The Damage of the Second Death, week 4, Thursday, chapter 5

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -
Reflections on the Millennium

Chapter 5

THE GEHENNA OF FIRE IN THE KINGDOM

WEEK 4 - THURSDAY

Bible Reading: Jn 5:43

Read and pray: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” Mt 7:21

THE PROPER ATTITUDE IN READING THE BIBLE

Concerning the way of studying the Bible, I would like to mention a few things. First, there is a group of people who believe only in grace. Whenever they read anything about the kingdom in the Bible, they apply it to the Jews.

If you listen to their sermons and read their books, you will see that invariably they push to the Jews everything related to the kingdom. Everything related to grace is for the church, and all the terrible things are for the Jews. For them, all the painful and difficult things and all the demands are for the Jews, not for us. This is nonsense.

The Word of God is for His children, whether Jews or Gentiles. Some say Paul never said specifically that his epistles were written to Gentiles, therefore they are not for the Gentiles. Yet such an explanation explains nothing and mutilates the Word of God.

Others say that the portions of Scripture previously quoted refer only to unbelievers. But how can there be a distinction between overcomers and non-overcomers among sinners? That is foolish talk.

The Word of God shows us these matters clearly and definitely. We must eat what God has given us, whether sweet or bitter. When people hear about grace, they rejoice; when they hear about the kingdom, they are saddened. Yet the Word is balanced.

On the one hand we see grace; on the other hand we see righteousness. There is the fable of the eagle and the cat. Once a cat met an eagle. The eagle said to the cat: “The sky is really vast. It has this and that. Do you want me to take you there?” The cat said: “No, I have no interest in going there.” When the eagle asked why, the cat said: “There are no mice in the sky. If there were mice there, I would go. But since there are none, I will not go.”

Heaven is so holy; sin, the world, and Satan are not there. If God were to take you to heaven, could you live there? If we do not allow the Holy Spirit to work the Lord Jesus into us, God will have to discipline us so we may receive benefit and be counted worthy to be with Him. If we preach grace only and not the kingdom, the church will suffer and the children of God will suffer; and when the kingdom comes, there will be even greater suffering.

I must speak, for I have the duty to speak. I admit that after my speaking in these few days, some will increase their opposition against me. If these words are mine, I am willing to see them oppose. I myself would oppose them. Yet if these things are the Word of God and God has said them, what can I do?

How I wish I did not have to speak of these things. How I wish I could preach something that everyone would like to hear. I am not Matthew, I am not Mark, I am not Paul. I did not write the book of Hebrews, nor did I write Revelation. If I were the writer, I could change the things. But these things are the Word of God. God has spoken them and determined them to be so.

My friends, when you read the Bible, you must read what God has said. You must not consider what man says. You must care only for what God has said. The greatest difficulty today in studying the Bible lies in the prejudice in the minds of God’s children.

They have what they consider as truth and what they consider as heresy. They think everything that agrees with them is truth, and everything that does not agree with them and differs from them is heresy. No matter how biblical the basis may be, any thought or concept contrary to theirs is considered heresy. But if anyone has such an attitude, that person is finished.

The issue today is what God has said. I am joyful in my heart because I can preach the “heresy” of God’s Word and oppose the “truth” of man’s teaching. Today we must be clear before the Lord. We cannot be under any other authority but the Word of God.

I know no other authority. I do not know what theology is; I do not know what man’s word is; I do not know what church tradition is. I know only what the Bible says, and only what it says is what matters. We must subject ourselves to it alone. We cannot change the Word of God.

The Word of God tells us the destiny of His children. It tells us what we will experience in the kingdom. We must pay attention to these matters, for sooner or later we will encounter them again. If we heed them, we will be careful in our manner of living on the earth today.

The second thing we must realize is that only those who understand the truth can oppose heresy. One heresy cannot oppose another heresy. But all heresies are not pure heresy; they are truth plus a small error. Heresy is adding wrong things to right things. Add a bit of man’s thought to God’s thought, and you have a heresy.

Because of not fully knowing the truth in the Bible, Catholicism preaches the doctrine of purgatory. If you do not know the truth we have released in the past meetings, you will not be able to say whether the doctrine of purgatory is right or wrong. Now that you have heard these words, you will realize that the doctrine of purgatory is absolutely wrong.

You may say it is heresy. In the Bible we see that God’s discipline upon Christians occurs in the millennium, but Catholics say that a purging is taking place today. They say that if a Christian does not live up to the standard on earth today, he will not be able to go to heaven.

Therefore, he must be purged. They say that as soon as a Christian dies, he begins to be purged and is purged until the work is completed. Yet there is absolutely no such teaching in the Bible. The Bible never says that as soon as a Christian dies, he will be purged in Hades. The Bible shows us that there will be discipline in the kingdom in the future, but there is no purging in Hades today.

Second, Catholics commit another grave error. They think that if they secure indulgences for themselves while alive or if after death the priests pray for them, they will be relieved from some purification in purgatory. Yet the Bible never says such a thing. The Bible says only that he who shows mercy to others will obtain mercy. The prayer of the priests will do nothing for the dead. The Bible never teaches us to pray for the dead.

Third, Catholics tell people that a man will not be saved until he has been completely purified in purgatory. This is a total reversal of the teaching of the Bible. The Bible shows us that there is no other name under heaven or on earth but the name of the Lord Jesus by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Only He can save us. Apart from the Lord Jesus, there is no salvation.

Discipline and punishment are not for salvation but for sanctification. The matter of our salvation is settled long before God disciplines us, but there are still things in us that do not match Him. There are still imperfections and areas that fall short of the standard. Therefore, there is discipline in this age and discipline in the coming kingdom. Once a person is clear about the biblical truth, he will see heresy in Roman Catholicism.

The Roman Catholic Church takes a few verses and uses them for its own profit. Yet if we know the biblical truth, we will realize that the doctrine of purgatory nullifies grace. I thank God that although I am a filthy sinner, through the Lord Jesus I am now saved. When I die, I do not need to be purged, for salvation does not depend on me but on the Lord Jesus. Surely I am saved.

Now we know what discipline is. Discipline is God’s way of making us perfect as He is perfect. He chastises us in order that we may be like Him, even to be what He is. This has nothing to do with our salvation. It is a family matter. Finally, only after knowing this will we be able to deal with heresy in Protestantism.

Today among Protestants two kinds of errors are being spread. First, one group of Protestant theologians proposes that since a man is “saved, saved forever,” he can do anything in his conduct. Once a Christian is eternally saved, they say, he can be evil until death and still be in the kingdom. He, however, would occupy a very low position in the kingdom. His greatest loss would be to have a lower place in the kingdom. This kind of teaching will make man careless and irresponsible.

Then, what is grace for them? For them grace is an excuse for carelessness and licentiousness. There is another group of Protestants who say that after a person believes, there is still the possibility that he may not be saved. Perhaps he is saved and not saved three or four times a day. If that were the case, the book of life would indeed be very confusing.

A brother once said that if we are not eternally saved once we believe, then the book of life would be extremely bulky. My name alone could be erased and written in many, many times. If a man is condemned as soon as he sins and goes to hell as soon as he transgresses, we must ask whether salvation is by grace or by works.

Both groups are too extreme, even though both have their biblical basis. The Bible clearly shows us that when a man is saved, he is eternally saved. The Bible also clearly reveals that it is possible for a Christian to be “cast into Gehenna” temporarily.

But the problem is that some brothers, on the one hand, insist that salvation is eternal and there is no such thing as discipline in the kingdom, while other brothers, on the other hand, insist that if we can be “cast into Gehenna,” then eternal life is uncertain and therefore we can go into eternal perdition.

Yet if we see the difference between the kingdom age and eternity, and the difference between the temporary punishment of the millennium and eternal punishment, we will be clear that a Christian may receive punishment in the future, but at the same time, God has given eternal life to His sheep, and they can never lose it.

This knowledge gives us the boldness to say that once we are saved, we are eternally saved. After a person is saved by grace, he will never perish again. In this way, we have not only adequately solved the problem of purgatory in Catholicism, but also made a clear distinction between eternal salvation and discipline. May the Lord grant us grace and show us that the matter of eternal salvation is settled because of the work of Jesus of Nazareth, but a person’s situation in the kingdom is determined by the person himself.

🌿 Enjoy more:

Hymn – Hope of Glory – “Watch and Pray”

https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=1035

The Damage of the Second Death, week 4, Wednesday, chapter 5

English:

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -

Reflections on the millennium

Chapter 5

THE GEHENNA OF FIRE IN THE KINGDOM

WEEK 4 - WEDNESDAY

Bible Reading: Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; Lk 13:28; Heb 10:26-29

Read and pray: "And whoever gives to one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink because he is a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward." (Mt 10:42)

"FEAR HIM WHO HAS AUTHORITY TO CAST INTO GEHENNA"

How many things in us have not yet been dealt with? How many things have not been cleansed by the blood of the Lord, and how many things have not been confessed, dealt with, and resolved with the brothers and sisters? These are the thorns and thistles to which the Lord refers.

Matthew 5 says that no one will come out from there until he has paid the last cent. Every debt must be paid. When all has been burned, every debt will have been paid. A Christian is like a field, and his improper conduct is compared to thorns and thistles.

Suppose I own a five-acre field. Could it be possible, after the burning, that only two acres remain untouched and three acres have been burned? That is impossible. What is burned are the thorns and thistles. The field itself cannot be burned.

In other words, only those things that were cursed in Adam and should have been removed, but were not, will be burned. They will be the material to be burned in the Gehenna of fire. The life God has given us cannot be touched by fire.

Therefore, after the thorns and thistles are burned, the field will still remain. No part of it will be taken away. There is absolutely no problem with our salvation, but with what grows on it, with what comes from the flesh.

If such things are not dealt with by the blood of Jesus, we must suffer some treatment. Now let us see Hebrews 10:26-29: "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the full knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery zeal which is to consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. By how much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God and has regarded the blood of the covenant a common thing."

These verses refer to someone who rejected Christ and went back to Judaism. He thinks that by spending some money he can buy a bull or a goat as a sin offering. But if someone has known Christ and gone back to Judaism, he has trampled the Son of God underfoot and considered His blood a common thing. He is treating the Lord as a bull or a goat. To him there is no difference between the Lord and a bull or a goat.

The verse concludes: "And has insulted the Spirit of grace." While the Holy Spirit is giving him grace, he insults Him by returning to Judaism. These verses show us the way of an apostate. I would not say such a person is saved; I would only say that it may be that he is saved, or perhaps not saved.

The apostle does not tell us whether such a person is saved or not. He only says that if someone came to Christ and then went back to Judaism, he will suffer worse punishment. His end is an expectation of judgment and fiery zeal. Here we see a kind of fire.

Together with all these passages, we also have the Lord’s own words in John 15. Verse 2 says: "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes." These are not branches unrelated to Him; they are branches in Him. What is shown here may not refer to temporary punishment, but to discipline in this age.

But notice verse 6: "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is dried up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." Some branches will be cast into the fire and burned. Some branches have grown and produced green leaves, but have no fruit. Though they have life inwardly, they have no fruit outwardly.

The Lord Jesus said that they will be cast out, dried up, and burned in the fire. Here we see clearly that Christians may have to pass through fire. Having read all these passages, we may conclude that if a Christian does not properly deal with his sins, punishment awaits him.

The Bible shows us clearly what kind of punishment it will be. It will not be common punishment, but the punishment of "Gehenna of fire." Yet it will be fire in the kingdom, not fire in eternity. The question now is this: What kind of sin will lead to this condition?

Since a person is saved, it is important that he deals with his sins. None of the sins that he has confessed, repented of, dealt with, and had remission through the blood of the Lord Jesus will return to him at the judgment seat. Such sins will have passed. Even the greatest sin will have passed.

But there are many sins that will not be omitted; they are the sins that someone contemplates in his heart. Psalm 66:18 says: "If I regard vanity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." What are the sins the heart contemplates?

The heart is the place where our love and desires dwell. The heart represents our emotion. It represents the psychological man. If the heart contemplates vanity, the Lord will not hear us. Many confessions are made only because the person knows he has sinned; there is no hatred for sin, nor condemnation of sin. Such a person the Lord will not hear.

Moreover, if we have a problem with someone that has not been resolved, or if there are things that need to be forgiven and have not been, or if we have wronged people or the Lord, we must deal with these things specifically.

At the same time, we must put them under the blood of the Lord. Only then will such things be dealt with, and we will be free from the coming judgment.

SUMMARY

Let us now summarize what we have seen. The future of Christians is very simple. For a saved person, the matter of the new heaven and new earth, including all eternity, is settled. However, the age of the kingdom is uncertain.

No one dares to say anything about what will occur. What we must settle today is the problem of the kingdom. In the kingdom there are many positions for Christians. Many will reign with Christ for having worked faithfully and suffered persecution, shame, and suffering.

Some may not have suffered persecution, shame, or suffering, yet they also have no sins. They lived a clean life. Though they did nothing that deserves special merit, they at least gave a cup of water to a little one because of the Lord’s name (Mt 10:42). They too will receive a reward; however, their reward will be very small.

In the age of the kingdom, some Christians will receive a reward in the kingdom. Some will receive a great reward; others will receive a small reward.

Those who will not receive a reward are also divided into categories. One group will not enter the kingdom at all. The Bible does not tell us where they will go; it only says they will be kept outside the kingdom, in the outer darkness (Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; Lk 13:28). They will be left outside the glory of God.

There will also be many who, besides not having worked well, have specific sins that have not yet been dealt with. They are saved, but at death, they still have sins they have not dealt with or repented of; they still have the problem of sin.

Such ones will be temporarily subjected to fire and will come out only after having paid all their debt. I do not know, in fact, how long that period will be, but it will last at most until the end of the kingdom.

There are still many things about the future that we are not clear about, but the Bible has shown us enough. Though there are details we have not yet seen, we truly know what the children of God will face.

Some will receive a reward; some will experience corruption. Some will be imprisoned, and others will be cast into the fire and burned. The matter of our salvation is very clear.

When a man believes in the Lord Jesus, both salvation and eternal life are determined for him. But, from salvation until his death, the works of a person, that is, his failures or his victories, will determine his destiny in the kingdom.

Our God is a righteous God. On the one hand, our salvation is free, and those who believe will have eternal life. No one can contradict this fact. On the other hand, we cannot sin as we wish simply because we have received eternal life. If we produce thorns and thistles, we will be burned.

If the Lord Jesus cannot separate us from our sins and if we do not resolve all things in our life, God will have no choice but to punish us in the future; He will have no choice but to purify us with specific punishments so that we may be together with Him in the new heaven and new earth.

God is a righteous God. What He has prepared is also righteous. Since we have seen these things, we must learn the lesson and heed God’s warnings.

🌿 Enjoy more:

Hymn - Praise the Lord - "His Beauty"

https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=233

The Damage of the Second Death, week 4, Tuesday, chapter 5

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -

Reflections on the Millennium

Chapter 5

THE GEHENNA OF FIRE IN THE KINGDOM

WEEK 4 - TUESDAY

Bible Reading: John 3:16; 1 Co 9:27; Heb 6:4-8

Read and pray: "Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority; on the contrary, they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years." (Rev 20:6)

FEAR HIM WHO HAS

AUTHORITY TO THROW INTO GEHENNA (2)

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH

There are other similar passages in the Bible that also address these matters. Revelation 2:11 tells us that those who overcome will not suffer the damage of the second death, and Revelation 20:6 says that a group of people will not die again and the second death will have no authority over them.

The second death is the lake of fire mentioned at the end of Revelation 20. This means that the defeated will suffer the damage of the second death. Even if they do not experience the second death, they will suffer its damage. Once a person is saved, they will not undergo the second death.

However, this does not guarantee that they will not suffer the damage of the second death. We know that the time of the lake of fire and brimstone will coincide with the beginning of the new heaven and new earth. At that time, Satan, the world, and death will all be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:10, 14).

Also at that time, anyone whose name is not recorded in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire. That will be the time when the unbelievers are officially placed in the lake of fire. However, during the Millennium, defeated Christians will suffer the damage of the second death.

Obviously, this treatment will not be the same as that of the unbelievers, because it will not be eternal. If a Christian is united with the world and loves the world and the things of the world, the Lord will allow them to participate in corruption, to suffer a little of what the unbelievers will suffer.

This is the meaning of suffering the damage of the second death in Revelation 2, and this word is spoken to Christians. The word "damage" in the original language means to hurt someone and cause them harm. The second death will cause suffering for some.

From the great white throne will come the actual second death, which is eternal suffering in the lake of fire and brimstone. In the Millennium, however, there will only be the damage of the second death. If some Christians have not dealt with their sins, they will still suffer the damage and pain of the second death.

THE END IS TO BE BURNED

Let us now read two passages from the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 6:4-6 says: "For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to restore them again to repentance."

These verses describe a person with many qualifications. It is impossible for them to be unsaved. They have seen the light, seen God revealed, the Only Begotten of the Father; they have known the love of God and tasted the heavenly gift, the one gift, Jesus Christ.

In the Bible, "gifts," as a plural noun, refers to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and "gift," as a singular noun, refers to the one gift, the only begotten Son of God, as in John 3:16. This gift is different from the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

This person not only has God and the Lord Jesus, but has also become a participant in the Holy Spirit. They know God, have tasted the Lord Jesus, and have the Holy Spirit living within them. Furthermore, they have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age.

The powers of the coming age are the powers of the millennial kingdom. The gifts and powers of the Holy Spirit are particularly abundant in the millennial kingdom. The millennial kingdom will be full of works of power, miracles, wonders, and similar things.

To say someone has tasted the powers of the coming age means they have experienced the things of the millennial kingdom. Therefore, this person is definitely saved. If such a person abandons the word of Christ they received when they believed, and slips and falls, there is no repentance for them.

They cannot start over to believe in the Lord Jesus, because they already have a long history with the Lord. They have received much rain, but having fallen, they no longer produce good things for God, but instead have produced thorns and briars.

Such a person is like "the land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and produces useful plants for those for whom it is also cultivated, receiving blessing from God; but if it produces thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to a curse; and its end is to be burned" (vs. 7-8).

Notice three things about this person and their end. First, they are "rejected." The word "rejected" here is the same as in 1 Corinthians 9:27, where Paul said he feared that although he had preached the gospel to others, he himself might be disqualified and no longer used by God in this age and in the kingdom.

Being rejected, being disqualified, means God will reject such a person and will no longer use them in the kingdom. Second, this person is "near to a curse." The verse does not say they will receive a curse, but the punishment they will receive is similar to a curse.

They will not perish eternally, but will suffer the damage of the second death and endure the Gehenna of fire in the kingdom. Third, "their end is to be burned." What does this mean? For example, a few weeks ago I wanted to burn some land in Jen-ru. Could I burn the land forever? Could I burn the land for at least five years?

The burning here refers to something temporary. Here it speaks of burning, while Matthew 5 says some will be subject to the Gehenna of fire. If you put these two passages together, they will combine. If a Christian receives all these wonderful things but produces no good fruit for God, only thorns and briars, they will be burned. However, this burning will be only for a brief time.

Even a primary school student knows that if you set fire to a plot of land, the fire will stop once all the vegetation is burned. The burning in the kingdom will last a maximum of one thousand years. How long the burning will last actually depends on you. If you have produced many thorns and briars, there will be more burning. If you have produced few thorns and briars, there will be less burning.

🌿 Enjoy more:

Hymn - Fullness of the Spirit - "Like Fire"

https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=328

The Damage of the Second Death, week 4, Monday, chapter 5

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -

Reflections on the millennium

Chapter 5

THE GEHENNA OF FIRE IN THE KINGDOM

WEEK 4 - MONDAY

Bible Reading: Lk 12:1-9

Read and pray: "I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God" (Lk 12:8,9)

FEAR HIM WHO HAS

AUTHORITY TO CAST INTO GEHENNA

Now let us see what other passages of the Bible say about this matter. Luke 12:1 says: "In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, He began to say to His disciples first". He did not speak to all, but first to His disciples. "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy".

The Lord’s word here proves that the disciples are not the hypocrites; they are the people of God. Then, in verses 4 and 5, the Lord said: "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: Fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into Gehenna".

The word of God is sufficiently clear. It tells us, not once but many times, that it is possible for a Christian to be "cast into Gehenna". This is stated clearly here. The Lord told the disciples not to fear those who kill the body, but after that can do nothing more.

They should not fear what some may do to their body, since that is all they could do. However, they should fear Him who can cast them into Gehenna. The following verses also prove that here the Lord is referring to the disciples, that is, to the Christians.

Verses 6 and 7 say: "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows". Only Christians are sparrows.

The unsaved are not sparrows; they are ravens. In Matthew, the lilies of the field and also the sparrows refer to the Christians. The sparrows do not sow, reap, or gather into barns (Mt 6:26). This refers to the Christians and not to the unbelievers.

Here it is stated clearly that it is possible for God’s "sparrows" to be "cast into Gehenna". Note also that it is said that the hairs of these persons have all been numbered. God would not have such care for unbelievers.

Therefore, what is being shown here is that those who belong to the Lord need not fear what may be done to their bodies. The only one they should fear is God, for He has authority to cast them "into Gehenna". We must fear God who has the authority to deal with our soul, and not those who can only kill our body.

The next two verses, 8 and 9, are very precious. "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God".

Christians may be divided into two classes: those who confess and those who do not confess His name. Some confess His name, while others do not. Some are prepared to be persecuted, while others are not.

Some will only be Christians secretly; these are the ones who desire the glory of men. Others confess the Lord openly and are ready to be martyrs. Therefore, you can see to whom the Lord is referring in these verses of Luke 12. We must not fear any suffering that comes from confessing His name. If we do not confess His name, our sin is more serious than all other sins.

Consequently, He will not confess our names before the angels of God. When you consider verses 1 to 9 as a whole, you will see that the "casting into Gehenna" in verse 5 is equivalent to the Lord not confessing their name before the angels in verse 9. The confession before the angels may be illustrated with an example.

Suppose that a young man has done something wrong and ends up in jail. His parents or other family members may pay the bail and free him from trouble. But suppose that the young man is truly bad, and his parents feel that he needs some suffering. As a result, his parents do not pay the bail.

The same happens with Christians. Unless the Lord confesses our names, we will be punished. There is a wonderful word in Revelation 3:5: "The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels".

At the beginning of the kingdom, before the judgment throne, the angels of God will bring the Christians before God. The book of life will be there. In the book of life are recorded all the names of the Christians. There will be many angels and many Christians. The Lord Jesus will also be there.

One or more angels will then read aloud the names from the book of life, and the Lord Jesus will confess some of the names. Those whose names He confesses will therefore enter into the kingdom. When other names are read, the Lord will say nothing. In other words, He will not confess their names. The angels will then put a negative mark on those names.

Thus, the names of the overcomers will remain unmarked in the book of life, while the names of the defeated will be marked. As for the unsaved, their names do not even appear in the book of life. One group of people will not have their names in the book; another group will have their names there, but the names will be marked; and a third group, at the time of the kingdom, will have their names preserved just as they were originally written in the book.

If your name is marked at the judgment throne, that does not mean that you are finished and will no longer be saved. Revelation 20:15 says: "And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire". This shows us that those whose names are not recorded in the book of life will be eternally in the lake of fire.

Those whose names do not appear in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire. This will occur at the beginning of the new heaven and the new earth. We cannot say that those mentioned in Revelation 3 do not have their names written in the book of life. We can only say that their names were marked. Consequently, they will not be cast into the lake of fire, for their names are already in the book of life.

Eternal salvation is very secure; it can never be shaken. On the other hand, however, there is a danger. If we are tolerant of sin, if we do not forgive others, if we commit adultery, if we insult the brothers, if we fear to suffer, to be ashamed, persecuted, and if we fear to confess the Lord, we must be careful, for God will cast us "into Gehenna" to be punished temporarily.

🌿 Enjoy more:

Hymn - Fullness of the Spirit - "Like the Breath"

https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=318

The Damage of the Second Death, week 4, Sunday, chapter 5,

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -

Reflections on the Millennium

Chapter 5

THE GEHENNA OF FIRE IN THE KINGDOM

WEEK 4 - SUNDAY

Bible Reading: Mt 5:21-32

Read and pray: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill." (Mt 5:17)

"THE GEHENNA OF FIRE IN THE KINGDOM (2)"

The kingdom will be very strict. Now I will say some frank and serious words. Two brothers or two sisters who are in discord cannot be together in the kingdom. In the coming kingdom, there will be only love and mercy; only those who love and show mercy to others will be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.

If I am involved in a dispute with a brother, and if the issue is not resolved in this age, then in the future, either both of us will be excluded from the kingdom, or only one of us will enter. It will not be possible for both to enter. It is impossible to have problems with one another and still reign at the same time in the future millennium.

In the kingdom, all Christians will be unanimous. There will be absolutely no barriers between two people. If today, while we are on earth, we have any friction with any brother or sister, if we have obstacles with any brother or sister, we must be careful.

It may happen that we enter and the other is excluded, or that the other enters and we are excluded, or that both of us are excluded. The Lord says that while you are with your brother on the way, you must reconcile with him. This means that while you and he are alive and before the Lord Jesus returns, you must reconcile with your brother.

The Lord will not tolerate two enemies complaining about each other in the kingdom. Today we can complain about others very easily; but such complaints will keep us, or others, or both, outside the kingdom.

It seems that today the church is very free, but it will not be like that on that day. "While you are with him on the way," says the Lord. If you die, if he dies, or if the Lord Jesus returns, that way will be over. Therefore, you must resolve the issue quickly, before the Lord returns and while you and he are on the way.

"So that the adversary does not hand you over to the judge," the judge is the Lord Jesus; "and the judge to the officer," the officer is the angel; "and you be thrown into prison." This clearly shows us that a brother who has offended another brother will suffer a very severe punishment.

If you study this passage carefully, you will see that the prison here is the Gehenna of fire in verse 22, because verse 23 begins with "therefore." The words of verse 23 onward explain the words of verse 22. Verse 22 says that anyone who calls his brother fool will be subject to the Gehenna of fire.

Verses 23 to 25 continue to say that those who do not reconcile with their brothers will be thrown into prison. Therefore, the prison in verse 25 is evidently the Gehenna of fire of verse 22.

It is clear that there is no possibility for a Christian to perish eternally; however, if a Christian has any sin of which he has not repented and confessed, which has not been forgiven, he will be subject to the Gehenna of fire.

Note how severe the Lord’s words are in verse 26: "Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last cent." There is a possibility of release if the person pays everything. In the coming age, there is still the possibility of forgiveness, but the person will not be able to leave until he has paid the last cent and put everything in order with his brother.

Verses 27 to 30 form another section. This section is similar to the previous one. "You have heard that it was said: You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

The commandment in the Old Testament says that we should not commit adultery, but the commandment in the New Testament says that we cannot even have adulterous thoughts. Here, the word "woman," in the original language, refers to another man’s wife. If the woman were not another man’s wife, there would be no possibility of adultery, for adultery is marital unfaithfulness.

If she is not another man’s wife, it cannot be considered adultery; it is fornication. The Bible judges fornication, but not as severely as it judges adultery. Here it says that an adulterous thought is produced concerning another man’s wife.

Secondly, the meaning of the word "look," in the original language, is not as broad as our word "look." The word "look" in the original language places many people in this sin category, because it does not imply a casual glance, but an intentional look. Looking may be simply a quick, accidental glance at something on the street.

"Observe" is a better word, because to observe is an intentional look. Moreover, in the original language, the observing here is done with a specific purpose. We can translate it as: "anyone who observes a woman with impure intent."

What the Lord condemns are not the sudden thoughts that enter the mind. He is dealing with continuing to observe with impure intent after a sudden thought has entered. In other words, our sins do not reside in the flesh being incited by Satan giving us dirty thoughts. Our sins consist of additional observing after Satan has given us a sudden thought. This is adultery.

Sudden thoughts come from Satan. Observing comes from yourself. Sudden thoughts are temptations. Your observing is your acceptance of the temptations. We must know how to distinguish these two things.

Verse 29 says: "If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away." If your right eye leads you to observe, pluck it out and throw it away. "For it is better for you that one of your members perish, and not your whole body be thrown into Gehenna."

If lust is not removed, if sin is not dealt with, the person will be "thrown into Gehenna." Then verse 30 says: "And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; for it is better for you that one of your members perish and not your whole body go into Gehenna." The Lord Jesus spoke these words to the disciples.

Christ told those who belonged to Him, whose righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees and scribes (v. 20), that they had to deal with their sins. If they allowed sin to develop in them, although they would not perish eternally, there was the possibility that they could go to Gehenna. This is what the Lord shows us in the book of Matthew.

🌿 Enjoy more:

Hymn - "Father, Son, and Spirit, One in Three and Three in One"

https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=546

The Damage of the Second Death, week 3, Saturday, chapter 5

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -

Reflections on the millennium

Chapter 5

THE GEHENNA OF FIRE IN THE KINGDOM

WEEK 3 - SATURDAY

Bible Reading: Mt 5:21-25; 18

Read and pray: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death." (Rev 2:11)

There are many passages in the Bible that mention God’s punishment for defeated Christians in the millennial kingdom. Let us now examine these passages and later draw a conclusion from them.

ENTRY AND POSITION IN THE KINGDOM

Let us first consider Matthew 18:1-3: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And calling to him a child, He put him in the midst of them and said, Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Here the disciples asked a question about the kingdom of heaven, a question regarding position in the kingdom. This is not a question of salvation or perdition, but of being great or small, higher or lower, in the kingdom.

The Lord Jesus shows us that unless we turn and become like children, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Then verse 4 says: "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Verse 3 gives us the condition for entering the kingdom, while verse 4 gives us the way to be great in the kingdom. Verse 3 says we must turn and become like children before we can enter the kingdom, and verse 4 says that if we continue as children and humble ourselves, we will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

This shows us that in the kingdom we must continue in the same way we began. The direction we take to enter the kingdom must be the same to continue in it. To enter the kingdom of heaven, we must turn and become like children; and to be great in the kingdom of heaven, we must continue to be humble like children.

Here the Lord continues to stress the matter of being like children. Then He says: "Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me" (v. 5). Whoever receives one who has turned and become like a child and continues to be humble as this child does, receives Christ.

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea" (v. 6).

This word shows that causing someone to stumble is a greater problem than suffering and being killed. Suppose someone killed you and cast your body into the sea. You would not even have a proper burial, which would surely be a tragedy. Yet if you cause someone to stumble, your end will be worse than that.

Verse 7 says: "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!"

THE GEHENNA OF FIRE IN THE KINGDOM

Verses 1 to 7 of Matthew 18 are general words of the Lord, and we may mention them briefly. We want to give more attention to the words that begin in verse 8. Here the Lord Jesus extends the matter to emphasize that not only is it wrong to cause others to stumble, but even causing yourself to stumble is a serious and grave matter.

Verse 8 says: "If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away." To whom does the "you" here refer? In verses 3 to 7, "you" refers to the disciples who asked the question in verse 1. After the Lord Jesus answered them, He told them to be watchful and not be a stumbling block to others.

The Lord’s words in verse 8 are addressed to the same people. If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, it is better to cut them off and throw them away. Of course, this must not be taken literally. If your hands steal and your feet walk in improper paths, that is, if there is sin and lust in you, you must deal with them.

"It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire" (v. 8). The Lord shows us here that if Christians commit sins and tolerate them, they will suffer: either they will be thrown into the eternal fire with two hands and two feet, or they will enter into life with one hand or one foot.

There are also those who will not control their lusts and will be thrown into the eternal fire. The fire is eternal fire, but it does not say here that they will remain in the eternal fire forever. What the Lord Jesus did not say is as significant as what He said. If a person has become a Christian but his hands or feet continually sin, he will suffer the punishment of eternal fire at the time of the kingdom of heaven; he will not suffer this punishment eternally, but only during the age of the kingdom.

What does it mean to cut off a hand or a foot? When a man cuts off his hand or foot, he can still sin. If he has no foot, he can ride in a car. If one hand is cut off, he can still sin with the other. The Lord’s intention is not that we literally cut off the hand or the foot, for even if we do, we may still not remove our lust.

Therefore, this word must not refer to the outward body but to the inward lust. What we must cut off is that which forces us to sin. Another thing we must realize is that the person spoken of here is a Christian, for only a Christian already has his whole body cleansed and can thus enter into life after dealing with lust in a single member of his body.

For unbelievers it would not be enough to cut off a hand or a foot, because even if they cut off both hands and both feet, they would still go to hell. In order to enter the kingdom of heaven, it is better for a Christian to have an incomplete body than to go into eternal fire because of incomplete dealing.

Then verse 9 says: "If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the Gehenna of fire." This shows us that if a saved person does not deal with his lust, he will not be able to enter into life but will go into the eternal fire. The eternal fire here is the Gehenna of fire. The Bible shows us that a Christian can suffer the Gehenna of fire. Obviously, although he may suffer the Gehenna of fire, he will not suffer forever, but only during the age of the kingdom. Matthew 18 is not the only passage of Scripture that says this. Other portions of the Bible also contain the same teaching.

For example, in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7, there are clear words of the same kind. Matthew 5:21-22 says: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, You fool! will be liable to the Gehenna of fire."

At the beginning of chapter five, we read that the Lord Jesus saw the crowd, but He did not teach the crowd. Rather, He taught the disciples (v. 1). The Sermon on the Mount is for the disciples. Therefore, the one who insults another in verse 22 is a brother.

He calls another brother "Raca," which means "worthless" or fool. When he calls his brother this way, he becomes liable to the Gehenna of fire. This does not refer to an unsaved person, for an unsaved person will go to hell even if he never calls anyone a fool.

Every time the Bible speaks about works, it refers to someone who belongs to God. If a person does not belong to God, there is no need to mention such things. Here, it is a saved person, a brother, but because he offended his brother, he is liable to the Gehenna of fire.

Verse 23 says: "So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you." Many times people hold things against us deliberately, and there is nothing we can do about it; but if someone has something against us because of our insult, we must be careful when bringing our offering to the altar.

If you have thought ill of a brother and spoken something against him, you must go to him and settle the matter. "Leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (v. 24). The important thing is to be reconciled to your brother.

Verse 25 says: "Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court." Your brother is the one who complains, and you are the defendant. Now he is taking you to court: "Lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison" (v. 25). This will take place in the kingdom.

🌿 Enjoy more:

Hymn – The Church – "His Attraction"

https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=930

The Damage of the Second Death, week 3, Friday, chapter 4

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -
Reflections on the millennium

Chapter 4
DISCIPLINE IN THE KINGDOM (2)

WEEK 3 - FRIDAY
Bible Reading: Mt 18:21; Lk 6:38; Jas 2:13

Read and pray: "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." (Jas 2:13)

MERCY AND JUDGMENT

We know that our God is a righteous God. In the future, at the judgment throne, He will judge us according to righteousness. However, although there is righteousness at the judgment throne, there will also be mercy.

If you show mercy to others, the Lord will be merciful to you. If you are relentless toward others, and if you are so strict and uncompromising with the faults and weaknesses of others, the Lord will deal with you only with righteousness on that day.

If you are merciful to others, the Lord will show mercy to you. Luke 6:37 says that if you do not judge, you will not be judged; if you do not condemn, you will not be condemned; and if you forgive, you will be forgiven.

Some Christians are too mean today. When criticizing others, they point out every mistake made. When they do their best to criticize and judge others, they must be careful. In the future, God will deal with them in the same way they deal with others.

With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. If you give a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, the Lord will give to you in the same way. He who forgives will be forgiven, and he who shows mercy will be shown mercy.

Therefore, the Bible says that mercy triumphs over judgment (Jas 2:13). There is one thing over which judgment cannot triumph—over the fact that a person shows mercy to others throughout his life. We are not free from mistakes. However, if we show mercy to others today, God will be unable to deal with us.

Many Christians are unable to lose when dealing with others. They argue all the time with others, give little reason to others, and grant themselves all the reason. But today, on the contrary, we should show mercy to others.

When the time of judgment comes, there will be some against whom not even the Lord of judgment will be able to raise anything. This does not mean that man can intentionally alter the commandment of God.

It only means that if you are merciful to others while living on earth, God will be merciful to you. Your mercy today will triumph over your judgment tomorrow. The way you judge others will be the way you are judged. This grace is righteous.

The way you treat others will be the same way the Lord will treat you. The way you deal with others will shape a vessel with which God will measure judgment to you. James 2:13 says: "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment."

Those who do not show mercy to others will be judged without mercy. But for those who show mercy to others, mercy will triumph over judgment. Their mercy will exceed judgment. This is a wonderful fact.

Matthew 18 clearly shows us that God’s children can still fall into the hands of the tormentors. If this happens, they will have to remain there until they pay all the debt. Of course, there is no way to pay all the debt. But at least the day will come when they will learn to be merciful and to forgive others just as the Lord has shown mercy to them and forgiven them.

At that time they will have to show mercy to others. That is why in verse 35 the Lord says: "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother." This portion of the Word is not spoken to unbelievers, but to Christians, and it shows the relationship that exists between the heavenly Father and His children, and between the brothers.

Before this portion of the Word, Peter asked the Lord: "How many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" (Mt 18:21). The Lord told him he must forgive up to seventy times seven.

Then the Lord spoke about the two servants. If Peter did not forgive his brother, he would face punishment. The Lord’s word showed Peter that there is the possibility of being delivered to the tormentors; there is the possibility of being thrown into prison.

If for Peter there is the possibility of being delivered to the tormentors and cast into prison, for us too there is the possibility of being treated in the same way. That is why the Lord uses the plural "you" in verse 35.

His word is not only for Peter, it is for each one of us. If we do not forgive from the heart each of our brothers, the heavenly Father will do the same with us.

Please remember that our eternal salvation in the new heaven and new earth is unshakable. We are grateful to the Lord because this is by grace. But if today our problems are not specifically dealt with, we will still suffer specific punishment in the coming kingdom.

🌿 Enjoy more:

Hymn - Supplements - "The Way of the Cross"

https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=1450

The Damage of the Second Death, week 3, Thursday, chapter 4

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -

Reflections on the millennium

Chapter 4

DISCIPLINE IN THE KINGDOM (2)

WEEK 3 - THURSDAY

Bible Reading: Mt 18:23-35; 2 Tim 2:12;

Read and pray: "Faithful is the saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us;" (2 Tim 2:11,12)

PUNISHMENT IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

The Bible says that many children of God will have a specific punishment. Many Christians have improper conduct. They do not live in a godly manner. They love the world and walk according to their own will. They worship God according to man’s way. They do not obey the Word of God in taking care of God’s work, but instead they do what they themselves like to do.

They try to please men. They seek the glory of man rather than the glory of God and do not want to take the same place of shame that the Lord took. They have committed many mistakes and sins and have not been disciplined by the Lord in this age.

After dying and being resurrected on that day, will they be able to reign with the Lord? The Bible says that first we must suffer and endure wrongs with Him, before we can reign and be glorified with Him (2 Tim 2:12). Many Christians not only have never suffered, but they also have many sins. They love the world and walk according to the flesh. When they leave the world, they will still have much unrighteousness and many sins that have not been dealt with. The Bible shows us that such Christians will have a specific and definite punishment.

Matthew 18:23-35 speaks of a servant who was forgiven his debts by his lord. Another fellow servant had a debt with the first servant. But the servant who was forgiven his debt did not want to forgive his fellow servant. The first servant definitely represents a saved person, for he pleaded for his lord’s forgiveness, and the lord, moved with compassion, let him go and forgave him the debt.

We are all helpless people coming to the Lord to seek grace. The Lord forgave our debt and let us go. If the first servant represents a Christian, then whatever he expresses represents what we will express. The way the lord deals with his servant will be the way the Lord will deal with us.

Verses 28-30 say: "But that servant went out". He went out because he was now a free man. "But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying: Pay me what you owe. So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. But he would not; rather, he went and threw him into prison, till he should pay the debt".

This passage is about a Christian who does not forgive another’s sin. You are someone who was forgiven, but you do not want to forgive. The Lord forgave you ten thousand talents. Now your brother owes you only a hundred denarii, but you say in your heart that he must pay you back. He must return to you down to the last cent. What then will be the result?

Verses 31-33 continue: "So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very grieved, and came and told their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after he had called him, said to him: You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me; should you not also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?"

That this person represents someone saved is again proven by the fact that the Lord had mercy on him. The Lord said: Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you? Should you not forgive your fellow servant as I forgave you? This proves that this person represents someone who received God’s mercy and forgiveness.

He must be someone who already has life, yet he does not forgive other Christians. "And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him". This person who had been granted mercy and forgiven was delivered to the tormentors until he had paid all the debt to the Lord. Whether he could pay back everything he owed is another matter. The fact is that he had to suffer.

This shows us that if a Christian does not forgive another, on that day the Lord will deal with him in the same way he dealt with others. If you do not forgive your brother, the Lord will deal with you according to your relentless attitude.

🌿 Enjoy more:

Hymn - Fullness of the Spirit - "Like the Breath"

https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=319

The Damage of the Second Death, week 3, Wednesday, chapter 4

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -

Reflections on the millennium

Chapter 4

DISCIPLINE IN THE KINGDOM (2)

WEEK 3 - WEDNESDAY

Bible Reading: Jn 5:24-29

Read and pray: "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come out: those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have practiced evil to the resurrection of judgment" (Jn 5:28-29)

Receiving Life in the Kingdom

When we preach the gospel, we tell people that we receive eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ. If a person believes in Him, he will have eternal life. Everyone who understands the Word of God knows that in the church age today, as soon as a person believes, he has eternal life. This is our message.

But the question now is: When is this eternal life manifested, revealed, and enjoyed? Today, our mind and spirit are constantly being persecuted by death. Satan is still very strong. Therefore, when will eternal life be fully manifested? Will it be in the new heaven and new earth? Or will it occur in the kingdom?

Let us read John 5:24-29: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come out: those who have done good to the resurrection of life, those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment."

Here, verse 24 says that as long as a person believes, he has eternal life and does not come into judgment. He who hears the Lord’s word and believes in the Father who sent Him has eternal life.

However, verse 29 says that those who have done good will come out to the resurrection of life, while those who have done evil will come out to the resurrection of judgment. The word life (zoe in Greek) in verse 29 is the same word used in verse 24.

Those who have done good will come out to the resurrection of zoe, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. Verse 24 clearly says that we already have eternal life. But verse 29 says that some will not have eternal life until after the resurrection.

Do you see the difference here? Verse 25 takes place in the church age. It says that the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. We all are those dead ones. We heard the voice of the Son of God, and as a result, we live. Verse 28 says: "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come out."

Verse 25 says the hour is coming and now is. Verse 28, however, omits the phrase "and now is," saying only that the hour is coming. Therefore, it refers to the future, not the present. Furthermore, here the Lord Jesus says that in the future all who are in the tombs will come out. In verse 25, He speaks of "the dead." Here He speaks of the dead who are in the tombs. Verse 25 speaks of the dead, referring to those dead in trespasses and sins. When the Lord speaks in verse 28 of the dead in the tombs, He is not referring to the death of the soul in sin; rather, He is referring to those dead in the body.

All those who are dead in their bodies, that is, those in the tombs, will hear the voice of the Son of God for the second time. Those who have done good will come out to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. This second time is the moment when all those in the tombs will be raised.

Let us read Mark 10:30: "Who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this present time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life." Here the Lord Jesus again mentions eternal life.

We must realize what kind of eternal life this is. The eternal life in Mark 10:30 is not the eternal life of the church age referred to in the Gospel of John, nor eternal life in the new heaven and new earth. Please realize that this eternal life will be in the coming age. The phrase "in the age to come" in the original language means the next age or the subsequent age.

Today we are in the age of grace. The next age will be the age of the kingdom, that is, the age of the millennium. Here, the Lord says that a person may receive eternal life in the coming age. This does not refer to the eternal life we receive when we believe in the Lord. Before the Lord spoke this word, a man came to Jesus asking what he should do to inherit eternal life. That question was related to works. Therefore, the Lord Jesus spoke to him about eternal life that is obtained through works. He told the young man that before he could inherit this eternal life, he had to keep the law and sell all that he had.

In the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus clearly shows us that eternal life comes from grace and not from works. Then why does He say here that we must keep the law and sell all that we have before we can inherit eternal life? It is because the eternal life described here in Mark 10 is different from that described in John.

The eternal life in Mark 10 is received through works. The eternal life in John is received by faith. After the young man went away, the Lord Jesus looked around and said to His disciples: "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!" (v. 23). By saying this, the Lord put eternal life and the kingdom together.

After the Lord Jesus said this, the disciples wanted to know the meaning of His word. The Lord said: "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples were astonished and asked who then could be saved. The Lord said that "with men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."

Peter then asked Him what he would gain for having left everything to follow Him, and the Lord spoke about the things that were to come. "Jesus said, Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."

They will receive eternal life in the kingdom. Therefore, the eternal life spoken of here is eternal life in the kingdom. The eternal life in the kingdom is obtained through works. It is obtained through consecration, suffering, and bearing reproach for the Lord. For the Christian, the matter of eternal life in this age is settled. The matter of eternal life in eternity is also settled.

However, whether or not he will have eternal life in the kingdom depends on: whether he loves the Lord; whether he leaves everything for the sake of the gospel; whether he denies himself in all things and rejects the world. It depends on whether he is living for money, for material gain, for his family, or for the people of the world.

If he loves the Lord and leaves everything for the sake of the gospel, the Lord promised that he will not lose these things even in this age, but rather will gain hundreds of times more. If anyone gives up even a little for the Lord, he will reap a hundredfold return in the heavenly bank. Who can obtain such high interest? A deposit of one dollar will yield a hundred dollars. You cannot find any bank like this in the world.

In addition to this, there is eternal life in the coming age. In many portions of Matthew, the phrase "eternal life" is used as a synonym for the word "kingdom." In these passages, the living are those who enter the kingdom.

For example, Matthew 7:14 says that the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Today, many preach the gospel using this passage, exhorting people to enter by the narrow gate and to take the narrow way. However, if someone were saved by entering the narrow gate and by taking the narrow way, salvation would not be by grace but by works, and it would become a reward for entering the narrow gate and for taking the narrow way.

The eternal life, as revealed in the book of Matthew, does not refer to eternal life today, but rather to life in the millennial kingdom. To reign with Christ in the kingdom, a person must enter through the narrow gate and take the narrow way. If someone does not obey God’s commandments and His will, he will lose eternal life.

However, this does not mean that he will perish, but he will lose eternal life in the kingdom. If this issue is settled, then the matter of the ages in the Bible will be clearly solved. In the church age, all things are by grace. At the end of the church age, God will establish His kingdom through His Son. In the kingdom, only the faithful servants will reign with Christ by being resurrected from among the dead. The Bible shows us this very clearly.

🌿 Enjoy more:

Hymn - Supplements - "Consecration"

https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=1587

The Damage of the Second Death, week 3, Tuesday, chapter 3

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -

Reflections on the Millennium

Chapter 3

DISCIPLINE IN THE KINGDOM (1)

WEEK 3 - TUESDAY

Bible Reading: Rev 19, 20, and 21

Read and pray: "And he said to me: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who is thirsty, I will give freely from the spring of the water of life." (Rev 21:6)

NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH

Let us now consider Revelation 21:1-7: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with mankind. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And he said, ‘Write this, for these words are faithful and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who is thirsty, I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.’"

The description of the kingdom in Revelation 19 and 20 is completely different from the description of the new heaven and new earth in chapter 21. When describing the kingdom, the Bible speaks about what man has done. However, when describing the new heaven and new earth, there is no longer mention of what man has done.

From chapter twenty-one onward, the Bible simply speaks about what God does. God said He makes all things new. God said the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. All these things will be accomplished by God.

The dwelling place of God will be with mankind. He will dwell with men. We are His people; God Himself will dwell with us and be our God. He will wipe away all our tears, so there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain, for all the former things will have passed, and all things will be new.

God said all these words are faithful. He said He is the Alpha and the Omega. Man has no part in this. These verses continue, telling us what God has done. There is no condition or requirement. If you want to know how to obtain such a wonderful new heaven and new earth, just hear this word: "And he said to me: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End" (v. 6a).

In other words, everything is done by God. "To the one who is thirsty, I will give freely from the spring of the water of life" (v. 6b). After all these things have been said, everything is summarized in one sentence: "To the one who is thirsty, I will give freely from the spring of the water of life."

As long as there is thirst, as long as there is need, God will give freely from the spring of the water of life. This is grace. Grace is giving from the spring of the water of life freely. The new heaven and new earth come from grace.

God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. The new heaven and new earth are entirely His. The next verse says: "The one who conquers will inherit these things." Who are the conquerors John refers to? The conquerors here are different from those in the letters to the seven churches at the beginning of Revelation.

Here, by using the term conquerors, a distinction is made between the people of the world and Christians. The distinction here is not between one type of Christian and another. In the first three chapters of Revelation, conquering is related to Christians among other Christians. But in chapter twenty-one, conquering is related to Christians among the people of the world.

How can we drink from the water of life? Through faith. Those who believe can drink. In order to drink freely from the water of life, we need to believe. Faith enables us to overcome the world. Compared to the people of the world, every Christian is a conqueror. However, compared to other Christians, many Christians are flawed.

Regarding the people of the world, we are all conquerors because we have faith before God that they do not have. Those who conquer and drink from the water of life will inherit these things, and God will be their God, and they will be children of God. Chapter twenty-two also mentions the new heaven and new earth.

Verses 1 to 5 say: "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, on either side of the river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse. There will be the throne of God and of the Lamb, and His servants will serve Him, they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night, and they will not need lamp or sunlight, for the Lord God will shine upon them, and they will reign forever and ever."

The main feature of the New Jerusalem is the river of the water of life. This river proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Because it is the river of life, there is the tree of life, with its fruit of life growing. In Revelation 22, after everything has been said, one thing stands out: the river of life.

This river of the water of life flows throughout the city. How can we enjoy the river of the water of life? At the end of Revelation, after the kingdom age and the church age have ended, verse 17 says: "The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come, and whoever wishes, let him take freely from the water of life." In other words, everyone is welcome in the new heaven and new earth.

In the new heaven and new earth there is a throne, and from the throne flows a river. The river comes from God and has the throne as its source. The throne is the center of the new heaven and new earth.

Moreover, the word Lamb is never mentioned in relation to the kingdom. But in the new heaven and new earth, the Lamb is certainly mentioned. The throne is of God and of the Lamb (22:1); the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of the city (21:22); and the Lamb is the lamp of the city (21:23).

The fact that the Lamb is mentioned in relation to the new heaven and new earth indicates that this will be an age of grace. At the end of Revelation, the church, the kingdom, and the tribulation are no longer mentioned.

Instead, we find that all who are thirsty may come and take freely from the water of life. This means you are invited to the new heaven and new earth. Everything is free. And being free means it comes from grace. Therefore, the new heaven and new earth are entirely distinct from the kingdom.

The new heaven and new earth are given to us freely. According to the teaching of Revelation, we can say that in the new heaven and new earth God deals with man based on grace. In the kingdom, however, He deals with Christians based on righteousness. Therefore, we must admit that it is in the kingdom that God disciplines us.

In the new heaven and new earth everything is received freely. Here we see the relationship between the present and the future. If today we love the world, walk according to the flesh, and live carelessly, in the age to come we will be disciplined by God.

But if we love the Lord today and abandon everything for the Lord, we will receive God’s grace and His reward. This is the biblical teaching regarding these three ages. I am not responsible for what I am saying here. I am only speaking the Word of God.

The Word of God says that in the coming age there will be these things. God Himself takes responsibility for His own words. I only know that the Son of God spoke these words. It is true that man can enjoy eternal life today. But the kingdom is the time when God deals with His children.

If you live carelessly today, you will be disciplined in the future. Therefore, we have eternal security, but we also have temporary danger. We have the guarantee of the new heaven and new earth. However, there is the danger of the kingdom. In the kingdom, we may suffer severe punishment and discipline. Although salvation has been established through the work of the Lord Jesus, the reward will be determined by each person’s work.

Salvation comes through the work of the Lord Jesus. Reward comes through our own work. We are rewarded for obeying God’s will and for not walking according to our own will. May we value the grace we have received, heed God’s warning, and pursue the reward of the kingdom.

Enjoy more:

Hymn – Praise to the Lord – "His Humanity"

https://hinario.org/detail.php?tab=1&mainmp3=admin/Uploaded-mp3-Files/0061.voz_piano.mp3&id=74