Hell, the Lake of Fire and Universalism Part 5

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Authored By  :
Bill Kochman

Published On :
September 22, 1997

Last Updated :
February 11, 2012


NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.

God The Father Symbolized By The Sun, Jesus Symbolized By The Moon, No Need For The Sun Or Moon In Heavenly City, Saints Of God Are Represented By The Stars, Rewarded According To Our Works, Physical Creation Is Proof Of God's Eternal Existence, Unbelieving Fools, Can Spirit Beings Actually Be Destroyed?, A Fail-Safe Mechanism, Spiritual Wickedness In High Places, God Is A Man Of War, Our Sun Is A Physical Shield For Earth, God Is A Spiritual Shield Again Satan And His Demons, Why Is God Permitting The Demonic Forces To Encroach On The Earth?, Satan Will Execute His Wrath On Earth And Persecute God's People, Are Aliens And UFOs Real, Similarities Between Aliens And Demons, No Fellowship With Works Of Darkness, Resist The Devil, Barney And Betty Hill Abduction Case, The Alien Grays From Zeta Reticuli Binary Star System, Description Of Grays


I concluded part four by explaining to you how God the Father is symbolized by the Sun in the Scriptures, and is referred to as the Father of Lights by the Apostle James. In similar fashion, Jesus can be symbolized by the Moon, because while He was on the Earth, He reflected the Light, Glory and Power of His Father. You may also recall that in the Gospels, we are told that Jesus often arose a great while before it was day, just as is often the case with our own Moon. Consider this verse that is found in the Gospel of Mark:

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."
Mark 1:35, KJV


In the Book of Revelation, we are also told that the Light of God the Father, and the Light of Jesus Christ -- who is the Lamb -- are so brilliant, that there will be no need for either the Sun or the Moon, or for any other light source, to illuminate the Heavenly City. Consider these verses:

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there . . . And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."
Revelation 21:23-25, 22:5, KJV


If in a symbolic sense, God the Father is represented by the Sun, and Jesus Christ is represented by the Moon, where does that leave us, the Believers? Well, we are represented by the stars, as we see by this verse:

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."
Daniel 12:3, KJV


However, just as all of the stars do not shine at the same magnitude, neither will all of the Saints of God shine with the same glory. While the Scriptures clearly inform us that we are not saved by our works, as I explain in such articles as "Parable of the Sower: Salvation and Service" and "Study, Work and Don't Be Ashamed", our Heavenly Rewards will indeed be based upon our faithful work for the Lord in this current life. Consider the following verses:

"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:"
1 Corinthians 15:40-43, KJV


"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."
Matthew 16:27, KJV


"If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?"
Proverbs 24:12, KJV


"And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"
1 Peter 1:17, KJV


". . . I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."
Revelation 2:23b, KJV


"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."
Revelation 14:13, KJV


"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."
Revelation 20:12-13, KJV


At this point you may be wondering what all of this has to do with our main discussion regarding hell and the Lake of Fire. Quite simply, I am grounding you in a few Biblical truths in order to prepare you for what I am about to propose next. As we have now seen, things in the physical realm are sometimes used to symbolize or represent realities in the Spirit Realm. In other words, as the Apostle Paul informs us in his Epistle to the Romans, one purpose of the physical Creation is to aid us in understanding spiritual realities. Stated another way, the physical Creation offers clear proof of God's existence. Consider this verse:

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"
Romans 1:20, KJV


Clearly then, absolutely no one -- other than a hardhearted utter fool -- can look around at the natural world here on Earth, or look up into the starry night sky, and claim there is no Divine Creator. As the Apostle Paul writes, we are all without excuse because we are surrounded by the magnificence and splendor of God's wonderful Creation. It is clear proof of His Intelligent Design, and His Divine Signature can be seen everywhere. King David of old came to the very same conclusions, as we see by these verses:

"[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
Psalm 19:1, KJV


"[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."
Psalm 14:1, KJV


[To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David.] The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good."
Psalm 53:1, KJV


One idea which I have embraced for a number of years now, is the belief that spiritual beings -- such as Satan, the Fallen Angels and demons -- cannot be destroyed. While I can't point to any particular Scriptures which clearly support this view, the Biblical evidence we do have does seem to suggest it. For example, we know that as a result of their rebellion against God that is mentioned in Genesis chapter six, in the Book of Enoch and in the Book of Jubilees, the Fallen Angels were not destroyed; rather, they are bound in chains in darkness deep within the Earth, where they are awaiting their judgment.

In similar fashion, when the Lord cast out evil demons in the Gospels, we are never told that He outright destroyed them; rather, Jesus Himself informs us that they go about searching for a new host; or as I explain in the article "What Happened to the Evil Spirits Known as Legion?", the Lord trapped them in the Abyss, which I believe is the same as the Bottomless Pit. Consider these verses:

"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation."
Matthew 12:43-45, KJV


"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first."
Luke 11:24-26, KJV


In the case of Satan or the Devil, we see the very same thing happening. Nowhere are we told that God outright destroys him either. Rather, that serpent is cast into the Lake of Fire, where he "shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever", as we see by this verse:

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
Revelation 20:10, KJV


So, just as physical matter cannot really be destroyed, but is only converted into something else, or into some form of energy, the impression I receive from the Scriptures is that being as they are spiritual beings who were created by God, and assuming that Spirit is simply some form of energy which is unknown to us, perhaps they cannot be destroyed either.

Yet, at the same time, it doesn't seem quite right that our all-powerful God is able to create such beings in the first place, but that He does not possess the means to destroy them as well. Even in our earthly realm, it is common practice for inventors to incorporate some type of fail-safe mechanism in their creations, just in case something should go wrong. So to embrace the view that God is not capable of destroying the spiritual beings which He has created, seems to diminish His Power.

Is it possible then that the answer to this dilemma is that it is not that God cannot destroy these evil creatures, but rather that for reasons which He alone knows, He has simply chosen not to destroy them, at least not yet? Is it possible that one day all of the demonic forces in the world, and in fact, in the Universe, will ultimately be destroyed by God the Father and Jesus Christ?

At this point in our discussion, we are going to delve even deeper into the area of speculation. Considering the various spiritual parallels and symbolism which exists between the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, and God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Saints, is it also possible that up until some point in our recent history, most of the evil spirits and Fallen Angels who follow Satan have been kept at bay in the darkness of Outer Space beyond the Earth's atmosphere, perhaps even as far away as the outer fringes of our Solar System?

While we know that some demons have been free to roam the Earth since the time of the Nephilim thousands of years ago, at the same time, Biblical evidence clearly reveals that spiritual wickedness likewise exists in high places -- that is, in Earth's own atmosphere -- as well as in the heavens beyond. Consider the following verses which verify this very point:

"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"
Ephesians 2:2, KJV


"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Ephesians 6:12, KJV


"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."
Isaiah 14:12-15, KJV


"And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."
Luke 10:18, KJV


"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth . . . And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
Revelation 12:3-4a, 7-9, KJV


Clearly then, Satan, Fallen Angels and other evil entities have had, and may still have, access to the heavens. They may not yet be permanently bound to the Earth. It is difficult to say, because the exact timing of certain prophetic events is not easy to determine in the Scriptures, and they have been the subject of debate for many years. But if we assume that there is any truth to this possibility that these deceptive entities have been kept at bay by the Lord so that they do not wreak havoc on the Earth until it is their time to do so -- please refer to Revelation 12:12 -- what mechanism might God use in order to accomplish this purpose? One possibility which has occurred to me is the very powerhouse of light which we call our Sun.

As we have seen, the physical Sun symbolizes the presence of God the Father Himself. However, that is not all that it is. It is also a tremendous source of intense light, and that may possibly be the key. As we saw earlier, King David wrote the following in his Psalm:

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."
Psalm 84:11, KJV


While previously I used this verse to emphasize the symbolic relationship between God and our physical Sun, allow me to draw your attention to another descriptive word which King David uses in that verse: shield. This word is derived from the Hebrew word "magen", which signifies a shield or buckler, and a means of defence. Considering that King David was a man of war for much of his adult life, it really should come as no surprise to us that he would compare God to a shield. In fact, the Bible informs us that God the Father and Jesus are both men of war as well, as we see by the following verses:

"The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name."
Exodus 15:3, KJV


"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."
Revelation 17:14, KJV


"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh."
Revelation 19:11-21, KJV


But what I find equally interesting is the fact that in our modern day, with the invention of telescopes, satellites and interplanetary Space probes, scientists have come to realize that the physical Sun in fact acts as a shield, and protects the Earth by swallowing up, and burning up, many asteroids, comets, meteoroids and other space travelers, that might otherwise possibly cause substantial harm to the Earth.

Just as the physical Sun acts as a shield and protects our planet from harm from these various bodies from Outer Space, so too, our Heavenly Father -- who James refers to as the Father of Lights -- shields us, his fragile creatures, from the very real spiritual danger and evil which lurks just beyond our sight and perception, by His very Brightness. If, as I have proposed, these evil forces do lurk in the depths of the darkness of Outer Space -- as spiritual wickedness in high places -- is it possible that by God's own Design, these demonic entities have actually begun to encroach on the Lord's territory? If so, why is this happening? Furthermore, why is it happening now?

No doubt, the Lord could decisively stop the advance of these rebellious beings if He really wanted to, so why hasn't He? From studying the previous verses, as well as others that are found in the Bible, it seems to me that the simple answer is that God intends to use Satan and his demons as His tools of chastisement to execute His judgments on the people of the Earth, just as He has always done. In other words, Satan is going to be permitted to execute his wrath upon the people of the Earth with God's permission, just as that demon was also allowed to test the Old Testament Patriarch, Job. Thus, in the Book of Revelation we read the following. Please notice that the red dragon persecutes those people who "keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ":

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Revelation 12:12-17, KJV


If there are two things which Satan hates the most in this world, it is the nation of Israel -- which brought forth the Savior -- and it is God's worldwide nation of Christians who continue to propagate the Message of Salvation through faith in the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It seems that this is precisely who he attacks in the previous verses.

At this point in our discussion regarding hell and the Lake of Fire, we are going to delve into a topic which, at first glance, may not appear to be related to our primary subject matter. However, please bear with me, as you will eventually see that there may be a connection between the two.

As I amply explain in articles such as the nineteen-part series entitled "Nature of the Alien: ETs, Demons or a Government Plot?", I am convinced that there is some level of truth to the alien and UFO phenomenon. After performing an in-depth study of this topic during a two-year period over fourteen years ago, I could arrive at no other conclusion. There are simply too many reports being generated by well-grounded, intelligent people to simply dismiss all of these claims of sightings and close encounters as being nothing more than misidentifications, hallucinations, undiscovered natural phenomena, hoaxes, mere fabrications, etc.

While many UFO-related incidents can indeed be placed within the aforementioned categories, there still remains a small percentage of cases which defy logic and reason. Furthermore, as I explain in "Nature of the Alien", if one studies this subject closely, he will come to realize that these strange beings manifest characteristics which are similar to the demons of old. They are extremely deceptive. They can pass through physical objects. They can speak to our minds. They claim to possess great wisdom and knowledge which will be extremely beneficial to humankind. They are usually seen or experienced in the darkness of the night. They are usually seen in the company of glowing craft. And finally, according to the people who have remembered to call out to the Lord during the time of their encounter, it appears that they are afraid of the name of Jesus.

Is it possible then that we are merely seeing the same old devilish deception being wrapped in a modern, more attractive package? As I have shared with my readers before, Satan only has a limited number of tricks and disguises which he seems to use over and over again throughout the ages. Returning to our analogy regarding the Sun and the shield, if there is one thing that I have made quite clear in this series, it is that these beings are creatures of darkness. They hate the Light! They wish to have absolutely no fellowship with the Light; that is, with Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we are warned quite explicitly to have no fellowship with them either. We are to resist the powers of darkness, and to resist the Devil, as we see by the following verses, whether we call them aliens or demons:

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."
Romans 13:12, KJV


"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"
2 Corinthians 6:14, KJV


"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light . . . And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."
Ephesians 5:8, 11, KJV


"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:"
Colossians 1:13, KJV


"Neither give place to the devil."
Ephesians 4:27, KJV


"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."
1 Thessalonians 5:4-5, KJV


"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
James 4:7, KJV


"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"
1 John 1:6, KJV


If you are at all familiar with the alien and UFO phenomenon, then you may already know that the most prevalent species of "alien" being is referred to as the Gray, or Grey. It claims to come from the Zeta Reticuli binary star system. This star system is located in the southern constellation of Reticulum, and is about thirty-nine light years from our own planet. The relationship between these Grays and the Zeta Reticuli binary star system first came to light during the Barney and Betty Hill alleged abduction case which occurred during the early 1960's.

The Zeta Reticulan Grays are normally described as being short, hideous creatures which stand three to four feet in height. It is alleged that they are thin, nimble creatures with clammy, reptilian-like skin, similar to that of a snake or a lizard. They possess no body hair, a small featureless mouth, a barely discernible nose with two nostrils, plus there is an absence of ear cartilage. Again, these are also all characteristics of reptilian creatures. They are usually gray, off-white, or some shade of blue in color.

However, what is most often remembered by those people who claim to have encountered these evil beings, is their eyes. According to all of the material I have read, while the eye itself is described as being almond-shaped, the actual pupil is vertical and diamond-shaped, just like a snake or other reptilian creature. The possible significance of these vile, deceptive creatures can be found in the following verse:

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"
Genesis 3:1, KJV


It may interest you to know that there are certain people -- including some Christians -- who are convinced that Satan and his demonic horde are one such race of reptilian-like beings. Personally, I have my doubts regarding this possibility. As I explain in such articles as "Satan: His Origin, Purpose and Future", the Holy Scriptures describe Satan's appearance very differently. If anything, he is one handsome devil, and not an ugly reptilian-looking creature.

Under normal conditions, it is reported that one cannot see the actual eyes of these "alien" Grays. Supposedly, this is because these creatures wear a thick black lens over their eyes, which is what gives them the appearance of having large almond-shaped eyes. As you may know, for a number of decades now, these "alien" beings with large almond-shaped eyes have been quite popular within the alien and UFO subculture. They can be found on T-shirts, as well as on quite a few other UFO-related items. There is in fact an entire industry that has been built around this phenomenon.

Please go to part six for the continuation of this series.

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