIMES greater" punishment. Can we all say: Contradiction, Square Circles, Theological Insanity?

There is nothing greater, or "seven TIMES greater" than an eternity of torture in fire. Does someone wish to stop and seriously argue this point? Then how is it possible that any who would kill Cain, would have a punishment "seven times greater" than Cain, if his punishment is to be tortured in real fire endlessly? Well of course, Cain’s punishment will not be an eternity of torture in fire. This is but another Christian Hoax and Christian Lie designed to keep all of you in constant fear for your eternal well being (if you don’t give your pastor ten percent PLUS of all your annual salaries! It’s not ALL about the money: it is ONLY about the money!)

Cain died, just as his parents (Adam and Eve) died. But there is no punishment in death. Cain’s "punishment" was here on this earth while Cain was still alive, not after. And likewise, anyone who found and killed Cain would have punishment on this earth while they were still alive, "seven times greater," than that of Cain.

NO ONE BEFORE THE FLOOD WAS WARNED OF ENDLESS PUNISHMENT

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually… And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall DIE"

All mankind are said to be only evil continually. That’s a lot of evil. And what does God say their punishment for all this evil will be? They shall die. Punished endlessly? No, they "shall die." Do we think that God lied to the whole world? Do we think that God said, "shall die," but secretly meant: "punished endlessly?" Ask your pastor if he has an answer to this Christian enigma?

It apparently took a hundred years to build the ark, and so for a hundred years Noah warned the world that God would kill them for their gross sins. But not one word that God would punish them endlessly after they died: 

"All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, DIED" (Gen. 7:22).

Why doesn’t even one of these verses tell us that this wicked people will be judged in death and then sentenced to an eternity of torture in real fire? Why? Why wouldn’t God give us at least one verse somewhere? He could have said something like this: "Be it known to all sinners that whosoever repenteth not of his sins and dies, shall be sentenced to punishment in fire so hot as to burn brass, and he shall never ever be set free, and his pain and suffering shall never come to an end, no not ever, saith the Lord."

There are thousands and thousands and thousands of words in the Old Testament Scriptures, so why isn’t there one word warning us that unrepentant wicked people will be sentenced to an eternity of torture in real fire? Why? The books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy have 186 combined chapters. So why couldn’t at least one of these 186 chapters contain at least one verse which warns of the horrible eternal torture for most of the human race? Why? Prov. 6:6 admonishes, "Go to the ANT you sluggard, consider her ways and be wise." Does any serious-mined human on this planet believe that it is more important to know the work habits of ants (many so tiny one needs to get on his knees with a magnifying glass to even see one), than to know the eternal destiny of billions and billions of human beings?

Does anyone hear what I am saying? Does anyone truly see what the Scriptures quoted here say? Does anyone see "eternal punishment" in even one of them? Yet the Christian Church assures us that this punishment is there even if it is not seen and not stated.

Not one verse. Not one word. Not one mention in the entirety of the Old Testament Scriptures regarding endless punishment. How much longer are you going to sit and listen to the septic-tank swill about a Loving God Who is going to torture most people’s teenagers, mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, great grandmothers and great grandfathers, in an eternal hellhole of literal fire, without mercy, forever? Have you no conscience? Have you no love? Have you no respect or fear for your Creator God at all, that you can attribute such gross sins and immorality to your own Loving Heavenly Father?

Did all the people drowned in Noah’s flood go to hell? No… they DIED. Were they tortured or punished endlessly? No… they DIED. Are they in a place of punishment now? No… they’re DEAD. Did Jesus say that those in the flood are now being punished in some kind of a hellhole? No…"…and the flood came and destroyed them all" (Luke 17:27). Is it possible for destroyed dead people to know pain and misery and punishment? No…

"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything" (Ecc. 9:5).

Hence, not one of the many men, women and children who lived before the flood and died in the flood are presently being punished endlessly. Daniel tells us that these wicked people

"…shall AWAKE… to shame [reproach] and [for] eonian contempt [repulsion, abhorrence]" (Daniel. 12:2).

This is the "the lake of fire/second death" of Rev. 20.

SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE NEVER WARNED BY GOD OF ENDLESS PUNISHMENT

Were any of these people told or warned that not only would they die for their sins, but that they would also be punished in death, endlessly? No, of course not. Not a word. Where then did the Church get the teaching that God punishes the wicked after death and in death? Not from the Hebrew Scriptures, that’s for sure.

Every generation since Adam and Noah has witnessed their loved ones either dying or being killed. Life is short, and everyone knows it and is very conscious of it:

"For the living know that they shall die…" (Ecc. 9:5a).

But Solomon and the Kingdom of Israel knew more than just the fact that they would all die one day. They also knew something that few theologians, few pastors, few Christians on earth know and believe, which is:

"…but the dead know not anything" (Ecc. 9:5b).

Is there an orthodox theologian alive, who believes this divinely inspired Scripture?

Likewise, in the New Testament, we are told emphatically that:

"For the wages of sin is DEATH…" (Rom. 6:23).

Yet millions believe many Scriptures contradict Rom. 6:23. How can anyone put their faith in a book that they believe contradicts itself? If the theologians and your pastors are correct in teaching that "For the wages of sin is eternal life in the lake of fire," how do they account for Rom. 6:23 which clearly states: "For the wages of sin is death?"

It’s very simple if you happen to be a deceiving, hypocritical, heretical, lying theologian. Their answer is: "Death IS, eternal life (in the lake of fire)." Theologians have no problem with square circles and contradictions.

What would God say if there really were such an hellhole of eternal torture in fire, and if someone about to be thrown into this hellhole would inquire of God: "But God, I thought Your Word said: "For the wages of sin is DEATH…" not LIFE in some terrorist hellhole of eternal torture by fire? How would the God of Christendom respond? Would He say: "Well, sometimes My Word does contradict?" or "So maybe I changed My mind?" or "I’m sorry, I lied?" or maybe "Ooooh, picky, picky, picky…?"

GOD’S WORD NEITHER CONTRADICTS NOR LIES

The People of God in the Old Testament never believed in an "immortal soul," for like Ezekiel, they knew that:

"Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins, it [the ‘soul’—Heb: ‘nephesh’] shall die" (Ezek. 18:4 & 20).

And for no other reason than to hear Himself speak (I guess), God repeats it again in verse 20: "The soul [Heb: ‘nephesh’—same ‘nephesh’ that Adam became when he was MADE ALIVE by God, Gen. 2:7].that sins, it [the ‘soul’] shall die…"

Maybe God forgot that He had already said the same thing in verse 4, for surely He didn’t repeat this twice in one chapter because it is IMPORTANT or anything!

Perhaps God will ask the greatest and leading theologians of Christendom, how it is possible that when God teaches twice in 16 verses, that souls "die," that they are at the same time, "immortal?" Well, heck, let’s not wait till the White Throne Judgment, let’s ask it now: Christian Theologians of the world: "How is it possible for you to teach that souls are immortal, when God Himself teaches us twice in 16 verses that souls die?"

What more does God require of the sinner for his sin, other than "the soul that sins, IT SHALL DIE?" Here is the Scriptural answer:

"For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and EVERY transgression and disobedience received [past tense] a JUST RECOMPENSE of reward [Gk: ‘a just retribution’] (Heb. 2:2).

Every transgression, disobedience and sin of the past has already "received… a just retribution." How is it then that the Church teaches these sinners must yet be tortured an eternity for their transgressions and disobedience?

Why don’t all of you reading this, ask your pastor why he teaches that the "soul (nephesh)" of man is immortal, when God teaches us twice in 16 verses that the "soul [nephesh—the very part of man that is said to be immortal] dies," and therefore cannot possibly be immortal. Let me know what kind of answers you receive. Just tell them L. Ray Smith of bible-truths.com is conducting a survey using reader participation.

THE RELIGION OF CONTRADICTIONS AND SQUARE CIRCLES

I have said for many years that Christendom is a religion of contradictions and square circles. Do you think I jest?

Jesus Himself acknowledged that He believed the Truth of these statements in Ezekiel 18 when He taught:

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in gehenna" (Matt. 10:28).

IMMORTAL SOUL?

I am now going to show you how to be smarter and more knowledgeable than most theologians in the world—(at least in this one little point). Okay; follow very closely, for we are going to get really really technical for a few minutes:

First: Can God "destroy the body?" Well, yes, of course He can, Jesus just said that He "is ABLE." So God "IS able to destroy the body." Now, I believe Jesus. I think that most of you believe Jesus. But, do orthodox pastors and theologians, believe Jesus? Yes, from all that I know, they do believe Jesus on this point.

Next: Can God "destroy the soul?" Well, yes, of course He can, Jesus just said that He "is ABLE." So God "IS able to destroy the soul." Now, I believe Jesus. I think that (some of) you believe Jesus. But, do orthodox pastors and theologians, believe Jesus? No, of course not. How can a soul which they teach is immortal, ever be "destroyed?" Now let’s proceed to some more "technical stuff":

God created humanity in two stages, not three (Gen. 2:7):

[1] "And the Lord God formed man [Heb: ‘adam, a human being’] of the dust [Heb: ‘aphar, powdered gray, hence clay’] of the ground [Heb: ‘adamah, soil’]

[2] "and breathed into his nostrils the breath [Heb: ‘n’shahmah, puff, wind’] of life [Heb: ‘chay, alive, life, living’] and man became [Heb: ‘hayah, exist, be, become, come to pass’] a living [Heb: ‘chay, alive, life, living’] soul [Heb: ‘nephesh, a breathing creature, animal, vitality, mind, mortality’]."

Well, there you have it: God’s abbreviated version of how He created humanity.

Let me next draw your attention to something that few Christians have ever seen, even though it is right before their eyes in every Bible on earth. I said that God created man in two stages rather than three. I emphasize this because theology teaches that God made man in three stages. Here is their unscriptural version: First God formed the man of the ground, Second God breathed life into the man, and Third God put an immortal soul into the man. If you doubt that this is what they teach, ask your pastor.

However, did we read of these fabled three stages of man’s creation in the Scripture quoted above? No, no we didn’t. We read of two things in man’s creation at the hands of God. First God formed the man of the ground, Second God breathed life into the man, and Third God…? God what? There ain’t no Third. "man became a living soul" is part of stage Two. There is no third stage. God did not "put an immortal soul into the man." Where do we read of such unscriptural nonsense?

God didn’t need to do anything after He breathed into him the breathe of life. It was the breath of life from God that caused the man to become a living soul. God didn’t put a soul into Adam; Adam is a living soul. The spirit of man, which God gives to every human, is like a light switch—Switch it ‘on’ and the light glows: Switch it ‘off’ and the light is dark, gone, dead. Put the spirit in the man, and the man is a living soul: take the spirit out of the man, and the man is a dead soul. Do you think that even your children could understand this Scriptural Truth? Perhaps you should teach them, and then they could teach your pastor.

The "body" of the deceased is gone forever. In resurrection to immortality, God gives everyone a new spiritual body. God can bring back the person in any "body" He desires. When God puts your "spirit" (not you soul) but your spirit (which has no consciousness) back into another body (as in a resurrection with a new spiritual body), the same real person/soul will live again. God can do this, but man can’t, so fear God.

DR. STRONG’S USE OF CONTRADICTIONS AND SQUARE CIRCLES

I personally use Dr. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. It is a most helpful book. However, when it comes to the major "damnable heresies" of Christendom, Dr. Strong plays the same game of contradictions and square circles, as do the pastors and theologians.

Next, let’s study Strong’s definition of soul in the Hebrew and soul in the Greek:

In the Hebrew Scriptures, soul is translated from, H5315 nephesh = neh'-fesh

From H5314; properly a breathing creature, that is, animal or (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental): - any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead (-ly), desire, X [dis-] contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart (-y), (hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortality, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they, thing, (X she) will, X would have it.

Say, did you catch that one word Dr. Strong used to define the soul—nephesh?

He used as a definition of "soul," the word "MORTALITY." How pray tell, can pastors, teachers, and theologians tell us that man’s soul is IMMORTAL, when the very definition of "soul—nephesh" is "MORTAL." Yes, of course, Godly men inspired by God’s Holy Spirit have always known that man is "mortal"—"Shall MORTAL man be more just than God…" (Job 4:17).

And so, what kind of a "living soul" did Adam become? Why a "living [mortal] soul," of course. Maybe that’s why Jesus also stated that "souls" can be "destroyed." We cannot separate the man from his soul in two different parts, as though the soul were something that existed independently of the body. For this reason, when the Bible speaks of "people" dying or being destroyed, it sometimes refers to them as "souls," for the soul is the person. Adam himself was the "living soul." (See: Joshua 10:28,35,37,39).

In the Greek Scriptures, soul is translated from, G5590 psuche¯ = psoo-khay'

"From G5594; breath, that is, (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from G4151, which is the rational and immortal soul; and on the other from G2222, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew [H5315], [H7307] and [H2416]: - heart (+ -ily), life, mind, soul, + us, + you."0

Next notice this statement in Strong’s definition of psuche above: "G4151, which is the rational and IMMORTAL SOUL." Oh really? Just like that? Noticed how casually Dr. Strong just dropped that little gem into his definition of soul. First he confirms the fact that the soul of man is MORTAL, but then quickly asserts that there is, however, another, different Greek word, which really does mean immortal soul, and it is the Greek word # 4151—pnuma.

Even though Dr. Strong knew the Hebrew word nephesh meant "mortal," and not "immortal" he nonetheless must be quick to inform us of his own personal heresy, and tell us that although the nephesh/soul of man is mortal, nevertheless man also possesses an "immortal" soul. And in so doing, we must conclude that that (‘mortal’ Job 4:17) man possesses two souls: one mortal and one immortal. Do Christians ever think about all these unscriptural heresies? Of course not. As we learned in the Army—"Ours is not to reason why; ours is but to do or die."

So the Greek word #4151 = pnuma, is the "immortal soul?" I would have never guessed: I always thought pnuma meant "spirit." You all know, I hope, that in the King James Version, the words "spirit" and "ghost" are translated from the exact same Greek word "pnuma," don’t you? Well, now you do.

Now, get this: pnuma is used in the Greek Scriptures approximately 360 times. And Dr. Strong tells us that this word pnuma IS the word for "immortal soul." So just how many times do you think this word is translated "immortal soul" out of the 360 verses which contain the Greek word pnuma?" Oh, go ahead—guess? Three hundred? Two hundred? Fifty? Ten? Three? One? Would you believe not even once? What about the "soul" by itself. How many times is pneuma translated "soul?" Three hundred? Two hundred? Fifty? Ten? Three? One? Would you believe none?

That’s right, none. Not once is this word pnuma, which Dr. Strong tells us is the proper word for "immortal soul," actually translated "immortal soul." It is always translated "spirit" [sometimes, ‘ghost’], but never "immortal soul." Nor is it even translated "soul" even without the prefix, "immortal."

NEW TESTAMENT JEWS BELIEVED OLD PAGAN DOCTRINES

The pagan teaching of an "immortal soul," was believed by all nations immediately following the flood, even though there is not a word concerning immortal souls or suffering in death in all of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Here are some of the things New Testament Jews believed long before there was a single New Testament Greek Scripture written:

THE SIN OF A MAN BORN BLIND

"And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?"

(John 9:1-2)

What? How, pray tell, could this blind man be responsible for his own blindness when we are plainly told that he was born blind? Not only did the disciples believe the pagan doctrine that the soul is immortal, but they believed that souls could transmigrate from one body to another body.

The idea that the disciples are presenting to Jesus is the pagan doctrine known today as "The transmigration of souls." This doctrine teaches that souls do not just live on, as in "immortal" after death, in some fabled hellhole of eternal torture, or some heaven on a rock in outer space, but rather that at death, the immortal soul migrates to inhabit the body of another person about to born into the world.

Many in the world today continue to believe in reincarnation and the transmigration of souls. There are some pagans who believe that the souls of the dead can also reappear in the life of a pig, snake, nor some other animal.

Seriously, why would Christ’s disciples believe that a man could have sinned before he was ever born?

But what is even more remarkable is the fact that Jesus did not correct them, but rather went along with and acquiesced to their pagan notions. Jesus did not demean their foolish statement or their foolish belief, but countered with:

"Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents…" (John 9:3).

Jesus spoke the truth, for truly this man had not sinned (however, Jesus did not inform them that it would have been impossible for him to sin before he was born). But Jesus did not expose this pagan heresy to His disciples at this time. For what possible reason would Jesus want to keep His own disciples deceived?

BEELZEBUB—Lord of the Flies

"But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, but by BEELZEBUB the prince of the devils

[ruler of the demons]" (Matt. 12:24).

Did Jesus believe in this mythological god of the pagans? Notice how Jesus answered these Pharisees:

"And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out?" (Verse 27).

Some might think that Jesus is conceding that He indeed believed in this Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies. How foolish. Jesus did not believe that pagan gods were real.

Notice what Strong’s says about Beelzebub:

Beelzeboul beh-el-zeb-ool' Of Chaldee origin (by parody upon [H1176]); dung god; Beelzebul, a name of Satan: - Beelzebub.

The Hebrew #1176 is Baal-Zebub which means "Lord of the fly." And as flies gather around dung, the Jews sarcastically referred to this deity of the Ekronites as the "god of dung," or "the dung god."

Did Jesus really believe that there is such a god as this Beelzebub, god of dung?

Of course He didn’t, but neither did He expose this pagan heresy to the Pharisees either.

REINCARNATION/TRANSMIGRATION OF SOULS

On another occasion:

"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that You are John the Baptist: some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets" (Matt. 16:13-14).

Some even thought that He might be John the Baptist, which is really strange, seeing that Jesus was already the same age as John, when John was beheaded.

Did Jesus Christ believe in reincarnation and the transmigration of immortal souls? Where did this teaching come from, and why does Jesus make reference to it? Why didn’t Jesus expose this pagan heresy to His disciples instead of going along with their false statements?

PARABLES - THE RICH MAN IN HELL/HADES

"And in hell

[Gk: ‘hades’] he [the Rich man] lift up his eyes, being in torment, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom" (Luke 16:23).

The Egyptians called their place of punishment in the underworld, amenti. When the Greeks borrowed most of the Egyptian myths surrounding this place called amenti, they called it by the name hades.

Thomas Thayer supports Professor Stuart, Greppo's Essay, and Spineto, that: "The Amenti of the Egyptians originated the classic fables of Hades and Tartarus." (Doctrine of Eternal Punishment, Chapt. 3, P. 7).

Did Jesus believe that when people die, they are consciously alive and tormented in the pagan hell of the Greeks named after their pagan god, hades?

Why would Jesus use pagan religious doctrines and beliefs to teach spiritual truths of God? Haven’t these things deceived the Church and caused the many different denominations of Christendom? Yes, of course they have, and so have all the parables which Jesus taught that virtually no Church understands. The Church does not even understand the few parables that Jesus explained!

How many theologians believe and understand that all the parables are the same parable? Tis true:

"And He [Jesus] said unto them, Know you not this parable? And how then shall you know all parables? (Mark 4:13).

All parables are the same parable. I know: it boggles the mind. It takes the Spirit of God to understand these spiritual teachings.

And just as when Jesus said: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," no one understands what He meant until it was fulfilled. Everyone thought he meant the literal physical stone temple rather than His own body.

Likewise, only the "Chosen few" can understand the parables as they are fulfilled in their own lives, generation by generation, until the parables are fulfilled.

The Jews of Jesus’ day learned these pagan teachings referred to above, plus many more, but from where did they learn them? For a fact they did not learn them from Moses, the Prophets, or Hebrew Scriptures. Who taught these pagan doctrines? Can we trace back such doctrines as "the immortality of the soul," "reincarnation," "consciousness and everlasting punishment after death?" Yes, we can.

EGYPT—THE GRANDSON OF NOAH

The Scriptural origin of Egypt is extremely easy to trace, though don’t expect many in the secular world to agree with this:

"The sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth"

(Gen. 10:1).

"And the sons of Ham, Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan"

(Gen. 10:6).

"H4714 Dual of H4693; Mitsrajim, that is, Upper and Lower Egypt: - Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim."

There it is: "Mizraim," Noah’s grandson through his son Ham is EGYPT.

Egypt is mentioned from Genesis to Revelation--558 times (more than any other nation excepting Israel). This statistic alone should speak volumes to us regarding the importance of Egypt in God’s plan for humankind. It behooves us to learn more about the nation of Egypt, its history, its culture, and its religion. It has everything to do with understanding the many unscriptural doctrines of the Christian Church.

BIBLICAL CHRONOLOGY

In this Installment on hell, I want to take you back to the beginning of things as far as possible. The main object I have in mind is to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the teaching of life immediately following death, the immortality of the soul, and the teaching of a hell wherein the wicked are punished and/or tortured endlessly, are all inventions of the ancient pagans, centuries before the people of Israel began to believe and teach these doctrines, or even before Israel existed.

Accurate chronology to date some of these developments is difficult for sure. That is not to say we cannot get the order of things in proper sequence even if we may be off on the actual dates. We do not know the exact date for creation, or for the flood, or for the birth of Abraham. Nonetheless, if we believe and have faith in the Scriptures: for sure we know that the Creation came first, then a couple of thousand years later came the flood, and a few hundred years later Abraham was born.

Most chronologists and archaeologists place known historical events somewhat further back in time than can be accurately proved. Known historical events as the uniting of Upper and Lower Egypt at the founding of Memphis under Pharaoh Menes is placed around 3100 B.C. This may be a few hundred years too early.

Ussher’s chronology would put the flood of Noah’s day at a little less than 2300 B.C. But this hardly fits the Secular date for Menes uniting Egypt eight hundred years earlier (earlier than the life of Ham and Mizriam, the ancestors of the Egyptians). However, if we were to adopt the chronology of the Septuagint, we would have possibly 1500 more years to work with (5500 Septuagint date minus 4004 Ussher’s date). Hence the date of 3100 B.C. for Menes uniting Egypt may be closer to the Biblical chronology than thought, plus allowing a few centuries for the settling and populating of Egypt previously under many local kings and rulers.

Interestingly, the secular chronology of Egypt puts the development of hieroglyphic writing at 3400 B.C., which would put their early history within the range of the Septuagint chronology. These dates are all approximations at best.

THE BEGINNING OF NATIONS AND THE SPREAD OF CIVILIZATION

As we shall see, there are some vestiges of truth concerning God and creation found in the ancient religious beliefs of the Egyptians. For example, the teaching in every nation that the human race was saved on a boat during a flood. However, many strange and unscriptural doctrines regarding the origin of man and the afterlife also were birthed in these ancient civilizations. There is a Scripture given us by the Apostle Paul which precisely describes the process by which the different civilizations totally corrupted the Truths of God immediately following the flood (Rom. 1:18-23).

We saw earlier that Egypt descended from Mizriam, son of Ham, son of Noah. Next let’s look at another descendant of Ham through his first son, Cush:

"And Cush begat NIMROD: he began to be a mighty one in the earth… and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel…" (Gen. 10:7 & 10).

Concerning Babel, we read this:

"And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of SHINAR: and they dwelt there" (Gen. 11:1-2).

Shinar was located in a portion of what became Babylonia in Mesopotamia. There they began to build a tower and there God:

"…confounded their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth…" (Gen. 11:7-8).

Notice that Noah lived an additional 350 years after the flood (Gen. 9:28), and it was his grandson Nimrod who established a civilization in Shinar where they built a tower. And so the scattering of the people into different languages and different nations, occurred long before the death of Noah, just this side of the flood. Chapter 10 first gives us the names of the sons and grandsons of Ham, Shem, and Japheth, and then in chapter 11, it goes back in time and explains how all these nations received their different languages (See Gen 10:5), and how God scattered them abroad over the land. So the building of nations and civilizations began very shortly on this side of the flood in the very lifetime of Noah.

There appears to be plenty of time for Egypt to be established into a powerful nation under the Pharaohs in the space of a few hundred years when w

You must first create an account to post.