Regarding #110128, that's an excellent illustration of the principle. Romans 1, around vss. 18 and following, discusses this too. As well as Deut. 31:



This is an excellent explanation of the principle from Scripture.

Here's EW 294



The underlined portion is obviously not literal. How could it be?

The "worm of life" does not die until the last particle is consumed. This is literal? There's a literal worm being literally consumed by a literal fire until it's last particle is literally consumed?

This reminds me of this:

arent those just the neatest people?

"Sounds like..." Ah, good one, mate.

William

it is clear from the flow of the details that Ellen White is not using prophetic or cryptic symbols. In fact the same fire -- the very same fire that consumes the wicked is also seen burning the rocks and reshaping the surface of the earth.


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Great Controversy - 673

Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. Malachi 4:1; 2 Peter 3:10. The earth's surface seems one molten mass--a vast, seething 673

lake of fire. It is the time of the judgement and perdition of ungodly men--"the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion." Isaiah 34:8. {GC 672.2}

Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished “according to their deeds." The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused God's people to commit.

His punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch--Satan the root, his followers the branches. The full penalty of the law has been visited; the demands of justice have been met; and heaven and earth, beholding, declare the righteousness of Jehovah. {GC 673.1}

EW 294

The Second Death

Satan rushes into the midst of his followers and tries to stir up the multitude to action. But fire from God out of heaven is rained upon them, and the great men, and mighty men, the noble, the poor and miserable, are all consumed together.

I saw that some were quickly destroyed, while others suffered longer. They were punished according to the deeds done in the body. Some were many days consuming, and just as long as there was a portion of them unconsumed, all the sense of suffering remained. Said the angel, "The worm of life shall not die; their fire shall not be quenched as long as there is the least particle for it to prey upon." {EW 294.1}


Satan and his angels suffered long. Satan bore not only the weight and punishment of his own sins, but
295
also of the sins of the redeemed host, which had been placed upon him; and he must also suffer for the ruin of souls which he had caused. Then I saw that Satan and all the wicked host were consumed, and the justice of God was satisfied; and all the angelic host, and all the redeemed saints, with a loud voice said, "Amen!" {EW 294.2}

Said the angel, "Satan is the root, his children are the branches. They are now consumed root and branch. They have died an everlasting death. They are never to have a resurrection, and God will have a clean universe." I then looked and saw the fire which had consumed the wicked, burning up the rubbish and purifying the earth. Again I looked and saw the earth purified. There was not a single sign of the curse. The broken, uneven surface of the earth now looked like a level, extensive plain.

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Real sinners in real fire at the real judgment after the real millennium enduring the suffering of the real second death -- lake of fire - where they are really punished for their real sins as the Law really demands.

yes ... "really"

However - they are subjected to no fire at ALL just prior to that where just having been resurrected from the dead - they stand before God Himself at the great white throne judgment event. Yes indeed - in the very presence of God. Nope not even the slightest singing going on then at that time. Not until they are subjected to the Lake of Fire that is also what causes the "elements to melt with fervent heat" are they subjected to what God calls in Rev 14:10-11 the "Torment" of fire and brimstone.

in Christ,

Bob

Bob, would you please explain how the following is literal:



as well as this:




How about this:



Why isn't the chain here literal?

What I'm getting at is, it seems the same principle of interpretation by which one would conclude that the chain in Rev. 20 is not literal would lead one to conclude that EW 294, which is the following:

I have an even better list -- starting with this...

"FOR IN SIX days the LORD CREATED The Heavens and the Earth"

"and God said Let there Be LIGHT" and evening and morning were the FIRST day.

"and God said Let there be an EXPANSE in the midst of the heavens" and evening and morning were the 2nd day.

"And God said - Let the Dry land appear" and evening and morning were the third day.

"And God MADE TWO great lights in the sky" and evening and morning were the 4th day.

"And God said let the waters TEAM with SWARMS of living creatures" and evening and morning were the 5th day

"And God said LET US MAKE MAN after our own image... and God FORMED MAN of the DUST of the ground" and evening and morning were the SIXTH day.

The old "God can not possibly do what the text says argument" got solved on the first two pages of the Bible - as it turne out.

in Christ,

Bob

Hint - there is no apocalyptic speech being used in EW294 or GC673 -- no "Dragons with ten horns" no "women riding a ten-horned beast" no "souls under the altar" but as you point out it WOULD have been soooo much nicer for your speculative conclusions IF instead of seeing the blatantly literal language of EW294 and GC673 we saw something like this

"And the harlot was wroth with the saints and went off to make war against their city - but then in a sad moment of reflection and honesty she turned from the source of life and walked away -- chossing instead to embrace the fire within that caused her to view her life as unsatisfying and therefore gave up the ghost out of dispare"

Imagine the freedom you could have had with such apocalyptic images as the description Ellen White gave?

This would have been such a different conversation were that the case.

in Christ,

Bob

It's not surprising that you can't explain how the passages can be literal, as they're obviously not.

Going back to something else, I'm still curious as to how it is you think that God would be capable of acting in the cruel manner you suggest He will. Especially considering that God was clearly and perfectly revealed by Jesus Christ, what is there in Jesus Christ's life which would lead you to believe that God is capable of the type of cruelty you are suggesting?

1. The old "God can not possibly do what the text says argument" got solved on the first two pages of the Bible - as it turns out.

2. GC 673 and EW 294 are not "my suggestions". I have simply posted and accepted the text as is.