Addendums:
The following are the
thought-beliefs of early American Christians, that gave rise to the best of
this nation and were later lost to dogmatic conflicts; increasingly more and
more narrow.
100 Scriptural Proofs That Jesus Christ Will Save All Mankind
by Thomas Whittemore
“Many early American Christians discovered Jesus as
the Savior of the whole world.
I have come across hundreds of old books written in
the late 1700s and early 1800s that declare in Scriptural form the Everlasting
Gospel that Jesus will redeem every single soul created.
I will be doing some editing since the English of
today is quite different from that of 150 years ago. Any comments I may make will
be in parenthesis. It was written in 1840 by Thomas Whittemore.”
GOD THE CREATOR OF
MEN
1. God is the Creator of all men. "He hath
made of one blood, all nations of men, to dwell on all the face of the
earth." Acts 17:26 He would not have created intelligent beings, had he
known they were to be forever miserable. To suppose that God would bring beings
into existence who he knew would be infinite losers by that existence, is to
charge him with the utmost malignity. The existence itself would not be a
blessing, but a curse; the greatness of which cannot be described. As God is
infinite in knowledge, and as he sees the end from the beginning, he must have
known before the creation, the result of the existence he was about to confer,
and whether, upon the whole, it would be a blessing; and , as he was not under any necessity to create man, being also
infinitely benevolent, he could not have conferred an existence that he knew
would end in the worst possible consequences to his creatures.
GOD THE FATHER OF MEN
2. God is the Father of all men. "Have we not
all one Father? Hath not one God created us?" Mal. 2:10 A kind Father will
not punish his children but for their good. God is evidently called the Father
of all men in the Scriptures, and this is not an unmeaning name; he has the
disposition and principles of a Father. He loves with a Father's love; he
watches with a Father's care; he reproves with a Father's tenderness; he
punishes with a Father's design. God is the Father of all men; and, therefore,
he cannot make mankind endlessly miserable.
GOD THE LORD, OR
OWNER OF MEN
3. All men, of right, belong to God. "Behold,
all souls are mine," saith the Lord. "As the soul of the father, so
also the soul of the son is mine." Ezek. 18:4 God will not give up what
belongeth to him, to the dominion of sin and Satan forever. All men are God's
by creation; he made them all. They are his by preservation; he sustains them
all. They were his at first, and they always have remained in his care.
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they
that dwell therein." That God, who says to men, "If any provide not
for his own, and especially for those of
his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel," can
never abandon his own creatures. He will ever exercise gracious care over them, as will be more fully seen in the
following reasons.
ALL MEN COMMITTED TO
CHRIST'S CARE
4. God hath given all things to Christ, as the
moral Ruler of the world. "Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for
thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy
possession." Psalms 2:8 "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given
all things into his hand." John 3:35 "All things," here, means
all intelligent beings. So say the best commentators. (The word things is in
italics in the KJV which means it is not in Greek.
We are not talking about trees here.)
5. God gave all beings to Christ that
he might save them. "Thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he
should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." John 17:2
This plainly evinces, that it was God's design, in giving Christ dominion over
all flesh, that they should all enjoy eternal life.
6. It is certain that Christ will save
all that the Father hath given him. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out." John
6:37 These three propositions are irrefragable evidence of the final happiness
of all men. 1st. God hath given all things to Christ. 2d. All that God hath
given him shall come to him; and 3d. him that cometh he will in no wise cast out. All are given; all shall come, and none shall be cast out. What is the
unavoidable conclusion?
THE WILL OF GOD
7. It is THE WILL of God that all men shall be
saved. "Who will have all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of
the truth." KJV 1Tim. 2:4 By "all men", in this passage, is undoubtedly to be understood all the human
race. Salvation comes through the belief of the truth. God wills that all men
should come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved thereby.
8. God inspires the hearts of the good
to pray for the salvation of all men, and say, as Jesus said, "Thy will be
done." Matt. 6:10. Adam Clarke says, "Because he wills the salvation
of all men, therefore he wills that all men should be prayed for; as in 1 Tim.
2:1. "I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men." Would God
inspire the hearts of his saints to pray for the salvation of all mankind, if
he knew they would not all be saved?
9. Jesus came to do the will of God.
"My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his
work." John 4:34 "Lo, I come to do they will, O God." Heb. 10:9
The will of God is, that all men be saved. This is his will, by way of
distinction and preeminence. Jesus came to do this will. He came as the Savior,
as the Savior of all men. He came as the good Shepherd, to seek and save that
which was lost. He came to save all men, not only those who lived on the earth
while he was here, but all who lived before, and all who have since lived, and
all who shall live. Jesus gave himself a ransom for all; he tasted death for
every man; and unto him, at last, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess him, Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Such is
the way in which Jesus does the will of God.
10. The will of God cannot be resisted.
"He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What
doest thou?" Dan. 4:35. Who can resist a being of Almighty power? What God
wills to take place, must take place. He wills the salvation of all men because
it is right. A God of purity cannot desire endless sin and rebellion. If he
wills the salvation of all men, he wills all the means by which it shall be
accomplished; it must, therefore, take place.
11. God has no other will besides the
will to save all men. "He is in one mind, and who can turn him." Job
23:13.
THE NATURE OF GOD
12. God is love and love worketh no ill. "God
is love." 1 John 4:8. "Love worketh no ill." Rom. 13:10. This is
a very forcible argument. God's nature is the very essence of benevolence, and
benevolence cannot be the origin of endless evil. If love worketh no ill, God
can work no ill; and, therefore, God cannot be the author of endless evil.
13. God loves all mankind. "For
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." John 3:16:
and, as Jesus died for all men, so God loves all men. This argument adds great
force to the last.
14. God loves even his enemies. For he
requires men to love their enemies, which he could not do if he hated his.
(Matt. 5:44) And Jesus declared, "for he is kind unto the unthankful and
to the evil." Luke 6:35. This is but an amplification of the preceding
argument. If God loves his enemies, he certainly loves all men; for no one
doubts that he loves his friends. And can God cause those to be endlessly
miserable whom he loves?
THE WISDOM OF GOD
15. God is wise, and
it cannot be a dictate of wisdom to create beings, and then make their
existence a curse by entailing endless suffering to it. God foresaw all the
consequences of our creation when he made us. He knew fully what the result
would be to each individual. Is it possible, that infinite goodness could
breathe life into unoffending dust when
it was clearly foreseen that endless evil would ensue? It was not possible. God
must have created only to bless. "Love worketh no ill."
16. The wisdom of God is "full of
mercy," and "without partiality." James 3:17. "Full of
mercy," says Adam Clarke, i.e. "ready to pass by a transgression, and
to grant forgiveness to those who offend; and PERFORMING EVERY POSSIBLE ACT OF
KINDNESS." Surely, a God of infinite power and skill, who "performs
every possible act of kindness," will save his fallen creatures from their
sins. "Without partiality," i.e. without making a difference. God is
no respecter of persons. He is kind to all men, and he will perform every "possible
act of kindness" to all men.
THE PLEASURE OF GOD
17. The pleasure of God is in favor of the
salvation of all men; and therefore, neither death, sin, nor pain, can be the
ultimate object of God in reference to man. "As I live, saith the Lord
God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." Ezek. 33:11. Death
and sin and pain may exist for a time; but if God has no pleasure in them of
themselves, they are not the end at which he aims, but the means by which he
accomplishes that end. The end in which God rests as his pleasure, design, or
purpose, must be essentially benevolent
because he is essentially a benevolent God. Neither death, nor sin, nor pain
can be his ultimate plan or pleasure; they are the means by which his holy and
righteous designs are carried into effect.
18. God created all men expressly for
his pleasure, and, therefore, not for ultimate death. "Thou hast created
all things, and for thy pleasure, they
are and were created." Rev. 4:11 Adam Clarke has a fine remark on this
passage. He says, "He made all things for his pleasure, and through the same motive he preserves.
Hence, it is most evident, that he hateth nothing that he has made; and could
have made no intelligent creature with the design to make it eternally
miserable. It is strange, that a contrary supposition has ever entered into the
heart of man; and it is high time that the benevolent nature of the Supreme
God, should be fully vindicated from aspersions of this kind."
19. The pleasure of God shall prosper
in the hand of Christ. "The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his
hand." Isaiah 53:10 Clarke says, on Isaiah 53:10, that the pleasure of God
is, "to have all men saved, and brought to the knowledge of the
truth." Compare this with the 20th section.
20. God's pleasure shall surely be
accomplished. "So shall by word be
that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it
shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto
I sent it." Isaiah 55:11. "I will do all my pleasure." 46:10
Does not this passage show that God's pleasure shall certainly be accomplished?
His word shall not return unto him void: it shall accomplish what he pleases, and prosper in the object which he
sent it to accomplish. God has no pleasure in the death or suffering of the
sinner. That was not the object of creation. God created men for his pleasure,
and his pleasure shall certainly be accomplished.
21. God has purposed the salvation of
all men. "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to
his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation
of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him." (Eph.
1:9,10) It is evident from this passage, that God has purposed to gather
together all things in Christ. God's purpose agrees with his will or pleasure.
He wills to have all men saved; he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked;
and accordingly he has purposed to gather
together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are
on earth. This is God's purpose; this is what he has purposed in himself. And
this is not the gathering together of those things only which are in Christ,
but the gathering together of all things in him. "Unto him shall the
gathering of the people be." (Gen. 49:10) And Jesus confirms this:
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (John
12:32) Thus we see all things are to be gathered into Christ. They are all to
have his spirit, and partake of his new creation; for "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold all things become
new." (2 Cor. 5:17) By the phrase "all things," as Archbishop
Newcome says, it meant, "all persons, all intelligent beings. See the
neuter for the masculine, John 6:37,39." See more on this subject under
the 78th section.
22. The purpose of God cannot fail: it must
certainly be accomplished. "The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, surely
as I have purposed, so shall it stand." (Isaiah 14:24) "For the Lord
of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched
out, and who shall turn it back?"( verse 27) "I have purposed it, I
will also do it." (46:11) Now, whatever God purposes must take place. God
can have no second thoughts; hence, Paul speaks of "the purpose of him who
worketh all things according to the counsel (i.e. the previous consultations or
deliberations) of his own will." (Eph 1:11) What, then, shall hinder the
accomplishment of this purpose? Has he formed a plan which he cannot execute?
No; the concurrent testimony of the sacred writers is, that whatever God has
purposed, SHALL BE DONE. So let it be, O Lord.
THE PROMISES OF GOD
23. God promised to Abraham, his
servant, that he would bless all mankind, in his seed. "In thee shall all
the families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 12:3) "In thy seed shall
all the nations of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 22:18) All the nations of
the earth, all the families of the earth, according to this promise, are to be
blessed in the seed of Abraham. The language is absolute: it is without any
condition. "All the nations of the earth shall be blessed." And who
is this "seed of Abraham," in whom all the nations and families of
the earth shall be blessed? I agree with Dr. Adam Clarke on this matter. He
says, in his note on Gen. 12:3, "in thy posterity, in the Messiah, who shall
spring from thee, shall all families of the earth be blessed; for as he shall
take on him human nature, from the posterity of Abraham, he shall taste death
for every man; his gospel shall be preached throughout the world, and
innumerable blessings be derived on all mankind, through his death and
intercession."
24. God made the same promise to Isaac.
"I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham they father, and I will make thy seed to
multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these
countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed."
(Gen. 26:3,4) This passage is precisely of the same import with those quoted
under section 23. It refers to precisely the same subject, and asserts the same
facts. We repeat it here, because God saw fit to repeat the same promise to
Isaac which he had made to his father Abraham; and it forms a distinct argument
of itself.
25. The same promise was repeated to
Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. "and in thee, and in thy seed, shall all
the families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 28:14) The apostle Paul (and
higher authority we do not wish) fully settles the question in regard to who is
meant by the "seed of Abraham." He says, "Now to Abraham and his
seed, were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of
one, and to thy seed, WHICH IS CHRIST." (Gal. 3:16) Christ, then, is the
seed of Abraham; and in him ALL the nations and families of the earth shall be
blessed.
26. Peter, the apostle, understood this
promise as referring to the salvation of men from sin, by Jesus Christ.
"Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made
with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, in thy seed shall all kindreds of the
earth be blessed. Unto you first, God, having raised up his son Jesus, sent him
to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." (Acts
3:25,26) Here we have a third term,-kindreds. All nations of the earth, all
families of the earth, and all kindreds of the earth, must certainly signify
all mankind. The import of this absolute, unconditional promise is, they shall
all be blessed in Christ Jesus.
27. The apostle Paul repeats this
promise, and calls it THE GOSPEL. "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God
would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto
Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed." (Gal. 3:8) This is
a further confirmation, that the blessing promised men in the seed of Abraham,
is a spiritual, gospel blessing.
28. There is no threatening of any kind
whatsoever in the Scriptures, no law, no penalty, no punishment denounced,
which when rightly understood does not harmonize with this promise, for the law
is not against the promises of God. "Is the law, then, against the
promises of God? God forbid." (Gal. 3:21) The law mentioned in this verse was undoubtedly the law given to Moses on
Mount Sinai. God was especially careful
to frame that law in such a manner, that not a single sentence or particle of
it should contradict the promises made by him to Abraham. What those promises
were, we have seen. It is equally true, that not a single threatening of
punishment for sin, or for unbelief, not a denunciation of hell-fire, or
condemnation of any kind of sin, is
opposed to the promises of God. Now as those promises most explicitly assert,
the final blessing of all nations, kindreds, and families of the earth with
salvation from sin in Jesus Christ, so no portion of God's law, no threatening
of punishment, should be so construed, interpreted, or explained, as to
contradict this; and as the doctrine of endless condemnation for sin does
explicitly contradict those promises, that doctrine we may be sure is not
revealed in any portion of God's word.
THE OATH OF GOD
29. God hath confirmed his promise by
an oath. See Gen. 12:16-18. Heb. 6:13. But the most striking passage, perhaps,
is this-"I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in
righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every
tongue shall swear, surely shall say, in the Lord have I righteousness and
strength." (Isaiah 45:23,24) I think the words of Adam Clarke on the oath
of God, are worthy of the deepest consideration. On the words of God, "he sware by himself," Clarke remarks,
"He pledged his eternal power and Godhead for the fulfillment of the
promise; there was no being superior to himself, to whom he could make appeal,
or by whom he could be bound; therefore he appeals to and pledges his immutable
truth and Godhead." Com. on Heb.
6:13 And again, the same commentator remarks, "The promise pledged his
faithfulness and justice; the oath all the infinite perfections of his Godhead; for he sware
by himself. There is a good saying in Beracoth, on Exodus 32:13. 'Remember Abraham,
Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swearest
by thine own self.' What is the meaning of "thine own self?" Rab
Eleazar answered, thus said Moses to the holy blessed God, Lord of all the
world, If thou hadst sworn to them by the
heavens and the earth, then I should have said, as the heavens and the earth
shall pass away, so may thy oath pass away. But now thou hast sworn unto them
by thy great Name, which liveth and which endureth forever, and forever, and
ever; therefore thy oath shall endure forever and forever and ever." (Com.
on Heb. 6:18.)
THE POWER OF GOD
30. God is almighty; nothing can resist
his will; nothing can defeat his purpose; nothing can prevent the fulfillment
of his promise. "What he had promised he was able to perform." (Rom.
4:21) If God were not almighty, then the world might not be saved; but he is
almighty; "none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou?"
and therefore, in God's own time (and that is the best time), and by his own
means, the whole world shall be saved.
THE DEATH OF CHRIST
31. Because God not only wills the salvation of all
men; not only hath purposed to save them all; not only hath promised it; not
only hath confirmed that promise by an OATH (see previous issues); but also
hath provided the means, in the death of Christ, for the salvation of all men.
Jesus died for all. "He gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in
due time." (1 Tim. 2:6) "But we see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and
honor; that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man."
(Heb. 2:9) "And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours
only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2) Here are
three expressions: 1st, "ALL;" 2nd, "EVERYMAN;" 3d,
"THE WHOLE WORLD." It seems as though the sacred writers took the
utmost care to guard against being misunderstood in this important particular.
Some would have us believe (see Prof. Stuart's Com. on Heb. 2:9) that these
expressions are to be understood only in a general sense, in opposition to the
contracted opinions of the Jews, who confined the blessings of God to their own
nation only; and that the words are intended to declare, that Jesus died for
Gentiles as well as Jews. We cannot so restrict the sense. Look at the
connection in which these passages are found, and it will be seen that the
terms used, apply to all men, in the widest sense of these terms. Paul
instructs Timothy to pray for all men; not for Jews and Gentiles in the general
sense, but for kings and all in authority; for this is good and acceptable in
the sight of God, who will have all men to be saved. So John says, "if any
man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father." (1 Epistle John 1:1) Is not
the language here designed to apply to all men: Who can dispute it?
32. The labor of Christ will be
efficacious for all for whom He died. "He shall see of the travail of his
soul, and shall be satisfied." (Is. 53:2) "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto Me." (John 12:32) If the Redeemer died for all men, can He be
satisfied with the salvation of a part only? Can He look back upon his work and
say, it is well done? Will He not rather
draw all men unto Him, by the power of His truth, and make them holy and happy
forever? Are we not authorized to expect such a result, from the fact, that He
gave Himself a ransom for all? And if they are all drawn unto Him, will they
not all be saved?
33. When Jesus was born, the angel said
to the fearful shepherds, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people." (Luke 2:10) The tidings of the Redeemer's birth were certainly good tidings to all
people. They should all hear these tidings, and to all they should be good tidings. But how can this be, if a part of
the human race is never to be benefited
by the Redeemer's sacrifice?
34. The people who heard Jesus preach
said, "we have heard Him ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the
Christ, the Savior of the world." (John 4:42) Jesus cannot be the Savior
of the world if the world will never be
saved. What Jesus taught the Samaritans, that induced them to regard Him as the
Savior of the world, may be inferred, 1st. from His conversation with the woman
at the well of Jacob, (John 4) and 2nd, from the exclamation of the Samaritans,
in the 42nd verse. He evidently did not preach to them the doctrine of endless
misery; for would they have concluded from the fact of his preaching that
doctrine, that he was THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD?"
35. John, the beloved disciple of
Christ, said, "We have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son
to be the Savior of the world." (1 John 4:14) This is the same character
that the Samaritans judged the Lord to possess, from his personal instruction.
(John 4:42) John says, "We have seen;" i.e. he knew it from his
acquaintance with his Master. And do testify. We cannot hide this truth; we
will proclaim to men, that Jesus is the Savior of the world.
THE TESTIMONY OF THE
PROPHETS
36. All the holy prophets have spoken of the
restitution of all things. "And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before
was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive until the times of
restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (Acts
3:20,21) This is an important passage of Scripture. "And he shall send
Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, (but who hath been crucified,
and hath ascended into heaven, and ) whom
the heaven must receive (or contain) until the times of restitution of all
things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the
world began." This "restitution of all things" is to take place,
when Jesus comes down from the heavens, in the sense in which he had ascended
into heaven. He had ascended into the heaven bodily; the heavens would contain
Him until the times of the restitution, and
then He would bodily visit the earth again. Now when shall he visit the earth
again bodily? The answer, at the
resurrection of the dead. (See Acts 1:10,11, and 1 Thess. 4:16) We conclude
from this, that the restitution of all things is to take place at the
resurrection of the dead. The learned Parkhurst gives this view of the subject and quotes Stockius at large as
agreeing with him. We do not understand, that the restitution shall not begin
until the time, but that it shall then be completed, and filled up, so that it
may be said, all things are restored. This is begun in part in this life, but it will be completed and finished at
the resurrection. What is this restitution? It is the putting of things back
into their original condition. See A. Clarke, on the passage. The man was originally created in God's image, but the divine image has been obscured
by sin; and men now bear the image of the earthly. But at the resurrection,
when Christ shall appear, the restitution of all things shall take place, and
then mankind will be restored to the image of God again; for St. Paul says,
that at the resurrection mankind shall be changed from the earthly to the
heavenly image. (1 Cor. 15:49) This heavenly image which we have lost, we
obtain back again at the resurrection of the dead; and to this the Saviour's
language agrees, for He saith, that in the resurrection men shall be as the
angels of God in heaven; i.e. they shall bear the heavenly image; (Matt. 22:30)
that they can die no more, and "shall be the children of God, being the
children of the resurrection." (Luke 22:36) This God hath spoken by all
his holy prophets since the world began; not fully and clearly as He hath
revealed it in the gospel; but He hath spoken by the prophets of the recovery
of all things from the dominion of sin, and their reconciliation to God, and
the gaining again of the heavenly image. The reader is referred to a long and
excellent passage in A. Clark's Com. on Acts 3:21, which he closes by saying,
"as therefore, the subject here referred to is that, of which all the
prophets from the beginning have spoken, (and the grand subject of all their declarations
was Christ and His words among men,) therefore the words are to be applied to
this, and no other meaning. Jesus Christ comes to raise up the man from a state of ruin, and restore to him
the image of God, as he possessed it at the beginning."
37. head the seed of the woman was to
bruise. "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy
seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel." (Gen. 3:15)
38. David also said, "all the ends
of the world shall remember, and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before
him." (Psalms 22:27) This agrees precisely with the promise of God to
Abraham, that all the nations, families, and kindreds of the earth shall be
blessed in Christ Jesus.
39. David also said: “all kings shall fall down before Him
(Christ), all nations shall serve Him,--men shall be blessed in Him, all
nations shall call Him blessed." (Psalms 72:11,17) This is of the same
import with section 38.
40. David also said, "All nations
whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall
glorify thy name." (Psalms 86:9) This must certainly include all the
nations of the earth; God made them all, from Adam to the latest born.
41. David also said, not less than
twenty-six times, in that part of his meditations embraced in the 136th Psalm,
"his mercy endureth forever." What kind of mercy is the mercy of God, which is to endure forever: it is universal mercy. See the next section.
42. He also declared, that that mercy
which is to endure forever, is over all the works of God. "The Lord is
good to all, and His tender mercies are over all his works." (Psalms
145:9) God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.
43. He also said, "all thy works
shall praise thee, O Lord, and thy saints shall bless thee." (Psalms
145:10) Can all God's works praise Him, if a part is consigned to eternal fire?
44. He also said, "the Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger,
and of great mercy." (Psalms 145:8) Can endless misery be ordained by such
a god as this?
45. He also said; "The Lord is
merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not
always chide; neither will He keep His anger forever." (Psalms 103:8,9)
This could not possibly be true if God
purposed to make any of His creatures forever miserable. If we allow that
torment shall be endless, can we say, that "God will not always
chide," nor "keep His anger forever?"
46. Isaiah represented, that there was
no sin which might not be pardoned. "Though your sins are as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they are
red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isa. 1:18) The evident intent
of this language is, that there was no sin so deep-dyed in the soul, that it
could not be washed away. That is here said of Israel, is true of every
individual.
47. It is said, that "all nations
shall flow into the mountain of the Lord's house,"--a figurative
representation of the covenant of the Gospel. (Isa. 2:2)
48. In this mountain, the Lord of Hosts
hath made for all people a feast of fat things. "And in this mountain,
shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of
wines on the lees; of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." (Isa. 25:6) By
"mountain," here, is meant the covenant of the Gospel; the place of
the establishment of the ark is made a metaphor, to signify the Gospel. Adam
Clarke says this feast is "salvation
by Jesus Christ." Com. On the place. This salvation is prepared for all
people; it is sufficient to supply the wants of all.
49. "God will destroy, in this
mountain, the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil, that is
spread over all nations." (Isa. 25:7) This salvation is not uselessly
prepared. Unbelief shall be done away. The darkness of the nations shall be
removed. The covering cast over all nations shall be destroyed; they will then
all see the truth.
50. "God will swallow up death in
victory. " (Isa. 25:8) This is to take place at the resurrection of the
dead, for Paul quotes these words, and applies them to the resurrection of the
dead, in 1 Cor. 15:54.
51. "The Lord God will wipe away
tears from off all faces: (Isa. 25:8) The work of the Gospel will not be fully done until tears shall be wiped away from all
faces. Sorrow shall cease. Paul applies the subject to the resurrection of the
dead.
52. Isaiah said, "the glory of the
Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." (Isa. 40:5)
This is the declaration of Yahweh, for the prophet adds, "the mouth of the
Lord hath spoken it." If the Lord
hath declared, that all flesh shall see his glory together, surely it must be
done.
53. Isaiah represents the Gospel as
being completely successful in accomplishing the purpose for which it was sent
into the world"--that, as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and
return not thither, but water the earth, and cause it to bring forth and bud,
so shall the word of God be; it shall not return void, but it shall accomplish
the divine pleasure, and prosper in the thing for which God sent it. (Isa.
45:10,11) Thus all who allow that God sent the Gospel to benefit all mankind,
must here see, that that beneficent object will surely be accomplished. If any
reject the Gospel and are lost forever, can
it be said in truth, that God's word does not return unto Him void?
54. Isaiah, speaking in the name of
Yahweh, said, of Christ, "I will also give thee for a light to the
Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."
(Isa.49:6) In this verse, the prophet affirms, that the blessings of the Gospel
should not be confined to the Jews. "I will also give thee for a light to
the Gentiles;" for what purpose? Answer; "that thou mayest be my
salvation unto the end of the earth." This expression is intended to
signify the greatest possible extension of the blessings of the Gospel. Is this
consistent with the supposed fact, that countless millions of the human race
shall never hear of the blessings of the Gospel?
55. Isaiah represented Yahweh as
saying, "I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth; for
the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made." (Isa
57:16) Is this declaration consistent with the doctrine of endless misery?
According to that doctrine, will not God contend forever? Will He not be always
wroth?
56. Yahweh saith, by Jeremiah,
concerning the covenant He made with the house of Israel, " I will put my
law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And
they shall teach no more every man his Neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for they shall all know
me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I
will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jer.
31:33,34) The spirit of the passage is universal grace. What God here saith He
will do for the Jews, He will also do for the Gentiles. The former is a pledge
of the latter. (See, for additional argument on this subject, section 88)
57. "THE LORD WILL NOT CAST OFF
FOREVER. But though He causes grief, yet
will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies, for He doth
not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." (Lamen. 3:31-33)
O, what a precious declaration is this! Though God causes grief, yet He will have compassion according to the
multitude of His mercies, for He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the
children of men. This is the principle of the divine government. God does not
afflict for the purpose of afflicting, but for the good of the sufferer. How,
then, can endless torment be inflicted?
58. Daniel said, of the reign of
Christ, "there was given Him dominion, and glory and a kingdom, that all
people, nations, and languages, should serve Him; His dominion is an
everlasting dominion, and His kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed."
(Dan. 7:14) If all people, nations, and languages serve the Savior, will they
be endlessly miserable? Will they not be
endlessly happy? This passage should be applied, undoubtedly, to all for whom
the Savior died. Jesus seems to have referred to the declaration of the
prophets, in what He said after His resurrection. (Matt. 28:18)
59. Hosea said, "I will ransom
them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O death, I
will be thy plagues; O grave (or Hell, Sheol), I will be thy destruction."
(Hosea 13:14) Let the light of inspiration guide us. St. Paul applies these
words to the resurrection of the dead, on
the last day. (1 Cor. 15:54,55) At the resurrection of the dead, then, God will
destroy Sheol, HELL. He does not raise His creatures from the dead in order to
punish them forever in sheol,(Hell) for sheol (Hell) shall then be destroyed.
60. Micah said, of Yahweh, " He
retaineth not His anger forever, because of
He delighteth in mercy." (Micah 7:18) A most precious assurance!
Altogether at variance with the doctrine of endless misery.
THE TESTIMONY OF
JESUS
61. Jesus, when on earth, preached in such a manner
that the people "wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his
mouth." (Luke 4:22) This could not have happened, had he threatened the
people with endless misery. He preached salvation to sinful, guilty man; he
preached the love of God to the whole world; and declared, that God sent not
His Son into the world to condemn the world, but, that the world, through Him,
might be saved. Well, might the people
wonder at his "gracious words."
62. Jesus inculcated the strongest
confidence in God; and reasoned in the most tender and judicious manner with
the people, to dissuade them from taking anxious thought for the future. Read
Matt. 6:25-34. This is one of the most striking passages in the whole New Testament.
The object of the Savior was, to encourage, in the hearts of those whom he
addressed, the most implicit confidence in God, for all future blessings. God
is good; he is kind, even to the unthankful and to the evil; therefore said the
Savior, "take no anxious thought." Be not afraid; God will do thee
good. He has already proved his beneficence to thee. He takes care of the lower
orders of beings; why shouldst thou doubt? He clothes the flowers of the field
with beauty; why shouldst thou despair? Take not anxious, painful thought for
the future. Sufficient unto the present is the evil therof. Such is the spirit of the passage, which is perfectly
consistent with the doctrine of Universalism, but utterly inconsistent with the
doctrine of endless misery.
63. Jesus warned the people against the
doctrine of the Pharisees, who are well known to have believed in endless
punishment. Matt 16:6; compare verse 12. There is no doubt, that the doctrines
of the Pharisees were of a partial nature. Jesus was impartial in his
teachings. He was the friend of publicans and sinners, and for this the
Pharisees hated him. This was the great point on which he differed from the
Pharisees. Their doctrine peculiarly was a doctrine of cruelty, wrath, and
partiality; his was a doctrine of love,
compassion, and universal grace. No person, who will make the comparison
fairly, can avoid coming to this result. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.
64. Jesus taught, that men in the
future world will be like the angels of God in heaven,--holy, spotless, and
pure. "In the resurrection, they neither marry,
nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels of God in heaven." (Matt.
22:30 Luke 20:35,36) In what sense shall they be as the angels of God in
heaven? Let the passage in Luke 20 answer this question. "Neither can they
die any more, for they are equal unto the
angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the
resurrection." Here are two points, in which they will be equal to the
angels, viz. 1st. they will be immortal; and 2nd. they will be children of God,
bearing a moral likeness to him. This will be the state of all who shall be
raised from the dead.
65. Jesus reproved the Pharisees for
shutting up the kingdom of heaven. "Woe unto
you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven
against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are
entering to go in." (Matt. 23:13) These Pharisees were never charged with
having shut up the kingdom of hell; that, they appear to have kept open. But
they shut up the kingdom of heaven. Jesus desired to have all men enjoy his
kingdom, and we are assured, that, at
last, all shall know the Lord, from the least unto the greatest. They will then
all have entered the gospel kingdom.
THE TESTIMONY OF
PETER
66. Peter saw, in the vision of the vessel like a
sheet knit at the four corners, that all men came down from heaven; that they
are all encircled in the kind care of God, while here on earth; and , that
"all will be drawn up again into heaven." (Acts 10:15; 11:5-10)
THE TESTIMONY OF PAUL
67. Paul represented the free gift of life as
extending equally with sin. "As, by the offense of one, judgment came upon
all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift
came upon all men unto justification of life." (Rom. 5:18) This is a very
important passage. It teaches us, that the free gift of eternal life shall
extend equally with sin. On the one hand,
we are told, judgment came upon all men by sin; on the other, we find, that "the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life." This free gift is eternal life, see Rom. 6:23.
But, for a further view of the argument of the apostle in this place, see
section 68.
68. Paul also says, "For as by one
man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall
many be made righteous." The same many that were made sinners, Paul
declares "shall be made righteous." This certainly asserts the
salvation of all sinners. Parkhurst in his Greek Lexicon, says, Oi polloi, the many, i.e. the multitude, or whole
bulk of mankind, Rom. 5:15,19, in which texts oi polloi are plainly equivalent to Pantas
anthropous, all men, verses 12, 18."
The learned Dr. Macknight is to the same purport. "For as oi polloi, the many, in the first part of the
verse, does not mean some of mankind only, but all mankind, from first to last,
who without exception, are constituted sinners, so the many in the latter part
of the verse, who are said to be constituted righteous, through the obedience
of Christ, must mean ALL MANKIND, from the beginning to the end of the world,
without exception." See his commentary on the place. The evident sense of
the passage is this: For as the many, that is, the whole bulk of mankind were
made sinners, so shall the many, that is, the whole bulk of mankind, be made
righteous. What can be plainer than this fact? We agree with the authors of the
Improved Version, who say, "Nothing
can be more obvious than this, that it is the apostle's intention to represent
all mankind, without exception, as deriving greater benefit from the mission of
Christ, than they suffered injury from the fall of Adam. The universality of
the apostle's expression is very remarkable. The same "many" who were
made sinners by the disobedience of one,
are made righteous by the obedience of the other. If all men are condemned by
the offense of one, the same all are justified by the righteousness of the
other. These universal terms, so frequently repeated, and so variously
diversified, cannot be reconciled to the limitation of the blessings of the
Gospel, to the elect alone, or to a part only of the human race." (Note of
Rom. 5:19)
69. Grace shall abound more than sin,
and reign more potently so that at last
all shall end in everlasting life. "Where sin abounded, grace did much
more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so, might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life, by
Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. 5:20,21) What a blessed assurance! Grace
shall conquer sin? In every heart where sin has reigned, grace shall set up its
empire. Grace shall reign triumphantly and successfully. We see not yet all
this done, but it shall be done at last.
70. Paul teaches, that the same
creature which was made subject to vanity, "shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God."
(Rom. 8:21) It is worthy of remark, that it is the same "creature,"
or creation, which was made subject to vanity, that is to be delivered. Rev.
Thomas White, in his sermons preached at Welbeck Chapel, translates the passage
thus: "For THE CREATION was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by
reason of him who subjected it; in hope that THE CREATION ITSELF also shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons
of God." (Horne's Intro. II. 540) Dr. Macknight decides, that creature, in
the passage, signifies, "every human creature," "all
mankind." Let us read the passage with such a rendering, as it undoubtedly
gives it its just sense. For every human creature was made subject to vanity,
not willingly, but by reason of him who had subjected the same in hope; because
every human creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the
glorious liberty of the sons of God.
71. Paul teaches the eventual salvation
of both Jews and Gentiles. "Blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in ;
and so "ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED." Rom. Xi. 25, 26. The terms, Jews
and Gentiles, comprehend all mankind. Paul asserts the ultimate salvation of
both Jews and Gentiles, that is, all men. What serious man can pretend, that by
the fulness of the Gentiles he meant only a portion of them, and by all Israel,
he meant only a small part of Israel? Was it such a view, that led Paul to
exclaim, at the conclusion of his luminous argument on this subject, "O
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God?" If God
sought to save the whole, and succeeded
in saving only a fraction, was the depth of his wisdom so surpassingly great?
And remark what he says at the conclusion of the 11th chapter. "For of him
(God) and through him, and TO HIM are all things," (Gr. ta panta) the universe ; as Dr. Whitby says,
"For of him (as the donor) and through him (as the director and
providential orderer) and to him (as the
end) be all things." The argument is complete.
72. Paul teaches, that whether living
or dying we are the Lord's. "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man
dieth to himself. For whether we live we live unto the Lord; and whether we die
we die unto the Lord; whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the
Lord's." Rom. xiv. 7, 8. Does Paul here mean to include all mankind? Does
he here mean to assert, that all without exception, are the Lord's? We can come
to no other conclusion. He adds, "For to this end Christ both died, and
rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living," verse
9. The terms "dead and living," evidently signify all the human race.
Of course, all the human race are Christ's for
ever.
73. Paul saith, "As in Adam all
die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." I Cor. xv. 22. "If
any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new
creature." 2 Cor. v. 17. Hence, if all shall be made alive in Christ, they
shall all be new creatures in the resurrection of the dead. Belsham says,
"The apostle's language is so clear and full with respect to the final
happiness of those who are thus raised, and that their resurrection to life
will be ultimately a blessing, that the generality of Christians have supposed,
that he is here treating of the resurrection of the virtuous only. But that is
not the fact. He evidently speaks of the restoration of the whole human race.
All who die by Adam shall be raised by Christ; otherwise,
the apostle's assertion would be untrue. The case then would have been this, as
in Adam all die, so in Christ shall a select number, a small proportion, be
made alive. But this is not the apostle's doctrine. His expressions are equally
universal in each clause. ALL die in Adam. The same ALL, without any exception,
without any restriction, shall by Christ be restored to life, and ultimately to
holiness and everlasting happiness."
74. Death, the last enemy, shall be
destroyed. 1 Cor. xv. 26. If death be the
last enemy, and if that shall be destroyed, there will be no enemies to the
happiness of man remaining after the resurrection.
75. Paul, in his account of the
resurrection, does not admit of the
existence of sin in the immortal state. "So also is the resurrection of
the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised incorruption;***** it is raised in glory. ***** it is raised in
power; ***** it is raised a spiritual body." 1 Cor. xv. 42-44. When the
apostle cries out triumphantly, "O death!
where is thy sting?" he certainly means, that sin was absent, for
"the sting of death is sin."
76. Paul saith, "that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them." 2 Cor. v. 19. It is not said, that God was in Christ reconciling
himself to the world, for he was never unreconciled to the world; but God was
in Christ reconciling the world to himself. By "the world" in this
place is undoubtedly intended all for whom Christ died. God was engaged in this
work ; he had appointed the means for its
accomplishment ; and we believe, under
his wise direction, it will be done.
77. Paul saith to the Galatians,
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be
Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Gal. iii. 28, 29. According to what promise? Answer. According to the promise
of God to Abraham, that in him, and his seed [Christ], all the nations,
kindreds and families of the earth shall be blessed. In Christ, therefore, none
of the distinctions are known of which Paul there speaks. "Ye are all one
in Christ Jesus." That point being settled, he adds, "and if ye be
Christ's [as he had proved] then are ye Abraham's seed, [that is, not by lineal
descent, but spiritually], and heirs according to the promise."
78. He saith, that to Jesus was given
"a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the
earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father." Philip. ii. 9-11. Professor Stuart, of Andover,
says, in his "Letters to Dr. Channing," "Things in heaven,
earth, and under the earth, is a common periphrasis of the Hebrew and New
Testament writers, for the universe. What can be meant by things in heaven,
that is, beings in heaven, bowing the knee to Jesus, if spiritual worship be not meant?" So much from Professor
Stuart. Now if the universe [that is, all men without exception] are to render
spiritual and divine worship to Christ, will they not all be holy and happy ?
79. The foregoing reason is confirmed
by the fact, that "if we confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus, and
believe in the heart that God hath raised him from the dead, we shall be
saved." Rom. x. 9.
80. It pleased the Father, by his son
Jesus, "TO RECONCILE ALL THINGS UNTO HIMSELF, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Col.
1:19-20) This is a similar periphrasis to that spoken of by Professor Stuart,
[see section 78] which signifies the universe. The phrase, "all
things," as Archbishop Newcome observes, signifies all intelligent beings.
It is God's pleasure "to reconcile all things unto himself", -- an
irrefutable argument in proof of the final holiness andhappiness of all men.
81. Paul directed Timothy to pray and
give thanks for all men, which was agreeable to the will of God to "have
all men to be save," who had
appointed a mediator to give himself "a ransom for all." (1 Tim.
2:1-6) Paul's argument in this place is as follows: I exhort first, that
supplication, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.
None are excluded from the divine favor; all have something to be grateful for;
for God is kind and good to ALL. He will have all men to be saved, which is the
highest proof of his regard for all men, in execution
of the divine purpose to bring all to the enjoyment of salvation.
82. God is called "the Saviour of
all men." (1 Tim. 4:10) This title is applied to Jehovah, because he is the source of salvation. He wills the
salvation of all; he has purposed the salvation of all; he has promised
salvation to all; and has confirmed that promise by an oath. Hence, he is
originally the Saviour of all men.
83. The "grace of God bringeth
salvation to all men, and teacheth us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present
world." (Titus 2:11,12) Adam Clarke remarks, "It cannot be said,
except in a very refined and spiritual sense, that this Gospel had then
appeared to all men ; but it may be well said, that it bringeth salvation to
all men ; this is its design ; and it was to taste death for every
man, that its author came into the world." Again, he adds ; "As the
light and heat of the sun are denied to no nation nor individual, so the grace
of the Lord Jesus ; this also shines out upon all ; and God designs that all
mankind shall be as equally benefited by it, in reference to their souls, as
they are in respect to their bodies, by the sun that shines in the firmament of
heaven."
84. Christ is to "destroy him that
had the power of death, that is, the devil." (Heb. 2:14) Christ will
destroy all evil, and banish it entirely from the universe.
85. Paul says, "we which have
believed do enter into rest;" which could not be true, if they believed in the doctrine of endless misery. (Heb. 4:
3)
86. "It is impossible for God to
lie," who has sworn to Abraham to bless all the kindreds of the earth, in
his seed, which is Christ. (Heb. 6:18) If God could be false to his own
promise, then the world might not be saved ;
but "it is impossible for God to lie." Therefore, all men, without
exception, shall at last be blessed in
Christ Jesus.
87. Paul has repeated the testimony of
Jeremiah, concerning God's covenant with the house of Israel; "all shall know me, from the least to the
greatest." (Heb. 8:11) This is a pledge of the previous salvation of the
Gentile world. The word of God assures us, that the Gentiles shall be
fellow-heirs with the Jews, of the blessings of the Gospel. God says, "all
shall know me, from the least to the greatest." All the children of
Israel, all the descendants of Abraham;
not those who may happen to be upon the earth at any particular time, but the
whole posterity of the patriarch, without exception. This is similar to what
Paul declares. (see Rom. 11:26)
88. God never chastens us but "for
our profit," causing all chastisement "afterward to yield the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."
(Heb. 12:10,11) How, then, can the doctrine of endless punishment be true? If
God's chastisements afterward yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness, how
can they be endless?
89. "The blood of Jesus Christ
cleanseth us from ALL sin." (1 John 1:7) There is no sin, that the blood
of Christ will not wash away. Though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be
white as snow; and, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Jesus can save the chief of sinners. (1 Tim. 1:15) He has the will, no less
than the power; therefore, all men will be saved by his grace.
90. "For this purpose the Son of
God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John
3:8) Sin is the work of the devil, and will be destroyed; but men are the
workmanship of God, and will not be ultimately destroyed. Jesus shall destroy
all sin ; he came into the world for that special purpose ; and, having begun
the work, he will not give over, until it is completely accomplished.
91. The record, which God has given of
his Son, is this; "That God hath given to us eternal life ; and this life
is in his Son." (1 John 5:11) Is this record true? it surely is. Who are
called on to believe it? all mankind. If any man believe it not, he makes God a
liar, by saying, that God's record is not true. God, then, has certainly given
eternal life to all men in his divine purpose.
92. John, the revelator, said:
"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever." (Rev. 5:13) Here is another
instance of the "common periphrasis" of the Hebrew and New Testament
writers for the universe. Every creature shall at last pay divine honors to God
and the Lamb. "If this be not spiritual worship," saith Prof. Stuart,
"I am unable to produce a case, where worship can be called spiritual and
divine."
93. The same illustrious writer says:
"Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art
holy ; for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments
are made manifest." (Rev. 15:4) Does this mean only all those nations who
may happen to be upon the earth at a certain time? or, does it mean "all
nations," in the sense of the divine promise to Abraham? Judge ye.
94. He also says: "The tabernacle of
God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and
God himself shall be with them, and be their God." (Rev. 21:3) When this
is fulfilled, all men will be reconciled to God. The Gospel is designed to make
every heart the dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit; and, when the purpose of the
Gospel shall be fully accomplished, God shall reign in the hearts of all men.
95. He furthermore declares, that
"God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and THERE SHALL BE NO
MORE DEATH, neither sorrow, nor crying ; neither shall there be any more pain ;
for the former things are passed away." (Rev. 21:4) Thus, we see the
doctrine of eternal weeping, eternal sighing, eternal sorrow, eternal pain, is
false; false as the Bible is true. And, although we read, in the Scriptures, of
the second death, yet, if we read of thirty deaths, it would be no argument
against Universalism, since the time is to come, when "THERE SHALL BE NO
MORE DEATH."
96. God induces all good people to pray
for the salvation of all men, which he could not do, if it were opposed to his
will; because, "if we ask anything
according to his will, he heareth us," (1 John 5:14) and because "the
desire of the righteous shall be granted." (Prov. 10:24)
97. Peter said; "Believing ye rejoice
with joy unspeakable and FULL OF GLORY." Can it be possible that they
believed in the doctrine of endless sin and misery? Would this have made them
rejoice with unspeakable joy? Not unless they were demons in human form.
98. All the threatenings of the word of
God, when properly understood, harmonize with the doctrine of Universalism ;
the punishments spoken of being limited punishments only, and no threatening or
law extending sin, or its consequences, beyond the resurrection.
99. Universalism is the only hypothesis
in which the perfections of God can harmonize, -since, if men are lost forever
by God's decree or permission, it impeaches his goodness; if, by his neglect or
want of foreknowledge, it impeaches his wisdom; or, if sin be too mighty for him,
and rebels too stubborn for him to subdue, it impeaches his power.
100. Lastly; "All things shall be
subdued unto Christ, -Christ shall be subject unto him that put all things
under him, that GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL." (1 Cor. 15:28)
*The above 100 statements on Universal Salvation are closer to the truth;
especially in regard to the heart of God... Many if not most Christians oppose
that understanding; they say that sin unrepented for requires justice, hell and
everlasting suffering. Easy to say for those who believe they hold salvation in
‘their hearts’. The others???????...
Historically the Bible has been hard to understand and even the obvious
is missed because of personal, ingrained, theological bias’. Few believe when
this is pointed out, for they fear the loss of their own salvation and the
pains of everlasting hell…they then become ‘slaves to the letter of the law’.
The Bible can now be more clearly understood through ‘The Divine
Principle’ made known by Reverend Sun Myung Moon and His Wife Hak Jah Han Moon.
*
.
*The following scriptures in Revelations are
some of the most misunderstood in the history of Christianity and drive people
who misread them literally into profound
fears.
Pick up the Divine Principle or study it on the
internet and read for yourself how the scriptures are made clearer to
understand the ‘logic of love’.
Word for Word The Divine Principle.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?reload=9&list=PLFT5L8SVOsPJM7LVm_YwRQZx26E0VIcv1
Complicated texts,
cryptic texts like the following need wisdom, the logic of love and Biblically
supported clarification.
Revelation
19:11-21:8 New King James Version (NKJV)
Christ on a White Horse
11 Now I saw heaven
opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful
and True, and in righteousness, He
judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His
head were many crowns.
He [a]had a name
written that no one knew except Himself. ( This
part is never spoken of) 13 He was clothed
with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in
heaven, clothed in [b]fine
linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
15 Now out of His
mouth goes a [c]sharp
sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule
them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has
on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING
OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
The Beast and His
Armies Defeated
17 Then I saw an angel
standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds
that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the [d]supper of
the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of
kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and
of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people,[e]free and
slave, both small and great.”
19 And I saw the beast,
the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against
Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then
the beast was captured and with him the
false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who
received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his
image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with
brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with
the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And
all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Satan Bound 1,000 Years
20 Then I saw an angel
coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great
chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the
dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and
bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him
into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so
that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were
finished. But after these things, he must
be released for a little while.
The Saints Reign with
Christ 1,000 Years
(God is a God of Mathematics and it is said that is
one of His Languages. So…10x10x10=1000…
10 to the 3rd power it is called. 10 is the highest number. It
means eternity…there are three stages of growth, simply referred to as 1st-formation,2nd-
growth and 3rd -completion. They can be as compared to the seed- formation, the tree- growth, the fruit-
completion of the tree; in which comes forth new seeds and lineage and
perpetuity. The point is there are reason
and purpose in all being said, but it
will not be obvious unless studied with love and wisdom.)
4 And I saw thrones,
and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I
saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to
Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his
image and had not received his mark
on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with
Christ for [f]a
thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not
live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the
first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he
who has a part in the first resurrection.
Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of
God and of Christ and shall reign with
Him a thousand years.
Satanic Rebellion
Crushed
7 Now when the thousand
years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and
will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the
earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as
the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth
of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And
fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The
devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone where[g] the
beast and the false prophet are. And they will be
tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Great White Throne
Judgment
11 Then I saw a great
white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the
heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And
I saw the dead, small and great, standing before [h]God, and
books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of
Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things
which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up
the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who
were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death
and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second [i]death. 15 And
anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of
fire.
All Things Made New
21 Now I saw a new
heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away. Also, there was no more
sea. 2 Then I, [j]John,
saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And
I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of
God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall
be His people. God, Himself will be with
them and be their God. 4 And God
will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more
death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former
things have passed away.”
5 Then He who sat on
the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said [k]to me,
“Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
6 And He said to
me, “It[l] is
done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will
give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He
who overcomes [m]shall
inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But
the cowardly, [n]unbelieving,
abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars
shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death.”
*
*
*
I have to say, in the end as creations of God, we
each have to declare what is it we believe in…do we believe in a creator at
all, do we believe in ourselves at all, do
we believe in a ‘God who will never give up on us’ or a ‘God who will draw a
line in the sand’ separating us eternally and divide the mankind he brought
into existence?
I will give you the fact, that there is a good
reason for the FEAR of everlasting suffering to be there in the Bible and the
reason will be made known; but there is no reason to believe in a God to do
that, except if you think that absolute fear is your reason to exist...it is
not about absolute fear; it is about absolute love in truth and in spirit.
God is absolute love, the very essence of love
itself; so much so that He is the most suffering in all of existence because only God can actually feel,
see and understand the weight of all the misdeeds in history.
Since the fall of Adam and Eve, God has had to live
amidst the spiritual/physical holocaust mankind has let be created in its
ignorance, indifference, rebellion, and
arrogant foolishness. To become His Children, we will need to understand this
and know this experience in our own heart.
The next time you are uncomfortable with life and
its recurrent episodes of loneliness, don’t run away from it. God may be trying
to talk to you.
May God Bless You and be with us all; so that the
original destiny, our real destiny will become a reality sooner, rather than
later…Let us pray.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom comes,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Willful Ignorance and falsehoods must be faced and not
accepted or ignored. That is why Reverend Sun Myung Moon asked:
“Is it right to believe something that is false and
not true”; when He was talking about John the Baptist?
John
the Baptist did not understand his appointed mission and responsibility.
Reverend Moon has biblically, logically proven this fact; unfolding an enormous
understanding about God’s Heart and the Providence of Restoration.
“Is it right to believe something that is false and
not true?”...
This
question goes for other ‘beliefs’ in science, in religion, in history and in
every field of knowledge as well.
Please
ask this of Heavenly Parent with fasting and sincere prayer, in the name of
Jesus, according to the amount of value you received, by reading and hearing it.
This
is ‘Word for Word’ -‘The Divine Principle’ in 35 video
segments.
It is the teaching of Reverend Sun Myung Moon.
Reading and taking time to pray over it, is
what God has been asking of mankind.
Feel free to comment, connect once again and
ask questions.
moriartydouglas7@gmail.com
‘Amen!’ by for
King and Country.
*
