lake of fire with sulfur is the image of an ancient gold refining process

[eaglesway]

Yes, if the "veil" is death(mortality) then, when the veil is parted, we see the "was and is and is to come" of God. But not only do we see it, we get dipped in it(the crystal sea). Whether by being "caught up" as in a vision or an out of body experience, or by death, passing from mortal to immortal life, or by "walking with God" as Enoch.

The "was" and the "will be" are both rooted in the "is" because God "is". He is the "I AM". All things are "From Him and Through Him and To Him". As when the Lord spoke to Ezekiel and said "Come further out"- into the deep or when the Spirit speaks to the two witnesses " Come Up Hither"..... Deep calls unto Deep and we are Seated with Christ in the heavenly realms.

Ez 47...

Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side.

3 When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles. 4 Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. 5 Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded.

6 He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me back to the bank of the river. 7 Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 Then he said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. 9 It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.

10 And it will come about that fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

In the metaphors and parables of the scripture it is like a code that the Spirit will reveal...

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

4
The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.

(The way of righteousness is love in the Spirit, the unrighteous way is "chaff- not "gathered" but blown away and burned up (1 Cor 3:10-15) as He thoroughly purges His threshing floor(mortal life is the threshing floor for all).

There you see, the tree of life is a person. Jesus is the tree of life, and we are also trees of life, oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord. Our roots are in the river. A kind of "first-fruits of creation"(James 1)

Jesus is the prototype- "That He might bring many sons to glory"- we are the seeds from that first true vine.

"There is a river that makes glad the city of god".

The river will make all the salt water fresh and wherever it flows everything will come to life.

"He that believes in Me out of His innermost being will flow rivers of living water".(John 7)

"Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever." Revelation 22

So Ezekiel sees the same thing John does thousands of years later. It is the full reality of the DAY FULFILLED. The deeper we get in the river the more we realize that all that is mortal(dead, dying in death) is being swallowed up by life(Behold I am making all things new!)

The picture does not change- because it is the same when you step into the "olam"- either by death or by heavenly vision "in the Spirit on the Lord's Day". It is the Core Seed, the Logos, the beauty of the divine nature expressed and poured out and "making everything fresh wherever it flows" and it will not stop until God is "all in all" and "all are in God" because the Father is gathering all things together in one in Christ and our inheritance as His "fellow laborers" and as "a kind of first-fruits of creation" is to sit with Him upon His throne and participate in the gathering- the harvest.

We get detailed about the "ages/aions" but the details are not so important as we think or God would have given a more detailed and systematic report on them.

He doesnt want us to focus so much on those details/sequences(It is not for you to know the times and seasons.... go, wait in Jerusalem until the Spirit falls upon you)

He wants us to get deeper in the river, speak words of life(leaves for the healing of the nation), bear fruit in season- because it is the "olam"we will awaken into, and at its core, the "olam" "is what it is" and "was and is and is to come"- the glory of God according to the pattern that is always multiplying in kind...

"And there was great grace upon them all and they were all as one heart and soul and there was no need among them and the word multiplied greatly and the Lord added daily to the ecclesia those appointed for deliverance" and what were they delivered into?

The glory of God, the river that runs through the "tohu and bohu" bringing life where there was death and harmony where there was chaos and love where there was hate.....  until THE VERY LAST ADVERSARY is subjected- subjected to what?

The love of God, which is His glory overflowing- pressed down, shaken together, running over, exceedingly above and beyond all we could ask or think- our glorious liberty of the children of God. :o)

As we grow and go deeper what becomes overwhelmingly clear is that the how or whens are not as glorious as the what- this beautiful exponential multiplication of love and grace that will sweep all of creation into the current of an unimaginably wonderful river of  life.

[jugghead]

God IS Love ..... Love/God is the highest authority ..... His kingdom is ruled by love, through love and for love .....

IMO ..... Man in his own understanding places God's law as a higher authority than Love, this is the error of the way of man/flesh

The law belongs to God, but what belongs to God should not be placed in a higher position than God/Love Himself

[marie glen]

Amen God IS love and love is going to be the ruling force!

Those who meditate upon and delight in his Word shall be like a strong tree planted by life giving waters. Even in old age their leaf shall not whither. And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, meekness, humility, temperance, moderation, self control.. (Sorry all that terribly paraphrased!) ...against such there is no law..

There's the witness in our heart, which tells us UR is true. And ET holds no water.. pun intended. And there's also God's plan and purpose and how He is working it out, which also proves UR!

What a wise God the Heavenly Father is!  And one day all will  openly know that He has done all things perfectly! And what He is creating is perfect. And only perfect can possibly survive in it for He IS perfection (and the life force). A world (or any one of us) cannot have a foundation of imperfection. Cannot be built of, or its fiber be imperfection. So in a sense He IS law.. natural law. He is a consuming fire. Purity. And He is Life. Purity consumes and does away with impurity, chaff.

If we abide in Him, and, in His Word, we are like a strong tree.. otherwise/any other way, we have more the property of dust blown in the wind.. Until our time to be gathered to Him.. Each one in their own time (order).

How wonderful that His law is love. A natural, fiber of life law/principle. He is life and love and He is the water of life. And purity a consuming spark which is life.

Don't you wish now we could go about as with a pitcher and pour Him out unto others? I know we do give Him away but usually slow motion..? But one day not so! But we shall be able to freely give Him away.. And what joyful gathering that shall be!

:thumbsup:

[eaglesway]

ET holds no water  :rolllol:

[rosered]

   :HeartThrob:   :thumbsup:

Love is the answer,  to every question   ever asked .

  Wisdom is justified of her children  , born from above   , where the Voice of many waters flows  healing peace .

Psalms 29  The Voice of the LORD in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

1Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty,
            Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
      2Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name;
            Worship the LORD in holy array.

      3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;
            The God of glory thunders,
            The LORD is over many waters.

      4The voice of the LORD is powerful,
            The voice of the LORD is majestic.

      5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
            Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

      6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
            And Sirion like a young wild ox.

      7The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire.

      8The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
            The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

      9The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve
            And strips the forests bare;
            And in His temple everything says, "Glory!"

      10The LORD sat as King at the flood;
            Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.

      11The LORD will give strength to His people;
            The LORD will bless His people with peace.

[marie glen]

...AMEN! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Ross]

Amen!!
God demonstrated His love for us while we were sinners.

Love grows as we walk.

Eph 3;17-21
" Immeasurably more than we ask or imagine..."
:dsunny: :cloud9:

[darryl]

the lake of fire isnt purgatory...i believe its the actual Holy Fire of God  taking the unbelievers thru so much but in end they WILL REPENT N REACH OUT TO JESUS IN FAITH...and their Spirit and watever of their soul is of some good, WILL be saved...theres TOO MANY Scriptures in the Bible STATING ALL WILL be saved, ultimately...God PLANNED all THIS FROM THE BEGINNING...He IS IN CONTROL AND HE will PERFORM ALL HIS GOOD PLEASURE WHICH IS TO save all

[eaglesway]

 :thumbsup:

[MHz]

Part of the return says all the seas will be become like the blood of a dead-man when the return happens.That is a solid rather than a liquid so when the Church is wandering around they are walking on top of it. The only other flesh alive in the 1,000 years are the fish in the (former) Dead Sea as it is made into a body of fresh water. (Ezekiel:47)
In short if any were alive when the fire sends Satan to the fiery lake they would also go so rather than that happen they die at the start and then god resurrects them as the water exits New Jerusalem and wat6ers the 'dust' and their lives are made healthy like the water and the fish only on a much bigger scale.