Originally posted by divegeester
Christians, please examine your beliefs.
How I feel about eternal punishment now today and how I will feel about it in eternity, I expect to be different.
God's purpose is to conform the redeemed into the image of Christ through transformation. I expect that what things I do NOT see through the eyes of God today, when the transformation process is completed, I will see through His eyes.
While I do not like the thought of eternal punishment today, when I am fully conformed to the image of the Son, I expect that there will be no difference between God's thought on this and my own.
Notice that the only
Hallelujahs in the New Testament are found in the book of
Revelation The
Hallelujahs are heard for the first time in the New Testament when Babylon the Great (as an arch-enemy of God) is being destroyed and her smoke ascends forever and ever.
The First
Hallelujahs from God's saints in the New Testament:
Revelation 19:1 - 6
"After these things I heard as it were a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, Hallelujah! The salvation and the glory and power are of our God.
For true and righteous are His judgments; for He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and He avenged the blood of His slaves at her hand.
And a second time they said, Hallelujah! And her smoke goes up forever and ever.
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who sits upon the throne, saying, Amen, Hallelujah!"
This passage indicates the rejoicing of the saints who are raptured and are about to descend with Christ as His Bridal army (vs.7-9). So they must match Christ. The thoughts of their Bridegroom they must share. For they have been conformed to His image within and glorified without to accompany Him as His bridal army at the war of Armageddon.
The point here is that the
Hallelujahs include the rejoicing that the smoke of the destruction of some of the enemies of Jesus Christ ascends up forever and ever. They have learned to love what Jesus loves and to hate what Jesus hates.
I have every confidence that every Christian will eventually be conformed to the image of Christ. And in that consummate state there will be no distance between Christ's and God's outlook on the matter of judgement and their own. If they are not clear today about the need for His enemies to be vanquished with destruction forever and ever, the day will come when they are persuaded that this is best.
"For TRUE and RIGHTEOUS are His judgements ..." (v.2)
You brothers who are for annhilation or universal salvation and are against God punishing forever - what you disdain today you will rejoice in some day. The day will come when you too will see things through God's eyes. You too, someday, will shout
Hallelujah at His
true and righteous judgements.