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Re: The Suffering of the Lost
[Re: Mountain Man]
#123249
02/06/10 03:26 PM
02/06/10 03:26 PM
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SDA Charter Member Active Member 2019
20000+ Member
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 22,256
Southwest USA
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Tom, do you think Jesus' humanity prevented His character from causing sinners to be consumed to death? If so, please explain how and why. If, as you say, God will not have to be physically present for His character to cause sinners to suffer and die during the final judgment, do you think Jesus' character was sufficient to cause sinners to suffer and die without Him having to be physically present? In other words, how and why does the character of God cause sinners to suffer and die according to their sinfulness? Is it necessary for the wicked to comprehend the character of God in order to suffer and die?
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Re: The Suffering of the Lost
[Re: Mountain Man]
#123259
02/07/10 12:02 AM
02/07/10 12:02 AM
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Active Member 2012
14500+ Member
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,795
Lawrence, Kansas
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Do you think saying "Jesus' heart gave out" is the precise, exact same thing as saying "Jesus died of a broken heart"? And, if you believe the wicked will die the exact same death Jesus did it stands to reason you believe their heart will give out. Why do you think their heart will give out? I think you're focusing on the wrong thing here. I haven't thought along the lines you are suggesting, nor do I see the need to.
Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love.
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Re: The Suffering of the Lost
[Re: Tom]
#123260
02/07/10 12:12 AM
02/07/10 12:12 AM
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Active Member 2012
14500+ Member
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,795
Lawrence, Kansas
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Tom, do you think Jesus' humanity prevented His character from causing sinners to be consumed to death? If so, please explain how and why. If, as you say, God will not have to be physically present for His character to cause sinners to suffer and die during the final judgment, do you think Jesus' character was sufficient to cause sinners to suffer and die without Him having to be physically present? In other words, how and why does the character of God cause sinners to suffer and die according to their sinfulness? Is it necessary for the wicked to comprehend the character of God in order to suffer and die? I think what Ty wrote was sufficient. I think the issue is a spiritual one, having to do with the impact that sin has upon the character. It seems to me that DA 764, and GC 543 are clear about this. For example: By a life of rebellion, Satan and all who unite with him place themselves so out of harmony with God that His very presence is to them a consuming fire.(DA 764) A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace would be torture to them; the glory of God would be a consuming fire. They would long to flee from that holy place. They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them. The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own choice. Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves...(GC 543) I really don't see how anyone could read this and not perceive that the issue is one of character. One point I want to make clear is in regards to God's not being present physically. I don't want you to misrepresent my position here. I didn't say that God will not be present physically, but pointed out that the important things that happen happen in the mind, by means of revelation on the part of God, and that God is as capable of revealing these things from heaven as from here. *He* is not dependent upon being here in order to reveal Himself to us, and we have the proof of that in that He is in heaven now, and He reveals Himself to us. I pointed this out to try to make clear that the issue involved at the end is a spiritual one, and not a physical one. Regarding your how and why questions, I don't have anything to add to what Ty wrote. If it doesn't make sense from that, and GC 543, I don't have anything to add to that.
Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love.
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Re: The Suffering of the Lost
[Re: Tom]
#123286
02/09/10 04:33 AM
02/09/10 04:33 AM
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Tom, your quote from GC 543 is saying what WOULD happen if they were allowed into heaven in their sinful condition.
the glory of God WOULD be a consuming fire. They WOULD long to flee from that holy place. {GC 543}
Down at the bottom of page 543, it tells what will actually happen: It is in mercy to the universe that God will finally destroy the rejecters of His grace. {GC 543}
If you look at the two quotes you used in their context you will see that they are not dealing with the destruction of the wicked at the end of time. There are some that do though. here are a couple of them. They coincide with what the Bible says on this subject.
_____________
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}
Rev 20:9 And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and encircled the camp of the saints, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
The rest of the earth will not be cleansed until the end of the one thousand years, when the wicked dead are raised, and gather up around the city. The feet of the wicked will never desecrate the earth made new. Fire will come down from God out of heaven and devour them, burn them up root and branch. Satan is the root, and his children are the branches. The same fire that will devour the wicked, will purify the earth." {CET 108.3}
He is not going to cleanse the earth spiritually. It will be a literal physical fire. And like the prophet says, that same literal fire is going to purify the earth.
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Re: The Suffering of the Lost
[Re: Mountain Man]
#123287
02/09/10 05:01 AM
02/09/10 05:01 AM
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Tom, you still haven't answered yes or no if you believe Jesus died of heart failure. Saying others believe it does not tell me if you do too. Yes I did. I quoted this:
Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father's acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father's wrath upon Him as man's substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God. This doesn't say Jesus died of heart failure. It simply says that the sense of sin and the Father's wrath, is what made the cup so bitter, and broke his heart. It doesn't say that's what killed him.
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Re: The Suffering of the Lost
[Re: RLH]
#123288
02/09/10 05:15 AM
02/09/10 05:15 AM
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I pointed this out to try to make clear that the issue involved at the end is a spiritual one, and not a physical one. If you are talking about the end of time, when God destroys the wicked, then you are a bit off. He is not going to destroy them spiritually. They have already done that to themselves. The Bible and Ellen White both are very explicit about the fact that God will destroy them physically.
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Re: The Suffering of the Lost
[Re: RLH]
#123297
02/10/10 01:09 AM
02/10/10 01:09 AM
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SDA Active Member 2021
5500+ Member
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 7,003
The Orient
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Tom, your quote from GC 543 is saying what WOULD happen if they were allowed into heaven in their sinful condition.
the glory of God WOULD be a consuming fire. They WOULD long to flee from that holy place. {GC 543}
Down at the bottom of page 543, it tells what will actually happen: It is in mercy to the universe that God will finally destroy the rejecters of His grace. {GC 543}
If you look at the two quotes you used in their context you will see that they are not dealing with the destruction of the wicked at the end of time. There are some that do though. here are a couple of them. They coincide with what the Bible says on this subject.
_____________
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}
Rev 20:9 And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and encircled the camp of the saints, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
The rest of the earth will not be cleansed until the end of the one thousand years, when the wicked dead are raised, and gather up around the city. The feet of the wicked will never desecrate the earth made new. Fire will come down from God out of heaven and devour them, burn them up root and branch. Satan is the root, and his children are the branches. The same fire that will devour the wicked, will purify the earth." {CET 108.3}
He is not going to cleanse the earth spiritually. It will be a literal physical fire. And like the prophet says, that same literal fire is going to purify the earth. Good points, RLH. Context is important. In fact, context is such a basic point with proper Bible study, that every diligent student takes it into consideration. I have several times brought up the fact that Tom's favorite quotes on the judgment were taken out of context, but regardless, those quotes keep appearing here. Welcome to the forum, RLH! Blessings, Green Cochoa.
We can receive of heaven's light only as we are willing to be emptied of self. We can discern the character of God, and accept Christ by faith, only as we consent to the bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ. And to all who do this, the Holy Spirit is given without measure. In Christ "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him." [Colossians 2:9, 10.] {GW 57.1} -- Ellen White.
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Re: The Suffering of the Lost
[Re: Green Cochoa]
#123298
02/10/10 01:43 AM
02/10/10 01:43 AM
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Thank you GC, Yes context is everything when studying to find the truth. You can't just pluck something out of it's context and say "Now it applies to this over here".
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Re: The Suffering of the Lost
[Re: RLH]
#123302
02/10/10 02:38 AM
02/10/10 02:38 AM
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Active Member 2012
14500+ Member
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,795
Lawrence, Kansas
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Tom, your quote from GC 543 is saying what WOULD happen if they were allowed into heaven in their sinful condition.
the glory of God WOULD be a consuming fire. They WOULD long to flee from that holy place. {GC 543}
Down at the bottom of page 543, it tells what will actually happen: It is in mercy to the universe that God will finally destroy the rejecters of His grace. {GC 543}
If you look at the two quotes you used in their context you will see that they are not dealing with the destruction of the wicked at the end of time. There are some that do though. here are a couple of them. They coincide with what the Bible says on this subject. Here's the context: The Lord declares by the prophet Isaiah: "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him." "Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him." Isaiah 3:10, 11. "Though a sinner do evil an hundred times," says the wise man, "and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before Him: but it shall not be well with the wicked." Ecclesiastes 8:12, 13. And Paul testifies that the sinner is treasuring up unto himself "wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds;" "tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil." Romans 2:5, 6,9. 541 {GC 540.3}
"No fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." Ephesians 5:5, A.R.V. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14. "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Revelation 22:14, 15. {GC 541.1}
God has given to men a declaration of His character and of His method of dealing with sin. "The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty." Exodus 34:6, 7. "All the wicked will He destroy." "The transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off." Psalms 145:20; 37:38. The power and authority of the divine government will be employed to put down rebellion; yet all the manifestations of retributive justice will be perfectly consistent with the character of God as a merciful, long-suffering, benevolent being. {GC 541.2}
God does not force the will or judgment of any. He takes no pleasure in a slavish obedience. He desires that the creatures of His hands shall love Him because He is worthy of love. He would have them obey Him because they have an intelligent appreciation of His wisdom, justice, and benevolence. And all who have a just conception of these qualities will love Him because they are drawn toward Him in admiration of His attributes. {GC 541.3}
The principles of kindness, mercy, and love, taught and exemplified by our Saviour, are a transcript of the will and character of God. Christ declared that He taught nothing except that which He had received from His Father. The principles of the divine government are in perfect harmony with the Saviour's precept, "Love your enemies." God 542 executes justice upon the wicked, for the good of the universe, and even for the good of those upon whom His judgments are visited. He would make them happy if He could do so in accordance with the laws of His government and the justice of His character. He surrounds them with the tokens of His love, He grants them a knowledge of His law, and follows them with the offers of His mercy; but they despise His love, make void His law, and reject His mercy. While constantly receiving His gifts, they dishonor the Giver; they hate God because they know that He abhors their sins. The Lord bears long with their perversity; but the decisive hour will come at last, when their destiny is to be decided. Will He then chain these rebels to His side? Will He force them to do His will? {GC 541.4}
Those who have chosen Satan as their leader and have been controlled by his power are not prepared to enter the presence of God. Pride, deception, licentiousness, cruelty, have become fixed in their characters. Can they enter heaven to dwell forever with those whom they despised and hated on earth? Truth will never be agreeable to a liar; meekness will not satisfy self-esteem and pride; purity is not acceptable to the corrupt; disinterested love does not appear attractive to the selfish. What source of enjoyment could heaven offer to those who are wholly absorbed in earthly and selfish interests? {GC 542.1}
Could those whose lives have been spent in rebellion against God be suddenly transported to heaven and witness the high, the holy state of perfection that ever exists there,-- every soul filled with love, every countenance beaming with joy, enrapturing music in melodious strains rising in honor of God and the Lamb, and ceaseless streams of light flowing upon the redeemed from the face of Him who sitteth upon the throne,--could those whose hearts are filled with hatred of God, of truth and holiness, mingle with the heavenly throng and join their songs of praise? Could they endure the glory of God and the Lamb? No, no; years of probation 543 were granted them, that they might form characters for heaven; but they have never trained the mind to love purity; they have never learned the language of heaven, and now it is too late. A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace would be torture to them; the glory of God would be a consuming fire. They would long to flee from that holy place. They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them. The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own choice. Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves, and just and merciful on the part of God. {GC 542.2} This seems clear to me. The destiny of the wicked is fixed "by their own choice." Their exclusion from heaven is "voluntary with themselves." Not "would be" but "is."
Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love.
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Re: The Suffering of the Lost
[Re: Tom]
#123303
02/10/10 02:40 AM
02/10/10 02:40 AM
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Active Member 2012
14500+ Member
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,795
Lawrence, Kansas
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He is not going to cleanse the earth spiritually. It will be a literal physical fire. And like the prophet says, that same literal fire is going to purify the earth. This doesn't really work if we consider other places where the prophet speaks about this subject. For example, in DA 108 we read that the same thing which gives life to the righteous will slay the wicked. This can't be literal fire. Similarly in DA 764 we're told that it's not an arbitrary act of power of God that destroys the wicked, but it is a result of their own choice. The "glory of Him who is love" will destroy them. This agrees with DA 108. The glory of God is His character, not literal fire.
Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love.
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