Questions That the Religions of the World Ask ── VII) – Why, if God’s living Word is Inspired, Does It Reflect Flawed Morality?

by Leonard V Johnson

We pray and hope that this article will help you better understand this question that many have.

Let me explain what I mean──the other day I heard on a television program, “The God of the Old Testament was hard; the New Testament God is much nicer!” They go on to say, “The God of the Old Testament would have you killed for breaking the holy Sabbath!”

Today, many worldly churches are promoting and teaching ideas that… according to the LORD God are immoral—such as the inclusion of people that are “immoral.” They go on to ask, “Why does the Bible reflect prejudice rather than love—a timeless principle?”

God’s living eternal word does not reflect prejudice; it reflects flawed and immoral people. The very idea that we are supposed to be all-inclusive with immoral people is supposing that the LORD God’s definition of what is and is not moral has somehow changed, so that the timeless principle of love has somehow changed.

It has not──God is love (1 John 4:8).

Notice this blasphemous statement from a liberal pro-LGBTQ+ female bishop of the United Church of Christ ──

Yvette Flunder—UCC bishop out of Oakland, head of “The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries” 🤮 —stood up with a mic and said what a lot of people whisper but won’t admit out loud. She said the New Testament is not the Word of God. Said the Bible is “problematic.” Said we need a “Third Testament.” Said if certain pages offend—rip them out. Pour them out. Rewrite the thing.

(https://wltreport.com/2026/04/20/pastor-we-need-third-testament-bible-has-become/).

Well, in truth, God’s living word DOES NOT allow for female bishops! And, I know that this is a controversial subject──why, I do not know; God’s living word is clear──let me just add… God’s word presents a clear pattern in which men occupy the pastoral office of elder/overseer, specifically tasked with governing and doctrinal responsibility within local congregations. However, at the same time, God’s word also shows us that women were mightily used by the LORD God in various teaching services, hospitality, and leadership capacities that do not equate to the pastoral/elder/overseer office.

Of course, this false minister is also a lesbian, which is considered abominable to the LORD God ──

“Therefore A MAN shall leave his father and mother and be joined to HIS WIFE [note today’s societies have even changed the definition of wife! Note Webster’s definition of “wife” – “a woman acting in a specified capacity. A female partner in a marriage.” 1], and they shall become ONE FLESH.” – Genesis 2:24.

And yes, it’s equally sad that many today don’t properly know the definition of “woman” ── “an adult female person. A woman belonging to a particular category (as by birth), a distinctively feminine nature.” 2

That one verse is enough to show us that “one flesh” undergirds the LORD God’s view that marriage and sexual intimacy were designed for a male-female union. The absolute prohibition of same-sex activity among men (Leviticus 18:22, “’ You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.’”) reflects the overarching principle that sexual relations outside of the LORD God’s established male-female covenant are not in harmony with His design for mankind.

Romans 1:26-27 directly references women engaging in same-sex relations, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.” His inspired words conclude here that such behavior stands outside of the LORD God’s original intention for sexuality.

So, this vile Yvette Flunder desiring a “Third Testament” so that one can rip to shreds God’s inspired word should come as no surprise since she is a faithful servant of Satan himself, ‘transforming herself into a minister of righteousness, whose end will be according to her works.’ – cf. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. She outright refuses to accept the LORD God’s living word!

She, who claims to be a Christian, DOES NOT believe the following from our beloved Apostle Paul ──

“ALL SCRIPTURE [the whole of the 66 Books of the Inspired Holy Bible!] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Minister Fred R. Coulter had this to say in his commentary ──

“Indeed, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians that he was to help ‘complete the Word of God’ with his epistles (Col. 1:25). Paul also wrote to Timothy concerning the Old Testament … Paul is showing that salvation involves not only faith in Christ and New Testament teachings, but that the Old Testament teachings are necessary as well. Paul then shows that ALL SCRIPTURE ── Old and New Testament ── is inspired by God. …” 3

Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us ──

“ … ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4.

The Holy Bible ── which surely, in Yvette’s Bible, has whole passages marked out, and pages torn out! WARNS US ──

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2) For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3) unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4) traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5) having a form of godliness but denying its power! And from such people turn away!” – 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

He goes on to say that such people are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” vs. 7.

“But evil men [and I add editorially, and women] and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” – vs. 13.

Truly, “’ There is no [reverent] fear of God before their eyes.’” – Romans 3:18.

Yet, sadly, her abominable statement about a “Third Testament” is not uniquely her own ── the World Economic Forum (WEF) (which I’ve spoken about in the likes of “Connect With Jesus ── Only $1.99 per minute”) stated something similar ──

June 10, 2023

WEF Calls for AI to Rewrite Bible, Create ‘Religions That Are Actually Correct’

A top official with the World Economic Forum (WEF) has called for religious scripture to be “rewritten” by artificial intelligence (AI) to create a globalized “new Bible.”

Yuval Noah Harari, the senior advisor to the WEF and its chairman Klaus Schwab, argues that using AI to replace scriptures will create unified “religions that are actually correct.”

(https://slaynews.com/news/wef-ai-rewrite-bible-create-religions-actually-correct/. Retrieved April 14, 2026).

Of course, now they are denying saying it! 4

Having certainly discovered that AI like Alexa+ can provide wrong answers to not only historical questions with theological connections (there is a clause at the bottom of the Alexa+ app in very small letters, “Alexa may not always get it right”), having AI rewrite a Bible or blasphemously pretend to be Jesus should not sound like a good idea to anyone who is rightly seeking the living truth of the LORD God!

God’s living word, that is alive, clearly warns us ──

“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death [speaking of the second death].” – Proverbs 14:12.

The types of immorality that people are justifying in their own eyes will ultimately lead them to death! This so-called “new morality” ── where people are doing what is right in their own eyes (Deuteronomy 12:8) ── well … in truth, most people simply DO NOT CARE what the LORD God says!

We are at the 11:59 Hour, where more and more people want to censor God’s living word ── the Holy Bible ── a world that, like in the television show Young Sheldon, wants to make Christianity a butt-of-a-joke, wants to make anyone who believes in a Creator “crazy” and “irrational.” I found his comments highly offensive and inappropriate on that show! Prophet Isaiah was inspired to warn the rebellious children of God ──

“’ Woe to the rebellious children, ‘Says the LORD, ‘Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, … 8) Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever:

9) That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the Law of the LORD; 10) Who say to the seer, ‘[You’re outta your mind! Your very belief in a God is dumb!’] And to the prophets, [‘You’re not speaking the truth, America was founded upon the belief that all people are welcome!’ 5]. Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel [because, as they like to say, ‘We have a different God, not the God of the Old Testament!’] To cease from before us.’

12) Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel [our Lord Jesus Christ is the same God of the Old Testament!]: ‘Because you despise this word, And trust in oppression and perversity, And rely on them, 13) Therefore this iniquity shall be to you Like A BREACH READY TO FALL …’” 

And let us think of the United States of America today; it’s interesting to think that President Donald Trump’s border wall could be thought of as a metaphor for the BREACH THAT IS READY TO FALL once he leaves office! If you can honestly imagine this “breach,” think about what the United States would have been like under a Harris Administration!

… ‘A BULGE IN A HIGH WALL, Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.

14) And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel, Which is broken in pieces; He shall not spare. So there shall not be found among its fragments A shard to take fire from the hearth, Or to take water from the cistern.’” – Isaiah 30:1, 8-14.

YES! The LORD God is holding back this BREACH THAT WILL COME! The same as the LORD God has postponed the evil Islamic Regime of Iran from creating or obtaining a nuclear weapon! The great damage to Jerusalem is coming! The utter further decline of our societies and of the United States as a whole ── and even the loss of our sovereignty ── is coming! And much of it will be directly tied to this so-called “modern morality”!

The LORD God has created TIMELESS ETHICAL PRINCIPLES!

Now, it is true that many of the LORD God’s statutes were for the governing of the physical kingdom of Israel. The specifics are not wrong; they are simply in conflict with this new “modern morality.” Various penalties for wrongdoing ── some penalties required even death ── were placed into law by the LORD God to dissuade and discourage others from wrongdoing and criminal acts. Let me give you a couple of examples ──

“Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks ON THE SABBATH DAY. 33) And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. …” ── now, the people had already been told by the LORD God, ‘the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is a native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people.’ “ … 34) They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. 35) Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.’ 36) So, as the LORD commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.” – Numbers 15:32-36.

“’ If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. … 4) If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.’” – Exodus 22:1, 4.

We know from our history that there used to be public hangings in the United States. It was used in order to try and dissuade the behavior for which the criminal was being hanged. In an article I posted a while back, “Personal From… Capital Punishment,” of which I mostly speak concerning corporal punishment of children, I wrote ──

Does God use capital punishment?

To properly understand God’s kingdom, we must first study His Way of governing people. And we can learn this from the Way that He dealt with ancient Israel in the past. We also need to learn how God deals with us even now, and what He will do in the immediate future. You are going to need and use this vital information.

The administration of the civil government of ancient Israel actually reveals to us God’s method of dealing directly with unconverted, fleshly, sinning people. To be factual – the government of ancient Israel had church and state combined – though it was physical, the administration of civil and religious statutes and ordinances was combined. Bear in mind ── ancient Israel was NEVER promised salvation at that time. The promises under the Old Covenant were material – cf. Leviticus 26:3-12. They were not converted, nor did they have God’s Holy Spirit; hence they could not understand spiritual things. They were like the majority of people today. God dealt with them in a purely physical manner – PUNISHING THEM FOR THEIR CRIMES.

Most people will surely disagree, but the LORD God will implement these types of punishments again upon the establishment of His kingdom. The LORD God’s statutes—His laws, commands, and decrees—are portrayed in Scripture as eternal, unchanging, and universally applicable. Yet, we know that the LORD God will place within people ‘a new heart and put a new spirit within [them]; will remove [their] heart of stone and give [them] a heart of flesh.’ – cf. Ezekiel 36:26. So, I pray that those harsh punishments will not be necessary in His holy and righteous kingdom.

Some unclean meats per Leviticus 11 & Deuteronomy 14 (AI-generated)

Furthermore, let us consider that God’s word teaches us the prohibition of eating certain unclean meats. Indeed, science has proven that these unclean meats are unhealthy to a human body, often subject to being too toxic—at least a good part of the time, people in California are warned not to consume shellfish. Also, it is known that many diseases and viruses have been associated with the consumption of the LORD God-forbidden unclean animals, sea creatures──or whatever is in the waters──birds, flying insects and creeping things. So with this too, there is a timeless benefit, despite this God-ordained dietary law going against a “modern morality.” A law that is for all of humanity, not just the Jews.

Certainly, this so-called “new morality” is nothing new. It has been immoral in the eyes of the LORD God from THE BEGINNING. Let us consider some things that were considered immoral some 1,968 years ago, and are still immoral today in this 21st century present evil age ──

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church in Rome, and to us dear saints as well ──

“For the wrath of God is REVEALED from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19) because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20) For SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and God head, so that THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE, 21) because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

22) Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23) and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man ── and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24) Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25) who exchanged the truth of God for THE LIE and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26) For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27) Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men COMMITTING WHAT IS SHAMEFUL, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28)And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a [reprobate] mind, to do those thing which are NOT FITTING; 29) being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30) backbiters, haters of God, violent, PROUD, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,31) undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32) Who, KNOWING THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” – Romans 1:24-32.

This so-called “modern morality” is NOT based upon the living word of the Eternal One!

Ancient Sodom Genesis 19:24-25 (ChatGPT-generated illustration for COJCOM)

In truth, it is far better for all people to obey the Commands of the LORD God than to claim that they cannot, will not, or should not!

God’s living word tells us of an early event that happened in the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah around 2065 – 1895 B.C. ──

“Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25) So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.” – Genesis 19:24-25.

Why did the LORD allow this to happen?

Our beloved apostles Peter and Jude both speak of why ──

“For God did not spare … 5) … the ancient world, but … 6) … turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, MAKING THEM AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE AFTERWARD WOULD LIVE UNGODLY.” – 2 Peter 2:4, 5, 6.

“But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, … 7) as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth AS AN EXAMPLE, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” – Jude 1:5, 7.

Indeed, “sexual immorality” includes what had occurred in Genesis 19, “the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, … called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally’” ── homosexuality (which is the term lesbian for females), what the LORD here calls “strange flesh.”

The LORD God allowed the utter annihilation of Sodom & Gomorrah 6 for AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE AFTERWARD WOULD LIVE UNGODLY! Yet, despite this grave warning, ‘that they once knew,’ many modern church ministers either gloss over this warning from the LORD God, or a great many try and deny that any sexual assault was involved in this incident! These false ministers continue to proclaim that “God was just angry over the Sodomites’ inhospitality to strangers.” In fact, when I asked AI regarding Sodom & Gomorrah, its answer was just that ── “Most scholars view Sodom’s sin as broader wickedness, especially hostile hospitality and violence against strangers.”

The context, however, is undeniable: what their intentions were – a sexual assault. In America, about 443,635 people (age 12+) experience sexual violence each year. Nearly every minute, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. Every nine minutes, that someone is a child. 7

Like what America HAS BECOME – the Sodomites were not ashamed of their social or sexual values and actions. With their smug and self-assured PRIDE, the inhabitants came to accept what to them was an “enlightened” and “free morality.” Again, they screamed in their streets, “No one has the right to tell me what to do or be!” They became enraged against Lot when he told them of their wickedness – cf. Genesis 19:9.

Our God’s word warns us of such false ministers and “scholars” that are leading people astray from His truth ──

“ … ‘O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.’” – Isaiah 3:12.

“For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.” – Isaiah 9:16.

Church leaders and scholars who blatantly ignore what the clear and plain teaching of the LORD God is leading others to destruction ── and to ultimately, their own.

Sadly, despite what most people are now claiming, this “modern morality” is immoral. And they will not come to the knowledge of the truth of the LORD God. □

Sources & Notes:

1 Webster, M. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary Tenth Edition, Merriam-Webster’s Incorporated, 1996, pg. 1353.

2 ibid. 1, 1360.

3 Coulter R. F., The Holy Bible In Its Original Order A New English Translation, Chapter Four The Unity of Scripture, York Publishing Co., © 2009, pg. 30.

4 Source: Trela, N., False claim WEF wants to use AI to write new Bible that is 'correct' | Fact check, USA Today, 29 June 2023.

5 Thomas, C., “The Premise of Our Founding”: Immigration and Popular Mythmaking, The Panorama, 24 Feb. 2025.

6 Note: In 1973, Walter E. Rast and R. Thomas Schaub discovered or visited a number of possible sites of the cities, including Bab edh-Dhra.

7 Rainn, Facts & Statistics: The Scope of the Problem, retrieved 11 Aug. 2026.

ENOCH & ELIJAH ── Where Are They?

by Leonard V Johnson

A few days ago, I typed up an article “One Came in the Spirit of Elijah──’ If you are willing to receive it’” and I would like to continue with two of the greatest of the LORD God’s prophets ── Enoch and Elijah. In that article I only lightly touched on the fact that the Prophet Elijah was still alive on Earth many years after Elisha had taken the mantle. Yet, God’s living word says that Enoch was “translated” so that he should not see death, and that Elijah went by a whirlwind into “heaven.” Well … in truth, neither one is in the upper heavenly realms today. Where are they?

Enoch Walked with God

We are told some of his genealogy in the Book of Genesis ──

“Jared [Enoch’s father] lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Enoch.

19) After he begot Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 20) So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died.

21) Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. 22) After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 23) So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24) And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” – Genesis 5:18-24.

So, here was a man who pleased the LORD God (the Elohim, the family of God consisting of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ), a man who walked with God. Enoch had faith--because God’s living word tells us, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6. Enoch walked with God ── which means that he obeyed the LORD God.

No one can walk with the LORD God unless he is in agreement with God and doing their will. The Prophet Amos tells us using a rhetorical question, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” – Amos 3:3. So throughout Enoch’s generation it has been recorded for us that he──and he alone──was the only person who walked with God. He had walked with God some three hundred years!

Three hundred Earth years is certainly a long time to walk with God. Notice that the Prophet Moses did not record that Enoch was still walking with God. He wrote, “So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.” So, then Enoch is not still walking with God.

All the days, meaning the length of his lifetime, were three hundred and sixty-five years. Not only part of his days, but “all the days.” If Enoch did not die──if he had been changed from mortal to immortal──and thus continued walking with God, then the Prophet Moses would certainly not have written this passage this way──wouldn’t you agree? Yet, God’s living word is clear: “So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.”

But what of this “and he was not, for God took him”?

Of course, I’ve heard and seen a whole plethora of interpretations and beliefs on this──from God snapping His fingers and “taking him,” to “Enoch was abducted by Yahweh the alien, picked up in a spaceship!” Does all that mumbo jumbo mean that he didn’t die? Well … multiple millions have been taught that he didn’t die──that he was “taken to heaven” without any proof otherwise.

What is really meant by “for God took him”?

It should be noted that the Prophet Moses did not write that Enoch did not die. What he wrote──and let’s quote the New English Translation here── “And Enoch walked with God, and then he was not, for God took him.” – Genesis 5:24.

The Apostle Paul speaks of this same event by saying ──

“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” – Hebrews 11:5.

So, God’s word records for us that Enoch ‘was not found, because God had taken him.’ Taken him where? It does not say heaven. Instead, the Apostle Paul wrote, “he was not found.”

Now certainly Enoch was “not found” ── or rather, “translated” as it reads in the Authorized Version. But what does “translated” mean? The word in Greek is “metatithēmi,” which means, “to change (from one place or position to another).” 1

In Acts 7:16, the Greek word for “carried over” is μετετέθησαν (Strong’s #3346) ── the exact same word ──

“And were carried over into Sý-chem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Eḿ-mor the father of Sý-chem.”

So, after Jacob died, his body was “carried over” ── transported, “translated” to Sý-chem where he was buried. That’s what your Bible actually says! Jacob was translated to the place of burial.

This is why the Prophet Moses wrote that ‘God had taken’ Enoch. God had taken Enoch and buried him.

Let’s turn in our Bibles to the Book of Deuteronomy chapter 34. We read how God took Moses from the people, after he died and was buried by God ──

“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6) And He [the LORD God] buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.” – Deuteronomy 34:5-6.

It was the LORD our God who carried Moses ──or rather, “translated” Moses ── and notice that he was “not found” either.

So, the Prophet Enoch was not changed from mortal to immortal. Instead, he was carried away and not found. Again, “all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years,” and then he died.

Here is something else to ponder ── it’s found in Colossians 1:13. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” Well … what Greek word is used here? It’s methistēmi, or methistanō, meaning “to move, remove.” 2 Here God’s living word tells us that His saints are already “moved” or translated into the kingdom of His dear Son, yet we are not immortal. That though we were once part of the power of darkness, we have now been “translated” into the light of Christ.

Having Not Obtained the Promises

The Apostle Paul includes Enoch among the fathers who “died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” – Hebrews 11:13.

What promises? The glorious “hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” – Titus 1:2.

Indeed, Enoch therefore is among our great fathers who has yet to obtain the promises that the Lord our GOD has promised ── of eternal life and inheritance. The Prophet Enoch, and all His faithful patriarchs and matriarchs, will receive the promises of eternal life upon the glorious and powerful return of our Savior, Jesus Christ ── at the very moment, “in the twinkling of an eye,” that all His saints are changed from corruptible to incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; Hebrews 11:40).

The Prophet Enoch is dead. And this is exactly what we are told in God’s living word (Hebrews 11:13). These “all died in faith” ── Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham ── along with all the patriarchs and their wives. Again, “These all died in faith.”

But what about the Apostle Paul saying, “Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death”?

The Death That Enoch Did Not See

Here again, “all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.” It is reckoned that he lived between 3382 BC and 3017 BC. “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God “translated” him.’” He writes nowhere here that the Prophet Enoch did not die. Rather, “Enoch was taken away so that he should not see death.” What does this mean?

Let us keep in mind that there is more than one death spoken of within God’s word. There is the first death that all men are appointed ── “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” – Hebrews 9:27. And there is also a second death ── “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, …” – Revelation 20:6. So, which death do you suppose the Apostle Paul was speaking of?

The first death ── as I’ve spoken of before, had Adam chose the tree of life, he would still have lived out his days and died; and indeed, we find this did happen, “So all the days that Adam lived were 930 years; and he died” – Genesis 5:5. But would have, after losing consciousness, “in the twinkling of an eye,” been resurrected unto eternal life! Our first death cannot be avoided ──as one of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, quipped, “nothing is certain except death and taxes.” The Apostle Paul was not speaking of this first death. The phrase “that he should not see” is in the conditional sense of the verb ── regarding a future event. It’s not in the past tense. So, this death that Enoch escaped seeing by being “translated” is one that he has escaped from ── because of certain conditions.

Now, did our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, speak concerning a death that we “should not see”? Yes! Let’s notice the Book of John, chapter 8 ──

“’ Most assuredly, I say to you, If anyone keeps My word he shall NEVER SEE DEATH.’” – John 8:51.

Did our Lord Jesus mean, “they will be abducted by Yahweh the alien, and taken off to heaven”?

Again, John 11:26 ── “’ And whoever lives and believes [on] Me SHALL NEVER DIE. Do you believe this?’”

So, this is a death that we can come to “not see” upon the condition of ‘keeping His word – keeping His commandments, statutes, ordinances, and judgments.’ Again, our Lord Jesus asked, “’ Do you believe this?’”

The Prophet Enoch had faith. He believed the LORD God, and walked with God, and obeyed. In keeping His commandments, including our great God that became our Savior and the only begotten Son of God – our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord did not speak of Himself but spoke what the Father commanded Him (John 14:10). Thus, Enoch met the conditions and “shall never die.” The second death shall never touch Enoch.

Now you can surely see and hear what God’s Spirit is saying concerning “translation.” “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God.” – Hebrews 11:5, KJV.

Enoch, the same as all of our Lord Jesus’ true saints are, was “carried over” from the power of darkness in which he had been living (apparently for his first sixty-five years). He was “translated” from the ways of the world and came to live three hundred and sixty-five years. So, what “translation” is spoken about within God’s living word is on condition of faith? The one we read in Colossians 1:13 ── “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.”

This is a “translation” of our heart and mind──carrying us over from spiritual darkness that this world is covered with and brought into the glorious light of our Lord Jesus Christ! In verse 10 the Apostle Paul explains that – since the day we heard it, we should not cease in praying (not only for ourselves, but also) for our brethren, that they may be ‘filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; and that they may walk worthy of the Lord, fulling pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and INCREASING in the knowledge of God.’ And I pray that you do. The Prophet Enoch certainly walked with God.

So, then Enoch, the same as all true Saints of God, was “carried over” ── “translated” from the power of sin and darkness and brought into the glorious light of the same hope of all our fathers (2 Corinthians 4:13–14), so that he might inherit eternal life upon our Lord Jesus’ powerful return and that he should not suffer the second death. And not only was our beloved Prophet Enoch figuratively “carried over” from the society of his day, but he was also literally removed ── “translated” ‘because God had taken him.’

The LORD God physically took them away from the people, just as they would later take the Prophet Moses. And the LORD God buried each so well ── their sepulchers have not been found to this day.

An Untimely Death

Lamech, his two wives, and the Prophet Enoch (Genesis 4:23-24) (AI-generated)

Let’s notice again Genesis chapter 5, and verse 23 ── “So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.” Yet, as you continue chapter 5, the shortest lifespan besides Enoch’s is Lamech’s at seven hundred seventy-seven years. And the longest lifespan was Methuselah’s at nine hundred and sixty-nine years.

And yes, I am aware that many biblical scholars think these ages might be lunar months, not solar years. But we absolutely believe that these were literal years ── there was no pollution, no processed foods, and no chemicals we’re exposed to today. Plus, they probably had better genetics since they were closer to creation. It makes logical sense that proper self-care could have helped them live longer lives. Still, we’re certainly working against a lot of environmental challenges than our early patriarchs and matriarchs faced. Also, some researchers actually think higher oxygen levels could have played a role. There is some evidence that increased atmospheric pressure and oxygen content can affect cellular aging. But here, the Prophet Enoch only lived three hundred and sixty-five years. Clearly, Enoch had an untimely death. What might have happened? Does God’s living word give us any clue?

Methushael Begot Lamech

Lamech, a seventh-generation descendant of Adam, was Cain’s lineage’s first known polygamist, boasted to his two wives, Adah and Zillah ──

“’ Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for hurting me. 24) If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.’” – Genesis 4:23, 24.

God’s living word doesn’t actually tell us who it was that killed Cain ── but violence was spreading rapidly throughout humanity by Lamech’s time, and the LORD God was watching it unfold. These verses do indicate, however, that Lamech had killed two people. Who was this “young man” that he had killed?

Certainly, the Prophet Enoch, at only three hundred and sixty-five years old, would have been considered at that time to have been “a young man.” Enoch was walking with God, and he was prophesying of the coming of the Messiah ──

“Look, He comes with the myriads of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to destroy all the wicked, and to convict all humanity for all the wicked deeds that they have done, and the proud and hard words that wicked sinners spoke against Him.” – 1 Enoch 1:9.

The Apostle Jude quotes from the Prophet Enoch ── Jude 1:14-15. During that era of time, Enoch was indeed a “preacher of righteousness.”

The LORD God’s living Message ── even since the beginning of the world ── has not been popular. As a true servant of the LORD God, the Prophet Enoch ── during this time when the “wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5) ── would have certainly enraged many concerning his Message. And then, finally, that generation of wickedness would tolerate his warnings no longer. By comparing Lamech’s boasting here with the age of the Prophet Enoch and his early death, one can surmise, or deduce, the possibility that Lamech killed the Prophet Enoch.

It’s interesting that after describing a sinful and wicked people, Flavius Josephus writes ──

“But Noah was very uneasy at what they [the pre-Flood world at that time] did; and being displeased at their conduct, persuaded them [preached] to change their dispositions and their acts for the better: but seeing they did not yield to him, but were slaves to their wicked pleasures, he was afraid they would kill him, together with his wife and children, and those they had married, so he departed out of that land.” ── Antiquities of the Jews, 1.3.§1.

The great-grandson of Enoch had to flee for his life because he was afraid that they might kill him.

Well … whatever the circumstances of the Prophet Enoch’s untimely death, the LORD God did not allow his body to be desecrated. The Lord God physically “translated” his body ── likely in the very sight of murderers and deplorables ── before they could defile it.

The Question can be asked ── why would the LORD God allow their righteous preachers to be killed? God’s living word contains a type of chronicle of the deaths of their prophets and the apostles throughout history. Most of the greatest of the LORD God’s righteous men and women were martyred.

Absolutely the LORD God is concerned about our physical welfare. But they are even more concerned about our spiritual welfare. Like us all, brethren, the Prophet Enoch had to have been willing to die to live (John 12:25; John 11:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:12).

The Prophet Elijah being carried away in a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire (2 Kings 2:11) (AI-generated).

Did the Prophet Elijah go to heaven? Sadly, millions of people have been told that Elijah went to heaven ── meaning, the upper heavenly realms. Yet, over 895 years after Elijah was carried away in a whirlwind, our Lord and Savior Himself said, “’ No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man …’” – John 3:13.

God’s living word does not contradict itself! The Prophet Elijah did not ascend to the upper heavenly realms where the glorious thrones of the LORD God are. Well … where did Elijah go?

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” – Genesis 1:1 (AI-generated)

Here it should be explained that God’s living word actually speaks of THREE SEPARATE HEAVENS. Not just one. And when our Savior, High Priest, and Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, said, ‘No one has ascended to heaven where I came from,’ then the heaven into which the Prophet Elijah was carried away is a different heaven. Which one?

Having AI create the above illustration, I explained it thus: The Third Heaven is where the LORD God’s thrones are ── what I called, The Northern Part of the Universe on the Edge of the Universe. This is where our Lord Jesus Christ resides today, sitting as our High Priest on the right-hand side of God the Father. According to God’s living word, only they and their holy angels reside “in the farthest sides of the north” – Isaiah 14:13.

The Second Heaven represents the space where we find the planets, moons, and stars ──certainly including our sun. I explained it thus: Space, where the planets reside and our sun. We can see King David truly admiring the night sky, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained.” – Psalm 8:3. We also have this Second Heaven spoken of in Genesis 1:14-18 ──

“Then God [the Elohim] said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15) and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth’; and it was so.”

And besides all this glorious beauty ──the plants, moons, and stars ── there’s the First Heaven, the atmosphere around the Earth – with its five main layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere, each with distinct characteristics and functions. I just simply explained it thus: The sky-blue atmosphere with clouds and flying birds. We also have the First Heaven spoken of in Genesis 1:20 ──

“ … ‘and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.’”

Truly, it is this First Heaven from where rain falls upon the earth, where clouds form and where the wind roams. Everyone alive on this planet is breathing in the oxygen (which makes up approximately 21% of Earth’s atmosphere), which is primarily made by photosynthesis, a process carried out by plants, algae, and certain bacteria called photoautotrophs ── in which the oceans are a major source of Earth’s oxygen.

So, since the Prophet Elijah could not have ascended to the Third or even the Second Heaven, then to which heaven did he go up into? Again, “ … when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, …” – 2 Kings 2:1, and 11). The answer is obvious ── the First Heaven.

Another Question can be asked. What was the reason behind this unusual act of the LORD God? Why did God take Elijah up into the atmosphere? Does God’s word reveal to us the reason for his removal? Yes.

Sadly, over time, the Prophet Elijah began to exhibit what we would call today overwhelming anxiety and depression ── an onset of a nervous breakdown, and he was replaced by the LORD God as their prophet (1 Kings 19:13-18). Indeed, many scholars view Elijah’s episode in 1st Kings 19 as a nervous-breakdown-type crisis. He was emotionally exhausted, anxious about Jezebel’s threats, and had even prayed to the LORD God, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!’” Here we are shown that even great prophets had deep struggles.

So, what did the LORD God do? He showed the Prophet Elijah great mercy and allowed him to essentially retire. From a practical Management standpoint, you’d want someone mentally stable for such an important role. The LORD God showed great compassion for Elijah’s breakdown, providing food and rest rather than condemnation.

Where Did the Prophet Elijah Go?

This is the million-dollar question ── isn’t it?

He did not ascend to the Third Heaven ── where the thrones of the LORD God are. Our Lord Jesus, again, tells us, “’ No one has ascended to heaven.’” The sons of the prophets who knew that their master was going to be replaced also knew that their master wasn’t going to die at that time. Notice ──

“Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, ‘The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.’ And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. 16) Then they said to him, ‘Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.’” – 2 Kings 2:15-16.

The Prophet Elisha, of course, knew that the LORD God would preserve his master’s life and keep him from falling, but at their insistence he permitted them to go in search of him ── but to no avail.

Elijah was gone. But to where?

King Jehoram of Judah being handed a letter from Elijah (2 Chronicles 21:12-15). (AI-generated).

Now, just before the Prophet Elijah was “translated” ── or rather, carried away ── a new king had come to the throne in the kingdom of Judah. Jehoram, a son of Jehoshaphat. The first year of his reign was roughly 852 BC. During his eight-year reign, Elisha was the recognized prophet of the LORD God (2 Kings 3:11).

Then, in the fifth year of Jehoram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat “having been king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of Judah” – 2 Kings 8:16.

The name Jehoram can be confusing here, because it speaks of both Jehoram of Israel and another Jehoram of Judah in the same verse, and both reigned at the same time.

King Jehoshaphat died in approximately the year 848 BC. This was roughly 4 years since the Prophet Elijah had disappeared. When Jehoshaphat died, his son Jehoram became sole king of Judah ── and he had brothers, Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatitah. “Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.” – 2 Chronicles 21:4.

A year after his reign, Edom “revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves” ── 2 Kings 8:20; 2 Chronicles 21:8-10. After this brief war, Jehoram of Judah set about making “high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit [spiritual] harlotry, and led Judah astray.” – 2 Chronicles 21:11. He followed the ways of the nations around him and did evil in the sight of the LORD.

So, a full four years had passed since the Prophet Elijah had been taken from the people. And then … a letter comes.

Oh, yes! After this wicked and vile king began to rule, the LORD God had inspired the Prophet Elijah to write a strongly worded letter and have it sent to the king!

Now, certain scholars insist that letter wasn’t written or sent by a “living” Elijah; they think it was written by Elisha or written in Elijah’s name after his ascent ── “to heaven,” they claim. What I have to say concerning this: If God’s living word says that it “came to him from Elijah the prophet” ── that settles it. Because if you cannot believe God’s word in one little area, then you cannot believe God’s word in its entirety. Scripture’s integrity stands or falls as a whole, not in pieces.

The contents of the letter ──

“‘Thus says the LORD God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, BEHOLD, the LORD will strike your people with a serious affliction ── your children, your wives, and all your possessions; and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.’”

The Prophet Elijah wrote and sent this letter after these events had occurred, for he speaks of them in a PAST TENSE, and of the coming disease as in the near future. Indeed, only two years after this letter, the king was struck with a grievous illness that caused his intestines to come out, leading to excruciating pain. This condition is often interpreted as a severe bowel disease, possibly resembling rectal prolapse or another serious gastrointestinal issue. He suffered for two years before succumbing to this illness at the age of 40. He reigned only eight short years (2 Chronicles 21:18-20).

The LORD God had inspired Elijah to write and convey this grave warning because he was the prophet of the LORD in the days of King Jehoram’s father, Jehoshaphat──and this present king was not obeying the LORD God. This letter that he had delivered was recognized as Elijah’s, showing us that he was known to be alive somewhere on Earth. Just how much longer Elijah lived──God’s word does not say. Yet, in the living words of God, “It is appointed for all men to die,” including Elijah, he indeed did die. □

1 Strong, J., LL.D., S.T.D., “translated” #3346, The Strongest Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 21st Century Edition, Zondervan © 2001, pg. 1627.

2 ibid. 1, “translated” #3179.

Questions That the Religions of the World Ask ── VI) If the LORD God is all-knowing, why create humans, knowing most would go to “hell”?

by Leonard V Johnson

We pray and hope that this article will help you better understand this question that many have.

I have a new question for you here──If the LORD God is omniscient, why were human beings created, knowing that most would go to “a place of eternal torment and punishment”?

Well … A conversation I had recently with AI touches on this subject, “‘An Epiphany Concerning the Original Sin’.” You can also listen to this article HERE.

Will Everyone Be Offered Eternal Salvation?

As we proclaim unto the world──the LORD God has had a Master Plan… From the Beginning!

God’s living word teaches us that “God is love” – 1 John 4:8. That “Our God is the God of salvation” – Psalm 68:20. That “’ No one is good but One, that is, God’” – Mark 10:18. And, that there is no other than God, there is none like Him, “declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done” – Isaiah 46:9-10.

In fact, this very question was the first question placed before me as I began this life-long journey of learning and discovery of God’s living word, “Stop and think! Would a Creator, having supreme intelligence, wisdom, and love, to think out, plan, design, and bring about all creation - this earth and all life upon it - have left human beings in ignorance of His purpose?”

The answer is a resounding and definite no.

Could this not be one of the major reasons why our very own Creator was sent to Earth? ──

“’ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes [on] Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.’” – John 3:16-17.

“’ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.’” – John 10:10.

Well… is the view that the LORD God had originally──from the beginning──planned to offer eternal salvation to every human being biblical? The answer is a definite yes. And it can be proven by and through God’s living words.

Sadly, however, the overall majority of people worldwide, who claim to believe what the Holy Bible says, have been taught that salvation will not be offered to all, and that most will have to suffer eternal torture and torment for not being saved in this age.

Yet… let us see and hear clearly what the Spirit has to say ──

“’ and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.’” – Luke 3:6, the Challoner-Rheims Version of the Catholic Bible.

“The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God.” – Isaia 52:10, Confraternity – Douay Version of the Catholic Bible.

Both our Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul have called this coming age “the age to come” – Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; Hebrews 6:5. The Greek word is “aiōn,” meaning eternity, age (time period). It’s also known as “the times of restitution” ── in Greek, “apokatastasis,” meaning restoration. This Greek word is used in the Book of Acts 3:21, “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” – KJV. Our mighty Lord and Savior’s government ── truly, the only real hope for world peace ── will be established upon the Earth!

We are told by our beloved Apostle Peter to always remember this one thing, that ──

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9.

In the LORD God’s “age to come,” eternal salvation will be offered to all that has ever lived or will ever live! And as I had an epiphany concerning the “original sin” ── that had Adam not sinned, the original sin would not exist; however, his descendants, also having free will, would each need to decide for themselves whether to choose ‘the tree of life’ or ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ (cf. Philippians 2:12).

We believe with all our heart, soul, and mind that God’s living word teaches us that all will ultimately be offered and given an opportunity for eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, and will be forgiven their sins upon their repentance unto God. And “upon their repentance” is all throughout God’s living word ── cf.

“’ If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land.’” – 2 Chronicles 7:14.

The LORD God promises to forgive and heal UPON THEIR REPENTANCE.

There is no other name under the heavens “given among men by which we must be saved” – Acts 4:12.

“’ Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2) as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3) And THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.’” – John 17:1, 2-3.

Pay close attention to the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ only speaks of two Gods here ── not “three in one.” (Be sure to read and study today, “Is God a Trinity?”).

Truly, truly, as the LORD lives, “every knee” shall come to bow before the LORD – cf. Romans 14:11; Isaiah 45:23.

Nearly everyone who has ever lived or will ever live (surely, 99.99% ── note Luke 15:4-6) will come to repent and accept our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and will ultimately be gifted eternal life within the family of God – the kingdom of God! And… the few who absolutely refuse will not be given eternal torment and punishment but will rather be given ── eternal death (cf. Revelation 20:15; 21:8).

God’s living word does not teach anywhere that there is, in any version, some type of Dante’s Inferno that so many people believe is so ── within the crust of the Earth! God’s word does not teach blanketed universal salvation unto all ── but rather, the glorious gift and opportunity for eternal salvation will be offered to all, either in this age, or the age to come.

L O V E was the motivating factor for God the Father to send His only begotten Son to be victorious and to die a most horrible and excruciating death to be resurrected unto life ── so that the world would not be condemned but may be saved. It truly means that all could be saved (not that all will be saved). Yet, all ── even unto the most vile and evil of all peoples ── will have an opportunity to repent with all their heart, their soul, and mind unto the LORD God for their lawlessness, and will have an opportunity for eternal salvation! The LORD God’s Plan is not limited to only a select few “special ones” like so many religious groups teach ── God’s Master Plan includes all human beings that have ever been born or will be born.

Do you believe that our Lord Jesus died for the world or only a few?

“My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And ALL FLESH shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.” – Psalm 145:21.

Here the Hebrew word for “all” is kōl, meaning all, everyone, everything, totality of a mass or collective. “A very common particle, occurring about 5400 times. Of these all but about 800 are in a genitive relation with the following word, signifying thus, ‘the whole of something.’ It is commonly translated ‘all’ if the following word is plural, and ‘every’ if the word is singular … It can also have a suffix attached to it: ‘the whole of it, all of it.’” 1

Our beloved Apostle Paul wrote, under divine inspiration ──

“For the LOVE OF CHRIST compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15) and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” – 2 Corinthians 6:14-15.

Logically, for our Lord Jesus to have died for all, then all must have an opportunity for eternal salvation. And since the LORD God is indeed omniscient, they had a Plan from the beginning that nearly everyone who would live would have an opportunity to choose ── eternal salvation.

Again, our beloved Apostle Paul ──

“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in [judgment], even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came TO ALL MEN, resulting in justification of life.” – Romans 5:18.

Indeed, Adam’s offense brought world judgment, but our Lord Jesus’ righteous sacrifice opened the door FOR EVERYONE ── yet each person must still receive that free gift through acceptance, repentance, and faith. Individual choices are crucial within the LORD God’s Plan… From the Beginning.

As mentioned earlier, the Apostle Peter, “REPENT therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing [restoration] may come from the presence of the Lord, 20) and that He may send JESUS CHRIST, who was preached to you before, … 21) … which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” – Acts 3:19-20, 21.

And we find this to be true ── one of the first known holy prophets, Enoch, spoke of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was preached (cf. Genesis 5:18-24; Jude 14-15).

The vast majority of people have NEVER HEARD the True Gospel ── especially the truth concerning the kingdom of God. And, of those who have heard it ── those who had been awakened to God’s living truth from the 30s to the 60s were also exposed to some very serious doctrinal errors. Again, the vast majority of people have never heard the True Gospel of “the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence,” including the truth concerning God’s Master Plan of Salvation… From the Beginning.

The worship of an ancient Asherah Pole (AI-generated)

Note that the Prophet Isaiah ── prominently regarded as a Messianic prophet ── reveals to us that the LORD God has shut the eyes of idolaters, so that they cannot understand, yet also reveals that the LORD God is willing to blot out their transgressions upon repentance ──

“And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god!’ 18) They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.

21) ‘Remember these, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! 22) I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. RETURN TO ME, FOR I HAVE REDEEMED YOU.’” – Isaiah 44:17-18, 21-22.

Now, will the LORD God condemn to eternal death those who worship false gods for something He has not let them properly understand yet? No, of course not. We challenge some pretty traditional views about this supposed hell and its eternal punishment.

The Apostle Paul, standing upon the Areopagus speaking to some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers (Acts 17:18-32) (AI-generated)

As the Apostle Paul stood upon the Areopagus in Athens, he said ──

“Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30) Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but NOW commands all men everywhere to repent.” – Acts 17:29-30.

Ignorance of the Law is no excuse

Yes, the LORD God commands all men everywhere to repent (see: Luke 13:3, 5), But we are also told that, though the LORD God has allowed Satan the Devil to ‘blind all who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them’ (2 Corinthians 4:4), the Law of God is written (almost instinctively) upon men’s hearts ──

“’ If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, THOUGH HE DOES NOT KNOW IT, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.’” – Leviticus 5:17.

“’ And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48) But he WHO DID NOT KNOW, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For Everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.’” – Luke 12:47-48.

Our Apostle Paul also explains it this way ──

“For as many as have sinned WITHOUT law will also perish WITHOUT law, and as many as have sinned IN the law will be judged by the law 13) (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14) for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15) who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my [which is also our Lord’s] gospel.” – Romans 2:12-16.

The Apostle Paul ── divinely inspired ── is teaching about the LORD God’s impartial judgment and how both Jews and Gentiles are held to the same divine standard. He’s highlighting how this moral awareness isn’t a learned behavior, but something much deeper ── like a divine fingerprint on every person. Even when people claim moral relativism or say they don’t know right from wrong, their own conscience betrays them by feeling guilt or defending their actions. Conscience serves as this internal witness, constantly either accusing or defending our actions. Again, it’s like the LORD God having a moral fingerprint embedded in every person, making everyone accountable regardless of whether they’ve heard the Law or not.

This is what the Apostle Paul is addressing here ── those who sin WITHOUT the law will perish WITHOUT the law, but he also shows that the LORD God judges people according to the light they’ve received. Our Lord Jesus says, ‘Much is given, much is expected in return.’ The conscience still bears witness even without ever hearing the True Gospel, so there is still accountability, but God’s judgment takes into account what knowledge each person actually had access to. However, this moral law written upon the hearts of all men means that ignorance isn’t a valid defense before the LORD God.

And what he is saying in Acts 17:30 ── the era of ignorance and of overlooking such things as idolatry is done. Our Lord Jesus Christ’s glorious resurrection unto life changed everything, making repentance a worldwide command, not a suggestion.

Certainly, the LORD God knows that all men will not repent in this age, so the LORD has planned an ‘age to come.’

Now, the LORD God allowed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to be destroyed for their wicked sins which were grave (Genesis 18:20; 19:24), the very same wicked sins that “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” – Galatians 5:19-21. Now, if what the Protestants teach and believe is correct, then all who were in Sodom and Gomorrah will be tortured and tormented in “a place of eternal torment and punishment.” Yet, it is not correct; notice the living words of our Savior ──

“’ But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day [speaking of the Day of Judgment] for Sodom than for that city [that city that outright rejected His Gospel Message]. 13) Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14) But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15) And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades [the grave].

16) He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.’” – Luke 10:8-16.

This passage is showing us our Lord Jesus sending out seventy disciples as messengers ahead of Him, giving them specific instructions for their mission. He is preparing them for both acceptance and rejection, emphasizing that they should carry nothing and stay in one house when accepted. In verse 12, our Lord Jesus makes a powerful point: He emphasizes that outright rejecting His Gospel Message carries heavier consequences than ancient Sodom will receive. Our Lord Jesus is distinguishing between different levels of responsibility based on knowledge. And we can connect this to what our Lord Jesus says in Luke 12: 47-48. Fewer stripes for those who didn’t know. Both are guilty, but there’s definitely a difference in the severity of judgment. This is the key principle that our Lord Jesus is laying out here──accountability scales with knowledge and opportunity.

Let us now turn to Ezekiel 18 ──

“’ For I have no pleasure in the death [the second death] of one who dies,’ says the Lord GOD. ‘Therefore TURN AND LIVE!’” – Ezekiel 18:32.

The LORD God clearly wants all men to live. Would the Lord GOD then have devised a Plan that would result in the overall majority of mankind going to “a place of eternal torment and punishment”?

Our LORD God certainly did not.

The Apostle Paul's inspired, uplifting, and comforting words ──

“For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven [the Third Heaven] itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25) not that He should offer Himself OFTEN, as the high priest [had entered] the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another── 26) He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, ONCE at the end of the ages, He has appeared TO PUT AWAY SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF. 27) And as it is appointed for men to die [the first death] once, but afterward the judgment, 28) so Christ was offered ONCE to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time apart from sin, for salvation.” – Hebrews 9:24-28.

So, there is coming a time that whoever calls upon the Lord shall be saved ──

“’ And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’” – Acts 2:21.

So, it was the Plan since the foundation of the world that the Son of God would be slain for many──not the few. Of course, the LORD God knew that Adam and Eve would sin ── they had, like their descendants have, freedom of choice; therefore, the LORD God has a Master Plan… From the Beginning! Also, and I want you to notice, that it was appointed for men to die once (a physical death), but then judgment. (Be sure to read and study, “Why Death?”).

Only a Few In This Present Evil Age

In this age ── and one can ask, “How many ages have there been since creation?” The standard historical or theological interpretation is six, which came from Alexander of Hippo (whom we at the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries do not believe that he ever was a saint of our glorious LORD God). God’s living word doesn’t actually mention how many ages there have been. But, in this age, only a few will truly be called by Father God, accept our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, believe the gospel message, properly repent, be properly baptized, having hands laid upon them, and receive the glorious gift of the Holy Spirit──only a few, as our Lord Jesus speaks to us in the likes of Matthew 7:13-14 ──

“’ Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to [eternal] life, and THERE ARE FEW WHO FIND IT.’”

Our Lord and Savior Jesus came to save more than just a few. And He will in the ‘age to come,’ since only a few were prophesied to remain faithful in this age.

Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us (which is consistent with Ezekiel 37:9; Daniel 7:2 - they all use this directional language symbolically rather than pointing to specific geographic regions) that there are those last who will be first, and there are first who will be last──in the kingdom of God. I speak more concerning this in the sermon “Least in the Kingdom.”

The Apostle Paul before the high priest Ananias, Governor Felix, and Tertullus in Caesarea. Acts 24:1-22 (AI-generated)

God’s living word speaks of two resurrections from the dead ──

“I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept [speaking of the Pharisees here], that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just ① and the unjust ②.” – Acts 24:15.

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and HAS BECOME the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. … 23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, AFTERWARD those who are Christ’s at His coming.” – 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed── 52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at THE LAST TRUMPET [the SEVENTH TRUMPET BLAST]. For the trumpet will sound, and the DEAD [IN CHRIST] will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” – 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

“’ Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. … 28) Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice. 29) and come forth──those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, ①

And those who have done evil, to the resurrection of [judgment]. ②’” – John 5:25, 28-29.

“And I saw [in vision] thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the [life] of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. [Be sure to read and study the online booklet “Who or What is the BEAST That Rises Up Out of the Sea?” to learn just who is the final beast, and this mark]. And they lived and reigned with Christ [on the Earth] for a thousand years. 5) (But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished). This is the first resurrection.” – Revelation 20:4-5.

Verse 6 ── “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, …”

The second death (see also Revelation 20:15; 21:8) is a permanent, eternal death.

We should not fear people who can kill the physical body but cannot kill our spirit. But rather, we should fear Him who can destroy both the spirit (and it cannot be truly destroyed but can be separated from God) and the physical body in Gehenna (Matthew 10:28). If the incorrigibly wicked, after their resurrection from the dead──having been gifted the opportunity to repent, to change, to seek the LORD God with all their heart, soul, and mind, and to accept our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and to believe the True Gospel Message──refuse, then they will be “cast into the lake of fire” which is the second death.

So, to be clear: This second death is permanent. And I want to make this distinction ── When the Prophet Elijah stretched himself out THREE TIMES on a widowed woman’s son in Zarephath, and cried unto the LORD, ‘I pray, let this child’s life come back to him’ and he revived and lived again (1 Kings 17:17-22), or Lazarus of Bethany, whom our Lord Jesus loves, died, and our Lord Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11: 11-44), or even many of the saints who had fallen asleep, having their graves opened, and raised from the dead (Matthew 27:52), shows us that people can physically die, be resurrected, and then die again.

This being thrown into “the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death,” is not an eternal torture, torment, or writhing forever and ever. In Revelation 20:10, “forever and ever” is properly translated “into the ages of eternity.” It is a permanent death.

God’s living word DOES NOT speak of an eternal torment──but rather, those who outright refuse the LORD God after the second resurrection will simply be put out of their misery for their own good as well as for others who will accept the LORD God’s Way. □

Sources:

1 Harris L. R., Archer, L. Gleason, Jr., and Waltke K. Bruce. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 1980, #985a, pg. 441.