MY CONVERSATION WITH GOD

Vince: So God, From 2 Peter 3:9, I understand that You are not willing that anybody at all should die, but what I want to know is this hell fire everyone seems to go on about. What's the go with that?

God: Oh yes, Hell fire, yes, a lot of people teach about that, but you know what the funny thing is? I'll tell you in Hebrews 12:29, why dont you look it up.

Vince: Okay, I have it here, Hebrews 12:29: "For our God [is] a consuming fire."

God: Hey, you are doing well! I am a consuming fire to sin wherever it is.

Vince: Okay, that is fair enough, but what about the wicked and Sinners burning forever and ever without end. So in other words, do they just feel pain forever?.

God: Ah, Malachi 4:1-3 (KJV): "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do [this], saith the LORD of hosts.

Vince: Oh right, so what exactly am I ment to pick out?

God: Tell me, if the wicked are in a state as it says in Malachi 4:1-3, will they by alive for eternity? It says that the wicked will be as "stuble", and "And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet", I don't know about you, but ashes under the soles of your feet doesn't sound like someone that is alive. Just from that one verse, you could say that the wicked will eventually die and disappear, not live forever in pain and turmoil.

Vince: Oh right, but what if that is just the one verse that mentions the wicked actually destroyed and not living forever in punishment?

God: Psalms 37:10, "For yet a little while, and the wicked [shall] not [be]: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it [shall] not [be]."

Vince: I see, so the wicked will eventually not exist, and as the says in the last part of that verse, you might try finding the wicked, but "it shall not be", or you will not find them, because they "will not be" or will cease to exist.

God: Exactly and here is just a few more, because I know that you are one that needs more proof at times.

Vince: Oh, there are more verses?

God: Psalms 37:20, "But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD [shall be] as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away."

Vince: Okay, fair enough

God: Oh, and Psalms 37:36, (speaking of the wicked) "Yet he passed away, and, lo, he [was] not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found."

Vince: Okay okay, I get it now, but what about the passages in the Bible like Matthew 25:46?

God: Well, you read from your Bible and tell me what it says

Vince: okay, it says, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

God: You just answered your question

Vince: What? How?

God: Note that the text says "everlasting punishment". It is a single punishment whose effect lasts forever, i.e. the punishment will be everlasting.

Vince: Okay, you are seriously going to have to explain that one God

God: That's alright, read Jude 1:7 "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Vince: Well what do you know, it even says that Sodom and Gomorrha were examples of what happens to the wicked

God: And notice how it says that they suffered the vengeance of eternal fire? Tell me, is Sodom and Gomorrha still burning today?

Vince: ummm... No, Oh, now I get you, it's this whole the "effects of the punishment or fire is eternal" thing the Bible is talking about right?

God: Exactly, Sodom and Gomorrah are examples of everlasting punishment and eternal fire. These cities lie in ruins today.

Vince: That reminds me of 2 Peter 2:6 "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an example unto those that after should live ungodly. . ."

God: That is right, and I even went to the extent of adding that Sodom and Gomorrha were examples of what happens to the wicked.

Vince: Oh yes, I am beginning to get the picture now.

God: Now try Matthew 3:11, 12 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and [with] fire: Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire". In other words, the fire cannot be quenched or put out until it completes its work of totally eradicating sin from the universe.

Vince: Oh, now it is getting more clearer

God: Jeremiah 17:19-27 ". . .Thus saith the LORD. . .if ye will not hearken unto me . . . then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched."

Vince: Oh, I see that it said that Jerusalem was destroyed with unquenchable fire

God: Right, Jerusalem was destroyed by an unquenchable fire which human hands could not put out. It completed its work of totally destroying Jerusalem, yet Jerusalem is not burning today

Vince: And why didn't I see it this clearly before?

God: All you had to do was read the Bible and hold a conversation with me

Vince: So please explain more to me this concept of eternity, eternal fire etc.

God: Revelation 20:10 "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever". This has always been the big one, but it means that the wicked will be destroyed forever. Forever does not always mean endless existence but is literally translated "until the end of age".

God: To illustrate, in Exodus 21:6 "hen his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever". The slave here is required to serve his master forever, or in other words, as long as he lives.

Vince: Oh! Now I get it!

God: There are many examples of this, even in 1 Samuel 1:22,28, Samuel was presented before the Lord to serve God forever. We know that Samuel isn't alive today. Forever here once again means, for as long as he lives

Vince: Thank you God.

God: Vincent study my Word always and keep in touch every second…….and Very soon you will be with Me forever.