Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Now we have no doubt as
to the existence of hell, nor to its eternal nature, nor the
fear and torment that are associated with it. It is not a welcome
place, nor is it a place where the living would have any desire
to be. We do wish to make a distinction, however, between hell and the
lake of fire, which John mentions in the book of the Revelation.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is
the second death. And whosoever was not found written
in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. The concept
that many have of hell is solely described as this lake of fire.
Now, we will be the first to admit that we tread lightly in
discussing such matters, since we can only formulate our opinions
as our understanding is opened. When John describes the lake
of fire into which death and hell are cast, he does not use
a Greek word which is translated as hell. Hell and the lake of
fire cannot be said to be synonymous unless one is willing to turn
a blind eye to the fact that the lake of fire is the place
of destruction for both death and hell. We would never deny
that there is a lake of fire which is prepared for the destruction
of the beast, the false prophet, death, hell, Satan, and all whose
names are not written in the book of life, of the lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. Any man who does not tremble
at such a prospect has never learned the fear of him who is
a consuming fire. So when we read the words of
the psalmist as he says, Thou hast delivered my soul from the
lowest hell, we understand that he has no reference to a place
of burning, gnashing of teeth, nor everlasting torment, but
rather the finality of the grave. The very first lie that Satan,
the father of lies, told to Eve is when he said, Ye shall not
surely die. He was wrong, dead wrong. The
Lord commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, and prophetically told him what would occur in
the day that he ate of it. In the day that thou eatest thereof,
thou shalt surely die. Adam demonstrated what he was
by nature and embraced his own free will, which resulted in
his death. Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon
all men, for that all have sinned. Adam's posterity has followed
their father's footsteps according to their nature, which they have
inherited from him. Not only are they sinners by
choice and action, but they are born into this world with the
sentence of death hanging over their heads, since Adam's sin
was imputed to them in the same fashion in which the righteousness
of Christ is imputed to his seed. Believing that the Psalms are
by and large the utterances of the Lord Jesus, as he learned
obedience by the things which he suffered, and being made perfect,
he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him, called of God and high priest after the order of Melchizedek. We rejoice to see him call upon
his father, seeking deliverance for our sake. He came into the
world surrounded by this promise, for thou wilt not leave my soul
in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption.
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come
nigh thy dwelling, for he shall give his angels charge over thee
to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their
hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread
upon the lion and the adder, the young lion and the dragon
shalt thou trample under feet. Yet in order to fulfill all righteousness
and to be manifested as that one who was able to take away
sin, it was necessary that he tread the winepress of God's
wrath alone, with no one to aid him, nor any eye to pity him. If any man has ever been fully
acquainted with the import and horror of death, it was Jesus
Christ, as he poured out his soul unto death, and was heard
in that he feared. His deliverance from the lowest
hell, which is the utter finality of death, was absolutely necessary
to the redemption of those whom he came to save. Thus upon the
third day he broke the shackles of death, which had long bound
every human being which sprang from the loins of Adam. He arose
as a victor over sin, death, and hell, that is, the grave
or the abode of the dead, and became the firstfruits of them
that sleep, that is, those who are presently in a state of natural
death. His resurrection is the grounds upon which the hope of
the sons of God rests. But I will not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye
sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with him. We expect to be delivered
yet from the lowest hell, since He has triumphed over it. For
a free CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email
to forthepoor at windstream.net.