I suspect that the "Great White Throne Judgment" as described in Revelation is only imagery rather than an event

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teamventure

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I understand. I think most people are decent and upon death will meet and follow Jesus into paradise. I think the only exceptions are people that are truly evil. I think they'll go to the Lake of Fire for cleansing.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
There is no one righteous. Not even one.
Our righteousness is as filthy rags.

You need to trust in Christ and his blood atonement for sin in order to be saved.
 

Marty fox

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@St. SteVen

We're told that when we die we are judged. I believe it is immediate. Why and how would we then appear at a later judgment, aka the "Great White Throne Judgment"?

I think John was given imagery of people being judged by Christ rather than an actual event wherein ALL people who ever lived are all judged at the same time.

I think we die and that most go to Heaven and some go to Hell.

Thoughts?
Jesus taught the same as John

Matthew 13
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left
 

ewq1938

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That's not what Jesus said. Jesus said they will take the path to destruction. He did not say that they are destroyed.

Going to destruction is the same as being destroyed.

Mat 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Mat_10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
 

ewq1938

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Not necessarily. After all, Jesus is the savior of ALL people.


Wouldn't that contradict your own view that some will go to hell? Clearly "all people" is not literal. It means all kinds of people, all races and all from leaders down to slaves. The same language is used for the battle of Armageddon where the birds are invited to eat "the flesh of all men" but it doesn't mean every single human.
 

Patrick1966

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Wouldn't that contradict your own view that some will go to hell?

I believe that some people go to Hell but not forever; only for a period of time. As well, I believe that Hell is punitive but for the purpose of restoration. I don't share the common belief that Jesus runs a forever torture chamber for billions of poor souls.
 

Patrick1966

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Clearly "all people" is not literal.

I believe it is indeed literal.

1 Timothy 4:10 ESV
10 For to this end we toil and strive,[a] because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
 

Patrick1966

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The same language is used for the battle of Armageddon where the birds are invited to eat "the flesh of all men" but it doesn't mean every single human

Thanks. I believe the context of that verse in relation to the chapter is referring to "all" enemies of Jesus who are slain in that battle.

Revelation 19
Young's Literal Translation
19 And after these things I heard a great voice of a great multitude in the heaven, saying, `Alleluia! the salvation, and the glory, and the honour, and the power, [is] to the Lord our God;

2 because true and righteous [are] His judgments, because He did judge the great whore who did corrupt the earth in her whoredom, and He did avenge the blood of His servants at her hand;'

3 and a second time they said, `Alleluia;' and her smoke doth come up -- to the ages of the ages!

4 And fall down did the elders -- the twenty and four -- and the four living creatures, and they did bow before God who is sitting upon the throne, saying, `Amen, Alleluia.'

5 And a voice out of the throne did come forth, saying, `Praise our God, all ye His servants, and those fearing Him, both the small and the great;'

6 and I heard as the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, `Alleluia! because reign did the Lord God -- the Almighty!

7 may we rejoice and exult, and give the glory to Him, because come did the marriage of the Lamb, and his wife did make herself ready;

8 and there was given to her that she may be arrayed with fine linen, pure and shining, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.'

9 And he saith to me, `Write: Happy [are] they who to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb have been called;' and he saith to me, `These [are] the true words of God;'

10 and I fell before his feet, to bow before him, and he saith to me, `See -- not! fellow servant of thee am I, and of thy brethren, those having the testimony of Jesus; bow before God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of the prophecy.'

11 And I saw the heaven having been opened, and lo, a white horse, and he who is sitting upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness doth he judge and war,

12 and his eyes [are] as a flame of fire, and upon his head [are] many diadems -- having a name written that no one hath known, except himself,

13 and he is arrayed with a garment covered with blood, and his name is called, The Word of God.

14 And the armies in the heaven were following him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen -- white and pure;

15 and out of his mouth doth proceed a sharp sword, that with it he may smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he doth tread the press of the wine of the wrath and the anger of God the Almighty,

16 and he hath upon the garment and upon his thigh the name written, `King of kings, and Lord of lords.'

17 And I saw one messenger standing in the sun, and he cried, a great voice, saying to all the birds that are flying in mid-heaven, `Come and be gathered together to the supper of the great God,

18 that ye may eat flesh of kings, and flesh of chiefs of thousands, and flesh of strong men, and flesh of horses, and of those sitting on them, and the flesh of all -- freemen and servants -- both small and great.'

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, having been gathered together to make war with him who is sitting upon the horse, and with his army;

20 and the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who did the signs before him, in which he led astray those who did receive the mark of the beast, and those who did bow before his image; living they were cast -- the two -- to the lake of the fire, that is burning with brimstone;

21 and the rest were killed with the sword of him who is sitting on the horse, which [sword] is proceeding out of his mouth, and all the birds were filled out of their flesh.
 

ewq1938

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I believe that some people go to Hell but not forever; only for a period of time. As well, I believe that Hell is punitive but for the purpose of restoration.


Everlasting punishment is not temporary and destruction is not restoration.


Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Mat_25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
 

ewq1938

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I believe it is indeed literal.

1 Timothy 4:10 ESV
10 For to this end we toil and strive,[a] because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Barnes:

Who is the Saviour of all men - This must be understood as denoting that he is the Saviour of all people in some sense which differs from what is immediately affirmed - “especially of those that believe.” There is something pertaining to “them” in regard to salvation which does not pertain to “all men.” It cannot mean that he brings all people to heaven, “especially” those who believe - for this would be nonsense. And if he brings all people actually to heaven, how can it be “especially” true that he does this in regard to those who believe? Does it mean that he saves others “without” believing? But this would be contrary to the uniform doctrine of the Scriptures; see Mar_16:16. When, therefore, it is said that he “is the Saviour of ‘all’ people, ‘especially’ of those who believe,” it must mean that there is a sense in which it is true that he may be called the Saviour of all people, while, at the same time, it is “actually” true that those only are saved who believe.
 
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face2face

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Fair point, I guess.
Figurative language has you bamboozled Patrick!

Sodom was turned into a "lake of fire burning with brimstone," and is set forth as an example of the fiery judgments to be experienced by those powers (Rev 19) that foolishly resist the reign of Christ (Jude 7).

Try to how the imagine how this event could be described figuratively what happened at Sodom and then try and imagine the context of Revelation 19 and what events it could be speaking of.

These are fugurative lessons describing literal events on earth.

These secrets are hidden from you.

F2F
 

Patrick1966

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destruction is not restoration.

I'm not so sure. Sometimes I think destruction may mean "destroying" what something is in order to transform it into something else, something pure. For instance...

Proverbs 25:4 esv
Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel