CHAPTER 5
WEEK 2 — MONDAY
Read and pray: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12)
Christian at the Interpreter’s House (2)
Then the Interpreter led Christian to a very pleasant place, where there stood a magnificent and sumptuous palace, on whose battlements¹ were people dressed in gold; at the door he saw a great crowd, seemingly eager to enter, but who did not dare to do so.
He also saw, not far from the door, a man sitting at a table with a book and writing materials, who was in charge of noting the names of those who entered. Furthermore, he saw in the atrium many armed men guarding the entrance, ready to prevent at all costs anyone who tried to enter.
All these things surprised Christian, but his amazement was indescribable when he saw that, while everyone else retreated in fear of the armed men, one man, with boldness painted on his face, approached the one sitting at the table and said, “Write down my name,” and immediately, sword in hand and head protected by a helmet, he attacked the guards. Despite the fury with which they resisted, he boldly dealt blows and thrusts in all directions.
His boldness was such that, although wounded, having knocked down many who desperately tried to block his way (Matthew 11:12; Acts 14:22), he made his way through them and entered the palace, to the general applause of the people on the battlements¹ who had witnessed the fight and who shouted, “Enter, enter, and you will enjoy eternal glory.” Then, receiving him with inexpressible joy, they dressed him in shining robes similar to those they wore.
“I understand perfectly,” said Christian, smiling. “Now allow me to continue on my way.”
“No,” replied the Interpreter; “I still have some things to show you.”
Taking him by the hand, he led him to a dark house where a man was locked in a cage.
Deep sadness was evident on his face; his eyes were fixed on the ground, his hands crossed over his chest, and long sighs and groans showed the affliction within him. “What is this?” exclaimed Christian, amazed. “He will tell you,” replied the Interpreter.
Christian — “Who are you?”
Prisoner — “Ah! There was a time when I professed to be a Christian; I prospered and flourished in my own eyes and in the eyes of my neighbors (Luke 8:13). I thought I was destined for the celestial city, and this idea filled me with joy. Now, however, I am a desperate creature locked in this iron cage. I want to get out, but—Alas! I cannot!”
Christian — “But how did you come to such a miserable state?”
Prisoner — “I ceased to watch and be sober; I gave reins to my passions, sinned against what the Lord’s word and goodness clearly and firmly command; I grieved the Holy Spirit, and He withdrew from me; I invoked the devil, and he answered my call; I provoked God’s wrath, and God abandoned me; my heart hardened so much that I can no longer repent.”
Christian — “And is there no remedy or hope for you? Must you remain locked forever in this despairing cage? Is not the Blessed Son of the Lord infinitely merciful?”
Prisoner — “I have no more hope. I myself crucified again² the Son of God (Hebrews 6:6), I hated His person (Luke 19:14), despised His righteousness, profaned His blood, insulted the Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:28-29), hence I consider myself deprived of all hope. All that remains to me are the terrible threats of a certain and sure judgment and the prospect of a consuming fire that will devour me. This is the state to which passions, pleasures, and worldly interests have reduced me — once sources of joy and delight, now tormenting and gnawing me like worms of fire.”
Christian — “But can you not return to God and repent again?”
Prisoner — “God has denied me repentance³; I find no encouragement to believe in His word; God Himself has locked me in this prison, and no human strength could free me. Oh! Eternity! Eternity! What profit could I have from the misery that awaits me forever!”
Interpreter — “Christian, never forget4 the misery of this man; let this remembrance serve you as a warning and lesson.”
Christian — “A very terrible lesson! May the Lord permit me to watch and be sober so that I may never suffer such great misery. But, I repeat, isn’t it time for me to continue on my way?”
Interpreter — “Not yet. I have one more thing to show you.” Accompanied by Christian, he entered a house where a man was rising from his bed and, as he dressed, was shivering and trembling. The Interpreter did not explain what this scene meant but ordered the man himself to explain.
The man spoke thus: “Last night I dreamed that dreadful darkness obscured the entire sky, while terrifying lightning bolts flashed, and thunder rumbled, casting me into the most distressing agony. I also saw thick clouds crashing against each other, driven by a fierce storm. I saw a man sitting on a cloud, accompanied by countless heavenly beings, all in flames. It seemed as if the heavens were burning like a brazier, and at the same time I heard the voice of a terrible trumpet saying, ‘Rise, dead, and come to judgment!’ At that moment, I saw that even the rocks split and the graves opened, and the dead that they enclosed came out — some joyful, eyes fixed on the heavens, others ashamed, trying to hide under the mountains.
Then I saw the man on the cloud open a great book and order all to approach him, but at a respectful distance, as is usual between the judge and the accused he is about to judge, for fire came from the cloud that allowed no one to come near (1 Corinthians 15:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 14-15; John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:11-13; Isaiah 26:21; Micah 7:16-17; Psalm 44:1-3; Malachi 3:2-3; Daniel 7:9-10). Then I heard the man on the cloud command the servants: ‘Separate the weeds and straw, and throw them into the burning fire’ (Matthew 3:12; 7:19; 12:30; 25:30; Malachi 4:1). At that very moment, right where I was standing, the abyss opened, from whose mouth issued, with a horrible noise, dreadful columns of fire and burning coals.
The man then spoke again, saying: ‘Gather my wheat into the barn’ (Luke 3:17), and I saw many taken up by the clouds, but I remained where I was (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). I sought a place to hide but could not find one because the judge’s gaze was fixed on me; I then felt my sins piling up in my memory, and my conscience accused me from every side (Romans 2:15). And I awoke.
Christian — “And why were you so frightened to see these things?” — “Because I thought the day of final judgment had come, and I was not prepared for it; and even more because I saw the angels taking many away, leaving me on the edge of the abyss, while I was tormented by my conscience, which the judge was looking at, and his face seemed full of indignation.”
When the man finished speaking, the Interpreter, addressing Christian, who was hovering between hope and fear, said to him: “Engrave these things in your memory, and may it be5 that they serve as an encouragement for you not to turn back on the path you are about to take. Go forth, then, and may the Comforter accompany you, always being your guide to the city.” Christian set out on his way, repeating to himself many6 times: “Great and profitable things I have just seen; though terrible, they are of great value to me. I want to think about them, because they were not taught to me in vain. I am very grateful to the good Interpreter for the kindness he showed me.”
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¹ Battlements — each of the parapets regularly separated by merlons at the top of fortress walls and castles; the cutout at the top of a wall or tower.
² Although the illustration of the man imprisoned in the cage is based on Hebrews 6:1-8, this biblical passage does not give any basis to believe that Christians can lose their salvation in Christ. This text is a warning to the Hebrew believers, who were being persuaded to return to their former Jewish religion, which would hinder the progress of the Lord’s salvation work in them. The salvation work of a person who has already believed in the Lord Jesus can be delayed but never annulled, as it is irreversible (John 10:28-29). Regarding this, brother Witness Lee comments on Hebrews 8:3: “Once saved, believers can never be a genuine curse. However, if they do not continue to produce Christ but cling to things displeasing to God, they are near the curse, which is to suffer the punishment of God’s governmental dealing. (This should be considered as the discipline or punishment mentioned in 12:7-8). Being near the curse is completely different from suffering eternal perdition, which is the genuine curse.”
³ We recognize that God can indeed harden the hearts of men (Exodus 4:21; 7:3; Joshua 11:20; 1 Samuel 2:25; Romans 11:7-8) to the point where they can no longer repent. But if this happens to a Christian, it means he will be disqualified from reigning with Christ in the coming age (millennium) with the other victors. Although believers are not lost eternally, they may suffer dispensational punishment during the millennium for their failures (Hebrews 10:28-29), which in the New Testament the Lord calls “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12).
Claro! Aqui está a tradução completa das notas de rodapé, toda em inglês, conforme solicitado:
4 "Do not forget" — "Do not forget"
5 May it be" — "Hopefully"
6 "Repeatedly" — "Repeatedly"
Enjoy more:
Hymn “Mystery”
https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=1153
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