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[Berean]

 

The date of 457 BC—corresponding to the decree issued by the Persian King Artaxerxes I (Longimanus) during the seventh year of his reign—is adopted by many theologians and biblical historians and certain historical interpretations for a specific mathematical and textual reason: it allows the prophetic calendar to align perfectly with major historical events in the life of Jesus Christ.
The following are the key arguments justifying the choice of this date:

1. The “day-for-a-year” principle

The prophecy in Daniel 9:24–27 speaks of “70 weeks.” By applying the principle of prophetic equivalence (generally based on Ezekiel 4:6 and Numbers 14:34), one week represents 7 years.
• 70 “weeks of years” therefore equate to 490 years.
• The prophecy specifies that the appearance of the Messiah would occur after an initial block of 7 weeks (49 years) followed by 62 weeks (434 years)—a total of 69 weeks (483 years)—counting from the decree for reconstruction.

2. The comprehensive nature of Artaxerxes’ decree (457 BC)

The text of Daniel 9:25 indicates that the countdown begins with “the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem.” Among the various Persian edicts, the one from 457 BC (recorded in the Book of Ezra, chapter 7) stands apart from the others:
• The decree of Cyrus (538 BC) and that of Darius (520 BC) were strictly limited to the reconstruction of the Temple. • The decree of Artaxerxes in 457 BC granted Ezra full political, judicial, and financial authority to restore the autonomy of the religious and civil community in Jerusalem. It mandated the restoration of the city’s social order and infrastructure, which corresponds to “rebuilding Jerusalem.”

3. An exact chronological alignment with Jesus Christ

Using 457 BC as a starting point, the mathematical calculation aligns directly with dates found in the New Testament:
• The appearance of the Messiah (AD 27): Adding 483 years (69 weeks) to 457 BC brings us to AD 27 (accounting for the fact that there is no year 0 in the historical calendar). The year 27 corresponds precisely to the year Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist—the moment He began His public ministry and was “anointed” by the Holy Spirit (the term “Messiah” means “the Anointed One”).
• The “cutting off” of the Messiah (AD 31): Daniel 9:27 states that in the middle of the 70th week (after three and a half years), the Messiah would “put an end to sacrifice and offering” and would be “cut off.” Adding three and a half years to AD 27 brings us to AD 31—the date generally accepted within this framework for the crucifixion of Christ, whose ultimate sacrifice rendered the Temple rituals obsolete.

[Berean]

The Edict of Cyrus (538 BC): The Initial Decree of Liberation

• The Context: In 539 BC, the Persian King Cyrus II (the Great) captured Babylon, bringing an end to the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
• The Edict: In 538 BC, Cyrus issued an edict authorizing peoples who had been deported by the Babylonians to return to their homelands and re-establish their religious practices.
• For the Jews: This edict enabled the first major return of exiles to Jerusalem—led by Zerubbabel and the High Priest Joshua—and ordered the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The project was financed by the Persian royal treasury, which also returned the sacred gold and silver vessels. This act is further immortalized in the Cyrus Cylinder.

The Edict or Confirmation of Darius (Darius I, c. 522–486 BC)

• The Context: Following the death of Cyrus and the subsequent reigns, the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem faced interruptions and local opposition from neighboring peoples (notably the Samaritans).
• The Intervention: Opponents of the project appealed to the Persian court. A search of the royal archives in Ecbatana led to the discovery of Cyrus’s original decree.
• The Decree: Darius I confirmed and renewed Cyrus’s order, commanding local governors not to hinder the work. Instead, they were instructed to provide the necessary funds, animals, and materials for sacrifices to the God of Heaven—under penalty of severe sanctions. The Second Temple was finally completed and inaugurated in the sixth year of Darius’s reign (c. 515 BC). The Intervention of Artaxerxes (Artaxerxes I, 5th century BC)

• The context: Later in the Persian period, during the reign of Artaxerxes I (who ruled from 465 to 424 BC), new waves of religious and administrative consolidation took place in Jerusalem.
• The missions of Ezra and Nehemiah: Artaxerxes granted official letters and authorizations (notably to Ezra the priest-scribe in 458 BC, and subsequently to Nehemiah, who served as governor).
• The significance: These decrees enabled the reorganization of the Jewish community around the Law (the Torah), the resumption and completion of the walls of Jerusalem, and the stabilization of religious and civil life in imperial Judea.

[Berean]

@DT

When was the first Temple in Jerusalem destroyed?

• According to historical and biblical chronology, the Temple and the city of Jerusalem were burned down during the summer of 586 BC (on the 9th or 10th of the Jewish month of Av), following a long siege.
• Consequences: This event marks the fall of the Kingdom of Judah, the deportation of a portion of the population to Babylon (the Babylonian Exile), and the end of the First Temple period.

When did Daniel have the vision described in Daniel 9:24–27?
👇
• According to the Book of Daniel (chapter 9, verses 1–2), Daniel’s vision and prayer took place during the first year of the reign of Darius, son of Ahasuerus—a Mede by descent—who had become king over the realm of the Chaldeans.
• Estimated historical date: This first year of the reign of Darius the Mede corresponds approximately to 538 BC.
• Context: Daniel was meditating on the prophecies of the prophet Jeremiah concerning the 70 years of Jerusalem’s desolation when he received a visit from the angel Gabriel.

 

Why would God need to inform Daniel about the destruction of the First Temple (as you suggest), given that this event had already long since passed (586 BC)? Daniel received his vision in 538 BC.

Daniel 9:24 concerns the
“restoration and building of Jerusalem.”
God allowed for a decree—or, in reality, three decrees—to facilitate this restoration of Jerusalem, involving the kings Cyrus, Darius, and, in particular, Artaxerxes Longimanus.

 

To be continued

[Berean]

The point I wanted to highlight in my last post is that Daniel 9 presents the destruction of the city and the Temple of Jerusalem as following the crucifixion of the Messiah.

History confirms the prophecy: the destruction of the city and the Temple follows the crucifixion of the Messiah.

 

IA

👇

The facts reported by historians of the era—most notably Flavius ​​Josephus in *The Jewish War*—confirm this chronological sequence:
• 30–33 AD: The crucifixion of Jesus under the authority of Pontius Pilate.
• 66 AD: The outbreak of the Great Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire.
• 70 AD: The siege of Jerusalem by Titus. The city was sacked, and the Second Temple was completely burned and destroyed—an event that forever altered the course of Judaism and nascent Christianity.
For Christian theologians, this interval of approximately 40 years (the duration of a generation in the Bible) is viewed as a period of reprieve before the fulfillment of the prophesied judgment.

[Berean]

Daniel 9:
26] And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;

👉Messiah cut off 👉city and temple destroyed

👇

Luke 19..some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
[40] And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
[41] And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
[42] Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
[43] For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
[44] And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and 👉they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because 👉thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.👈

 

[Berean]

You do not understand anything about what Jesus prophesied regarding the temple or His return, because you take an overly narrow view of what is foretold—specifically in Daniel 9.

That passage speaks of much more than just the rebuilding of the first temple; as I showed you in the verses, it foretells the coming of the Messiah, His death, the confirmation of the covenant, and the destruction of the temple by the Romans.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off (AD 31), but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (AD 70).

And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (AD 27–AD 34): and in the midst of the week (AD 31) He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.

[Berean]

If Daniel is a false prophet, one might wonder why his writings have a place in the Hebrew Bible.

[Berean]

[Dan. 11:22]

And like the arms of a flood, they shall be overwhelmed before him (Rome) and broken; yes, even the Prince of the covenant.

Indeed, the “Prince of the covenant” would also be broken during this period of Rome. Daniel 9:25–27 shows that the Prince of the covenant will be cut off in the middle of the week. The information contained in these verses clearly identifies this kingdom that will “establish the vision”—this kingdom referred to as the “violent men among your own people.” The kingdom that will exalt itself and ultimately collapse is Rome.

[Berean]

Isaiah 53
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for👉HE WAS CUT OFF 👈out of the land of the living: 👉FOR THE TRANSGRESSION OF MY PEOPLE was he stricken.

DANIEL 9

And after threescore and two weeks 👉SHALL THE MESSIAH BE CUT OFF,BUT NOT FOR HIMSELF: 👈and the people of the prince that shall come👉 shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; ..👈

 

CUT OFF,BUT NOT FOR HIMSELF

FOR THE TRANSGRESSION OF MY PEOPLE was he stricken.
.

[Berean]

DANIEL 9

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem👉 UNTO THE MESSIAH THE PTINCE shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” Daniel 9:25

In fulfilling God’s command, three kings of Persia would need to make decrees regarding the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Ezra 6:14 “And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.”

The final decree, that of Artaxerxes, is recorded in Ezra 7, and went into effect in the autumn of 457 BC
457 BC + 2300 years =1844 AD
The Messiah was to appear after seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. That is sixty-nine weeks of prophetic time.

“And after threescore and two weeks 👉SHALL THE MESSIAH BE CUT OFF 👉but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come SHALL DESTROY THE CITY AND THE SANCTUARY; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” Daniel 9:26

Sixty-nine weeks are 483 prophetic days; 483 literal years. From the autumn of 457 BC, 483 years takes us to the autumn of AD 27. According to the prophecy, that is when the Messiah would appear. “Messiah” is the Hebrew word for “Anointed one”. The Bible tells us that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.” Acts 10:38. That anointing took place at His baptism (John 1:32). Jesus was baptized in the autumn of AD 27, the precise time foretold in Daniel’s prophecy.

After Jesus was baptized, and God sent a special anointing of the Holy Spirit, then He was the Messiah, which means Anointed One. “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” John 1:41

Over 300 Prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus life and ministry!

As Jesus began His public ministry, He showed His awareness of His prophetic dateline from Daniel’s Prophecy. “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:15
Paul said that Jesus came right on schedule. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Galatians 4:4

In the ‘middle of the week’ Jesus’ death on the cross as the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world, brought to fulfillment the sanctuary sin offerings and the Passover Lamb, and thus brought them forever to an end. Although the unbelieving priests continued to offer sacrifices for a while, these ceremonies no longer had any meaning.

“And he (Messiah)👉 shall CONFIRM THE COVENANT  with many for one week: and in the midst of the week HE SHALL CAUSE THE SACRIFICES AND THE OBLATION TO CEASE, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” Daniel 9:27

That “week” would be the last seven years of the “70-week” portion of the prophecy. It extended from the autumn of AD 27 to the autumn of AD 34.

In the spring of AD 31, exactly half way through that seven-year period, Jesus brought to an end the whole system of sacrifices and oblations, by offering Himself as the Lamb of God, to whom the whole sacrificial system had pointed.
On the 14th day of the 1st month at 3 PM; Jesus our Passover was slain for us; this was an exact fulfillment!

Also, as we see in Verse 26; it is telling us that because of the rejection of ‘Messiah’ the Prince, the city and temple would be destroyed. This finally occurred in AD 70, but no Christians perished in that siege because they believed the warning Jesus had given, recorded in Matthew 24. Thus they fled from the city, when they saw the signal Jesus told them to watch for, before the final siege happened.

An amazing event happened in the temple in Jerusalem when Jesus died at the exact time for the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb, which signified that its ritual services would never again have any meaning. “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;” Matthew 27:51

 

 

[Berean]

 

Is Satan immortal?

Is Satan immortal? The Bible states that God “alone has immortality” (1 Timothy 6:13–16). This means that no creature possesses immortality. As a created angel, this fact applies to Satan, formerly known as Lucifer, who once held the highest position among the angels.

Also, the Bible directly states that “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). Nephesh, the Hebrew word from which we get the word “soul,” includes the meaning of “creature” and “living being.” So this verse applies not only to human beings, but also to angels. Not only has Satan sinned, he is the originator of sin. Jesus said to wicked religious leaders, “You are of your father the devil. … He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth” (John 8:44). Since Satan is a living being, and since he is the originator of sin, he will certainly experience the consequence of sin, which is death. After all, the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Jesus spoke of “the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Does this mean that Satan will burn forever in eternal misery? There is a Bible passage that explains both parts of the question. God, speaking to Satan, said, “By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub. … I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you” (Ezekiel 28:16–18).

Is Satan immortal? God said that Satan would be devoured. Will Satan burn forever in hellfire? God said that in the sight of everyone, Satan will be turned to ashes.

[Berean]

Denying the truth about the state of the dead

Another smooth stone that God’s people have refused to load in their sling is that of the true state of the dead. Merriman-Webster defines death as a permanent cessation of all vital functions. It is consistent with God’s word. The wise man Solomon informs us: “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).

Again, this stone has not only been abandoned in deception’s ditch; but is desparately objected to by almost all humanity who passionately believe that when you die you are not really dead. This notion can be traced back to the Biblical creation narrative where humanity’s progenators were warned that should they disobey their Creator they will be permanately separated from HIm. Like most of the world today, they listened to the master deceiver called Satan who informed them that by believing him instead of their Creator they would become wiser and live forever.

Because of the wholesale abandonment of this smooth stones billions believe that their dead loved ones are walking around, looking down upon the from some parallel universe where they will join them someday when they also die. But Creator God through His prophet Moses lets us know that this belief is not only deceptive, but dangerous: “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

The prohibitions given to God’s people against communicating with the dead have been overwhelmingly rejected by most humaniry, including untold millions claiming to be God’s people. They have forfeited the stone provided them to slay the Goliath of endtime deception.

[Berean]

Isa.56
[1] Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
[2] Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
[3] Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
[4] For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
[5] Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
[6] Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
[7] Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer👉 for all people.

[Berean]

@ DT

The seventh-day Sabbath was instituted at Creation for all humanity, not for a single nation.

Origin and universal scope

Creation: According to the biblical account in Genesis, God rested on the seventh day after completing the universe, blessing and sanctifying that day 👉before the existence of any Jew or patriarch.

👉An institution for humanity:

Movements and theologians who uphold this view point out that the Bible describes the seventh-day Sabbath as a universal gift of rest and a reminder of Creation, intended for humanity as a whole. The teaching of Jesus—”The Sabbath was made for man”: In the Gospel of Mark (2:27), Jesus articulates this fundamental principle to convey that Sabbath rest is a benevolent provision from God for human well-being and physical and spiritual health, rather than an oppressive, legalistic yoke.

[Berean]

Not understanding Salvation in the Sanctuary

Another one of Gos’d’s smooth stones abandoned by God’s peole is the Sanctuary and its services. God’s Plan of Salvation is best understood by studying the ancient Jewish sanctuary and its services. The Psalmist David declared, “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?” (Psalms 77:13). When the sanctuary is properly understood, Jesus Christ and His work of redemption on behalf of fallen humanity becomes crystal clear.

The knowledge of the sanctuary and the lessons it teaches have been largely neglected and forgotten by most of Christendom. In the process, they have deprived themselves of the power the sanctuary offers to live a victorious Christian life. By disarming themselves of this smooth stone, untold millions fall for the enemy’s deception. As a direct consequence, they have allowed themselves to be engrossed into a plethora of false doctrines, firmly believing them to be true. In the process their defence against the Goliath of our time is severly weakened.

The sanctuary gives the only correct view of God and His dealings with His people. It reveals His true perspective of sin and His plan for human redemption from it. The sanctuary reveals Jesus Christ and His plan and purpose for the salvation of fallen man. As one studies the sanctuary and its services, all false doctrines are turned upside down and God’s truth comes alive in their places with brightness and glory. Rejecting the lessons of the sanctuary is tantamount to leaving in the brook another of God’s precious five smooth stones.

[Berean]

 

REJECTION OF THE FIVE SMOOTH STONES

…and rendered helpless against the enemy

Confrotation and decision

There’s a storm coming, yea, it is verily upon us. This storm portends eternal consequences. Eerily, it appears as the time of trouble that Daniel and the ancient Jewish prophets, including Jesus Christ, warned the world about. Not unlike the confrontation of the young Hebrew boy David against the Philistine giant, Goliath, the people of God are faced with a seemingly unconquerable giant named deception. Likewise, they have been given five smooth stones to contend with and defeat this endtime Goliath.

The Philistines stood on one hill taunting the armies of Israel under the leadership of a weak and demoralized king Saul. Goliath, the well-armored leader of the Philistines, challenged the Israelites to send a man that would challenge him. David arrived on the scene after forty days and was surprised at the cowardice of Saul and his army. But he was neither dismayed nor discouraged. He reached into the nearby brook and loaded his sling with five smooth stones.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of those who claim to be God’s people have blantantly refused to pick up, and in many cases boastfully reject, God’s five smooth stones given to them. Consequently, they are overwhelmed by the Goliath of deception in these latter times.

Substituting God’s Seventh-day Sabbath
The foremost rejected of those stones is God’s Seventh-day Sabbath. Despite it’s very clear presentation from Genesis to Revelation and God’s admonition to remember it, unnumbered of God’s people, who claim to belong to Him through His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ, not only have forgotten it, but vehemently argue against its value. That precious stone was bequeathed to humanity at creation. The prophet Moses reports, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:1-3).

Then He reminded us on behalf of our Creator, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).

Jesus Christ assured His people of its divine value, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28). In speaking of the renewed heaven and earth, another prophet foretold, “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain…And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord (Isaiah 66:22-23).

The Sabbath was given to humanity at creation as a reminder of who is our Creator and Redeemer. It is an oasis in time which God has provided that we may come apart from our worldly labors, challenges, and concerns. It’s His Cathederal in time into which He invites all to be refreshed, rejuvenated, and spend sweet communion with Him through worship and in enjoying His creative works. God’s Sabbath is a time to reflect and to be thankful for all He has done for us in the past six days. Unlike the other measurements of time which are based upon the movement on the heavenly bodies, the Sabbath is based strictly on faith. Nevertheless, this most precious of God’s five smooth stones continues to be rejected and the adoption man’s Sunday sacredness is blindly embraced.

To be continued

Blessings

[Berean]

 

@ DT

for he was cut off out of the land of the living:
👉 for the transgression of my people👈 was he stricken.

Isaiah 53:8b states that the Servant is stricken “for the sins of MY PEOPLE.” If the prophet Isaiah says “my people” (Israel), the Servant who suffers in their place must logically be SOMEONE ELSE: an individual DISTINCT from the nation.
Doesn’t that make sense?
To me, it does.

[Berean]

Hi

Does the phrase “the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever” mean the fires of hell will never God out?

The word translated as “forever” in the Bible does not always mean “without end.” In fact, the Bible uses this term 56 times in connection with things that have already ended. (Sometimes you will need to look up the word “ever” in a concordance to find them.) For instance, in Exodus 21:1–6, the Hebrew servant was to serve his master “forever,” but it was obviously only as long as he lived. Hannah took her son Samuel to God’s house to abide “forever” (1 Samuel 1:22), but she plainly limited that time to “as long as he lives” (verse 28).

The term is clearly defined in Psalm 48:14: “For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.” The desolation of Edom was to ascend “forever” (Isaiah 34:10), yet we know that it does not still burn but, as the Bible says, lies in “waste.”

According to these definitions of the term “forever,” the wicked will suffer as long as they continue to live in the fire. Then, as the Bible states, “The wicked … shall be destroyed forever” (Psalm 92:7). This means that when the work of the fire is completed, it will go out. The Bible says these fires will “burn them up” and will leave them “neither root nor branch” and will leave “ashes under the soles of your feet” (Malachi 4:1–3).

And so the punishment of the wicked will be forever complete. It is not an everlasting state of torment, which would portray God as an evil sadist. Our loving Lord will blot sin out of existence because He knows it would eventually destroy our world and everyone in it.

Key Bible Texts
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: (Revelation 14:10 KJV)

[Berean]

Hi

A COLOSSAL CLEANING

It’s not the most pleasant subject, but when a job has to be done, it has to be done. So—what’s the best toilet bowl cleaner on the market? Instead of providing a list of products, here is what many people say they want from a cleanser: It cleans with a single flush; it tackles the toughest stains; it prevents the build-up of toilet rings; it kills most germs; it eliminates odors; it has no harsh fumes; and it’s safe for plumbing and septic systems. Is all that too much to ask?

There’s a much bigger cleaning job that will take place at the end of the millennium, when God tackles the work of removing all sin from the universe. The apostle Peter explains that the cleaning agent used by the Lord is fire: “The elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

Every impurity of sin will be eliminated by the fire that destroys the wicked. From the ashes of what is left over, God will create “a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away” (Revelation 21:1). Even better still, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (verse 4).

For those who desire to walk in the New Jerusalem, a cleansing work must include asking Christ to remove sin from the heart. In light of the coming judgment, Peter concludes, “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” (2 Peter 3:11).

Apply It:

What does your favorite household cleaner teach you about getting rid of sin?

Dig Deeper:

1 John 1:9; 2 Peter 3:10–13; Revelation 21:1–8

Key Bible Texts
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10 KJV)

Blessings

[Berean]

So now you’re backing down when it comes to Cain and Abel!?
Why is that?

You’re backing down regarding David’s clothes, too—yet that isn’t symbolic; it’s not just a casual figure of speech…
Reconsider your position, DT.

[Author]

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