It has been guesstimated by two separate sources that there have been roughly 117 billion people that have ever lived! Conservatively – I’m sure. What about the untold billions who have died without ever hearing about the glorious name of our Lord Jesus──or those who never knew enough of God’s living truth to be accountable? Are they “lost” – as they say – forever?
Well, today is the glorious holy day of the fall festivals──the Last Great Day! And its great meaning reveals to us the answer!
This eighth day──which is a Holy Day, is called in the New Testament, “the last day, that great day of the feast.” – John 7:37.
Have you ever thought about what this Holy Day pictures in the wonderful Master Plan of God Almighty!? The meaning is more exciting and glorious than you could ever have imagined!
Back in 2021 in a Personal of mine – I stated that there was perpetrated a lie more horrendous upon mankind than any other! That of the lie of an “immortal soul.” Lucifer – now called Satan the deceiver – has also foisted upon this present evil age a lie that the LORD God is now trying in great desperation to “save” all mankind!
And I have proved unto myself that the overall majority of so-called Christians hold to that. Which they preach from their pulpit every Sunday morning that “unless you believe in God, and unless you accept Jesus as your personal Savior (and they will often quote the likes of Romans 10:13 and exclaim – “Just believe in Jesus, and you’re saved!”) in this lifetime, then He will sentence you to a “hell fire” – a place of everlasting torture and torment! Does this “hell” actually exist? Or was it only in the mind of the likes of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri?
Now, this world’s so-called Christians also preach aggressively that if you are “saved” – if you just accept Jesus as your personal Savior – then, that you upon death waft off to heaven – which the overall majority call a “beatific vision.”
In other words – they will just lay around “playing a harp” and hope that God might reach down and scratch them behind the ear!? Albeit they preach ── if one does not know God during this lifetime, but dies in sin, he is lost forever ── doomed for all eternity!
Truly, is that what God Almighty and our Lord Jesus Christ have in mind for the overall majority of mankind!?
What is the LORD God’s judgment? The LORD God being the glorious family of God──which at this present age consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!
Our God – Jesus Christ – the Great Judge
The apostle Paul – under divine inspiration – wrote in the Book of Romans:
“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11) For it is written: ‘As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.’ 12) So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” – Romans 14:10-12.
Now, why is it that each of us must appear before our Lord Jesus Christ? “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10.
And since our Lord Jesus created His commandments that we must obey, and He is the ultimate Judge of all mankind──He tells us what is good and what is bad.
Within God’s living word – the Holy Bible – what does “judgment” mean?
The Koine Greek word for “judgment” is krisis – meaning judgment (human or divine), justice.
Sadly, the overall majority of Christians mistakenly believe that the LORD God’s judgment only has to do with judging past sins. So, according to this erroneous view, the LORD God’s judgment is not an ongoing period of judgment.
When we read, study, and meditate upon the living words of God, we need to properly understand whether the LORD God is judging mankind’s past sins or present sins. And, we certainly need to properly understand WHEN the LORD God’s judgment takes place. Is there only a one-time of judgment – or does the LORD God judge in eras of time?
The LORD God’s Master Plan for the salvation of all mankind is revealed to us through “the feasts of the LORD’! And again, the Last Great Day pictures for us just when those who have died without ever hearing about the glorious name of our Lord Jesus──or those who never knew enough of God’s living truth will be judged.
The LORD God is not now seeking to save the whole world.
At this time – within this present evil age – the LORD God is only offering eternal salvation to the living Church of God ── the begotten children of Father God, and begotten brothers and sisters to our Lord Jesus Christ. In Koine Greek – the ekklēsia. All the rest of humanity has been blinded by Satan the adversary – “the god of this age” – cf, 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9.
A vital question that I had even in my youth – why has the LORD God allowed Satan the devil to blind the world of this present age? Because, after all, it is vitally important to know the REAL JESUS! After all, no one can be saved unless and without first accepting that Jesus of Nazareth was and is the Savior of all mankind!
Our beloved apostle Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to the rulers and the elders of Israel then – and says to us today – “’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’”
So, the people of this world who claim to be a “practicing Christian” – like Oprah Winfrey, who claims that there are “many ways” to salvation. You either believe the LORD God (Creator of heaven and earth), believe the apostle Peter – or, you don’t. Oprah, and a large majority of this world, do not believe the LORD God!
Our Lord Jesus says, “’ I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” – John 14:6.
To be succinct – the reason that the LORD God has, for the time being, allowed Satan the deceiver to deceive the world, is to lessen the likelihood of the unpardonable sin. The Unpardonable Sin Explained. Also, that mankind might see and taste Satan the devil’s way – the way of “get,” and of lust, greed, pride, vanity ── that mankind might learn that sinning (1 John 3:4) is the way of DEATH! (cf. Deuteronomy 30:19).
This present evil age is not the LORD God’s time that the masses will understand the living Word of God, the Truth of God, or the Plan of God – as revealed to us through the living Word of God!
The Millennial Reign of Our Christ!
Our Lord Jesus Christ’s glorious and powerful return will herald the beginning of His 1,000 Earth years of reign as our King of kings and Lord of lords! Truly, one of the greatest of meanings that the annual Feast of Tabernacles pictures! At that moment in time, Satan the devil, and his demons will be spiritually chained and shut up into the bottomless pit with a seal placed upon them for those thousand years (cf. Revelation 20:1-3).
Then, the glorious Kingdom of God will be established upon planet Earth!
And, all the resurrected saints of the LORD God ── resurrected as wholly spiritual beings ── will begin to co-rule ON EARTH with our Lord Jesus Christ! – cf. Revelation 5:10.
The prophet Daniel prophesied of this soon-coming coronation of our Lord Jesus Christ that will take place in low-earth-orbit ──
“’ I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days [God the Father], And they brought Him near before Him. 14) Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.’” – Daniel 7:13-14.
Also, “’ Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’” – vs. 27. See also: Revelation 11:15.
Speaking of a time when our Lord Jesus Christ along with His saints will begin to judge all kingdoms (as the LORD God views kingdoms) on Earth. During this Millennial Reign, the people ── under the rule of the kingdom of God ── will be given the opportunity to choose the LORD God’s government, of God’s Way of life, of receiving the glorious Spirit of God, and begin developing righteous godly character ── eventually being born-again into the family of God.
“But the LORD shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. 8) He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.” – Psalm 9:7-8.
The Great White Throne of Judgment!
Again ── what about the untold billions who have died without ever hearing about the glorious name of our Lord Jesus──or those who never knew enough of God’s living truth to be accountable? Did they ever truly have a chance for redemption and salvation? Truly, could a God of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and gentleness consign people who were ignorant of the gospel message to an everlasting hellfire!?
Has the LORD God actually ever judged them? No.
The untold billions of people who have ever lived never actually had a chance at eternal salvation. It was not – nor is it – the LORD God’s Plan to offer them eternal salvation ── yet.
Sadly, this world’s Christian ministry work – their “missionary” work – is based upon the misunderstanding that the churches must save as many “heathens” as possible. And this is partly why you will see Catholics pray over the dead! They, and Protestants alike, preach that if a sinner does not accept Jesus Christ and turn from their sins now – during this lifetime – then they will be “lost” forever. If this be true (and it’s not), then the LORD God has “lost” billions of people to “an eternal hellfire.”
In truth, the Creator of all life has ordained various epochs in which people shall hear ──through and by the Spirit of God ── the living Words of God (cf. Matthew 4:4) and have a real opportunity for eternal salvation.
“But beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” – 2 Peter 3:8.
So, with that being said – “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” – vs. 9.
The very fact that the LORD God is not willing to lose any to eternal death – but that all will eventually come to repentance and be saved ── “in due time” (cf. 1 Timothy 2:3-6).
Let us always praise the LORD God that there is revealed for us within the living Word of God, moments in time when our Lord Jesus Christ will raise from death all people who have ever lived or will live until this time!
“’ Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29) and come forth ── those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of [judgment].’” – John 5:28-29.
Here speaking of Two Resurrections!
The apostle Paul also speaks of these two resurrections which take place at two separate epochs of time ──
“I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept [here speaking of the Pharisees who were judging him], that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.” – Acts 24:15.
The prophet Daniel also speaks of these two resurrections ──
“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.” – Daniel 12:2.
Again, speaking of two separate resurrections that will occur at different epochs of time.
They all speak of two resurrections. One is the resurrection to life, the first resurrection – see Revelation 20:4-6. The other resurrection is a resurrection unto judgment, the second resurrection. And, our Lord Jesus had a lot to say concerning this second resurrection ── e.g.
“’ Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!’” – Matthew 10:15.
“’ But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.’” – Matthew 11:22.
“’ The man of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.’” – Matthew 12:41.
This same resurrection from the dead and to judgment is spoken of by the prophet Ezekiel ── Ezekiel 37. A mighty and powerful vision that was brought upon him in the Spirit of the LORD ──
“Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12) Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13) Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.’” – Ezekiel 37:11-13.
All glory, greatness, power, and victory belong to our God! When you combine all Scripture ── here is the picture revealed:
All people who have ever lived or will ever live will have a chance for eternal salvation ── they will be resurrected unto physical life and given a chance to become a member of the glorious family of God! The second resurrection. The “Great White Throne Judgment”!
“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 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 [the grave] delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.” – Revelation 20:11-13.
Truly, all the deceived billions will be resurrected to mortal life, will live for a certain period of time, and will be judged by God, using the living Word of God – the Holy Bible – as the standard of judgment. □
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