What Are Angels?

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COJCOM · 2 - 8-2025 ── What Are Angels?

Just the other night in conversation the subject of lions came up. And I had mentioned that the Eternal LORD God (the Elohim; the family of God, which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) has spiritual lions in the third heaven that stand beside the armrests of God’s thrones. Along with twelve additional spiritual lions standing on each side of six steps leading to the thrones. Well, this completely blew his mind! He had never heard anything like this──and he goes with his sister to Sunday church nearly every Sunday! “Prove it!” he said. So, I opened up God’s living word and showed him – cf. 1 Kings 10:19-20. And then I began to speak of archangels. “Do you want to know what archangels actually look like?” I asked. And I proceeded to tell him. Again, “Prove it! Where is that in the Bible?” he asked. “Ezekiel chapter 1 and the Book of Revelation chapter 4,” I answered. He was dumbstruck.

       Do you know about angels? Have you ever seen an angel? You most likely never have. Have you ever heard anyone──either in a conversation or a sermon──explain to you just what angels are, and what they actually look like? Just who are angels? Do they actually exist? What are angels? And, if they do actually exist──why? What were they created for?

       Nearly every day of our life we have heard of angels and demons. And certainly, when you read God’s living word──the Holy Bible──you read a lot about angels because there is quite a bit about angels.

       Are angels nothing more than silly superstitions? Are they nothing more than figments of people's imaginations? Or, are there actual such beings?

       Now, I didn’t speak very long on this subject of angels to my friend, because we were among a group of “nones,” so I cut the conversation of this short. Certainly the group would rather have heard which team won the last football game or something of that nature.

       The first thing is first. One must prove to themselves that the Holy Bible is the actual inspired living words of an Almighty God. Or ── and we have a few articles and booklets that should help, Just What Is the New Testament? Many Convincing Proofs, and Does God Exist? ── Is it just a superstition? Is God’s living word nothing more than (so often despised in this 21st century) religious writing by a race of Jews with their concept of God──like Muslims have their concept of a god, Allah? I’ve actually heard this many times over the years. That Jehovah is nothing more than the God of the Jews. Or, is God’s living immutable and eternal word from the Creator that not only created all mankind, but the Earth, the heavens, the known universe, along the galaxy known as the Milky Way? From the Creator that created the known laws of thermodynamics? ── from the Creator that created gravity itself?

       Surely, we’ve all heard of the plethora of Greek gods? In nearly every school (at least is was when I was in high school) in the United States of America they are taught in philosophy class a good deal of Greek philosophy, including Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Athena, and Zeus. But, they DO NOT teach “the God of gods”! – cf. Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 17:16-34.

       Are you able to prove──beyond any shadow of a doubt──that God’s living word is the inspired words of “the God of gods”? We can prove that not only is there a Creator God, but also that the Holy Bible is the inspired word of the Creator God. As an example: When we read what is written in God’s living word of things that would happen hundreds if not thousands of years before they actually occurred, about the first known civilizations ── the Sumerians, the Babylonians the Chaldeans, and the Assyrians, about ancient Rome (even before the story of Romulus or Remus was ever conceived). Or about the great fall of the Roman Empire and its various resurrections. Also, about what God’s living word says concerning the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh (which would become

known as the United Kingdom and her Common Wealth Nations along with the United States of America). There are prophecies in God’s living word that no mortal human being could have ever conceived of, let alone bring them to fruition. Yet they occurred! And our written history books help prove the divine inspiration of God’s living word.

       So, again, I say that is the first thing you need to do──prove beyond a shadow of a doubt──that God’s living word is truly the inspired words of the LORD God. Because you probably haven’t actually seen an angel. Now, a scientist can explain to us about gravity. Although gravity has not been directly observed – though groundbreaking experiments may let us “see” gravity for the first time! Yet, everybody on this planet knows that gravity exists. So, just because something cannot be seen with our naked eye──it still can exist. So, the only source of Authority that we have concerning angels is the inspired living word of God.

       Just like the other night with a friend, I can tell you what God’s living word says about angels ── and I have before in several articles and sermons, like Revelation – A Book of the Past and the Future (Part IV) ── but it’s up to you whether you will believe the LORD our God. Of course, there are those people who only believe what they can physically see.

       Well, in fact, there was a time when the Lord GOD dealt with a physical nation of Israel while they were camped at the base of a physical mountain──Mount Sinai. And He manifested Himself to them with lightnings and peels of thunder that they could physically see and hear. And they actually heard the booming voice of the Lord GOD! They didn’t see Him, but they certainly saw His manifestations. He physically dealt with them. And, of course, we are physical as well, but we can receive the glorious gift of God’s Spirit ── Christ In Us! He can speak to us, brethren, spiritually.

       Truly, the LORD God has allotted mankind 6,000 years of permitting mankind to make their own decisions. And the LORD God also permits mankind to cut themselves off completely from the God family ── from Their grace, knowledge, and Spirit. We, as physical human beings can truly only know any revealed knowledge through our natural mind (absent of God’s Spirit) ── through our five senses, touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. And if we cannot touch it, see it, hear it, smell it, or taste it──we really are not aware that it exists. Spiritual knowledge cannot come through the physical. Because we can not see, hear, taste, feel, or smell anything spiritual – cf. 1 Corinthians 15:44, 46. So, to only know of anything spiritual is if the LORD God reveals it to us. And we then have to accept it on faith.

       So brethren──and this world as a whole is not a part of this──we have come unto Mount Zion (the living Church of Jesus Christ), the spiritual mountain of God, and enter into the glorious city of our living God──the heavenly Jerusalem, “to an innumerable company of angels.” – cf. Hebrews 12:22. And the LORD God has set this innumerable company of angels to guard us brethren. Yet, we cannot see them. And we need to know about them.

       Angels are revealed to us in God’s living word. Originally the Holy Bible was written in a couple of different languages ── Hebrew, Greek, and a smattering of Arabic. The language of English had not been developed yet. In fact, English is a West Germanic language and originated from Ingvaeonic languages that were brought to Britain in the mid-5th to 7th centuries AD by the Anglo-Saxons. The Old Testament was originally written entirely in the Hebrew language and the New Testament in the Greek language. The Hebrew word for “angel” is mal ‘āk. Meaning messenger, a human representative; angel. And the Greek word for “angel” is angelos. Again meaning messenger, angel, a human messenger, or agent.

What are angels?

Notice Psalm 104. “Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, 2) Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. 3) He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4) Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.” – Psalm 104:1-4.

       So, the LORD God has made angels spirits. Now, we are not spirits. We are mortals. We are made “of the dust of the ground” – Genesis 2:7. And, the LORD God says that we will return to the ground from which we were taken – cf. Genesis 3:19. The LORD God has also told us that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 6:23. Sadly, I had a dear friend who was at one time a young minister with the Open Bible Churches that didn’t believe the LORD God here in this verse! Notice this – angels are spirits. And we see the exact same thing in the New Testament – “And of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.’” – Hebrews 1:7. The apostle Paul believed our Lord Jesus Christ when he was taught by Him personally for about three years in the Arabian desert! Angels are spirits.

       So, the LORD God created them. And they were created out of spirit. They are spirits. Angels were not created out of some 118 elements of the periodic table ── remember we learned of the elements in Science class in school? Angels are not made from physical matter. What is matter? The basic definition is, “a material substance that constitutes the observable universe and, together with energy, forms the basis of all objective phenomena.” Interestingly, the Old Testament does not speak directly of the origin of angels further than what we just read. The time when angels were created is derived from three basic Scriptures in God’s living word – Exodus 20:11; and Job 38:4-7.

       Another thing to seriously think about is ── that since angels are spirit, they can travel through different dimensions. We basically know of four dimensions, but depending on who you ask, there could be upwards of 11 dimensions in the known universe! Do you suppose there could be an angel right there in the room with you this very second? Would you know if there was?

       In my office, upon my shelf, I have a copy of the Book of 2 Enoch, which is not an inspired part of God’s living word, which describes the creation of angels. It is possible that the Books of Enoch were written by men who had received some knowledge──even though the Books were not inspired. They certainly wrote and knew that angels were created by the LORD God. Notice the Book of Colossians ──

       “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love [speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ His Son], 14) in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15) He is the image of the INVISIBLE GOD, the firstborn over all creation.” – Colossians 1:12-15.

       We are also told in John 1:3, “All things [including angels] were made through Him [our Lord Jesus Christ], and without Him nothing was made that was made.” And here it is, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” – Colossians 1:16.

Angels A Part of God’s Government

Angels are a part of the glorious kingdom of God──the government of God. And this is something that all mankind needs to think about and consider. I spent many nights in my youth looking up at the stars in the night sky pondering this! Here we are living on a spinning world ── approximately 1,037.5646 miles per hour! ── with all its beauty, conscious generally of only what we can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell, and not fully recognizing and understanding that all the forces that keep this world “suspended” in the darkness of space is a power greater than we could ever fathom! The Almighty God! Mankind, in general, does not consider or ponder that the LORD God is the Supreme Creator of everything we know and love. And that the LORD God has created beings with Free Moral Agency.

       Now, the LORD God can at any time intervene in the governments of man, whenever They please──and They certainly did on July 13, 2024! The attempted assassination of our beloved President Donald Trump! And I have been saying this since it occurred and he was saved──the LORD God may very well have saved his life because the United States of America will come to need a good war-time president. But, the LORD God does at times intervene in world affairs, and They will do so again.

       Now, the kingdom of God, the headquarters is in the third heaven. The third heaven is where the thrones of God are located. The heaven of God’s throne, where our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to at the right-hand side of God the Father.

       Since birth the overall majority of us have heard one astrologist and scientist ponder and wonder, theorize, and speculate, concerning life on any other planet in the known universe. And I’m speaking of life as we know life – of physical matter. Well, I don’t know. And they don’t know either! It’s just now being discovered that the planet Mars has an ocean──Geophysicists have discovered a gigantic hidden ocean beneath Mars’ surface, trapped inside a layer of fractured rock 7 to 13 miles beneath the Red Planet's outer crust! It is far too deep to access by any known means. Does it harbor life? We don’t know──and we will probably never know, unless the LORD God tells us. But think of this──considering the known size of the known universe──there must be a tremendous amount for the LORD God to govern. And there is a mighty spiritual organization that we could never imagine at the thrones of the Creator of the heavens and of the earth! We truly are──in size perspective──less than 1/5,000,000 of the scale of the Earth, which itself but a tiny speck in a cosmic ocean. On a cosmic scale, we are miniscule. But, our ultimate spiritual potential is massive! The known universe is ── which is part of the universe we can currently observe, has a diameter of approximately 93 billion light-years, or 28 billion parsecs. And, truthfully, mankind does not know much about the known universe.

       But angels are a part of the government of God. And there are untold millions of them. “an innumerable company of angels” (myriads—a great but indefinite number). They are spiritual messengers, they are servants and they are “superhuman.” And they are subordinate to the LORD God. Yet, they are higher than man. Angels, because they are obedient to the LAW OF GOD, the ORDINACES OF GOD, the STATUTES OF GOD, and the JUDGMENTS OF GOD, are within the living word of God pictured as being happy and joyful. They radiate joy, enthusiasm, happiness, and peace.

       Now, God’s living immutable word doesn’t actually tell us when angels were created, but it was before the earth was created. Notice ──

       “’ Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. 4) Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? … 7) When the mourning stars sand together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?’” – Job 38:3, 4, 7.

       Of course, there is much evidence, not only geological but biblical as well, that the Earth was created more than 6,000 years ago! The standard answer is some 4.54 billion years ago. We can certainly calculate with relative accuracy when the creation of Adam took place, and that he was the beginning of true Homo sapiens, and we read of this in the Book of Genesis 1:26──and it was approximately 6,000 years ago.

       But besides all that, we know that angels were created long before the Earth was created. As we just read in the Book of Job, in which the LORD God asked the prophet Job, “’ Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?’” The morning stars are the angels. And you’ll find stars are symbolically used ── such as in the Book of Revelation 12:4; and 6:13. □

Does Satan Heal?

This diabolical counterfeit has caused the world to sneer at God’s true healing power!

A good friend of mine had spoken much of a famous “healer” prevalent in the 1950s. He soon became one of the major “healing” evangelists on the healing revival circuit, much like Jack Coe, and William Branham. My friend, when he was young, had been taken by his devout mother to many of these tent revivals. And he truly believed that this man could heal. You can still find a great many of his “healing” gatherings on YouTube. “Paralyzed Man Walks Out Of Wheelchair” is one among several. He was charismatic, entertaining, and was a great showman.

A well-dressed usher rolls the wheelchaired man in front of the stage.

“Here’s a man bound with arthritis and paralyzed and dead from the waist down. Absolutely impossible to walk. Doctors say there is no help for him! That he’ll NEVER walk again!”

“Do you believe you’ll walk again?” the showman asks the man in the wheelchair.

“Yes,” the man replied.

He then asks, “When?”

“Right now!’ the man exclaimed!

The crowd goes wild with shouts and clapping.

“I’m gonna speak the word. To him, I’m gonna speak the word for you here. And, I’m gonna speak the word for you in your home – and you in your home, and you there in your home! My God is gonna move the mountain!”

Speaking again to the wheelchaired man, “Brother, you got a mountain. Yes?”

“Yes,” he replied. “I have a mountain.”

“Do you wanna walk again?” the showman asks.

“Yes,” he answers.

Again, the showman asks, “Do you wanna walk again?”

“Yes.”

“Do you believe you will tonight?”

“Yes. I believe.”

“But you know you can’t unless God heals you,” this showman states.

“That’s right.”

The crescendo begins ── “Get ready. This is a mountain.”

The showman raises his hands to those on stage, “Stand with me, brethren. Pray with me. Get ready.”

Again, he calls the wheelchaired man a mountain ── of arthritis.

The showman then lifts the footplates out of the way of the man’s feet, turns to the audience, and asks, “Will he walk?”

The audience screams, “Yes!”

He asks, “Will you walk!?”

The audience screams, “Yes!”

He asks, “Will your cancer drop off?”

The audience screams, “Yes!”

He asks, “Will God set you free?”

The audience again screams, “Yes!”

── “Get ready.”

Announcing to the audience, “What God will do for one, He’ll do for everyone! And if God will not do it for everyone, He’ll not do it for anyone!

The wheelchaired man sitting in his wheelchair, supposedly “paralyzed and dead from the waist down” was moving his feet in anticipation.

And then the showman reaches the climactic moment ──

“O’ you foul devil! Well… it’s a mountain. I’m so used to calling things devils. But, this is a demon. But, I’m calling it a mountain. Now, Jesus don’t You fail me. God, there are too many people watching tonight. You can’t fail me.”

Pointing at the wheelchaired man, he begins his “exorcism.”

“Foul mountain of helplessness. Foul mountain of destruction. Foul mountain of arthritis. FOUL MOUNTAIN OF DEMONIC POWER!”

Kneeling down and grabbing the man’s legs and jerking on them, he continues his show, “Bind these limbs! In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! You devil, I charge you!”

The crowd is talking among themselves, some are shouting out, “Hallelujah!”

“I command this mountain go. Be thou [garbled word] removed!”

The showman places his hand on the wheelchaired man’s knee, and screams,  “AND PLACED INTO THE SEA!”

Then standing, the showman slaps his hand on top of the man’s head and shouts, “O’ you mountain! [garbled words]. Go!”

And the wheelchaired man quickly stands, and takes a few baby steps!

The audience erupts in cheers and clapping!

When this so-called “healing” revival gathering was over ── had there truly been a healing?

The wheelchaired man ── who, we were originally told ── was supposed to have been “paralyzed and dead from the waist down” was moving his feet while sitting in the wheelchair. He had NOT been healed. Even though this man got up out of the wheelchair and walked, we do not know that he had been genuinely healed because we did not have any previous proof that he was actually “paralyzed and dead from the waist down.”

HEALING

The forgiveness of sins

It’s important that we properly understand what healing really is.

HEALING is the FORGIVENESS OF SINS ── physical sins.

“But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, ‘Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9) Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10) But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth TO FORGIVE SINS’ ── He said to the paralytic, 11) ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’” – Mark 2:8-11.

The definition of sin is the transgression of God’s Law – 1 John 3:4.

And indeed, there are two types of laws – physical laws, and spiritual laws.

Also, and sadly this is a truth that apparently so many people around this world don’t understand ── the very penalty of sin is DEATH! – cf. Genesis 2:17; Ezekiel 18:4, 20; Romans 6:23.

Now, the LORD God is telling us that breaking the spiritual Law of God is ETERNAL DEATH from which there will never be a resurrection.

“Then Death and Hades [the grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” – Revelation 20:14.

“But the cowardly, 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.” – Revelation 21:8.

I underlined the word sorcerers because it means so much more than just witches and warlocks – it also encompasses ── “Big Pharma.”

Now, the penalty for breaking God’s physical laws results in pain, suffering, and then ── quite possibly an early first death that passes upon all mankind – Hebrews 9:27.

Q: How is it possible for us to be healed ── to have our physical sins forgiven?

A: When our Lord Jesus Christ came to Earth and suffered horrifically, and died on the cross, pouring out His very life’s blood, He paid the penalty for both our spiritual and physical transgressions.

Through the very blood of Christ, our spiritual and physical sins are forgiven. It is through the terrible scourging and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ that our physical sins are pardoned.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus, on our behalf, paid for our physical and our spiritual transgressions. “who HIMSELF bore our sins in His own body on the [cross], that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness ──by those stripes you were healed.”

Our Lord Jesus lived a perfect life. He never once violated God’s spiritual or physical laws. But, He did allow Himself to be beaten and scourged with a Roman flagrum to pay the penalty of sickness and sufferings that our physical sins bring upon us.

Only the LORD God

Can Forgive Sins

To prove to the Pharisees and the scribes that healing was the FORGIVENESS of our physical sins, our Lord Jesus said what we just read in Mark 2:8-11. After our Lord healed another person, He commanded him, “’ See, you have been made well. SIN NO MORE, lest a worse thing come upon you.’” – John 5:14.

Did that charlatan I speak of at the beginning of this article tell that man, “Go, and SIN NO MORE”? I think not. Our Lord Jesus Christ knew and understood that if this man ── who was breaking God’s physical laws for a long time, continued in his physical sins ── something even worse would come upon him. Therefore, He gave him a solemn warning, “’ Sin no more.’”

Since true healing is the FORGIVENESS OF SINS, only the LORD God (the family of God, which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) can heal. Only the LORD God can forgive sins! Neither Satan the Devil nor his minions can heal.

Satan the Devil Afflicts

It is interesting to note that even though Satan the Devil and his minions (demons) cannot heal, they can certainly cause afflictions. THEY ARE AFFLICTORS! And they spiritually influence the majority ── either directly or indirectly ── of this world’s sicknesses, diseases, and sufferings. Yet, never will he liberate mankind from these sufferings. Because to do so would be contrary to his twisted and vile character. His nature has become evil and prideful.

In the Book of Job, the LORD God allowed Satan (the Adversary) to afflict the prophet Job, but commanded him to not “lay a hand on his person.”

“Now there was a day when the sons of God [the sons of God, as in the descendants of Seth (Genesis 4:25-26)] came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7) And the LORD said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ So Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.’

8) Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’ 9) So Satan answered the LORD and said, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? 10) Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11) But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!’

12) And the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.’” – Job 10:6-12.

The apostle Paul wrote concerning an affliction that he was suffering ──

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, A THORN IN THE FLESH WAS GIVEN TO ME, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” – 2 Corinthians 12:7.

“Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9) And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’” – vs. 8-9.

As there is some vile spiritual sickness, some sexual immorality that is continuing in God’s Church ──and I speak of a “minister of righteousness,” a Liberace of his ministry in my latest sermon that is not only spiritually rotting, but physically as well. The apostle Paul, writing to the Church in Corinth, spoke that there was sexual immorality among them ── and such sexual immorality that wasn’t even named among the Gentiles. And, sadly, those who are listening to him cannot discern the spirits. They are ‘puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among them.’ I ── absent now in the body from him, but present in spirit, have judged him who is continuing to do this filthy deed (1 John 4:1). And like what the apostle Paul told the Corinthians in approximately 55 A.D., I say as well, “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” – cf. 1 Corinthians 5-1-5. So that he might be brought to repentance.

Our spiritual and physical enemy, Satan the Devil, not only AFFLICTS people with illnesses, diseases, and infirmities ── but also one or a legion of his wicked demons will possess a person and will cause them to go insane! THIS TRUTH IS IN GOD’S LIVING WORD!

These vile humans ── who appeared “normal” for the majority of their lifetime (note: the latest terrorist of New Orleans had served in the U.S. Army from 2007 to 2020!) ── suddenly commit heinous and horrific crimes!

Healing Is A Gift of God’s Spirit

Healing is a glorious gift of God’s Spirit that is bestowed upon mankind for our benefit.

The apostle Paul asks, “Do all have gifts of healing? …” – 1 Corinthians 12:30. Of course not. But, our Lord Jesus Christ has set some in His Church, “first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.” – vs. 28.

Through God’s Spirit, there are different spiritual gifts bestowed upon His servants. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8) for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit. 9) to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10) to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11) But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” – vs. 7-11.

So, since HEALING is a good and perfect gift, divine healing power can only come from the LORD God, for “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” – James 1:17.

Any person who is not of God (the fruits of their character reveal them for who they are), yet claims to have the power of healing from God──is a liar and a charlatan.

True Servants of God Are Empowered to Heal

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ commissioned His servants to “’ Go not all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’” – Mark 16:15.

“’ And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues [languages]; 18) they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’” – vs. 17-18.

In the Book of James, true Christians are told, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15) And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” – James 5:14-15.

Now, does the LORD God hear every prayer? No.

“Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and DOES HIS WILL, He hears him.” – John 9:31.

The majority of mankind has been led to believe that God answers all prayers offered in the name of Jesus Christ. But He does not!

Notice 1 John 5:14 – “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, He hears us.” Also, “whatever we ask we receive from Him, BECAUSE WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” – 1 John 3:22.

Anyone not keeping God’s commandments and who is not doing those things that are pleasing to God will not receive an answer to their prayers. It’s truly as simple as that.

Our Lord Jesus prophesied that there would come charlatans. “’ Take heed that NO ONE deceives you. 5) For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.’” – Matthew 24:4-5. We are told that they are “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming THEMSELVES into apostles of Christ. 14) And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15) Therefore it is no great thing if HIS MINISTERS also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” – 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.

Satan the Devil’s Ministers Can Perform “Miracles”

So, according to the living word of the Eternal One, Satan the Devil has his own ministers, who come as “ministers of righteousness,” who can perform counterfeit “miracles.”

The “angels who sinned” – demons – are wicked spirits, and they are increasingly leading all humanity astray. Satan’s ministers can indeed perform counterfeit “miracles.”

These false ministers are “spirits of demons, performing signs” and lying wonders to deceive the ignorant. (See: Revelation 16:14).

The apostle Paul tells us that towards the close of this present evil age, “the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:9. This “lawless one” will be a Vicar of Christ. We are told that this false prophet (this spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church) will work “signs” in the presence of a final “beast power” – a seventh revival of the Holy Roman Empire (See: Revelation 19:20).

God’s living word elsewhere speaks concerning those who use demonic powers such as palmistry, Wicca, sorcery, witchcraft, alchemy, necromancy, wizardry, and the like. “’ For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, …’” – Deuteronomy 18:12.

Satan the Devil CAN’T Cast Himself Out!

The apostle Luke writes, “He [our Lord Jesus Christ] was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. 15) But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.’”

“But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. 18) If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19) And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? … 20) But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.’” – Luke 11:14-20.

Satan will never cast out his own demons!

There was a time when the apostle John had said to our Lord Jesus, “’ Teacher, we saw someone WHO DOES NOT FOLLOW US casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.’ 39) But Jesus said, ‘Do not forbid him, for no one who works miracles in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40) For he who is not against us is on our side.’” – Mark 9:38-40.

Our Lord Jesus told His disciples that this man was a man of God ── even though he was not following them. Otherwise, he would not have been able to cast out demons in the glorious name of Jesus Christ.

Let us always keep this in mind: a true minister of God may be true to what he knows at the beginning of his ministry. However, if he refuses to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” and to change, the LORD God will cut that minister that doesn’t bear fruit from His tree (See: John 15:2). □

Free Moral Agency (VIDEO SERMON)

You can also listen to this sermon. Click the orange play button below.

COJCOM · 9-7-2024 - Free Moral Agency (Audio Sermon)

Good Morning Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in Christ around the world. Those who are in the U.K.; the Philippines; Kenya; and South Africa watching us on our YouTube channel. Welcome, and thank you for joining us this holy Sabbath – or whenever you are watching this message. I hope and pray that you are having a most wonderful Sabbath. God bless. I’m Leonard V Johnson. The V stands for victory! Let us, dear brethren, like the Apostle Paul continue to fight the good fight, to finish the race that is set before us, let us keep the faith!

Today’s message is going to be on FREE MORAL AGENCY. Because truly, the greatest creation by our LORD God is you! And, the most difficult, the most important, by far, of anything that the LORD God – the LORD God is the family of God, which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! The most important, by far, that the LORD God can create – or ever has created – is holy righteous character.1 Without being a free moral agent, we would never be able to build the holy righteous character of the LORD God!

Because holy righteous character has to be developed – it cannot be just created by fiat. It has to be developed.

So holy righteous character is the ability in an INDEPENDENT AND SEPARATE ENTITY – a living being – that has intelligence and the ability to understand, to have knowledge and the ability to think and reason, to come to a conclusion and to make decisions – one who has what is called FREE MORAL AGENCY. Because you and I can think for ourselves, we know right from wrong, true from false. And, even though we have human nature – truly for the overall majority of us – we will choose to do the right.

Not only does it take knowledge, but it also takes self-discipline to do what we find is correct with Almighty God. Not what we might think is correct – but what the LORD God says is correct. Yet, sadly, the overall majority in this present evil age do what is correct in their own eyes. Truly, the real purpose for the creation of humanity – and I’ve covered this a great deal; such as in our messages – “God’s Master Plan – From the Beginning,” along with “You Were Born to Rule!” – the real reason that we are on this beautiful blue jewel that is spinning at approximately 1,040 miles per hour – and again we continue to teach this over and over – is that the LORD God (the family of God; God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) are reproducing Themselves! Remember, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’

We look like God, and God looks like us – except that God is composed of Spirit and we are flesh and blood. Now, we have differences in melanin in our skin – creating different colors – and production by melanocytes. 

As far as the color of our LORD God, we can turn to the likes of the Book of Revelation chapter 1, which states, “His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” So, if one was to be able to look at our sun – what color is it? According to several scientific sources, the color of our sun is white – because when all the colors of the spectrum come together it appears as white. Of course, white is not considered a color.

I believe the LORD God has no particular color. Yet, God’s face is as bright as our sun shining in its strength – and we were created to be like that someday. And that is part of our wonderful potential.

Now, in a Personal writeup back in 2021, I briefly went over some biblical pre-history from the Old Testament. But, what a great many in these worldly churches don’t consider – or might not even think about – is the fact there is biblical pre-history in the New Testament.

The Book of John chapter 1.

Let’s begin there today for this holy Sabbath.

John 1, verse 1.

Notice the word Word is capitalized. It’s capitalized because it is a name. It means Spokesman or Revelator – One who speaks.

Verse 2.

So, here we have TWO SEPARATE BEINGS!

Now, I’ve had church people want to argue with me when I say that there are TWO BEINGS! They say rather quickly, that there is only ONE GOD! And they will often quote Isaiah 45:5, “’ I am the LORD [Lord here is Yahweh, spelled Y H W H; truly meaning Creator], and there is no other.’” It’s like saying, ‘There is no other Creator besides Me.’” “’ There is no God [God here being Elohim; the family of God] besides Me.’” Again, it’s like saying, ‘There is no other God family.’

But, here we have TWO SEPARATE BEINGS!

Verse 3.

Let’s move on down to verse 14 of the same chapter of the Book of John 1.

And, of course, this occurred possibly millions or billions of years later. God’s living word doesn’t say. But, the Word – this separate being – was made flesh and dwelt among us, and John the Baptist bore witness of Him.

Now, turning to the Book of Ephesians chapter 3.

Notice verse 9.

God the Father created all things THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!

Turning again to John chapter 1, verse 1 – have you ever realized that ‘in the beginning’ truly means that at this time there was no physical universe!? There was just simply space – maybe what we are coming to understand as “dark energy”!?

And, the LORD God; again, the family of God – decided to create. They decided to create spiritual angels first. Turn with me, if you will, to the Book of Job, chapter 38.

This is the LORD God answering the Prophet Job out of a whirlwind, after Job’s friend Elihu. Because Job was becoming a bit self-righteous in his own eyes, justifying himself rather than God. So, the LORD answered the Prophet Job – let’s begin in verse 4.

Verses 5 to 7.

So, the LORD God created spiritual angels first – even before the physical universe.

Let’s now notice when the LORD God created physical matter. Back in the first book of the Old Testament – the Book of Genesis chapter 1.

Verse 1.

Again, this word God is the Hebrew Elohim – meaning more than one. The family of God.

So, there are steps in which the LORD God creates. And throughout these nearly 5 ½ decades of existence I have come to see that science does back this up! 2 The method in which the LORD God creates is in duality. And, the Apostle Paul speaks of this – turn to the Book of 1st Corinthians chapter 15.

Beginning in verse 45.

Verses 46 to 49.

So, there is a spiritual phase that completes the creation.

But, returning to the LORD God first creating the spiritual angels. And, brethren and friends – even the creation of spiritual angels at that time was not complete. In other words, it was not finished. Again, the LORD God creates in duality. Again, the most important, by far, that the LORD God can create – or ever has created – is holy righteous character. Because holy righteous character has to be developed – it cannot be just created by fiat. It has to be developed. So, the angels of God were not created finished in their holy righteous character. And until that holy righteous character was finished within them, they were not complete.

Now, the LORD God created every one of them. And the LORD God created within them minds to understand, to have knowledge and the ability to think and reason, to come to conclusions and to make decisions. And, the LORD God also instructed them in the Way of life. In other words – the Law of God.

Now, I’ve spoken of this before, spiritual angels were never meant to rule the earth or the universe. And I’ve spoken of the Book of Hebrews chapter 2, verse 5. From the very beginning, the LORD God has had a MASTER PLAN!

Humans were not an afterthought.

But truly, the reason that the spiritual angels shouted for joy – as we just read about in the Book of Job, chapter 38, was because they were going to have a hand in completing the final touches of the beautification of this planet – preparing it for humans. Now, the earth was good – as God’s living word says, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Earth was a perfectly created planet as far as it went – but it needed to be completed and beautified. And, the LORD God intended some of the angels to do just this.

And, to do this beautification – the LORD God set over the Earth an archangel. This archangel – like all angels – has over them the government of God. The kingdom of God. And the kingdom of God is also a Way of life – the Way that keeps them a team, with the same goal. Instead of fighting against one another. And it’s a Way based on love – for God is love.

And, if you have this love of God – in Greek it’s agápē.

If you have this love of God you are just as concerned about the health, the wellbeing, and everything good and proper for your fellow man as you are for yourself.

So then, the angels we find in the Book of Ezekiel chapter 28. Along with in the Book of Isaiah chapter 14. And there was one archangel that the LORD God set over the Earth to complete its beautification to prepare for humankind. In Latin his name is Lucifer.

He was perfect in his ways from the day that he was created until iniquity was found in him.

The LORD God placed this archangel Lucifer on the Earth to superintend angels that were placed under him. And, they could work with the materials on Earth to produce and beautify – complete – the creation. Because understand – angels cannot create something out of nothing! They do not have that ability – only the LORD God does. Creation is solely an act of the LORD God.

Getting back to the duality principle.

The angels were finishing their own spiritual character – either good or evil – certainly while they were in the process of beautifying and completing the Earth for human habitation.

But, what happened!?

Turning to the Book of 2nd Peter chapter 2.

Verse 4.

So, understand, these here are not holy righteous angels. And, we see elsewhere – I believe it’s the Book of Revelation – that this is one-third of all the angels. The other two-thirds are holy righteous angels – that are loyal to the LORD God. These angels here sinned and were thrown down to the earth and delivered into chains of darkness – meaning darkness of character and mind. To be reserved for judgment.

So, Lucifer and the third of his demons – truly knowing right from wrong – rebelled against the LORD God and their decision is irrevocable, they are beyond redemption.

Now, I have mentioned to my dear Sister before that these angels that sinned could repent. But, that is not so - Satan the Devil and these angels WILLINGLY chose to disobey the LORD God, thus, they are blatantly GUILTY! And they will be judged accordingly!

They, like we are, were free moral agents. And they could not be holy until they had the holiness of God within them. And they would have had to accept and take this holiness from the LORD God willingly. But they outright refused!

And immediately after they refused – what happened!? The beautifying and completion of the Earth abruptly stopped!

Turning again to the Book of Genesis chapter 1.

Verse 2.

“The Earth became without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.”

They polluted everything!

Now, some claim that Lucifer and the angels sinning caused decay and death – as in the first death; physical death.

And, as I’ve mentioned before – I want you to understand that mankind was going to die – no matter if they were to choose the Tree of Life or the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil. Had they chosen the Tree of Life, they would still have lived out their days and died; and indeed we find this did happen, “So all the days that Adam lived were 930 years; and he died” – Genesis 5:5.

The law of decay is a physical law described in mathematical manners that describes the properties of a nuclear atom in a state of decay. So, truly, this law of decay proves that life originated from a Divine Being with intelligence outside of this physical universe.

Sadly, there has been a misconception – a misunderstanding – that the LORD God made a mistake in creating Lucifer.

There is nothing of the kind. 3 Our sovereign LORD God has been accomplishing Their Master Plan from the very beginning. And nothing that Lucifer or humanity has done, or will ever do, will interfere with Their ultimate fulfillment and purpose.

There are a few passages in God’s living word that we can see this – one of which I spoke of earlier, the Book of Genesis chapter 1, verse 26, I mean verse 31. The Lord saw that everything He created was “very good.” And, I tend to like a comment in the Jamieson, Fausett, and Brown Commentary concerning this “very good” says. Concerning verse 31 it says –

READ THE BOOK.

Of course, death is not considered “very good” under human definition – and indeed it is an enemy. But going back to what we just read – death “was (and is) part of the progress of creation, in its adaptation to the end” – part of the end product of God's Master Plan.

Also, let’s turn in our Bible to the Book of Romans chapter 5.

Verse 12.

The Apostle Paul here is speaking of spiritual death – as in the Book of Revelation chapter 20, verse 15. And Revelation chapter 21, verse 8. What is called “the second death.”

The Apostle Paul’s discussion of death coming through sin, and thus death “spread to all men, because all sinned.”

Brethren, friends, the life that came through our Lord Jesus is spiritual life. So, truly, the death that comes through sin is spiritual death – the “second death.”

Let’s be logical. Even in the Garden of Eden – what if there was no death and every creature lived forever? How long would it take before the world was overrun with animals!? Whether herbivores ate plants or other animals. Logically, predators are necessary to maintain a healthy and stable population of all kinds of animal life. So, death – and I’m speaking of the first death – is an essential component in God’s overall Master Plan! Even originally in a world that was “very good.”

But, getting back.

The LORD God decided to create mankind and to begin reproducing Themselves through millions and millions and even billions and billions of beings – human beings that will someday become divine beings that can have the very holy character of God.

And this, brethren and friends, is the greatest and most important good news that anyone could ever hear!

Let’s move on and notice verse 2 of the Book of Genesis chapter 1 again.

Verse 2.

The Earth – planet Earth – because the Hebrew word for the phrase without form is tohu, meaning confusion and waste. As in a wasteland, a wilderness, even a spiritual emptiness and spiritual confusion. And the Hebrew word for void also means, “made empty.”

It does not mean decay.

So, the face of the Earth became a complete wasteland.

Lucifer – who is now called Satan the Adversary – and his angels (who are now called demons) did not continue the beautification of the Earth for the habitation of humankind. They rebelled and they sinned.

We learn from God’s living word that this planet – planet Earth – is but the beginning. For the LORD God is planting the heavens. And we find this in the Book of Isaiah chapter 51, verse 16.

All of mankind was created to obey the glorious and holy Law of God. And from the beginning, God’s Law was given to Adam and Eve. And Adam – with the help from God’s Holy Spirit – was to overcome Satan the Adversary, to turn from the evil one, to turn from the way of get – to turn from covetousness, jealousy, bitterness, wrath, lust – the way of wrong competition and envy and strife, vanity and greed, and a resentment against proper authority, and all of that.

Truly, the LORD God is CREATOR! They create and build up; They DO NOT tear down and they do not make someone feel unappreciated or unloved. And, true brothers and sisters in Christ must learn how to build up our fellow man, not tear them down. And, we brethren, need to learn how to do that.

So, our Lord God – the very One that was known as the Word – remade the face of the Earth in six Earth days. (however many earth hours a day was at that time).

Turning to the Book of Psalm chapter 104.

I believe it's verse 30.

So the Lord God renewed the face of the earth after the angels that sinned brought the earth into emptiness and darkness. And the LORD God renewed the face of the Earth for mankind. Just as the Book of Genesis chapter 1 verse 3 states, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” And the LORD God divided the light from the darkness. And The LORD God is continuing to divide the light from the darkness – even to this very day.

Mankind was created and placed upon this beautiful jewel of a planet to also build righteous godly character. But, what has occurred?

Adam- our very first parent, followed his wife Eve who sinned against the LORD God. Adam chose the wrong way – Adam chose Satan’s way. And ever since then, mankind has been polluting and destroying everything we get our hands on that the LORD God has created! You might recall that I mentioned this in an article or a previous sermon – that the planet we know as Mars is now littered with 15,694 pounds of human trash from over 50 years of exploration!

So, tell me one thing that mankind has touched, especially planet Earth, that he has not polluted, destroyed, or harmed in some way. Yet, mankind believes that he is progressing. I often say that I truly believe that a horse-drawn carriage was a better form of transportation than what we have today in this 21st century! Just the mining for the materials to make a battery for a battery-operated automobile and the terrible damage and destruction to this earth and its atmosphere is argument enough. Of course, good old communist “Fact Check” continues to try and tell us that there is no damage to the earth whatsoever from the mining of the materials for an electric car battery! Well, what I have to say is exactly what the LORD God says to you!

“’ WOE TO THOSE who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!’”

Going back to the Book of Genesis chapter 1, we read again –

Notice verse 26.

Adam and Eve had the very chance to resist the way of Satan the Devil. And to accept and obey the kingdom of God!

Notice the Word – the very One that would later come to be our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – explained thoroughly to Adam and Eve the Law of God. But then, on Sunday, the enchanting Whisperer came to Eve.

Adam could have taken control of Satan the Devil’s self-appointed rulership over the Earth – who once was created as a perfect archangel. Perfect in all his ways from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him. And he built upon the character he desired to build. The character of PRIDE, fierceness, and cruelty, and power, and deceit.

And we -being of a free moral agent – must build upon holy righteous godly character – with the very help of CHRIST IN US! The glorious Holy Spirit! That is why we were created and placed on this Earth! The purpose of human life is to build that kind of holy and righteous godly character – the very character of the LORD God! For the Law of God is the very foundation and the basis of the government of God.

And sadly, the government of God has not been established yet on this planet. Remember our Lord Jesus Christ has said, “’ My kingdom is not of this earth.’” His kingdom is of a new earth to come!

And we are to pray always, ‘Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.’ And it won’t be until then that we will have true lasting peace on earth.

Thank you for listening today – and Godspeed. We love you here and pray for you always. And we hope and pray that you continue to love and pray for us here. So, until next time, this is Leonard V Johnson for the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries.

Goodbye for now.

Notes:

1. Mr. Johnson said, "... that the LORD God can create – or ever has created – is holy righteous character" meaning, the LORD God created the necessity of building holy righteous character.

2. What Mr. Johnson was speaking of is the fact there is a physical first and there is a spiritual second in the duality of our creation - because we as humans are NOT COMPLETE.

3. Truly, the LORD God did not create a Satan, but rather a beautiful and brilliant archangel. The LORD God did not create the character that Lucifer has become.

Satan's Fate

1 Peter 5:8-9

by Guy C. LaMar

WHAT is the fate of Satan the Devil and of the incorrigibly wicked?

A great many people just accept and believe that when you die you either “go to heaven” to be with God and Jesus Christ, or you go to “the other place” – an ever-burning hellfire.

Our Lord Jesus Christ makes it crystal clear that NO ONE has ever been to the Third Heaven – where God’s throne resides (John 3:13).

There may have been visions and dreams that have been allowed to some of which may be looked upon as “an out of the body experience,” which is a mental psyche frame of thought, into what would be considered as part of the heavenly realm (2 Corinthians 12:1-4).

But, it also could be looked upon as a future situation when the Third Heaven – God’s throne – comes to earth and the Kingdom of God gets established. 

Beginning with the first and second heaven.

When our Lord Jesus calls them out of their graves at the resurrection they will go to the first heaven to meet Jesus in the clouds.

As the Bible describes, the first heaven is that which contains clouds which rain upon the earth (Deuteronomy 11:11; 1 Kings 8:35; Isaiah 55:10).

Then, as they go to the Sea of Glass (to receive their assignments, their new name, have the Bridal Supper, and to receive their white horse) where they will, most likely, be in the second heavenly realm hovering over the area of Jerusalem while on the Sea of Glass, before returning to the earth – to establish a “new earth” when God the Father Himself will come down to make His dwelling with men. Then EARTH will be the Third Heaven in this place of this World Tomorrow!

So, yes – when we look at it like that, true Christians will go to heaven after death.

Personally – for this reason – I have no issue with people that mention how when someone dies they will “go off to heaven” or go to “hell.”

Of the three different definitions, one of the definitions of hell simply means grave. A hole in the ground. Depending on the version of the Bible, one of the meanings for the Hebrew word for “hell” is Sheol – which is equivalent to the Greek term Hades. Both of these words are used in Scripture in reference to the grave – a burial in the earth.

Another word for “hell” is the Greek term Tartaroo, which occurs in only one verse (2 Peter 2:4). It refers here to the present conditions of rebellious angels, called demons, and of their restraint or imprisonment on the earth.

Then there is the word Gehenna in Greek, from the Hebrew Gai Hinnom – the Valley of Hinnom – which ran along the west and south sides of Jerusalem.

During biblical times of terrible apostasy, people were burned here in pagan sacrifices and it became a place to burn garbage. Criminals that had died were thrown into this pit to be cremated.

There is no indication here of a fire burning and torturing forever.

Satan the Devil and his demons will be cast into an Abyss for one-thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3, 7-8; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6). This hell, in Greek, is abyssos – which means “the deep place.”

This is the place where Satan the Devil and his demons are to be sent and bound for a thousand years chained up with a seal upon them so that they “should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.”

After which they are released for a short season of time, before being permanently removed from the earth when they are “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone” which is “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 24:41).

So, what is the ultimate fate for Satan the Devil, and his demons?

Is it be cast into what most of the religious world believes is the hell reserved for bad people!?

No.

Revelation 20:10 says:

“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet [had been cast]. And they [Satan and his demons] will be tormented day and night forever and ever [meaning, ages of the ages – eternal ages].”

The very fate of Satan the Devil and his demons are the ones who will be in a never-ending psychological torture and misery. That torture and misery is probably a lot of the fact that they will be eternally together blaming each other. They will most likely be eternally bickering over their vanity. These are the fathers of the twisted that has influenced all mankind.

Now, there are two verses that many assume proves that the bad people are to be “eternally” tortured in a hellfire. And they are Matthew 25:41 and Matthew 25:46.

This is the setting to which our Lord Jesus referred to as “’ the Son of Man comes in His glory’” (Matthew 25:31-32).

We are told that He separates the nations from one another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. The sheep represent the righteous (Matthew 25:34-40).

So, upon His return, He sets the sheep at His right hand, and He sets the goats at His left – the goats represent the incorrigibly wicked. He then consigns the goats to “’ the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matthew 25:41).

The word everlasting in Greek is aiōnios, which means “eternal.”

The key to understanding this verse is knowing and understanding what will occur everlastingly.

Is this a fire that tortures without end, or does it have another meaning?

In Matthew 25:46 our Lord Jesus spoke in a single sentence of “’ everlasting [aiōnios] punishment’” and of “’ everlasting [eternal – aiōnios] life.’”

Now, since the righteous will be given eternal – or everlasting – life, many biblical theologians believe the punishment of the incorrigibly wicked must last as long as the everlasting life given to the righteous.

Yet, this cannot be reconciled with the statement that those cast into the lake of fire PERISH – they are killed. As explained elsewhere, they suffer DEATH – the second death (Revelation 2:11; 14:1-20; 20:6; 21:8).

The plain and simple meaning of Matthew 25:46 that fits with the rest of the Bible is that the incorrigibly wicked that are cast into the lake of fire will annihilate them – renders them dead forever.

The resulting punishment of being cast into the aiōnios fire is a one-time event!

It is a permanent punishment, the results of which will remain forever – which equals eternal death.

It is not this ongoing punishment that continues forever without end!

This truth backs up the rest of Scripture.

Take note: Genesis 19 describes God’s destruction of two incorrigibly wicked cities, Sodom and Gomorrah:

“Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, …” (Genesis 19:24).

Those cities were utterly destroyed – consumed by fire and brimstone.

In the New Testament, the Book of Jude describes those cities as “suffering the vengeance of eternal [aiōnios] fire” (Jude 1:7).

Yet it is obvious that the fires that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah are not still burning.

These cities, in this case, are consigned to aiōnios fire – a fire which burns and completely destroys.

The eternal aspect of the fire is its everlasting effect – not how long it actually burns.

People that believe that GOD would create nerves that feel pain placed in a resurrected physical body – one which can feel pain as we feel pain in our physical bodies – that does not burn up so as to give anguish, torture, and misery without ever ceasing DOES NOT DESCRIBE A LOVING GOD!

That is the most hateful horrible idea ever! That does not describe the God of the Bible! That is an evil and satanic belief!

Why would a God of love (1 John 4:7-8, 16) allow such a vile and hideous thing to happen to some poor misguided person who never knew God!? Just because someone was never properly taught and educated about God and His living word they are placed in such an unthinkable situation!? 

No!

This is an old heathen scare tactic.

The Bible instructs us to diligently study the word of God. This is how we come to know this simple to understand knowledge. O’ my, the vile things that people in these evangelical worldly churches have been teaching have gotten many people off course! (Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Acts 17:11; Psalm 119:9).

Too often people are prone to just accept whatever their church teaches.

We were all born in a ready-made world. A world which is ruled by Satan the Devil (2 Corinthians 4:4), and most simply just accept what this world has set up for us to believe.

Most people of this world trust their church leaders, their doctrines, and ideologies which were set in place from the very beginning of the first civilization (cf. Genesis 10:8-12). They just accept their rules without question. The majority of which is just hand-me-down teachings.

Their grandparents and parents believed a certain way, so they do.

A society, in general, believes in this or in that way so others just accept it and embrace it.

This places people living in little boxes of thought.

God’s people PROVE all things by the WORD of God – not the ideas of mankind (1 Thessalonians 5:21). □

Additional information on this subject:

'No One Has Ascended To Heaven' - Now, if some people go to heaven and others go to hell; then I wonder if saved people in heaven can actually see the writhing and the screaming, the wailing, the torture of their family members who were lost to hell!? [...] pdf online article.

The Book of Life - The Last Great Day - And, the Firstfruits of all is Jesus Christ. And, we have an awesome chance – as we see in the Book of 1st Corinthians, chapter 15 – to have an opportunity to be part of the firstfruits also. [...]

One God - One Mediator - part 1 - Nov. 18, 2020 sermon.

One God - One Mediator - part 2 - Nov. 24, 2020 sermon.

Feast of Trumpets 'Thy Kingdom Come' - Now the Feast of Trumpets is a day in God’s holy day calendar which signifies – commemorates and looks forward to – the return of Jesus Christ to this earth! [...]

The Confusion About Death! pdf online booklet.

Is Your Belief Biblical? ...and can you prove it? pdf online booklet.

A Morning Bible Study - What Is God's Throne Like? - Just what is God's throne like!? Just what is Jesus Christ like in His glory!?

What If... The Dead Rise Not? - Friends, all around this world people are deathly afraid of death and absolutely do not know what is going to happen after death. [...]

'Mysteries' of God - Friends is the Christian religion a mystery!? Is God’s living WORD a mystery!? [...]

God's Servants Vs. the Devil's Servants - Sept. 14, 2021 sermon.

Are the Dead In Heaven? - July 24, 2021 sermon.

Did the Thief On The Cross Go To Heaven? - Nov. 06, 2021 sermon.

Lucifer - Became Satan the Adversary - Feb. 24, 2021 sermon.

The Last Great Day - 2021 - Oct. 09, 2021 sermon.

A Real Hellfire! - July 17, 2021 sermon.

Is There A Hell? - July 10, 2021 sermon.

The Love of God - Jan. 16, 2021 sermon.

Rage Against the Darkness - June 05, 21 sermon.

The Rest Of The Dead - Oct. 01, 2018 sermon.

In Hope of Eternal Life - July 03, 2021 sermon.

The Two Keys to Eternal Life - Nov. 14, 2020 sermon.

Salvation OFFERED To All - Oct. 10, 2019 sermon.

Do you understand Ezekiel 37? - Friends, Ezekiel 37 helps show us that people who were dead - and not in Christ Jesus - will indeed be resurrected to the flesh and live again [...]

Repent For Salvation - 2009 Internet Archive audio sermon.

The Confusion About Death part 1 - Dec. 19, 2018 Internet Archive video sermon.

The Confusion About Death part 2 - Aug. 07, 2015 Internet Archive video sermon.

The Confusion About Death part 3 - 2008 Internet Archive video sermon.

Is Your Belief Biblical? - Dec. 01, 2007 Internet Archive audio sermon.

In Hope Of Eternal Life Part 2 (What is the Book of Life?) - April 26, 2014 Internet Archive audio sermon.