As the narrative continues, the LORD makes clear that it is a child born to Sarah and Abraham that will inherit the covenant promises. At this point in their lives, that seemed to be an impossibility since they were both too old to be able to physically reproduce. God, however, is very clear that it is through Isaac, a child birthed by Sarah, that the covenant would be established.
Genesis 17:19–21 “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.”
Again the covenant is declared to be an everlasting covenant; one that will be inherited by Abraham’s descendants through Isaac—not Ishmael.
The next reference to God’s promise to bless Abraham comes after he shows his faith in God by intending to sacrifice Isaac according to the LORD’s command. As we know, God provided the lamb to be sacrificed in the place of Isaac. I do not believe God ever intended Isaac to be sacrificed. He was providing another faith-building lesson by allowing Abraham (and Isaac) to once again experience His provision when acting in obedience to His commands. He was also establishing a precedent showing that He would provide the sacrificial Lamb necessary to deliver all people who would choose to follow Him in faith and obedience. Once again He spoke to Abraham.
Genesis 22:16–18 “And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”
Again the LORD promises to greatly multiply the seed of Abraham. More significant to this study, the LORD also promises that Abraham’s people will take possession of land now controlled by their enemies and will be a source of blessing to all the nations on earth. History shows that the Israelites conquered most of the land of Canaan and established their nation as led by the LORD. The blessing to the nations would come in the person of the Messiah Jesus Christ as the Savior to all who will accept Him. Yet future is the blessing all nations will experience by having Jesus on the throne in Jerusalem as King of kings.
Isaiah 9:6–7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Jeremiah 23:5–6 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Matthew 25:31–34 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”
Revelation 20:4 “and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
I am emphasizing this truth since it is important to understand that God is going to establish His Son as King over the nations from the throne of David in Jerusalem as stated by Isaiah. I think it is important to note from the prophecy in Jeremiah that Judah and Israel (the whole nation) will dwell safely during the rule of this King who will rule the whole world. Though designated by John in the book of Revelation as enduring for 1000 years initially, scripture is clear that this kingdom will be eternal and will endure after the final judgment of humanity has been completed. John is also clear in identifying “Christ” as the King.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
An Unconditional Everlasting Covenant
In Genesis 15 we have a narrative of God affirming His covenant with Abram.
Genesis 15:1-6 “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward….And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
At this point in time Abraham has no children, so he doesn’t understand how God can keep His promise. The Lord then instructs Abram to prepare a sacrifice by which God will confirm His promise.
Genesis 15:12–18 “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram….And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years….afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again….And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates….”
I almost left this section of scripture out except that it testifies to some important truths that apply to our study. God is basically building a foundation of faith for Abram. He assures him through an accepted ritual that He is going to keep His word. The ritual was to include both parties passing between the animal pieces. The LORD, however, arranged it so as to walk through the pieces alone, absolving Abram of any responsibility regarding the keeping of this covenant.
The LORD also prophesied to Abram concerning what history identifies as Israel’s captivity in Egypt, specifying the timeframe and declaring that they would eventually come out of Egypt with great substance. It is also interesting to note that Abram’s land inheritance is to stretch from “the river of Egypt,” the most obvious of which would be the Nile (though most commentaries do not agree with that understanding), and the Euphrates River. It’s interesting to note that Israel has never possessed that much land to date.
The prophecy concerning the captivity and deliverance from Egypt is important as another affirmation of the LORD as LORD. Only God can prophesy future events hundreds of years in advance. Also significant to note is that the LORD is stating that the promise of a homeland was that of a specific area of land, some of which comprises the nation of Israel today.
I believe God repeats this covenant several times in scripture to strengthen the faith of the patriarchs as they and their descendants waited for its complete fulfillment. The next mention of the covenant comes in chapter 17 when God changes Abram’s name to Abraham.
Genesis 17:3–8 “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
The most important truth in this restatement of God’s covenant is the fact that it is “an everlasting covenant.” In other words, this covenant will endure for perpetuity. This promise is to Abraham and “his seed,” his physical descendants “in their generations.” This brings up another interesting truth that I discovered in my study of Galatians.
Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
It is obvious from the Genesis passage that reference is being made to Abraham’s descendants, but Paul reveals that there is another hidden application. The reference to Abraham’s seed included a direct reference to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The LORD is making a promise of a future kingdom to His Son even as He affirms His covenant with Abraham. That revelation just helps this parent understand from the human viewpoint God's tremendous patience and mercy toward His chosen people—His promise was to His Son who was to come from this people.
Genesis 15:1-6 “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward….And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
At this point in time Abraham has no children, so he doesn’t understand how God can keep His promise. The Lord then instructs Abram to prepare a sacrifice by which God will confirm His promise.
Genesis 15:12–18 “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram….And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years….afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again….And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates….”
I almost left this section of scripture out except that it testifies to some important truths that apply to our study. God is basically building a foundation of faith for Abram. He assures him through an accepted ritual that He is going to keep His word. The ritual was to include both parties passing between the animal pieces. The LORD, however, arranged it so as to walk through the pieces alone, absolving Abram of any responsibility regarding the keeping of this covenant.
The LORD also prophesied to Abram concerning what history identifies as Israel’s captivity in Egypt, specifying the timeframe and declaring that they would eventually come out of Egypt with great substance. It is also interesting to note that Abram’s land inheritance is to stretch from “the river of Egypt,” the most obvious of which would be the Nile (though most commentaries do not agree with that understanding), and the Euphrates River. It’s interesting to note that Israel has never possessed that much land to date.
The prophecy concerning the captivity and deliverance from Egypt is important as another affirmation of the LORD as LORD. Only God can prophesy future events hundreds of years in advance. Also significant to note is that the LORD is stating that the promise of a homeland was that of a specific area of land, some of which comprises the nation of Israel today.
I believe God repeats this covenant several times in scripture to strengthen the faith of the patriarchs as they and their descendants waited for its complete fulfillment. The next mention of the covenant comes in chapter 17 when God changes Abram’s name to Abraham.
Genesis 17:3–8 “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
The most important truth in this restatement of God’s covenant is the fact that it is “an everlasting covenant.” In other words, this covenant will endure for perpetuity. This promise is to Abraham and “his seed,” his physical descendants “in their generations.” This brings up another interesting truth that I discovered in my study of Galatians.
Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
It is obvious from the Genesis passage that reference is being made to Abraham’s descendants, but Paul reveals that there is another hidden application. The reference to Abraham’s seed included a direct reference to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The LORD is making a promise of a future kingdom to His Son even as He affirms His covenant with Abraham. That revelation just helps this parent understand from the human viewpoint God's tremendous patience and mercy toward His chosen people—His promise was to His Son who was to come from this people.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
God’s Covenant with Abraham
Since so much of bible prophecy as I understand it from scripture hinges on God’s unconditional covenant with Abraham, I thought it was important to research that covenant and its implications as taught in scripture. So many people today have embraced “replacement theology,” the teaching that the church has replaced Israel; and I really don’t see how they can do that in light of scripture. Paul makes a powerful argument in Romans 9-11 that God has only set Israel aside for a time and fully intends to restore her to a position of blessing according to His covenant with Abraham. Old Testament scripture is full of prophecies regarding God’s preservation of a remnant of the nation of Israel that will one day enjoy a place of prominence among the nations when God establishes His kingdom on earth. Most important to the child of God today, God is a covenant-keeper; He embodies truth and cannot lie. If He is not faithful to keep His covenant with Israel, why should He be trusted to keep His promises to the church?
I have not done a study on this subject per se except as encountered in my verse by verse study through the scriptures. I will begin with what scripture tells us about God’s covenant with Abraham and His commitment to His word, followed up with a look at the Old Testament prophecies and closing with the study in Romans. I’m just a couple of posts ahead on this blog, so this will be a work in progress and may require some clarifications or backtracks etc. along the way.
We first encounter “Abram” in Genesis 11 as part of a listing of Shem’s descendants. We are told that Terah, Abram’s father, decides to uproot his family and take them out of Ur of the Chaldees. They got as far as Haran, and stayed there until Terah died. It would seem that Terah was aware of God’s proposal to his son according to the following verse.
Genesis 15:7 “And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.”
After his father’s death, Abram sets out for Canaan with his family.
Genesis 12:1–5 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.”
I am only going to focus on the narrative as it relates to the God’s covenant with Abram. At this point the LORD has promised to make Abram, who was childless, the father of a great nation that would be greatly blessed and would prove to be a blessing to all people on earth. He also promised to bless those that blessed Abram’s family and curse those that cursed them. At this point the covenant is conditional; it is based upon Abram taking His family to Canaan as God had told him to do. The narrative is clear in stating that Abram obeyed God’s command.
I have not done a study on this subject per se except as encountered in my verse by verse study through the scriptures. I will begin with what scripture tells us about God’s covenant with Abraham and His commitment to His word, followed up with a look at the Old Testament prophecies and closing with the study in Romans. I’m just a couple of posts ahead on this blog, so this will be a work in progress and may require some clarifications or backtracks etc. along the way.
We first encounter “Abram” in Genesis 11 as part of a listing of Shem’s descendants. We are told that Terah, Abram’s father, decides to uproot his family and take them out of Ur of the Chaldees. They got as far as Haran, and stayed there until Terah died. It would seem that Terah was aware of God’s proposal to his son according to the following verse.
Genesis 15:7 “And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.”
After his father’s death, Abram sets out for Canaan with his family.
Genesis 12:1–5 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.”
I am only going to focus on the narrative as it relates to the God’s covenant with Abram. At this point the LORD has promised to make Abram, who was childless, the father of a great nation that would be greatly blessed and would prove to be a blessing to all people on earth. He also promised to bless those that blessed Abram’s family and curse those that cursed them. At this point the covenant is conditional; it is based upon Abram taking His family to Canaan as God had told him to do. The narrative is clear in stating that Abram obeyed God’s command.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Lamb’s Book of Life
The Book of Life is obviously the most important book in heaven’s library. One very important truth in connection with the Book of Life that stands out in the scriptures we have looked at is that one’s name can be blotted out of it. This tells me that every person’s name is there until the Lord has determined it is to be blotted out. It is called the Book of Life, so it stands to reason that every “life” be recorded there until they have rejected God and the eternal life that He has provided for each and every person. God has provided for our salvation, our eternal life; but He has sovereignly decided to allow us the choice of accepting His gift or not.
Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
I think it is worth reminding ourselves of those precious verses from John 3 at this point as well.
John 3:16–18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
God is not willing that any should perish. His desire is for every human being to accept His provision through His Son Jesus Christ and choose eternal life by placing their faith in Him. That is the whole reason He has waited as long as He has to send Jesus back to set up His kingdom.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
Paul emphasizes the truth that God’s provision is for all in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 5:18–19 “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”
“one man’s disobedience” = Adam’s sin
“obedience of the One” = Jesus death on the cross
Jesus made a very important point to seventy of His disciples upon their return from the mission trip on which He had sent them. They came back all excited about the power they had been able to exert against the evil spirits.
Luke 10:20 “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
To have one’s name written in heaven, which seems to be an obvious reference to the Book of Life in light of all the scripture we have looked at, is a far greater reason for rejoicing than any power one might possess in this life.
One more interesting observation--the Book of Life is described as belonging to the Lamb at least three times in Revelation. That makes perfect sense to me. It is only through the willing sacrifice of the Lamb Jesus Christ that any of us can experience eternal life. He is the source of life as the Creator and the restorer and sustainer of life as the victorious Lamb of God.
Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
I think it is worth reminding ourselves of those precious verses from John 3 at this point as well.
John 3:16–18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
God is not willing that any should perish. His desire is for every human being to accept His provision through His Son Jesus Christ and choose eternal life by placing their faith in Him. That is the whole reason He has waited as long as He has to send Jesus back to set up His kingdom.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
Paul emphasizes the truth that God’s provision is for all in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 5:18–19 “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”
“one man’s disobedience” = Adam’s sin
“obedience of the One” = Jesus death on the cross
Jesus made a very important point to seventy of His disciples upon their return from the mission trip on which He had sent them. They came back all excited about the power they had been able to exert against the evil spirits.
Luke 10:20 “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
To have one’s name written in heaven, which seems to be an obvious reference to the Book of Life in light of all the scripture we have looked at, is a far greater reason for rejoicing than any power one might possess in this life.
One more interesting observation--the Book of Life is described as belonging to the Lamb at least three times in Revelation. That makes perfect sense to me. It is only through the willing sacrifice of the Lamb Jesus Christ that any of us can experience eternal life. He is the source of life as the Creator and the restorer and sustainer of life as the victorious Lamb of God.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Books of Judgment
Both Daniel and John refer to a set of books that are used in the final judgment. These books contain a record of the works of unbelievers, works that will give evidence to their sin and declare God’s righteousness in judging them to eternal condemnation. The Lord will then determine their eternal destiny based upon those works.
Daniel 7:10 “A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”
Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.”
It seems that the Book of Life is used in conjunction with these books. It also indicates that the Book of Life provides testimony against them because their name is missing. Only those whose names are missing will be judged based upon their own works. Those who have placed their faith in the Savior are judged based upon His work on their behalf.
Romans 5:1–2 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”
Through Christ the believer is justified—declared righteous, innocent—just as if I’d never sinned.
John goes on to declare that after judgment is determined, those not found in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15 “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
You would tend to think that the lake of fire would mean that the eternal future of every unbeliever will involve suffering of the same scale or intensity. Jesus however made a statement that makes me think this “lake of fire” must have sections that are worse than others.
Matthew 11:21–24 “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”
In my opinion, the worst part of the unbeliever’s eternity is that it will be spent outside the presence of God. John emphasizes this truth when talking about the New Jerusalem on the new heavens and the new earth.
Revelation 21:27 “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
Daniel 7:10 “A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”
Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.”
It seems that the Book of Life is used in conjunction with these books. It also indicates that the Book of Life provides testimony against them because their name is missing. Only those whose names are missing will be judged based upon their own works. Those who have placed their faith in the Savior are judged based upon His work on their behalf.
Romans 5:1–2 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”
Through Christ the believer is justified—declared righteous, innocent—just as if I’d never sinned.
John goes on to declare that after judgment is determined, those not found in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15 “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
You would tend to think that the lake of fire would mean that the eternal future of every unbeliever will involve suffering of the same scale or intensity. Jesus however made a statement that makes me think this “lake of fire” must have sections that are worse than others.
Matthew 11:21–24 “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”
In my opinion, the worst part of the unbeliever’s eternity is that it will be spent outside the presence of God. John emphasizes this truth when talking about the New Jerusalem on the new heavens and the new earth.
Revelation 21:27 “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
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