Participants:
Series Code: AU
Program Code: AU000085S
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00:01 - The way some people tell the story,
00:03 the devil works for God, shoveling coal 00:05 onto the fires of Hell to make sure it never ever goes out. 00:09 So in other words, the devil is actually working for God. 00:14 So does that sound right to you? 00:16 [gentle music] 00:26 [gentle music continues] 00:36 Welcome to another world changing episode 00:39 of "Authentic," brought to you by the generous people 00:41 who like to keep this on the air. 00:44 And I say that it's world changing 00:46 because I'd like to believe 00:47 that it's going to change somebody's world. 00:50 Today we're going back to a series I started 00:52 after I heard a skeptic 00:54 on TikTok pose questions that she would like to ask God 00:58 if she discovered that He was real. 01:00 And so far we've explored just a few of her objections 01:03 like the idea that God has somehow been silent. 01:07 And of course that proved to be an unfounded accusation 01:11 because after all, Christianity is known 01:14 as a revealed religion. 01:15 It claims that God has spoken through the pages 01:18 of this book and through the person of Christ. 01:22 And of course after complaining 01:23 that God hasn't told her anything personally, 01:27 she went on to complain about the contents of the Bible 01:30 or at least what she thought was the contents of the Bible. 01:35 So that's where we're going today, 01:37 to one of the most misunderstood teachings 01:39 of Western Christianity. 01:41 In fact, it's so misunderstood 01:44 that your average Christian has no idea 01:47 what the Bible actually says. 01:49 And if you ask them to tell you, 01:51 you're more than likely going to get medieval superstition 01:55 than you are actual biblical content. 01:58 And really that's a bit 01:59 of a tragedy because it's on this front in particular 02:03 that God gets most of His negative publicity. 02:06 Publicity that isn't rooted in anything God actually said. 02:10 It's founded on stuff that church people say. 02:14 And of course the subject we're talking 02:16 about is the doctrine 02:17 of eternal damnation in the fires of hell. 02:21 So let me read you what this skeptic actually said 02:24 so we can begin to unpack this. 02:26 And remember, 02:27 she's supposedly addressing her questions to God. 02:31 She says, "If You knew that the vast majority 02:34 of humans You created would end up in hell, 02:37 why did You create them? 02:39 Why did You create hell? 02:40 How is infinite justice punishment for a finite crime? 02:44 What is the point of torturing someone in hell 02:47 if they can never get out of it and never learn?" 02:52 You know something? 02:53 While some of her previous objections were not 02:55 very well thought out, 02:57 I'd have to say that this objection makes a lot of sense. 03:01 And she is by no means the only person to ask this stuff, 03:05 not by a long shot. 03:08 I mean, in particular, I'm thinking about Robert Ingersoll 03:11 who was kind of like the Richard Dawkins 03:13 of the 19th century. 03:15 He was nicknamed 'The Great Agnostic, 03:18 a word that is usually reserved for people 03:20 with a much more, well, modest approach 03:23 to the subject of religion 03:24 because agnostic just means you don't know. 03:28 But the stuff that Ingersoll said goes 03:30 way beyond not knowing. 03:32 And he was famous 03:33 for leveling some rather brutal accusations against God. 03:37 Like this one, 03:38 dealing with the doctrine of hell, where he said, 03:40 "Against the heartlessness of the Christian religion 03:43 every grand and tender soul should enter solemn protest. 03:47 The God of Hell should be held 03:48 in loathing, contempt, and scorn. 03:51 A God who threatens eternal pain should be hated, 03:54 not loved, cursed, not worshiped. 03:57 A heaven presided over by such a God must be 04:00 below the lowest hell. 04:02 I want no part in any heaven in which the saved, 04:05 the ransomed and redeemed will drown 04:07 with shouts of joy the cries and sobs of hell 04:10 in which happiness will forget misery, 04:13 where the tears of the lost only increase laughter 04:16 and double bliss." 04:18 Now let me just say this. 04:21 If that's what the Bible actually teaches, 04:23 then I've got all the sympathy in the world 04:25 for Robert Ingersoll 04:27 because he's kind of making a really great point. 04:30 It kind of sounds like a really brutal and unforgiving God. 04:35 But you know, I can't join Ingersoll's protest 04:38 because he's arguing against medieval superstition 04:42 and not what the Bible says. 04:45 So maybe let me set the table like this. 04:48 Last season we spent some time exploring 04:51 where the Western church got this idea 04:54 that the devil is a half man, 04:55 half goat creature with red skin and horns. 04:59 It's a concept that you won't find anywhere in the Bible. 05:02 I mean, just go and try and find it. 05:04 And as we peeled back the layers 05:06 of history last time we discovered 05:08 that as the Christian Franks pushed their way 05:11 into the other Germanic territories of Europe, 05:14 the church in the West spent a lot of time 05:17 trying to create harmony between pagan beliefs 05:19 and the teachings of the Bible 05:21 in order to convince my ancestors to become Christians. 05:25 And that wasn't an easy task 05:27 because my ancestors were well rank barbarians. 05:33 This effort to harmonize Christianity 05:34 and pagan belief is the reason we still have a lot 05:37 of pagan fingerprints on our culture to this day. 05:41 Like the fact that we still use the names 05:44 of pagan gods as names for the days of the week. 05:47 And among all those pagan gods 05:49 was a very ancient deity known as Cernunnos, 05:52 the God of the forest and the God of hunting. 05:56 He was also the God who escorted you into the afterlife 05:59 down into the underworld, 06:01 kind of like Charon, the guy who rode you 06:03 over the Rivers Styx in Greek mythology. 06:07 Now, there was almost no way the church could christianize 06:10 this horned God 06:12 and there was no way the pagans were going to give him up. 06:15 So in an effort to persuade the pagans 06:17 to abandon Cernunnos, they identified him with Satan. 06:21 And that's how we got the horned version of Lucifer. 06:25 Now if you missed that episode, 06:26 you might wanna find it on our website 06:28 voiceofprophecy.com, click the Shows tab, click Authentic 06:35 and then look for a show called, "Speak Of The Devil." 06:37 That's voiceofprophecy.com, 06:39 click the Shows tab, then click Authentic 06:42 and look for, "Speak Of The Devil." 06:45 And maybe if you'd be so kind, click on the Donate button 06:49 while you're there too to keep us going. 06:53 So our modern concept of the devil, it was borrowed 06:56 from pagan mythology and it's not in the Bible. 07:00 And frankly, that's also what happened when it came 07:02 to our popular conceptions of hell. 07:05 I mean, just think about the word, hell, 07:07 and notice the picture that pops into your head. 07:10 It's a fiery cave somewhere deep 07:12 beneath the surface of the earth where the souls 07:14 of the lost are being tortured day after day 07:17 after day throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. 07:21 And of course in our comic book version of Hell, 07:22 the horn Devil with goat's feet is running the place. 07:28 But then take your Bible and look for that. 07:31 Find me that description in the pages of this book. 07:35 What you will be able to find is a mention 07:37 of fire at the end of the world. 07:38 And you can find descriptions of people 07:41 who are lost but it's not at all the same 07:44 as the stories we've been telling. 07:46 Most of us unless you happen to be Jewish came 07:49 from a pagan background in the rather recent past. 07:52 In fact, in the case of my tribe, 07:54 the Friesians, Christianity arrived 07:56 in about the eighth century 07:58 which is only about 12, 1,300 years ago. 08:01 And unfortunately by that time, 08:03 Christianity had already undergone a significant degree 08:07 of syncretism through two significant channels. 08:10 First, there was a fairly large degree of Hellenistic 08:13 or Greek thinking that made its way into the Christian faith 08:17 through the scholars who worked in Alexandria 08:20 because they were busy trying to impress the Pagans 08:23 with the deep philosophical thoughts of the Bible. 08:26 And most of these guys 08:27 like Clement or Origen were well-meaning, 08:31 but they compromised just enough 08:33 to burden Christian thinking 08:34 with ideas that did not come from Jesus or the apostles. 08:40 But then something happened in the fourth century 08:42 that really encouraged widespread syncretism 08:45 between the pagan worldview and Christianity. 08:48 And I'll be right back after this to tell you what that was. 08:53 [gentle music] 08:56 - [Advertiser] Dragons, beasts, cryptic statues, 09:01 Bible prophecy can be incredibly vivid and confusing. 09:05 If you've ever read Daniel or revelation 09:07 and come away scratching your head, you are not alone. 09:10 Our free "Focus On Prophecy" guides are designed 09:13 to help you unlock the mysteries of the Bible 09:16 and deepen your understanding of God's plan for you 09:19 and our world. 09:20 Study online or request them 09:21 by mail and start bringing prophecy into focus today. 09:26 - In the early fourth century, there was this event 09:29 that forever changed the course of the Christian Church 09:31 in the West. 09:32 And of course I'm talking 09:34 about the nominal conversion of Constantine. 09:37 I say it was nominal 09:38 because he really didn't change very much. 09:41 He continued to murder his own family members 09:43 for political reasons, 09:45 and he actually stalled his own baptism 09:47 until he was pretty much on his own deathbed. 09:50 But all that aside, 09:51 what happened is that Constantine made Christianity 09:54 the official religion of the Roman Empire 09:57 which meant two things. 09:59 One, the Roman persecution 10:01 against Christians suddenly stopped. 10:04 And two, it became incredibly trendy 10:07 for a while to become a Christian. 10:09 And what that meant was that lots of high ranking 10:12 Roman pagans suddenly said they were Christians 10:16 but what they were doing was trying to gain social favor. 10:19 I mean, if the emperor is Christian, 10:21 it couldn't possibly hurt your career 10:23 to join him in his religion. 10:25 So lots of people did. 10:28 Now, that's not to say 10:29 that Constantine didn't do anything good 10:31 because in a lot of ways his conversion 10:34 actually helped the church, 10:36 but it also created an atmosphere ripe for compromise, 10:40 the blending of Pagan and Christian beliefs. 10:44 And then of course the Germanic tribe known 10:46 as the Franks converted to Christianity beginning 10:49 with Clovis in the sixth century. 10:52 And they literally became the Pope's standing army 10:55 by the time we get to guys like Pepin 10:57 or Charlemagne in the latter part of the eighth century. 11:01 And what these guys did unfortunately was force 11:04 their pagan neighbors to adopt Christianity essentially 11:08 at the point of a sword. 11:10 So now people like the Saxons 11:12 and eventually the Vikings, they also joined the ranks 11:16 of the Christian Church sometimes for all the wrong reasons. 11:20 In fact, in some places the Vikings adopted Christianity 11:24 up to a point just because it was illegal for Christians 11:29 in the north of Germany to do business with them. 11:32 So the church created a special ritual. 11:35 We're not exactly sure what it was 11:37 but they called it Prima Signatio. 11:40 And it was the first step 11:41 toward joining the Christian Church 11:43 without actually requiring baptism. 11:46 A lot of scholars think that it was simply making 11:48 these guys make the sign of the cross 11:50 which suddenly made you a legitimate business partner. 11:54 But in reality, 11:56 most of these people still kept their pagan customs. 11:58 And over time the church simply christianized those customs 12:02 and wove them into the Christian belief system. 12:06 Now, sometimes it was completely harmless, like the names 12:09 of the days of the week, we're still using those 12:13 but other times it created a real theological mess 12:16 like with the doctrine of hell. 12:19 The version that most people talk about with the fiery caves 12:21 and the devil torturing people, 12:24 that honestly looks more like pagan mythology 12:27 than it does the teachings of the Bible. 12:29 But of course that's not immediately obvious 12:32 to a lot of people because, well, 12:34 the Bible really does speak of a final judgment 12:37 on this planet and it does mention fire 12:39 in conjunction with that. 12:41 In fact, some of the language seems to underscore the idea 12:44 that it's everlasting torment and that people will flip 12:48 and fry throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. 12:51 But here's what I wanna suggest. 12:53 I think we're reading those passages with a great deal 12:56 of hindsight and we're seeing our popular conception 12:59 of Hell in places where it might not actually be there. 13:03 And I know I'm about to tread on really thin ice 13:06 because there are a lot of Christians who for some reason 13:10 really love the doctrine of hell and they love the idea 13:14 that unbelievers are going to burn for all eternity. 13:17 In fact, I remember one guy I was talking to 13:19 about 30 years ago who suddenly got out of his chair 13:22 and blurted out, "God's gonna make those people suffer 13:24 and that makes me wanna praise Him." 13:27 Honestly, it left the room in a bit 13:28 of stunned silence because he said it with such a tone 13:32 of vindictiveness that I think 13:34 even the most determined hellfire and brimstone preacher 13:37 might've felt a little bit uncomfortable. 13:41 So maybe let's start there with the misguided notion 13:44 that God is eager to destroy us 13:46 because, well, it doesn't make a lot of sense 13:49 when you see the lengths to which God went 13:51 in order to save us. 13:53 The most famous verse in the Bible says, 13:55 "For God so loved the world 13:57 that He gave his only son, that whoever believes 14:00 in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." 14:04 And a few chapters later we find Jesus saying, 14:06 "Greater love has no one than this, 14:08 that someone laid down his life for his friends." 14:12 So this idea that God is eager 14:14 to get rid of us doesn't make much sense. 14:17 The price He paid to secure your place 14:20 in His kingdom is so exorbitantly high 14:24 that you'd have to believe 14:25 that He wouldn't be eager to lose you. 14:27 I mean, God is not an unwise investor. 14:30 The fact is He's moving heaven and earth 14:32 to get you into His kingdom 14:34 and that's not the behavior 14:36 of somebody who's eager to torture you. 14:38 It doesn't add up. 14:40 And the way some people talk about Hell, 14:43 you'd think that God's gonna enjoy watching people writhe 14:46 the agony, that He's some kind of sadist 14:48 who relishes pain and suffering. 14:51 But what you find in the Bible is the opposite. 14:55 I mean, here, listen to this from Ezekiel chapter 33 14:58 where God is really worried that His people are going 15:01 off the rails and just listen 15:03 to the agony in His voice where He says, well, 15:06 "'As I live declares the Lord God, 15:09 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked 15:11 but that the wicked turn from his way and live, 15:14 turn back, turn back from your evil ways 15:16 for why will you die, oh, house of Israel?'" 15:20 So right out of the gate we can see 15:22 that some of the basic assumptions we have 15:24 about the nature of Hell are not founded on the Bible. 15:29 We've mixed pagan beliefs about the underworld 15:31 with our biblical understanding of what actually happens. 15:35 And the result has been somewhat monstrous. 15:40 Now, just in case there's somebody who's worried there 15:42 that I'm going to prove to be a rank heretic, 15:44 let me be perfectly clear. 15:46 I do believe in the doctrine of Hellfire. 15:48 I absolutely do, but I also have no choice 15:52 but to base my understanding 15:53 of it on what the scriptures actually say. 15:56 I think these days the world of religion is confusing enough 15:59 without Christians adding to the confusion. 16:02 And as a Christian, I want to be absolutely certain 16:05 that what I believe is founded on the scriptures. 16:09 Now there are things I don't understand 16:12 but there are also some areas where the weight 16:14 of biblical evidence is so overwhelming 16:17 that I can rest assured 16:18 that I'm teaching what Jesus Himself believed. 16:21 And this is one of those areas. 16:24 But to do this subject justice 16:26 and to give you a chance to explore it for yourself, 16:29 I'm gonna slow way down and maybe spend two shows 16:34 on this because it's just that important. 16:38 And here's my challenge to you. 16:40 Never take my word for anything. 16:43 Check what I'm saying against the Bible. 16:45 And if I'm wrong, you stick with the Bible 16:48 and forget what I said. 16:50 I do not claim to be infallible 16:52 and I am anything but error free on any subject. 16:56 So always take what any minister says with a huge grain 17:00 of salt and then get a Bible and do your homework. 17:03 There's enough confusion in the world of religion right now 17:06 that you simply can't afford to do otherwise. 17:09 And if what I'm about to share with you is true, 17:12 then it will bear up under scrutiny. 17:14 And I'm absolutely not afraid to have you check 17:17 what I'm saying against the Bible 17:19 because this book is the final court 17:22 of appeal when it comes to the teachings of Christianity. 17:24 In fact, it's the only court of appeal. 17:28 So with that very important disclaimer, let's get started. 17:32 I told you a moment ago 17:33 that I do believe in the doctrine of Hell. 17:35 And that's because the Bible clearly teaches it 17:38 but not the way that many people think it does. 17:41 Here's what it actually says in Revelation 20, verse 15. 17:46 "And if anyone's name was not found written 17:48 in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." 17:52 So in other words, 17:54 the Bible really does draw a distinction 17:57 between the saved and the lost, and it does not agree 18:00 with the modern trend towards universalism, 18:03 this idea that well, everybody makes it in the end. 18:07 In the Bible, the book of life is a record of the redeemed. 18:11 And honestly given the incredible lengths 18:13 to which God has gone to secure your spot 18:16 in that book of life, I can't imagine 18:18 why anybody wouldn't want to be there. 18:21 But ultimately, God doesn't force you into His kingdom. 18:23 That's not the way He is. 18:25 It was the way of the medieval church 18:28 but it's not God's way. 18:30 So do I believe in the fires of Hell? 18:32 Yep, I do. 18:34 But there's more to the story. 18:35 And right after we take this quick break, 18:38 I'll show that to you. 18:39 [gentle music] 18:43 - [Announcer] Life can throw a lot at us. 18:45 Sometimes we don't have all the answers 18:49 but that's where the Bible comes in. 18:51 It's our guide to a more fulfilling life. 18:54 Here at The Voice of Prophecy, 18:56 we've created the "Discover" Bible guides 18:58 to be your guide to the Bible. 18:59 They're designed to be simple, easy to use 19:02 and provide answers to many of life's toughest questions. 19:05 And they're absolutely free. 19:07 So jump online now 19:08 or give us a call and start your journey of discovery. 19:13 - Now, if you remember the questions raised 19:14 by my online skeptic, one of them ran like this. 19:17 She said, "if You knew that the vast majority 19:20 of humans You created would end up in hell 19:22 why did You create them? 19:24 Why did You create Hell?" 19:26 And of course, the implication is 19:27 that God created Hell to torture us. 19:30 And when it comes right down to it, 19:31 the way we as Christians have taught this doctrine 19:34 over the centuries, you'd think that God created Hell 19:36 to get even with naughty children. 19:39 And while I don't doubt there are some parents 19:41 who manage to secure a degree of cooperation from their kids 19:45 by threatening them with the prospect of eternal torment, 19:49 the way we've been teaching this it's way off base. 19:54 Let me give you a good example of what I'm talking about. 19:56 what I'm about to read to you unbelievably comes 19:58 from a series of books written for children 20:00 back in the 19th century. 20:02 And I'm sure the author meant well 20:04 but the second book he wrote was called "The Sight Of Hell," 20:08 where he invites little kids to join them on a tour of Hell. 20:12 Oddly enough the author's last name was Furniss, 20:16 spelled differently but still a little ironic. 20:19 So here's what he wrote for little kids. 20:21 You might wanna buckle your seatbelt. 20:23 The book says, "Look into this prison. 20:25 In the middle of it, there is a boy, a young man. 20:28 He is silent, despair is on him. 20:30 He stands straight up. 20:32 His eyes are burning like two burning coals. 20:35 Two long flames come out of his ears. 20:37 His breathing is difficult. 20:39 Sometimes he opens his mouth 20:41 and a breath of blazing fire rolls out of it. 20:44 But listen, there's a sound 20:46 just like that of a kettle boiling. 20:48 Is it really a kettle boiling? 20:50 No. Then what is it? 20:53 The blood is boiling in the scalded veins of that boy. 20:55 The brain is boiling and bubbling in his head. 20:58 The marrow is boiling in his bones." 21:02 Now that is pretty brutal. 21:04 And I've got to think that even the most hardened 21:06 turn or burn preacher's gonna have a problem with that. 21:09 And honestly, this is the stuff 21:12 that the skeptics are responding to 21:14 because from where they sit, 21:16 there's no way you can reconcile 21:18 that kind of writing with the notion of a loving God. 21:21 Now, to be sure, a lot of people have a rather warped idea 21:24 of what love is supposed to be. 21:26 And the Bible's concept 21:27 of love is not the sloppy sentimentalism 21:30 of the Victorian period. 21:33 But even then, how do you reconcile the idea 21:35 of love and a God who creates a place 21:38 to torture naughty children forever 21:40 and ever and ever without any end? 21:43 That was really the question my online skeptic was asking. 21:47 Why would God make Hell for us? 21:49 And the biblical answer is He didn't. 21:52 I know Pat Benatar used to sing Hell is for children, 21:56 but it isn't, and I know she was singing 21:57 about something else, I'm taking it outta context 22:00 but I just had to slip that in somehow. 22:03 What about this idea that God created Hell to torture us? 22:07 Well, listen to what the Bible actually says. 22:10 And listen very carefully. 22:12 These are the words of Jesus in Matthew 25. 22:16 "Then he will say to those on his left, 22:18 'Depart from me you curse it into the eternal fire prepared 22:22 for the devil and his angels.'" 22:25 Now wait a minute, prepared for who? 22:27 The devil and his angels. 22:30 The truth is that not one human being was ever supposed 22:33 to be in hell. 22:34 The way the Bible tells the story in Revelation 12, 22:37 the dragon or the devil leads one third 22:40 of the angels in a rebellion against God. 22:43 And what Jesus says in Matthew 25 is 22:45 that the fires of Hell were designed for them. 22:49 The only problem is that a lot 22:51 of people seem determined 22:52 to follow those fallen angels 22:53 all the way to their ultimate destination 22:56 which is how we end up in the same place. 23:00 But the truth is, it wasn't designed for us. 23:03 So it's not as if God, when He created the world, 23:05 created an eternal torture chamber for bad people. 23:09 That's how the skeptics talk about it. 23:11 Sadly, it's also the way 23:13 that a lot of Christians talk about it. 23:15 But biblically, try and find it. 23:18 Now I'm really taking my time with this 23:20 and we're going to spread it over more than one show 23:22 because this is so very important. 23:24 In fact, I think this might be the number one grudge 23:27 that a lot of people hold against God. 23:30 And what my internet skeptic asked as a valid question 23:34 why would God create a place to torture us forever? 23:37 And what sense would it make to put people there 23:40 when there's no chance 23:41 of learning your lesson or changing your mind? 23:43 That's a good question 23:45 and I wanna make sure that we address it. 23:48 And when it's all said and done, there's a chance 23:50 that you might still not believe in the God of the Bible 23:53 but at the very least, you owe it to yourself 23:56 to make sure you're actually critiquing the Bible 24:00 and not a bunch of medieval folklore. 24:02 And if you're a Christian, I wanna challenge you 24:04 to make sure you absolutely know what the Bible says 24:08 so you don't find yourself repeating medieval mythology 24:12 and unwittingly adding to the massive pile of misconceptions 24:16 about God that have kept people away from church. 24:19 But right now, I've gotta take a really quick break 24:22 so I'll be right back after this. 24:25 [gentle music] 24:29 - [Advertiser] There is a place so still, 24:32 [gentle music] 24:35 you can almost hear your imagination. 24:39 [gentle music continues] 24:46 So free, 24:50 your spirits can soar. 24:56 So vast, 24:59 it needs to be explored. 25:01 [gentle music continues] 25:10 So high, 25:13 you can touch the clouds. 25:18 A place, 25:21 called Discovery Mountain. 25:29 - You know the way I understand what happened 25:31 to Robert Ingersoll, his hatred for God had something to do 25:34 with his pastor dad and the way his dad talked about Hell. 25:38 It's entirely possible the story has been stretched 25:41 a little bit, and it might even be urban legend 25:43 but apparently one day little Robert's dad got mad 25:47 about something and sat him down to talk 25:49 about the terrible consequences of sin. 25:51 "Look, if you keep doing things like that," his Dad said 25:54 "God's gonna send you to the fires of Hell 25:56 where you're gonna burn forever, without any mercy, 25:59 without any end." 26:00 To which Robert Ingersoll replied, 26:02 "Well, if that's what God is like, then I hate Him." 26:07 Now, of course, I got that story from another preacher 26:09 and it might not actually be true 26:11 but it bears repeating because it represents the thinking 26:14 of an awful lot of people. 26:16 What kind of sadistic God says, 26:18 "Do things my way or I'll torture you?" 26:21 It's a valid question, and it's one I believe I can answer 26:25 if you'll give me the benefit of a couple of shows. 26:27 Because while there really is a biblical answer, 26:30 we're gonna have to do a lot of work to find it. 26:33 So be patient, do yourself a favor and commit 26:36 to watching the other episodes that deal with this subject. 26:40 So here's what we've established so far. 26:42 First off, the Bible makes it clear that God hates suffering 26:46 and He hates the thought of losing you 26:48 especially after paying such a high price to save you. 26:52 There is no sadism, no cruel enjoyment 26:54 of pain on the part of God or the Bible. 26:57 It's an I imported idea that came 26:59 from sources other than the scriptures. 27:02 Secondly, we saw that hellfire is quite real 27:05 and it's tied to the way that God deals 27:06 with people who do not wish to be a part of His kingdom. 27:09 That much is crystal clear from Revelation 20, verse 15. 27:15 But then we also saw that hellfire was never part 27:17 of God's original plan for the human race. 27:20 It was designed for fallen angels. 27:22 And the only way human beings get there 27:25 is to follow those wicked angels to their fate. 27:29 Now, all of that, that's just the tip of the iceberg. 27:33 There's so much more that we're going to unpack 27:35 from the pages of the Bible, and you're gonna have to wait 27:38 until next week to get the rest of the story. 27:41 In the meantime, head on over to voiceofprophecy.com. 27:45 Look at the Show tab and catch up 27:47 on some of the other programs we've been offering. 27:49 Maybe look for the "Speak Of The Devil" program 27:52 for a little more background on this subject. 27:55 And while you're there, consider keeping us on the air. 27:57 Just push that big orange Donate button 28:00 at the top right hand of the page. 28:03 Thanks for joining me. 28:04 I'm Shawn Boonstra 28:06 and you've been watching another edition of "Authentic." 28:09 [gentle music] 28:18 [gentle music continues] |
Revised 2023-10-26