interesting interpretation in favor of universalism

[sven]

this is a very interesting, more allegorical interpretation of the Book of Revelation, I translated it from German into English, I hope you understand it - it was not easy for me sometimes:



No matter how ones might think about this topic, it has more importance than you might know, because 52% of the population doesn't like the idea that everything ends with our death.

Among the 18-29 years old it are even 64%, while among the people above the age of 29 the skepticism very much prevails. It are those who don't believe in any afterlife though they grew up with a religious belief.

Most of them say, they prefer to believe nothing than the nonsense of everlasting damnation as the multiple harvests for this short life and this despite of that Jesus should have suffered for all by his death [e.g. 1Tim 2:6, 1John 2:2]. They think this belief is useless and sometimes even dangerous (in this life).

In any case, at the latest at our farewell from this world everyone sees and experiences what's up. Either you continue living or nothing happens because we are no more.
Would it have been a great mistake in the second case to have hoped on an afterlife and have lived a more spiritual life due to this? If we wouldn't been any longer we couldn't regret it anymore.

But what if here is an afterlife? The unbeliever would be very confused while the believer would be in a better condition.

The following could be worth to consider for an unbeliever. For believers it could be a great help, if they're disturbed by the teaching of everlasting damnation, this can easily happen when the secret revelation of John, called apocalypse is studied too facile (the notion of everlasting damnation is also alive in Islam).

I say: In the Afterlife there is eternal joy, eternal bliss. But under specific circumstances sadly also the separation from God, the suffering, the torment in "hell" – but sure not eternally. This is important, where can we build thereupon?

First following points: Those who are hardhearted reap hardness – as long as they stay hardhearted. Those judging, they will experience justice – as long as they demand justice. Those who have love and are merciful, even if they made big lapses won't have to suffer long – especially not eternally.

At the second point you need a keen sense and knowledge. From this keen sense some statements in the New Testament open up in a new light and these statements don't accept the eternity of hell.

No, they put hell in spaces of time, in day, night, eons – these are temporal margins.
So is written in the Revelation (14:11): "The smoke of their torment will rise from eons to eons and they have no rest day or night" or similar (20:10): "They will be tormented day and night from eons to eons."

Even if the term "from eons to eons" in the midst of the pictorial description of the visionary torments of hell seems to be a further compacting, so is this term a strong hint anyway, that hell doesn't mean eternity and especially not a second eternity beside the divine eternity.

The design of hell talks despite the age-long torment of something that is next to last, but not yet of a last, truly eternity, which is God himself and his kingdom.

Sure, as a free creature, man can also in the afterlife voluntarily prefer the torments of separation from God to the bliss in God. And therefore there is no forced salvation of all spirits. The free man has a right to the decision between heaven and hell. He wants to be at the place which corresponds best with his character at a certain time.

But: The series of these periods is expressed in this vision with day and night, in contrast to the perpetual light in the city of God, which expresses perfection.

Through the 12 gates, each 3 on its 4 sides, are the 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel wandering into their eternal home. All tribes of mankind are meant that come from all four directions – from the four great cosmic and religious directions of north, west, south and east.

And this in enormous potency: 12x12 =144, multiplied with the threefold potency of 10, the secret number of the laws or all legalities (the Ten Commandments), which implies that all premises or laws are utterly fulfilled by every human being.

This finally means, that all creatures – also the last lost sheep, Lucifer, the diabolos, the devil himself will be signed from what is holy. Because after the long periods of eons, enriched by countless experiences they will voluntarily long for what is holy.

what do you think about? I personally think it's too allegorical, too much speculation.
I just posted it cause the Revelation scared me a lot when I was a child and I think it's amazing how people even in this book find hints on universalism.

[WhiteWings]

I agree with your conclusion.
Altough it's a nice article it proves nothing because it isn't backed up by verses.
I bet ETs also have similar articles.

[sven]

but one thing also came in my mind:

Rev. 14:11 (Youngs Literal)

and the smoke of their torment doth go up to ages of ages; and they have no rest day and night, who are bowing before the beast and his image, also if any doth receive the mark of his name.

actually this verse doesn't say that humans are tormented for the ages of ages, only that the smoke rises up, we find this expression also in

Rev. 19:3 (Darby)

And a second time they said, Hallelujah. And her smoke goes up to the ages of ages.

Rev. 20:10 (Darby)

And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] both the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages.

but in Revelation 22:5 we read:

And night shall not be any more, and no need of a lamp, and light of [the] sun; for [the] Lord God shall shine upon them, and they shall reign to the ages of ages.

how can anybody be tormented day and night for ever and ever when one time there is no more night?

[Taffy]

but one thing also came in my mind:

Rev. 14:11 (Youngs Literal)

and the smoke of their torment doth go up to ages of ages; and they have no rest day and night, who are bowing before the beast and his image, also if any doth receive the mark of his name.

actually this verse doesn't say that humans are tormented for the ages of ages, only that the smoke rises up, we find this expression also in

Rev. 19:3 (Darby)

And a second time they said, Hallelujah. And her smoke goes up to the ages of ages.

Rev. 20:10 (Darby)

And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] both the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages.

but in Revelation 22:5 we read:

And night shall not be any more, and no need of a lamp, and light of [the] sun; for [the] Lord God shall shine upon them, and they shall reign to the ages of ages.

how can anybody be tormented day and night for ever and ever when one time there is no more night?

One who is Blind ,is Blind come DAY OR NIGHT.... :sigh:

Those who are tested (will eventually become PURITY,)  ...for they believe DEATH not HE.not he wh is  THE ONE WHO IS LIFE..
just call it a Purification...BUT while those who persist to be BLINED by LAW..thats where they REMAIN.


the smoke..relates to SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS...., opposed to that of of Insense
:icon_flower