By: General James Green
THIS QUESTION IS FOUND on the front page of TIME magazine (April, 25, 2011). This question is in response to rogue pastor Rob Bell’s argument about salvation and judgment…in which he has disturbed many Evangelicals. “Well, what about HELL, pastor Bell?”
On page 38 one third of the page is printed in BIG black letters: IS HELL DEAD? I can answer this even before our study begins. NO! HELL is not DEAD!!! Pastor Bell’s theology has hit the religious / theological skids, not God’s Word. He is just one more avant-garde Church leader to fall for satan’s lie.
HELL is not on trial here—that has forever been settled by Jesus Himself— these “politically correct” “no-HELL—love-wins” folks are on trial. Bell used to believe what God’s Word taught. What changed his mind? I’m not about to re-write TIME’s whole article, but I will highlight some of it, I already have 5 booklets put together already.
How Stupid!!
BELL’S CONTROVERSIAL new best seller, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person who Ever Lived, is just one more pulp book that is contrary to Scripture. But this kinda stuff $ell$! Who really wants to believe that there really is a HELL and it is now occupied by many, like Bell, who didn’t believe they would end up there?
We cannot magnify God’s love by minimizing His holy hatred for sin, His holy wrath against sin. After all, it is He who makes the rules, not some I-don’t-want-to-believe-in-HELL person or persons. The N.T. has its share of warnings and pleadings to unrepentant sinning “Christians” and unbelievers. I’ve studied this subject for 40 years now and I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where there is universalism, annihilation, unbelievers get a chance after death to repent (called postmortem evangelism), or even purgatory. I cover all this in our free HELL booklets, so I won’t go into all this with you.
What I think happens to these people—who switch sides—is insofar as our culture is secularized, it PRESSURES ALL of those who firmly believe in God’s Word. The world’s people want to believe that they will go to Heaven no matter how in the HELL they live. This goes for most Church folks today also.
You see, the world does not always disbelieve in God, His Truths, but they just want a “secularized” faith. They simply make His truth seem inconsequential. Others, as one pastor/ author wrote, “have spawned a deep-seated relativism, which reduces truth to personal preference”. The “Christian” homosexual movement has done this. Our pastor / author just mentioned went on to say, “What is worse, it is uncivil in a culture that tolerates many moral vices but will not tolerate what is religiously uncivil.” This has sparked the current “cultural attitudes” war.
New Exegetical Discoveries?
FOR CENTURIES NOW THE CHURCH (universal) has believed in the necessity of God’s Wrath / judgment / punishment, now, all of a sudden many, many don’t believe this anymore. What new exegetical discoveries have we to believe in?
For the homosexual movement it is “God created me gay”. Really? Where is your proof—scientifically or Biblically? I’ve asked for proof now for years but not one single proof has been offered. The same goes for the HELL debate. Show me in Scripture where God changed His mind about eternal punishment. I’ve studied every single text these “no HELL / no punishment” scholars come up with to no avail—HELL is still there.
The World Loves Skeptics
RAGS LIKE TIME WOULDN’T BE INTERESTED in pro-Biblical articles. True, they use some, (limited) only as they are shown to be intolerant, biased, bigoted, hateful and here, undermining the Biblical exegesis of HELL.
TIME quotes Evangelical pastor and Bible scholar John Piper; Piper tweeted, “Farewell, Rob Bell.” TIME writes, “unilaterally attempting to evict Bell from the Evangelical community.” How does TIME know this? I took it to mean that Rob Bell himself has LEFT the historical Church through his new heretical deviation, his newly discovered exegetical “worldview.”
Is HELL An Evangelical Doctrine, A Baptist Doctrine?
ACTUALLY IT IS A BIBLICAL DOCTRINE based on divine revelation. Albert Mohler Jr., President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says Bell’s book is “Theologically disastrous. Any of us should be concerned when a matter of Theological importance if played with in a subversive way.” I’ll say “AMEN” to that and I’m not a Baptist.
“Universalism” has become the Emergent Church’s darling to make love with. The Bible NOWHERE teaches this; I go into all those “proof texts” these folks use to prove it. And naturally, this heresy is LOVED by the world for it erases the distinction between the Church and the world—no longer does the world need a savior, so, Jesus died in vain. And this darling is rooted and grounded in the non-judgmental god who will eventually save EVERYBODY! HA! They wish!!
British philosopher John Hick (1922- ) has been pushing this heresy for years now. Bell, like Hick changed his Biblical view on HELL, he now calls eternal punishment a “grim fantasy”, and “a serious perversion of the Christian Gospel”. Sorry about that, Mr. philosopher, but your new found fantasy is actually a “grim fantasy”.
Universalism espouses the belief that in the end ALL humans will be saved. All these heretics are repulsed at the Truth of “endless punishment”, for, they say, it is incompatible with Jesus’ message of LOVE. What these folks have now put out of their minds is the fact that love necessitates wrath against sin.
Listen, quit griping about God inflicting perpetual torment upon those in HELL!!! It is their SINS, unconfessed / un-repented of that lands them there — this is why God is love, He makes an escape thru the Cross of Calvary.
Hick is famous for his Copernican revolution in Theology; a shift from a Christianity-centered or Jesus-centered to a God-centered model of the universe of faiths—all faiths will go to heaven without going thru Jesus.
And with this in place, Jesus, the Son of God incarnate is not literally true. Well, Jesus is not only true, but He is THE WAY, THE LIFE, and THE TRUTH.
Preachers Fear HELL!
THESE FEARFUL FEAR THE TEACHING of HELL, it scares the HELL out of them, well, almost. They love to view God as the old man upstairs who is compassionate, all loving, non-judgmental, not someone who’s going to PUNISH sinners with eternal damnation.
What do we make of Matthew 18:8, 9? Here Jesus mentions “everlasting life”, (same Gk. word!) (v. 8) and “hell fire” in v. 9. Once we have given up (dismissed) on wrath, sin, judgment, universalism will naturally follow as truth. But let’s be Biblical, Rob: wrath measures sin, produces judgment, and necessitates the Cross. God’s Wrath / punishment is hardly mentioned in most churches today. We should lament the neglect of the doctrine of HELL; instead churches are happy to preach and teach “God loves you” (no matter how in the hell you live!).
Outmoded or Ignored?
SOME BELIEVE THAT THE DOCTRINE of HELL has become outmoded, not suitable for our “enlightened” generation. The ones who just can’t dismiss it—for they see it in the Bible—instead they just ignore it. One pastor / educator stated: “HELL has disappeared and no one noticed.”
Queer?
DON’T YOU FIND IT queer (strange) that all these scholars that deny wrath / punishment love to teach / preach / lecture about “God is love”, Heaven is eternal and will eventually receive ALL in the end. They use the same Greek word “aionios” (from “aion”), as fact for eternal bliss (Heaven) as we do for eternal damnation (HELL). “And these shall go away into everlasting (or eternal) punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (KJV Matt. 25:46).
The RSV uses the Greek word “eternal”; the KJV uses “everlasting.” The eternal / everlasting punishment refers to v. 41: “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting / eternal FIRE, prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Let’s deal with the word “eternal” here: “aion” means “perpetuity, age, course, eternal, (for) ever (-more), (n-) ever, without end”. The Gk. “aionios” means “perpetual (used of the future), eternal, for ever, everlasting”. This word can mean “a limited time, an age”, but always means “never-ending” when speaking of HELL.
Verses 41 and 46 picture Gehenna as entirely conventional. Cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses (Watchtower Society) teach that HELL is the tomb, the grave. They say that HELL (as the Bible declares it) is a God-dishonoring religious doctrine and satan is the promulgator of it. In “Let God Be True,” page 80, we read “The doctrine of a burning hell where the wicked are tortured eternally after death cannot be true, mainly for 4 reasons: 1) it is wholly unscriptural; 2) it is unreasonable; 3) it is contrary to God’s love; and 4) it is repugnant to justice.” Well, all 4 reasons are un-Scriptural! Long before some of these Evangels jumped ship, old heretics like the JW’s have denied HELL’S eternal duration. Of course Russell was neither a Hebrew nor Greek scholar, (write for our tract proving this).
All these “no HELL” folks are dishonest in their exegesis, they present “eternal”/ “everlasting” as “never-ending” for Heaven, but deny it means the same for HELL. It is the same Greek word, folks.
In Matthew 5:22 Gehenna (Gk) is portrayed as literally “The Hell of Fire”, in 10:28 coupled with “apolesai” “to be delivered up to eternal misery” (Thayer, p. 64). It indicates everlasting misery, and in Matthew 18:9 the same words corroborate 5:22, “The Hell of Fire”. Gehenna is not the smoldering furnaces of Hinnom waiting to go completely out forever. Gehenna is (was) the symbol of eternal separation in conscious torment by fire which is unquenchable (see Isa. 66:24). Those who are separated from God’s eternal life, live in eternal death…which will never be annihilated.
Eternal Darkness?
SOME GET CONFUSED over Jesus’ saying in Matthew 8:11, 12 of being “cast out into outer darkness” (I cover all this in our HELL booklets). Matthew 22:13; 2 Peter 2:17; Jude 13 uses the same phraseology. “If HELL is FIRE how can it be DARKNESS?” people ask. Darkness is the absent of light, and God is light. NO eternal life / light = eternal darkness of soul. Fire is for the body. Even if “fire” is figurative, not literal, still we don’t have to go there—Jesus made provision by His death.
Do You Have A Problem?
I NEVER HEAR THESE CRY BABIES BEMOANING satan’s fate, the beast, the false prophet, even demons in HELL forever. The Bible says that they will be tormented (Gk.: “basanisthesontai”) day and night into the everlasting (“aionas”) of the ever lasting, (see Rev. 20:10). Here the Greek word “basanizo” literally means “to torment”, “to be harassed”, “to torture”, “to vex with grievous pains” (see Thayer, p. 96 [b]), and is used throughout the NT to denote GREAT PAIN and CONSCIOUS MISERY, not annihilation or cessation of consciousness, or extinction. Good luck, Rob Bell, on annihilation of HELL!
You may want to check out the following verses where “basanizo” is used to exhibit God’s Truth about His eternal justice:
Matt. 8:6, 29; Mk. 5:7; Lk. 8:28; Rev. 14:10, 11. (See Thayer and Tiddell and Scott and other good Greek scholars).
Treason / Mutiny from Within
THIS TREASONOUS / MUTINOUS ACTIVITY is shocking a lot of Christians. It should. I personally feel that some get bored with their religion, therefore they rebel in order to get some excitement in their rather placid and boring lives. This always catches the attention of the world, so, like Bell, they get lots of “good” coverage. I’m not saying Bell did this, but some certainly have.
TIME asked, “Is Bell’s Christianity—less judgmental, more fluid, open to questioning the most ancient of assumptions—on an inexorable rise?” Bell answered, “I have long wondered if there is a massive shift coming in what it means to be a Christian…something new is in the air.” Well now, Reverend Bell, this “shift” is nothing more than deceiving spirits at work. But what Evangel leader knows about demons, how they work, how to rid one’s self of them? FEW!
When the question of homosexuality emerged, many were swept up (“caught up”, like “raptured”) in this new shift of things—now we have whole denominations / organizations queer, queer marriages, transgenderism, etc. etc. The same will happen with this “no HELL” LIE — it will grow and dumb believers will be “caught up” in its ideophrenia, becoming insular from Biblical Truth.
Eschatological musings can turn into full-blown mutiny.
These disgruntled folks (at God’s Word) are becoming more and more hostile towards a faith of exclusion—the lost remaining lost. Well, trying to change God’s Word to fit into today’s culture, is madness.
Bell’s gripe is whether the (blood) redemption promised in Christian tradition is LIMITED to those who meet the tests of the Church. Hey pastor, God’s Word settled this way before there was a New Testament Church! The Old Testament is full of wrathful sayings and doings, and they are also found in the New Testament. Who are you to question the Bible? If we are Christians, then we adhere to its teachings. “Feelings” won’t settle anything for you. Most religions have ideas of heaven and hell—they may be called by different names, but the principle is there.
Gandhi?
GANDHI’S NAME was brought up in TIME’S article. Someone brought up the reality check that Gandhi was in hell. This upset Bell. Why? Because Gandhi was a good man? Well, Jesus dealt with “good men” of His day — He still told them that they must be born-again to enter Heaven. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were “good” according to the law, but Jesus said, “I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise ENTER into the Kingdom of Heaven” —Matthew 5:20. That is the only place this truth is found. Why does Bell not believe Jesus’ Words?
Good works done by good workers won’t get one into heaven. In fact, to be Biblical, look up all the verses where works are contrasted with faith / grace. We can’t get into Heaven by doing good works, but by believing and receiving. Good works follow as we become Christian. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us this: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Verse 10 carries it further: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…” I’m sure Rev. Bell quoted this dozens of times before he fell away.
“No Hell” Dismisses Other Scriptures
—LIKE THE ABOVE ONES. We are to believe the above verses—why wouldn’t we?—and they clearly teach that the only way to be saved (from HELL!!) is through the provision that God has provided (“by grace”), which is The Blood Atonement of Jesus Christ the Lord!!! “Works” or “being good” cannot save us. We must be saved by the grace of God. “Why?” you ask. Well, let me do what these once Bible-believing leaders once did: give you the reasons.
1) ALL the unsaved are spiritually dead in sins, (Eph. 2:1), under the dominion of satan, (v. 2), enslaved to sin, (v. 3), and under the condemnation of God, (v. 3). This is basic Bible study material.
2) In order to get saved (from HELL!!) one must receive God’s provision of eternal salvation (vv. 4-5), be forgiven of sin, (Romans 4:7-8), be made spiritually alive, (Col. 1:13), be delivered from satan’s power and sin, (Col. 1:13), be made a new creature (creation), (Eph. 2:10; 2 Cor. 5:17), and receive the Holy Spirit, (John 7:37-39; 20:22). No amount of “self-effort” can accomplish all this. Never!!
3) Salvation (redemption) is by God’s grace thru faith, (vv. 5, 8) His free gift of grace, that we request, it is not just pushed on us because it is free and available. It works like this:
a) First comes the call to repentance and faith, (Acts 2:38). With this call comes the work of the Holy Spirit’s overshadowing, giving them the power and ability to respond. When I received Christ in 1971, I felt the Holy Spirit’s presence very strong, I wanted to give up my sins, He gave me the power to do so.
b) Those who respond in faith and repentance and accept Christ Jesus as Lord (Master) and Savior receive additional grace to be regenerated or being born again by the Spirit. This is what Jesus was trying to tell the religious leader and Pharisee in (John 3:3, 5), (we have teachings on regeneration). You see, Nicodemus was a “good man” but LOST! If we can’t believe Jesus’ discussion on how to be saved, who are we to believe? Rob Bell?
c) Those who are made new creatures receive continuing grace to live the genuine Christian life, power to resist sin, and serve God, (Romans 8:13, 14; 2 Cor. 9:8).
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Works followed salvation. Why believe that those “good people” who do all those “good works” aside from Christ, Christ will take them all to heaven? These universalists ought to know better.
And NO!, not all religions lead to God. All must go thru Jesus to get to the Father God. Jesus Himself taught this: “I AM the WAY, The TRUTH, and the LIFE: NO man cometh unto the Father, but by ME” — Jn. 14:6 — Jesus. Are we to believe our “feelings” rather than Jesus’ very own Words?
Paul wrote of Jesus in Ephesians 2:18 this: “For thru Him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Are we to call Paul a liar? “Access”, means that we who have faith in Christ have the freedom and right to approach our heavenly Father with confidence that we will be accepted, loved, and welcomed. This “access” is gained thru Christ alone by His blood shed on the Cross (Eph. 2:13).
Backsliders like Bell, McLaren, Selmanivoc, Tickle, Warren etc., etc. have forsaken the TRUTH for a LIE! This is not new, Paul asked the Galatians (3:1), “Who hath BEWITCHED you, that ye should not obey the Truth,…received ye the (Holy) Spirit by works of the law, or by the hearing of faith (v. 2)? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect (whole / mature) by the flesh (v. 3)?” Apparently these NO HELL folks believe that they can perfect themselves by Works of the flesh and believe that the unsaved can make Heaven by “good works” apart from the saving grace of God thru faith in the crucified and risen Christ.
Hear This
ONE EMERGENT SPOKESMAN WROTE: “…God’s table is welcoming to all who seek, and if any religion is to win, may it be the one that produces people who are the most loving (a slam at Bible only folks!) the humble (we’re considered proud!), the most Christ-like (without Christ how can one be like Him?), whatever the meaning of ‘salvation’ and ‘judgment’, we Christians are going to be saved by grace, like everyone else, and judged by our works, like everyone else.” This is Emergent Bull!
God’s Word no where tells that sinners will be saved without going thru Christ. And the unrepentant sinner—religious or not—his / her “works” will in no wise count for anything in God’s Kingdom! One MUST be born again of incorruptible seed. 1 Peter plainly tells us that men “are not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from vain conversation (e.g., lifestyle) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious BLOOD OF Christ…who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God…Being BORN AGAIN, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God…and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you” — 1 Pet. 1:18-25. When these backsliders tell the unsaved they will ALL go to Heaven, they LIE!
The Bible says that ALL men are born in sin, i.e., corrupt seed; being born again we are born with incorrupt seed, which is Christ.
Sounds Christian
LET ME QUOTE the last part of S. Selmanovic’s disinformation: “We Christians are going to be saved by grace…” That sounds Christian enough, but if you didn’t know the Emergent Churches’ twisted definition, one might conclude, IT IS Christian. Let me tell you their definition of “grace” (as their Top gun, McLaren has it), he asserts that we need to redefine—actually de-construct—what it means to be Protestant, and come together in an “all-embracing” Christendom. They mean “grace” includes unrepentant sinners. This naturally cuts out the blood atonement of Christ, we don’t need a Savior, we save ourselves. So, “self” becomes one’s “god”. This is New Age BULL!
McLaren rants against Bible-believing Christians, accuses them of “religious prejudice” (as he did at Islam’s Ramadan in 2009, when he embraced their bloody and hateful religion!!). I now quote part of His anti-Christian rant:
“May your voice of truth call us to question the prejudices and misconceptions about you and about one another that we learned from well-meaning but misinformed authority figures, even when they thought they were speaking in your name.” The Muslim’s Quran teaches World domination, not the kind of junk McLaren believes.
Islam’s dream is to rid this world of Bible-believing Christians. I’m sure they LOVED this stupid recreant’s rant.
I don’t mind telling my readers that the number ONE “misinformed authority figure” this fool rejects is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Christ-rejection is the core basis of Emergent’s “inclusive grace”.
Now we have Rob Bell joining this team of religious buffoons. You can write for our dozens of tracts / booklets that expose bloody Islam and our booklet exposing the Emergent Church.
What the HELL?
BELL, AS POINTED OUT IN TIME, believes that Christ was sacrificed for the sins of humanity and that the prospect of a place of eternal torment seems irreconcilable with God’s love. We’ve already covered this. Bell used the word “seems”. Seem = “to appear; look; have the resemblance of Truth or fact; pretend” (Webster’s Dictionary). Here is his problem, where was God’s love for the Jews in 70 A.D.? Where was His love for His people during the Babylonian invasion?, the Assyrian invasion?, the many times we can read where God personally killed His rebellious people or had their enemies do it.
Bell and HELL
THIS CONFUSED PASTOR / mega-Church leader writes in his silly book, “At the center of the Christian Tradition since the first Church have been a number who insist that history is not tragic, hell is not forever, and love, in the end, wins and all will be reconciled to God.” May I remind this confused pastor that MOST did not believe what he just wrote. The ones who did were counted as heretics. Nowhere, nowhere in God’s Word do we find that ALL will eventually be saved!!! Prove it to me! Even that verse that says “All Israel will be saved” — I have dismantled that before. The word “All” can be used as a hyperbole or literally, depending on the context. You must pray and study your Bible! There it does not take on the literal meaning of “All.” However, the Bible says that HELL’S FIRE will NEVER go out nor the worm EVER DIE; and here, the context definitely signifies that HELL’S FIRE WILL LAST FOREVER.
Get Serious, TIME
THE WRITER OF THE TIME ARTICLE has his say-so too, not just Bell; he writes:
“Still, the dominant view of the righteous in heaven and the damned in hell owes more to the artistic legacy of the West, from Michelangelo to Dante to Bloke, than it does to history or to unambiguous Biblical teachings.” Wow! Another DUMB-DUMB! I challenge this reporter to give me Scripture supporting his ridiculous piece of disinformation!
We’re not calling history to history class here, we’re calling upon God’s Holy Word to speak for itself. While it is true that HELL wasn’t fully understood in O.T. Times, but Jesus cleared all this up for us in the N.T. This is what counts.
Get This
THE WRITER FOR TIME turns real spiritual here (of course, he writes for an anti-Christian magazine): “Things many Christian believers take for granted are more complicated than they seem. It was only when Jesus failed to return soon after the Passion and Resurrection appearances that the early church was compelled to make sense of its recollections of his teachings. Like the Bible — a document that often contradicts itself and from which one can construct sharply different arguments — theology is the product of human hands and hearts. What many believers in the 21st century accept as immutable doctrine was first formulated in the fog and confusion of the 1st century, a time when the followers of Jesus were baffled and overwhelmed by their experience of losing their Lord; many had expected their Messiah to be a Davidic military leader, not an atoning human sacrifice.”
There you have it; The center of the Emergent Church’s teaching is that you can’t trust the Bible; it is full of mistakes, contradicts itself, it is men’s theories blah, blah, blah. Well, let’s turn it upon them, why do they believe their pet doctrines as truth?
It is overweening to say that the Biblical doctrine was put together in the time of “fog” and “confusion”, therefore it can’t be trusted. As if the overshadowing of God’s Spirit CAN’T think straight during a stressful period. What a way to view God’s New Testament! Why, we love autobiographies of men and women who wrote under stressful, hateful, murderous times. Are we to call them liars? To say that God can’t anoint a person in difficult times is the height of foolishness. Why even call yourself “Christian” at all?
At Least!
AT LEAST OUR WRITER admits that the N.T. speaks of HELL / Gehenna. He admits Jesus teachings about it, even quotes Him. BUT then he throws up “there is a contrary scriptural trend that suggests, as Jesus puts it, that the gates of hell shall not finally prevail, that God will wipe away every tear—not just the tears of Evangelical Christians, but the tears of all.” What a twisted view of what the Bible really teaches. First, let me put forth the “gates of hell” angle this guy uses.
Gates of HELL
THERE ARE TWO VIEWS held by the Church, both are correct.
1) The “gates of hell” (Gk. “the machinations and powers of the invisible world”). In ancient times the “gates” of fortified cities were used to hold councils in, and were usually places of strength. Jesus’ expression (Matt. 16:18) “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (the Ekklesia / Church built upon Christ Himself, not Peter as the Roman Catholic Church believes) means, that neither the plots, stratagems, nor strength of satan and his demons, should ever so far prevail as to destroy the sacred truths in Peter’s confession: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (v. 14). Sometimes the “gates” are taken for the troops which issue out from them: we may believe, that though HELL should open her gates, and send out her wicked devils, to fight against Christ and His saints, ruin and destruction must be the consequence on their part; as the arm of the Omnipotent must and will prevail. This is the Typical belief. Our writer makes us believe that the “gates of hell” will not always hold sinners / the lost captive, Christ will rescue them. This is strictly his imagination, not Scriptural.
While evil / wickedness / spiritual death do hold the unsaved in captivity, Christ’s TRUTH will prevail against their gates. The Gospel will be presented to the lost and those who CHOOSE to be saved will become Christ’s captives. This is WAR!
Second View
WHILE THE FIRST view is true, I personally believe the second is also true.
The “gates of hell” represent satan and all his wickedness, he holds humans captive as opposed to Jesus liberating, rescuing, saving those who are captive, this is what Ephesians 4:8-11 is all about. When Jesus arose from death, “He ascended up on high, he led captivity captive….” Verse 9 uses verbs like “ascended” and “descended”. What we call “asides” in dramatic dialogue can be very revealing. Paul is reinterpreting an O.T. passage so as to apply it to Christ of the N.T. The drama of the Incarnation is vivid background for all N.T. thought. Readers are reminded of it even in a parenthesis. Christ in the historic creeds is the Chief actor in the story of divine descent. He is the Son of God, not just one of many gods, who for us captives of sin / satan, salvation came down from heaven.
Paul cited Psalm 68:18, which was applied to Moses in a well-established Tradition of rabbinical interpretation, and referred to his “ascension” of Mt. Sinai to receive the law (Ex. 19). Scholars point out that the form of the citation corresponds neither to the Hebrew of the Masoretic Texts nor the Septuagint, which runs: “Thou didst ascend on high, thou leadest captivity captive, thou didst receive gifts among men.” The “gifts”, as the rabbis wrote, “received gifts for men”, i.e., received the Torah, that Moses might give it to mankind; and one of the Targums actually uses the rendering “gave gifts to men”, the same as Ephesians 4:8b says.
Furthermore, the argument is that an “ascent” implies a “descent”. The psalm, since it affirms that he ascended, can apply only to one who had also descended into the lower parts of the earth (Eph. 4:9), i.e., to a heavenly Redeemer.
Paul goes on to state in v. 10 “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heaven, that He might fill all things.” What things?
John 3:13 states, “No one has ascended into heaven but He who descended from heaven, The Son of man.” Why, for what purpose? Our backslid Baptist ought to tell you, not me. But I will tell both him and my readers. The descent of the Son of God, the Logos / Word is a descent through the spheres; the ascent is His triumphant return through the same spheres, with the OVERTHROW of the opposition of satan and his wicked spirits, who held humans in captivity. Paul, in Ephesians 6:12, speaks of these things, calling them principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places.
The Word of God / Logos, God in flesh (called Jesus the Christ) descended from eternity of eternities, took upon Himself a human body, fought and won the battle for souls, my soul, your soul. Colossians 2:14 tells us that Jesus blotted out all that was against us (referring to the Law of Moses, i.e., the commandments which pointed to right conduct but could not give eternal life or the power to obey God (see Gal. 3:21). So, “Salvation” thru the O.T. covenant has been nailed to the Cross—as Col. 2:14b tells us—establishing a better covenant thru Jesus Christ and by His Spirit (look up 2 Cor. 3:6-9; Heb. 8:6-13; 10:16, 17, 29; 12:24).
To my point: Col. 2:15 tells us that “having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” This is WHY Christ came, to destroy the principalities / powers that held men captive…He did it by and through His DEATH, the very death the Emergent Church MOCKS!!!
You see, Jesus Christ, by giving up His earthly life (by being crucified), He STRIPPED satanic powers of their power to hold men captive. The “gates of HELL” did not prevail. But this victory is conditional, men must receive Christ as their personal Savior. This is what Bell and gang hate about Christianity, well, genuine Christianity. If men could free themselves by themselves, Jesus would not be needed. Even the Hebrews / Jews could not be saved apart from (trying) to keep the Law. If they could not do it what makes us believe that all other religions can do it, let alone the irreligious?
So
CHRIST DESCENDED FROM HEAVEN, entered time / earth, fought and triumphed over the “gates of HELL” that held men captive, was crucified, rose from the dead and took the captives of satan as His Captives.
Early Christian belief believes that Ephesians 4:9 — “the lower parts of the earth” — meant Christ’s descent into Hades, the place where the living dead were kept, both righteous and unrighteous. He certainly did not capture the unrighteous, only those who died in faith—something our recreant friends hate!
Filling All Things
“…THAT HE MIGHT FILL ALL THINGS” (4:10b). No Christianity is conceivable unless it is based and remains based upon the Truth of “coming down”, a raising again, and a further descent by way of the gift of The Holy Spirit, “that He might fill all things.” This Truth is not just another philosophy; but THE GOOD NEWS that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead so as to resurrect the spiritually dead and impart eternal life to them.
The Second Truth Continued
WHILE MOST CHRISTIANS BELIEVE that the gates of HELL not being able to prevail, always picture the people of God on the defensive. The “Church” is not some great castle, setting alone on a gigantic rock, surrounded by a moat, and being attacked by legions of demons from all sides. The hordes of enemies, who are the Infantry from HELL, launch assault after assault, and although they are persistent in their attacks, their efforts are unavailing because God’s soldiers are within the castle, the great gates are shut tight, and the vigilance is never relaxed…so this story goes. There is no doubt most of it is true, nevertheless I would like to continue to present what I believe is missing in too many churches today.
While the “defensive” position is true, is this all Matt. 16:18 is about? While I also believe that Christ’s TRUE Church will NEVER be destroyed, evil demons have, are, and will continue to beat Churchianity at this war. But I’m sure Jesus, when He made this statement, He did not have the apostate Church in mind, but His true and faithful Church in mind—His Spirit Army.
God’s Spirit Army is not to remain on the “defensive”, but on the “OFFENSIVE”, not shut up in some church somewhere hoping to “hang on ‘till the going on comes on’”. It is the gates of HELL, not the gates of the Church, that are to be stormed. And we know that HELL’S gates are not impervious and they shall not prevail against God’s Spirit / Airborne Warriors!!!
Satan has all but convinced the Church defenders that a Saturday or Sunday church meeting—in a nice fellowship, with nice people, in nice clothes, is all that’s required. Not only has satan and his demons got too many Christians shut up, sealed up inside their walled castles of Church ideologies, he has, as I am showing you, got them literally fighting for him, on his side!…all this while the gates of HELL are left unchallenged. TO HELL with HELL, it is time to attack his position and take captive his captives. This is called old-time Gospel work. Have we forgotten??
Our Commission (Matt. 28:19) is NOT primarily to play Church lullabies, it is not to comfort and buttress one another, but to ARISE and ATTACK — PENETRATE THE GATES OF HELL AND SET THE CAPTIVES FREE.
Millions and Millions
MILLIONS AWAIT OUR ATTACK, dear ones. The New Testament is reticent about life after death — HELL is still a Hideous Reality, we can’t free those already there but we can prevent millions from this fiery fate if we prevail against the gates of HELL.
Wipe Away Tears?
NOW TO ANSWER our TIME writer about “God will wipe away ever tear—not just the tears of Evangelical Christians, but the tears of all.” Just where does this guy find such a statement in the Bible? We know the first part “God will wipe away every tear” is found in Rev. 7:17 and in 21:4. Let’s take Rev. 7:17 first—are the unrepentant sinners mentioned in chapter 7? 7:1 speaks about the 144,000 that are sealed, these were the faithful out of the 12 Tribes of Israel, not the pagans; verse 9 speaks of “a great multitude…of (as out of) all nations, kindreds, peoples, tongues…clothed in white.” The Bible tells us that only those who have been SAVED and their sins WASHED AWAY by the blood of Jesus, wear white robes—never are the unsaved pictured so, (see v. 13, 14). Our writer quotes the last part of verse 17, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,” the ones that “washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (v. 14).
Revelations 21:4—here is the second Scripture about “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Who are these people? John tells us in 21:2, 3 that they are God’s people, New Jerusalem, His Bride, not unregenerated pagans, for they are mentioned in v. 8: “the fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, liars, shall have THEIR PART in the LAKE which BURNETH with FIRE and BRIMSTONE…” Now, tell me, who is right here, TIME’s writer, or God’s Word?
Second Death
REVELATIONS 21:8 TELLS US that those who are not redeemed by the blood of the Lamb will experience the “second death”, i.e., eternal separation from God and the redeemed. Don’t be confused by people like Rob Bell and this writer I’m refuting.
The “lake of fire” and “the second death” are one and the same, (see also Rev. 2:11). Being spared “the second death” parallels other concepts that express gaining final eternal salvation at the end of the letters to the 7 Churches (in Rev. 2/3). Apostle John does not mention the phrase “the second death” again until Revelations 20:6, where he tells us that it has no power over Christian believers (who kept their faith, not like these Emergent apostates). The “lake of fire” is mentioned in Rev. 20:14; 21:8; Rev. 19:20; 20:10—remember these places.
Death / Hell
JOHN MENTIONS in 20:13 that “death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” He then tells us that “death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (v. 14). This is not all, “and whosoever was NOT FOUND written in The Book of Life was CAST (alive) into the lake of fire” (v. 15). So much for the “ALL will go to Heaven” LIE!
Scholarly Trend?
OUR WRITER WRITES: “What gives the debate over Bell’s new significance is that his message is part of an intriguing scholarly trend unfolding simultaneously with the cultural, generational and demographic shifts…” Note “his message”, not the Bible’s message—the Bible refutes Bell. Intriguing? Scholarly trend? This trend is far from exegesis, it is a “trend” in this generation to rebel against HELL, transmogrifyingly so. These “new thinkers” are doing the Christian Church a disservice. I believe in examining Scripture, but to teach what is CONTRARY TO Scripture is sinful. (Oops, our Emergent Church friends don’t like that word!)
In Closing
BELL ENDS HIS PITIFUL STORY (of his backsliding) by quoting what Jesus said about having “other sheep.” Before I comment on that saying, before I forget, Jesus also spoke about the judgments of nations in Matthew 25:31-46. In these verses He makes it plain to all that He will separate the sheep nations from the goat nations (this is taken into the individual realm also): the sheep, on His right hand will inherit the Kingdom; the goats, on His left hand, “these (goats) SHALL GO away into EVERLASTING (remember our Gk. study) PUNISHMENT: but the righteous into LIFE ETERNAL.” Who is to say that Jesus has changed His mind? Bell? All the other backsliders? Who has the authority to change God’s Word?
Now about those “other sheep”. We know exactly what he and all the others mean—that “Christians” aren’t the ONLY ones that will be part of Jesus’ sheep fold in heaven. Well, let’s see if they are correct or not.
John 10:16: “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
John chapter 10 is about the Shepherd (Jesus) and the sheep. First, make note of this: Jesus says, “he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber” (v. 1). Right off, he makes the distinction between His true sheep and false sheep. The false sheep do not go into the sheepfold thru the door—Jesus IS THAT DOOR (vv. 7, 9). Although this discussion is about Jesus, the True Shepherd and the untrue / hireling shepherd, the discussion also tells us who are in His flock and who are not. This chapter destroys the Emergent Church’s theory that all will be in His flock.
But let’s concentrate on verse 16. I’m not getting into the denominational aspect here as to what makes a real Christian fold, in the big picture. We enter the fold thru Jesus Christ, not any other way as our Emergent Church folks teach. Ultimately there is ONE flock / fold, those born-again believers. This leaves out the goat / pagan folks.
Who Were the Other Sheep?
PUTTING IT SIMPLE, these were the Jews (Jesus was sent to the “lost sheep” of the house of Israel), then there would be the Gentile sheep, e.g., “the other sheep.”
The Jews thought that they would forever be God’s people / sheep. They were caught up into an exclusive mind set, the same thing people like Bell accuses us of. But there is a difference; the Gentiles have already become incorporated into His fold / flock, the ones that entered lawfully thru the door— Jesus Christ the Lord. This is what Jesus was referring to in 10:16, not other unregenerated “sheep” (which, by His definition, they are called “goats”).
Even Isaiah (42:6; 49:6; 56:8) wrote about “a light to the nations” — Jesus being the “light of the world” would come to those who sat in darkness, e.g., pagan nations.
Even when Jesus spoke the above 10:6 verse, Israel was backslid, just “lost sheep” (see Matt. 10:5, 6; 15:24). There is ample evidence that Jesus knew about those “other sheep” that by and thru His death, they would / could be brought into the fold / flock. He did NOT have in mind anything like what these modern backslid churchites believe. Jesus said that many (not ALL!) would come from the east and the west and the north and south to sit down in the Kingdom of God (Matt. 8:11; Lk. 13:29). His command to us all in the end was to GO and PREACH the GOOD NEWS to ALL nations (Mk. 16:15; Matt. 28:19). And the Bible tells us what the GOOD NEWS consists of. Without the shedding of (His) blood there is NO remission of sins — no going under the blood, not forgiveness of sins, no entering into His Kingdom. This is the Gospel message. Bell and gang cut their teeth on this truth. He is deceived by demons to teach otherwise. His “other sheep” is really stupid and I know he knows it too.
Jesus, Light of Who?
LET’S NARROW THIS DOWN A BIT. Go back to John 8:12 and read that:
“I AM the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Notice, He never said that He was the light of the Jews, but the world, the true light (John 1:9). He lighteth every man that cometh into the world (v. 9), He illumines every person who hears His Gospel by imparting a measure of grace / understanding in order that the person may freely choose or reject His message of salvation. The Bible tells us that the whole world lies in darkness, but the Gospel message, if heeded and received will transform our lives.
1 Peter 2:9 speaks of those who have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light. Note the following verse (10), “Which in times past WERE NOT a people, but ARE NOW THE PEOPLE of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
Peter addresses this letter to “strangers scattered” throughout the Roman provinces of Asia Minor (1:1). These are part of the “other sheep” Jesus referred to BUT they became “Christian” through the blood of Christ (1:19). It all gets back to this, my dear friends: We MUST go thru the blood of Christ; without it, we’re STILL LOST, and the LOST will go to HELL everlastingly. I don’t like this anymore than the next guy, but this theme runs all the way through the Bible—blood covering.
Back to John 8:12
NOTE THE WORDS “he that followeth me” is a present participle and has the idea of a continuous following. So, when men stop following Him their fate will be HELL. Jesus recognizes only persevering discipleship (write for our “Can a saved man become lost?”/ “Once saved, always saved?”).
Jesus is THE LIGHT of the world in the sense that His Light beckons the lost to Himself. The Greek “akolouthein” (Eng. “follow”) has 5 different but closely connected meanings: 1) A soldier following his captain; 2) A slave accompanying his master; 3) Used of accepting a wise counselor’s opinion; 4) Used of giving obedience to the laws of a city or state / nation; 5) Often used of following a teacher’s line of argument, or of following the gist of someone’s speech.
Now, to be true disciples of Christ will cost us. We can’t say “I’m a Christian” and at the same time despise His Word, His doctrine, His rules for conduct. But this is exactly what those like Bell and the Whole Emergent Church movement do.
If Ye Continue
NOTE VERSE 31 (Jn. 8): “If ye CONTINUE in My Word, then are Ye My disciples indeed,”—Jesus. Check out how many times the word “if” is used in Scriptures. Salvation / eternal life is CONDITIONAL. Of course large portions of the Baptist Church (and others) believe in “once in grace, always in grace”, but this is NOT Biblical. It may give assurance of eternal life but the Bible never teaches this. This word “if” is one powerful word—our continuing salvation depends upon “if we continue in His Word”. Part of His Word is the reality of HELL, we’re to warn every man, every woman about this. Bell refuses to do so, He now teaches universalism—ALL will be saved in the end. HA! ALL will not be saved, only those who are born again and CONTINUE in HIS Word, His Way, His Will.
HELL’S Bells
AND SO, HELL’S bells continue to ring in triumph—millions go there yearly.
Bell won’t be the last minister to deny God’s Word. This backsliding trend is gaining members, large numbers…all headed to the HELL they deny. Well, their denial won’t make HELL disappear
I want to end this article with Psalm 135:14 from the Amp. Bible: “For the LORD will judge and vindicate His people, and He will stay His judgments (manifesting His righteousness and mercy) and take into favor His servants (those who meet His terms of separation to Him)” (see also Heb. 10:30, N.T.).
We who hold to His Word will be vindicated by our God. Let the mockers and scoffers say on, in the end we’ll see who goes where.
We cannot dismiss and discard the Biblical teachings on HELL because they offend the sinners. Too bad! The Word, don’t forget, is the Sword that Cuts and the Fire that Burns, and the Hammer that Breaks to pieces!!! We can’t just eat of all those “love” verses and ignore the “judgment” ones.
We’re instructed to “preach the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2), and HELL is part of that Word. Our personal comfort should never come at the cost of seeing our fellow human beings go to HELL.