The terms Satan and Devil are simply expressive of "sin in the flesh" in individual, social, and political manifestations. No such being as an immortal Agent of Evil, wielding the powers of omnipotence and omniscience, exists in the whole creation of God, and is an absolute impossibility, since, according to the Scriptures, whosoever attains to eternal life does so through welldoing, and is vitalised by the spirit substance of the Divine Nature (which is essential life, goodness, and truth); and such an one can therefore neither sin, nor suffer, nor die, because born of God, and consubstantial with the Father Spirit, and like the Lord Jesus the Christ himself in his perfect exaltation, a Son of God in power by spirit of holiness through a resurrection from the dead.

Dr. John Thomas

Read "Satan's Biography", by F. G. Jannaway.

"The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Rev. xii. 9).

Those who in good faith quote this text in support of the Miltonic version of the devil's fall from heaven are evidently blissfully ignorant of what the Lord said to John:

"I will show thee things which must be hereafter" (Rev. iv. 1)·

That was not written till 4,000years after the time of the supposed hurling from heaven!

F. G. J.

"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried" (Rev. ii. 10).

Those who quote this text in support of the doctrine of an immortal and superhuman devil, overlook the fact that the Book of Revelation is a symbolical prophecy (Rev. iv. 1). If we have to take the book literally, the prospect for those who get into the devil's clutches is not so terrible, after all — "have tribulation ten days". That doesn't sound like endless torture.

F. G. J.

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning" (John viii. 44).

What there is in this text to support the doctrine of an immortal or superhuman devil, we fail to see. Lusts are always associated with mortal human nature in the Bible, which contains no less than fifty references thereto (James i. 15; Romans vii. 18, etc).

F. G. J.

“ Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” (Mt 4:1 ASV)

“ and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels.” (Mt 13:39 ASV)

“ Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,” (1Pe 5:8 ASV)

“ And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.” (Re 12:9 ASV)

“ he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1Jo 3:8 ASV)

“ But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.” (2Co 11:3 ASV)

“ Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.” (Jas 1:15 ASV)

“ For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good is not.” (Ro 7:18 ASV)

"The devil taketh him up into the Holy City, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the Temple" (Matt. iv. 5).

Upon the face of this statement it would seem that some supernatural power, such as the popular devil is alleged to possess, was required to perform this feat; but, as a matter of fact, the Greek word rendered "pinnacle" simply means "a wing", or "battlement". Josephus informs us the pinnacle of the Temple was "an elevated court overlooking the Valley of Jehoshaphat, 200 feet below".

F. G. J.

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the HolySpirit and with power: who went about doing good* and healing all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts x. 38).

By this text being quoted in support of the doctrine that the Devil is some being outside of the oppressed person, one would think the critic had never experienced an "oppressive headache"; or, an "oppressive atmosphere".

F. G. J.

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning" (1 John iii. 8).

Yes; but what beginning?

In verse 11, John sayst hat those to whom he wrote had heard the message "from the beginning". So the word "beginning"must be interpreted in the light of the context.

F. G. J.

"Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke thee" (Jude 9).

Those who believe in the Devil of Christendom are very inconsistent in adducing this text as proof of such a being, for from their printed literature his whole and sole object is to seduce immortal souls and not to fight over a body, be it Moses' or any other. As to what Jude refers to, we would direct enquirers to the work advertised at the end of this book entitled "Satan's Biography", for the space at our disposal forbids a digest of the various "solutions".

F. G. J,

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephes.vi. 11).

The wiles of the diabolos — the flesh and the thinking of the flesh, the carnal mind, or in the words of the Scripture — "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. xvii. 9).

The orthodox Christian can only accept that statement with reservation, for he believes that the popular devil with hoofs and horn is deceitful above all things. To understand, and appreciate, the failings and faults of human nature, will enable us to see how true Paul was in saying what he did about the necessity of the whole armour of God if we would overcome in the good fight of faith.

F. G. J.

Read "The Evil One", by R. Roberts.

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James iv. 7).

The best commentary and explanation of this command is that of Paul, who deals with it personally, and says:

"I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection" (1 Cor. ix. 27).

As regards the statement: "and he will flee from you": it is not necessary that to flee from anything, the thing spoken of must have a personal existence; for we read:

"Sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isa. xxxv. 10).

All who are endeavouring to do what is right and unselfish must have experienced how fleshly impulses come and go.

F. G. J.

"Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. xxv. 41).

In dealing with these words of the Lord Jesus, we cannot do better than read his commentary upon this very subject, some seventy years later, when he tells us that the fire into which the devil will be cast (Rev.xx. 10) will terminate in the "second death" (Rev.xx. 14).

F. G. J.

“ And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.” (Re 20:14 ASV)

"And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit" (Luke ix.42).

This and similar statements of the Apostle are supposed to indicate that "the devil" was something that individually and separately existed, overlooking that the same language is used in relation to diseases; for instance, we read that Jesus "rebuked the fever" of Peter's mother-in-law (Luke iv. 39). So also our Lord "rebuked the winds and the sea" (Matt. viii. 26). In the text first quoted, we are distinctly told that Jesus "healed the child" (Luke ix. 42). So there is no mistaking what Jesus did.

F. G. J.

“ And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour.” (Mt 17:18 ASV)

“ And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.” (Mr 1:25 ASV)

“ And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.” (Mr 9:20 ASV)

“ And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no hurt.” (Lu 4:35 ASV)

“ And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she rose up and ministered unto them.” (Lu 4:39 ASV)

“ And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.” (Lu 7:15 ASV)

“ And as he was yet a coming, the demon dashed him down, and tare him grievously. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.” (Lu 9:42 ASV)

“ And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour.” (Mt 17:18 ASV)

“ even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Ac 10:38 ASV)

"And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour" (Matt. xvii. 18).

The expression "rebuke" we have dealt with hereabove; here we will examine the word "departed", which is taken to denote that some conscious and independent entity called a devil, or demon, existed, and that it departed from the child to continue its devilish work elsewhere.

We do not think that more is necessary than to quote a text or two of Holy Writ, showing that precisely the same language is used of disease or ailments:

"And as soon as he (Jesus) had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him" (Mark i. 42);

"So that from his (Paul's) body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them" (Acts xix. 12).

F.G. J.

Cicero, Josephus, Plutarch, Plato, Balbus the Stoic, Diodorus Siculus, as well as Bible Commentators, have afforded ample evidence that Pagan nations held the idea that certain persons, after death, became "dai-mons", or devils, which possessed the power of infesting human beings; and were also capable of producing disorders of various kinds.

In Egypt, Syria, and Persia, all manner of diseases were attributed to these alleged "daimons", and today, as one writer states,

"it is quite common in the East" for people to say a man "has a daimon"; or as stated in the New Testament, "a devil"; meaning thereby that he has a complaint. The idea of his being possessed by the soul of another is not in all their thoughts. Similarly, we in Britain refer to "lunatics",not for a moment believing they are moonstruck. So with St. Vitus' dance.

F.G. J.

Read "Satan's Biography", by F. G. Jannaway

When James said (ii. 19): "The devils also believe, and tremble",

we are reminded of the incident recorded in Mark iii. 11, and Luke iv. 41; where it is recorded that the devils cried out to Jesus, saying:

"Thou art Christ the Son of God".

That these devil-possessed people were but mentally afflicted, is evident from the fact that when released from the "devils" they resumed their "right mind" (Luke viii. 35; Mark v. 15).

When it said:

"the devils believed and trembled", it is simply an accommodation of language, well understood in ordinary parlance, and known as metonymy. Thus we say:

"Boil the kettle"; "Light the fire";"The sun came in at the window".

The name of one thing is put for that of another related to it; the effect for the cause, etc.

F. G. J.

“ And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” (Mt 8:29 ASV)

“ Ah! what have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.” (Lu 4:34 ASV)

“ And they went out to see what had come to pass; and they came to Jesus, and found the man, from whom the demons were gone out, sitting, clothed and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus: and they were afraid.” (Lu 8:35 ASV)

“ And they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed with demons sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the legion: and they were afraid.” (Mr 5:15 ASV)

“ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries.” (Heb 10:27 ASV)

Where Christ is said to have cast out devils, the word translated "devils" is altogether different from the word invariably rendered "devil". Whereas the latter (diabolos) referred to unrestrained human nature, the former (daimori) had to do with ailments, especially those of a mental character. All manner of diseases were attributed to supposed demons, and it was quite common in the East for people to say a man "has a demon", or, as it is usually translated in the New Testament, has "a devil". Therefore, to speak of "casting out devils" (Luke ix. 49), or to say the devil "departed" (Luke iv. 13); or, that Christ "rebuked the devil", no more teaches the personality of demons than does "cast out their sorrows" (Job xxxix. 3); "The leprosy departed" (Mark i. 42); and "He rebuked the wind" (Matt. viii.26) teach the personality of "sorrows", "leprosy", and "winds".

F. G. J.

"The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly" (Rom. xvi. 20).

It is strange that this text should be quoted in support of the popular devil, for, seeing that what Paul refers to, he said would happen "shortly", there ought to be evidence of the devil having been bruised. When, or where, or how, the clergy cannot say; or, if they can, they have been too shy to inform us. The context suggests that the adversary to which Paul referred were those who caused divisions in the church at Rome (Rom. xvi. 17).

F. G. J.

“ But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered;” (Ro 6:17 ASV)

“ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.” (Ro 16:17 ASV)

“ And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (Ro 16:20 ASV)

“ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.” (Mt 7:15 ASV)

“ and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Ge 3:15 ASV)

“ Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” (Heb 2:14 ASV)

“ Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.” (Joh 8:44 ASV)

“ Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” (Joh 12:31 ASV)

“ And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.” (Re 12:9 ASV)

"A Daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years" (Luke xiii. 16).

Surely no one will contend that it requires an immortal devil to bind a woman with an infirmity. The word "bound" is a well-known figure of speech, even with Bible writers; to wit,

"The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid" (Hos. xiii. 12); and "My transgression is sealed up in a bag" (Job xiv. 17).

F. G. J.

"We would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us" (1 Thess. ii. 18).

Remembering that the word "Satan" is merely an untranslated Hebrew word signifying "adversary", it remains for us to find out what adversary it was that prevented Paul paying the desired visit. A reference to Acts xvii. 5-9 inclines one to the conclusion that the "Satan", or adversary, was the Jewish element at Thessalonica.

F. G. J.

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat" (Luke xxii. 31).

There is no difficulty in understanding this text when we discover that the two words "to have" are not in the original, for, seeing that "Satan" simply means adversary, there is not the slightest excuse for applying the text to an immortal or superhuman devil.

F. G. J.

Satan, as an untranslated Hebrew word, simply means "adversary", and as such, in reference to things godly, takes many forms. Sometimes it means an individual's unlawful and wicked thoughts (Acts v. 3;Luke xxii. 3; Acts xxvi. 18); sometimes it refers to an individual himself (Matt. xvi. 23; John vi. 70); and sometimes it refers to the world generally (Rev. xx. 2,7). Therefore we have not much difficulty in arriving at what Christ meant when he said to the seventy disciples, who had returned with such good news concerning their work,

"I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (Luke x. 18).

With the eye of faith and hope Jesus could foresee a happy world when the work would be completed, and there would be "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among men" (Luke ii. 14).

No wonder Luke goes on to say:

"Jesus rejoiced in spirit" (Luke x. 21),

and when

"he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (Luke x. 18),

we are reminded of an expression in Cicero's well-known speech to Mark Antony:

"You have hurled your colleagues down from heaven".

F. G. J.

When Paul wrote:

"Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor. xi. 14),

it would appear from the context that he was referring to the Satan mentioned in 1 Thess. ii. 18, where we read:

"Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us".

This Satan is elsewhere spoken of "as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet.v. 8); and, beyond doubt, has reference to Pagan officialdom, referred to by Paul when he says:

"I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion" (2 Tim. iv. 17).

Gibbon throws much light upon the subject in what he says concerning the Pontifex Maximus, the head of Roman Paganism. Apparently the contention is that this statement of Paul countenances the idea that the Satan, or devil, is an angel; but it must be remembered that the Greek word used by Paul is frequently rendered "messenger" elsewhere, having reference to merely mortal beings (Matt. xi. 10; Mark i. 2; Luke vii. 24, 27; 2Cor. xii. 7; James ii. 25).

F. G. J.

When Paul counselled the Ecclesia at Corinth (1 Cor.v. 5) to "deliver" an unrepentant brother "unto Satan", he made plain by the context what he meant. The brethren at Corinth were not dealing rightly with the case. They were disposed to shield the guilty member, for which, of course, Paul reprimanded them (verse 2), and commanded them to hand the offender over to the adversary; or, in other words, "put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (verse13). This was Paul's practice; for, in another letter he says:

"I, Paul, have delivered unto Satan Hymenaeus and Alexander" (1 Tim. i. 20).

And in the same verse he gives his reason:

"That they might thereby learn not to blaspheme".

Such, too, is our experience. It is a case of kill or cure; good in any event, for "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (1 Cor. v. 6).

"Evil communications corrupt good manners" (1 Cor. xv. 33).

F. G. J.

"Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" (Acts v. 3).

Remembering that the word "Satan" simply means adversary, to introduce an immortal devil into the text is not only gratuitous, but wrong. In fact, it does not even require a person to fill one's heart. Such can be done even by an event; for instance, we read of Jesus saying to his Apostles:

"Sorrow hath filled your heart" (John xvi. 6).

F. G. J.

"And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him" (John xiii. 2).

It would be as well if those who quote this as evidence that the diabolos was something distinct and separate from Judas, were to devote a little attention to what is known as metonymy. They might just as well argue that I am not myself, because of the oft used expression, "I said to myself".

F. G. J.

"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" (Rev. xx. 2).

In this symbolic prophecy, Bible students foresee the happy time when Christ will rule the world in righteousness (Acts xvii. 31), and when his Father's will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven (Luke xi. 2; Matt,vi. 10). To the popular Christian, however, the text is perplexing. They cannot imagine what will happen to the Devil's fellow angels while he is bound.

Oh, what nonsense is caused by a belief in an immortal superhuman monster! But what a contrast is afforded when we recognise that, during the 1,000years' reign of Christ, human nature will be restrained by divine rules and rulers, and that at the end thereof, after a final outbreak, "sinful flesh" will be destroyed and replaced by men and women with "divine nature", as Peter terms it (2 Pet. i. 4).

F. G. J.

Read "Christendom Astray", by R. Roberts.

As the angels referred to by Jude (verse 6) and Peter (2 Epis. ii. 4) are said to have been sinful, and dying, it is beyond doubt they were not ordinary angels, for such can neither sin nor die (Luke xx. 36; Psalm ciii.20). They are also "spirit" (Heb. i. 6); and dwell in the presence of God (Matt, xviii. 10; Luke i. 19); and are bright and glorious (Matt, xxviii. 3; Judges xiii. 6),

It would be a sorry outlook if, in the angelic condition for which we long, fall were possible; but, it isn't. In some cases the word rendered "angels" simply means "messengers"; it is so translated in James ii. 25; Matt. xi. 10; Luke vii. 24; ix. 52. There is nothing, in either Jude or Peter, to suggest that the "Angels" referred to were supernatural beings; but, rather, that they were members of the human family.

F. G. J.

"The sorrows of hell compassed me about" (Psalm xviii. 5).

The support supposed to be obtained from this text, for the doctrine of hell torment, is only imaginary. Even the Revised Version makes that evident, for that version reads:

"The cords of Sheol were round about me".

Concerning Sheol, the Revised Version says:

"There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in sheol, whither thou goest" (Eccles. ix. 10).

The word rendered "sorrows" is the same word translated "lot" in Deut. xxxii. 9; "cord" in Josh,ii. 15; "lines" in 2 Sam. viii. 2; "ropes" in 2 Sam.xvii. 13; "bands" in Psalm cxix. 61; and "tack-lings" in Isa. xxxiii. 23. The "sorrows" to which the Psalmist referred simply meant what was in Jacob's mind when he said:

"I will go down into the grave (sheol) unto my son mourning" (Gen. xxxvii. 35).

F. G. J.

The word "hell" in this place is "Gehenna", the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, where the garbage of the city was burnt outside Jerusalem. The phrase "set on fire of hell" in relation to the tongue, is a picturesque description of the misuse of speech. Evil-speaking may be as destructive of peace and love as the flames of Gehenna were of the refuse cast into them. "The course of nature" (the emotions) lit by the love of righteousness may be said to be set on fire by heaven; so the emotions being fired by evil passions, hatred or envy, may fittingly be described in the vivid words of James, as "set on fire of hell". A saint, if faithful to his high calling, is a child of heaven (Rev.xxi. 7); an incorrigible sinner, a "child of hell", as Christ did not hesitate to say (Matt, xxiii. 15).

C. A. Ladson

Purgatory is defined by the Roman Catholic Church as "the state after death in which the souls of the faithful departed are purified from venial sins by suffering". The texts which are quoted in support of the doctrine are wrenched from their context. Not only are we told by God that "the dead know not anything" (Eccles. ix. 10); but Bible teaching concerning forgiveness excludes all idea of purification from sins after death (see 1 John i. 7; Heb. x. 14; Acts iii. 19;Heb. ix. 26; viii. 12; Mic. vii. 19; Rom. viii. 1).

F. G. J.

“ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.” (Ec 9:10 ASV)

“ but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1Jo 1:7 ASV)

“ For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Heb 10:14 ASV)

“ Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;” (Ac 3:19 ASV)

“ else must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once at the end of the ages hath he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Heb 9:26 ASV)

“ For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And their sins will I remember no more.” (Heb 8:12 ASV)

“ He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” (Mic 7:19 ASV)

“ There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” (Ro 8:1 ASV)

Aion

"Shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. xx. 10).

The Greek word for "ever", aion, never means absolute endlessness when associated with terminable matter; it only means endlessness in relation to the thing, or matter, or period, that may be spoken of. Aion is indefinite in its significance as an abstract term, and its scope is determinable by the subject with which it is associated. A good example is that of Sodom and Gomorrah, "Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire"(Jude 7). Christ makes this quite plain in the very book from which the text is taken, "Utterly burned with fire" (Rev. xviii. 8), and "Shall be found no more at all" (Rev. xviii. 21).

F. G. J.

Jehovah's protection was removed from everything but Job's person, and his adversary was allowed to prevail against him. The Sabeans, fire from heaven, the Chaldeans, and the whirlwind, were the means by which Job was reduced to the greatest extremity. These were the "hand", and power of the adversary, or satan, of Job, who is said to have done the evil because he moved Jehovah to do it.

"Thou movest me against him without cause".

Jehovah did it all, but it is attributed to Job's adversary, because he instigated Jehovah to do it; and Jehovah did it, not to torment Job, but to vindicate his integrity against the assertion of his enemy.

Dr. John Thomas

Although God sometimes uses a bad man to perform a good deed, He never causes a good man to perform a bad deed. Hence, where there is a Judas deed to be done, a Judas man has to do it, and the Lord bids him do it (John xiii. 27). When a Pharaoh-deed has to be done, a self-heart-hardened Pharaoh (Exod. vii. 23) is completely hardened for the work (Exod. xiv. 4). Herein is found the explanation of what is otherwise a difficulty; such as "an evil spirit from the Lord" troubling Saul (1 Sam. xvi. 14). Similar incidents are recorded elsewhere in the Word of God. There may be, and doubtless are, some things in which we cannot trace the hand of God; but, surely, were it not so, God would not be God; so, let us trust Him as His creatures, not to say His children, should do.

How can the finite possibly understand the infinite?

A loving father punishing his children

Jehovah God is a God of love. He wants to be the loving Father of all. A loving father never would like to have his beloved being tortured for ever. There can be moments a father has to punish his children, but once he has given a punishment he shall not give them again a punishment.

By death, we pay for our sins. Before death, we have already received several times punishments for the things we did wrong, because we shall not be able to escape the consequences for acts we did in our life.

Three categories of people

In this world we can find different classes of people. Everybody shall have been confronted by people, who have lived their lives in ignorance of God. There are millions of people who do not want to know about God. Consequently, they shall have no responsibility to Him: "Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish" (Psalm 49:20). Consistent with this, Daniel wrote that not all but "many of them that sleep shall awake".

A second category are those who through their knowledge and understanding of God have become responsible to Him yet have not been faithful in their lives - there is an inevitable judgement at the great tribunal when God, through Jesus, shall judge "every man according as his work shall be" (Revelation 22:12).

And then there is the third category: for the faithful it will be the fulfilment of all their hopes-a resurrection to eternal life, lived in a glorious incorruptible body, reigning as kings and priests upon the earth with the Lord Jesus Christ.

People having to choose

Every human being has its own responsibility and has to make its own choice. Everybody is free to choose to which category he or she wants to belong. It is that free personal choice which shall determine what is going to happen after one dies. But for all people there is the certitude that in life there are moments of pleasure, moments of pain and sorrow, and a moment that one shall have to face death, finding life coming to an end. Once died the body shall start to decay to become dust and the person being nothing any more but that dust.

There does not exist such a thing as an underworld of living beings that can do something to the death person. No devilish persons to torture the deceased.

“18 For the underworld is not able to give you praise, death gives you no honour: for those who go down into the underworld there is no hope in your mercy. 19 The living, the living man, he will give you praise, as I do this day: the father will give the story of your mercy to his children.” (Isa 38:18-19 BBE)

“19 Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose. 20 All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.” (Ec 3:19-20 BBE)

“The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.” (Ec 9:5 BBE)

It is before we die that we shall have to make our choice for God. Before we die we must have said goodbye to our old life and chosen for the new life under Christ. Before we die we must have asked forgiveness to God for all the things we did wrong in our life.

Depending upon our decision, made before we die, our eternal future shall be either the oblivion of perpetual death or the glorious awakening to life everlasting at the return of Jesus!

Though lots of people live for a long time in a state of not knowing Christ, most people now get an opportunity to hear the Gospel. It is on hearing the Gospel that people have to react. That when they were at that time without Christ, being cut off from any part in Israel’s rights as a nation, having no part in God’s agreement, having no hope, and without God in the world. (Eph 2:12).