In case the preceeding post is not clear as to what I'm asking, it is this. How is it that the wicked are killed? Is it by literal fire, or by the glory of God?

Tom,

What you posted, quotes and all, doesn't negate the fact that God will only destroy the wicked, the second death, in the Lake of Fire, when He is ready, when all three phases of the Judgment have been completed. Until then, even the wicked dead will rise in the second resurrection, at the end of the 1,000 years, which is the time of the second phase of this Judgment, to face the executive phase of this Judgment. We are presently in the first phase of this Judgment.

This Lake of Fire isn't a symbolical fire, but a real fire, but unlike any other fire, even unlike the fire that burned Sodom & Gomorrah, as this fire will not only consume wicked humans, but also the devil and the other wicked angels. It's also interesting to note that they will not all be consumed all at once. Some will be consumed longer than others depending on their life of sin. Based on this, it is my understanding that the devil will be the last to be completely consumed.

As far as this topic goes, this shows that we have not all been saved in the sense that we have not all been saved to life eternal. Those who will be consumed in the Lake of Fire testifies to this fact.

Daryl, the confidence of your last post leaves the impression that you have been to the future and seen hell in operation. Please explain to us what is the holdup in your view of things. Why has the end not come yet. Please don't say God is waiting for more people to accept Him because the people He would be waiting for are dying and being replaced by new people being born. At this time it seems you are only defending a held position rather than taking a good look at the landscape.

Thank you for your response Daryl.

In this case I'm confused by your statement that you weren't disputing what I wrote. Also I would ask you to please address my earlier post, which I'll summarize here, for your convenience. You may refer back to the post for more detail.

You presented a paragraph, without comment, which contained the sentence "The light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked." My guess was that the reason you did this was to make the point that I was taking this statement out of context. I presented an argument that I was not.

The argument was based on:

a.Presenting more of the context of the quote, which showed that she *was* discussing the destruction of the wicked. "In all who submit to His power the Spirit of God will consume sin. But if men cling to sin, they become identified with it. Then the glory of God, which destroys sin, must destroy them."
b.I produced a statement from DA 764, of which there is not doubt she is discussing the destruction of the wicked, which said essentially the same thing: "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. The glory of Him who is love will destroy them."

My questions to you still remain:

1.How is it that the same thing which gives life to the righteous destroys the wicked?
2.Is it not clear that it is the glory of God which destroys the wicked, and that this glory is a consuming fire?

Indeed, on 2., I don't see how she could have communicated this idea any more clearly.

Regarding not all being saved, I have never disputed that not all will be saved, using the definition of "saved" as "getting to heaven." My only point has been that there is a sense in which Christ has saved everyone, which is evidenced by the fact that the Scriptures refer to Him as "the Savior of all men" and the Spirit of Prophecy says several times that Christ "saved the world."

I still haven't forgotten about the Scriptures you posted. Later on this evening I'll probably get to them.

I'm hoping you'll answer my questions. I appreciate your participation.

Tom

In regards to the "The light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked" quote, what is the light in reference to here? Understanding this should answer your question.

Light = truth is how I understand it. The glory of God is His character. So the light of the glory of God is referring to the truth about His character.

Please bear in mind that the light of the glory of God gives life to the righteous.

I think it makes sense that the truth about God's character gives life to the righteous because to know God is eternal life. It also makes sense to me that the same truth results in the destruction of the wicked, for the reasons stated in DA 764.

Daryl, there's no way that my understanding what "light" means can answer my question, because my question is how do YOU account for the fact that the same thing that gives life to the righteous slays the wicked.

In light of the other EGW quotes posted so far in this topic, the words "The light of the glory of God", which as you said is God's truth and character, will result in the salvation of the believer through what Christ has done and will result in the ultimate death of the unbeliever through there non-acceptance of what Christ has done.

Tom,
Youstated above to consider all quotes, yet you left out the main theme of the quotes youhave been picking and chhosing from the chapter "It is finished " from desire of Ages:

Quote:

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Then the end will come. God will vindicate His law and deliver His people. Satan and all who have joined him in rebellion will be cut off. Sin and sinners will perish, root and branch, (Mal. 4:1),--Satan the root, and his followers the branches. The word will be fulfilled to the prince of evil, "Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; . . . I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. . . . Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." Then "the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be;" "they shall be as though they had not been." Ezek. 28:6-19; Ps. 37:10; Obadiah 16. {DA 763.4}

This is not an act of arbitrary power on the part of God. The rejecters of His mercy reap that which they have sown. God is the fountain of life; and when one chooses the service of sin, he separates from God, and thus cuts himself off from life. He is "alienated from the life of God." Christ says, "All they that hate Me love death." Eph. 4:18; Prov. 8:36. God gives them existence for a time that they may develop their character and reveal their principles. This accomplished, they receive the results of their own choice. 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. The glory of Him who is love will destroy them. {DA 764.1}

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God is going to what to the covering cherub? DOesn't look like the word consume is there. The wicked will be destroyed by fire, they will be cast into the lake of fire as well. Thats how the wicked are going to be slain. This answers the questions you have asked.
How can something that gives life also take away life. You need to check to see what Jesus said about not worrying about those who can kill the body, but the one who can destroy body and soul in hell. That doesn't sound like some metaphor, or analogy of some cryptic parable.

Will, look at the quote! She quotes from Ezekiel, and then explains the meaning. The meaning is "this is not an arbitrary act of power on the part of God. The rejecters of His mercy reap that which they have sown. God is the fountain of life; and when one chooses the service of sin, he separates from God, and thus cuts himself off from life....He receives the results of his own choice. By a life of rebellion, Satan ... places himself so out of harmony with God that His very presence to to him a consuming fire. The glory of Him who is love will destroy him.

(I changed the very from third person plural to third person singular to focus on Satan).

Isn't this clear that she is explaining how it is that God will destroy Satan? How could she have made it any clearer?

Tom

Daryl, I think I've got what your thought. Your thought is that when she says "the light of the glory of God, which gives life to the righteous, will slay the wicked" she means "the truth about God's character, which (eventually) gives life to the righteous (when God gives them immortality), will slay the wicked (eventually, when God kills them).

Do I have this right?

Tom