The Neglected Kerygma of Christ (Lecture Five)

[Rebbe]

THE NEGLECTED KERYGMA OF CHRIST
a series of lecture essays on the biblical concept of a universal salvation in Christ

LECTURE FIVE

Copyright © BRI/IMCF 2020 All Rights Reserved Worldwide by Les Aron Gosling, Messianic Lecturer (BRI/IMCF)

CAUTION: BRI/IMCF Yeshiva notes are not available to the general public. They are not for distribution. They are not for reproduction. The notes may also bear little or no resemblance to the actual audio or video recorded BRI/IMCF Yeshiva lecture.

Audio Lecture is now available for members: THE NEGLECTED KERYGMA OF CHRIST [5]: Lecture Five
http://www.bripodcasts.com/KerygmaLectures/KerygmaLectures5.MP3


“One of the main problems with the doctrine of hell is that it’s a place where God is not present. Well, the fact is that God is omnipresent. How can you have a place that's bereft of God and yet it exists for eternity? That's kind of a theological impossibility”  – Mark Galli, editor of the magazine Christianity Today.

In 2016 Mark Strauss, a senior correspondent at National Geographic News, alerted Christians (and other readers) to the fact that over “the last 20 years, the number of Americans who believe in the fiery down under has dropped from 71% to 58%. Heaven, by contrast, fares much better and, among Christians, remains an almost universally accepted concept. Underlying these statistics is a conundrum that continues to tug at the conscience of some Christians, who find it difficult to reconcile the existence of a just, loving God with a doctrine that dooms billions of people to eternal punishment.”

Now, when he speaks of “eternal punishment” he intends everlasting conscious torment alienated from the Presence of God.

Strauss quotes author Edward Fudge who published a 1982 book entitled The Fire That Consumes which rallies readers around the view that God will utterly burn up sinners in the Last Judgment, and that those who thus perish will never live again – they will be destroyed body, soul and spirit so completely that there will be no consciousness, just oblivion. In certain religious circles it is referred to as the doctrine of “conditional immortality” and “annihilationism.” 

Of course, without any doubt, this judgment – tenaciously expounded by Russellites, SDA's, Christadelphians, Seventh Day Baptists, JW's, and seventh day-observant Churches of God – would be a more loving and kinder judgmental sentence of condemnation than that of the wicked incorrigibles facing never ending mental misery “in the blackness of darkness forever.” It's a theological view that is beginning to make a positive impression on a number of evangelicals. Writes Fudge,

“What if the muting of hell is due neither to emotional weakness nor loss of Gospel commitment? What if the biblical foundations thought to endorse unending conscious torment are less secure than has been widely supposed?”

Indeed, minister and author Clark Pinnock whose volumes grace our BRI/IMCF library and from whom I have quoted periodically in lectures over the last four decades has noted:  “Everlasting torment is intolerable from a moral point of view because it makes God into a bloodthirsty monster who maintains an everlasting Auschwitz for victims whom he does not even allow to die.” 

It was Christ Himself who states candidly, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt 10.28). Many use this text to point to the doctrine of annihilationism.

In contradistinction to Augustine – who single-handedly cast the “eternal conscious torment” notion over the Church for the following 1500 years – Anglican priest and evangelical John Stott (d.2011) made the point, “I question whether 'eternal conscious torment' is compatible with the biblical revelation of divine justice. Fundamental to it is the belief that God will judge people 'according to what they [have] done' (e.g. Rev 20.12) which implies that the penalty inflicted will be commensurate with the evil done.”

We who are biblically and theologically educated into the authentic biblical revelation as expressed in the teachings of the IMCF adhere to the school of thought that acknowledges an “ultimate universal salvation in Christ” – and we do so because it is expressly stated to be a central belief of the Christians of the later Second Temple period as advanced in the pages of the NT itself and which finds its roots in the narratives, stories and poems of the ancient Hebrew Scriptures as well as in the altogether Salvific Nature and character of the creative God of Israel.

But even for some of us we can be reluctantly “stumped” by specific statements in the biblical revelation that do not at first seem to conjoin with the concept of God's everlasting Grace and loving kindness toward a lost humanity. Indeed, some of the most chilling texts in the NT are those which pertain to being “tormented” in the presence of the Lord Yeshua. Reading texts like these ought to send goosebumps up and down the spine and set our teeth on edge.

Under the sub-title of Scripture is Clear About Hell in Answers Magazine at https://answersingenesis.org/eternal-torment/  we discover that the writer is one Tim Challies who is described in the following notation as: “one of the most influential and widely read Christian blogs and co-founder of Cruciform Press. He is Associate Pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario.”

Under the by-line Would He Condemn People to Eternal Torment?, Tim notes, “This is not momentary or temporary torture dispensed by Satan or his demons, but eternal torment poured out by God Himself. This punishment will be inflicted upon conscious human beings, people who know who they are, what they were, what they have done (Luke 16:22-31). It is truly, literally impossible to imagine a worse reality than this one. Yet the Bible, the best of books by the best of authors, the perfect book by the most trustworthy of authors, tells us it is so. If this is His judgment, then anything less wouldn’t be worthy of an infinitely holy, just, and good God... God’s eternal holiness demands that hell be eternal, conscious torment... 

“Why Eternal? The eternal, never-ending nature of the sinner’s punishment is directly related to the infinite and eternal nature of God. When you sin against an infinite God—and all sin is primarily oriented toward God—you accrue an infinite debt. This is the only way to explain the Father’s decision not to spare His Son but to deliver Him to suffer in our place (Romans 8:32). An eternal, infinite being was needed to bear the weight of an infinite punishment.

“Why Torment? The torments of hell are directly related to the transcendent holiness of God. Those who face that weight of condemnation have sinned against a God who is truly, purely holy. God’s holiness is unable to tolerate anything or anyone that is unholy; His holiness is like a gag reflex that acts out in wrath against all sin (Romans 1:18) so that on the Cross even Christ had to cry out in His forsakenness, cut off from all that was good and pure and holy (Matthew 27:46).

“Why Conscious? Those who have sinned consciously must also bear their punishment consciously...” and he proceeds with a whole lot of spiritual tripe and slobberdrool that I will not take time to share with our students. Suffice to suggest anyone can access the URL I have noted in this Essay for your own time-wasting masochistic plunder into some of the most confusing exegesis I have read to date.

But this is a sample of what masquerades today as biblical theology. Certainly, he cannot even comprehend that Sheol (or Hades if you wish) is the location of the parable. It is decidedly NOT Gehenna (the Lake of THE Fire) as any authentic student of Jewish thoughtform would immediately grasp!

CONSIDERING THOSE CREEPY TEXTS
Even though I have written a great deal on this subject in the past, I want to turn to that one chapter in the Bible which is invariably misread as an image of Gehenna (or, hell) – when the truth is precisely the opposite. In Luke 16 Yeshua speaks a parable about life after life. It involves two individuals (who represent a much larger audience). One happens to be a lavishly rich man who is enormously indulgent, and the other is a beggar who lives as a homeless man on the streets of a 1st century CE Jewish city contemporaneously with the days of the Messiah. Let's look at what the Lord Yeshua tells us about them both. And remember however that this is merely a parable.

Yeshua taught: “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's embrace. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead”’ (Lk 16.19-31).

Please understand an important fact about the rich man's “torment.” Nowhere does the text suggest that God is Himself “tormenting” this man. All the text conveys is that the rich man is existing in a place – Hades, otherwise known as Sheol – where he is experiencing torment. The Jews of the time this parable by the Lord Yeshua was given to them were of the opinion that in Sheol two “compartments” or “spheres” existed side by side and which were separated by an almighty “gulf” – a place where torment was experienced and another known as “Paradise” where the spirits of good Jews went. Yeshua spoke this parable in Lk 16 without ridiculing the notion of an ongoing habitation of “souls” in Sheol.

The terms “torment,” “torments,” “tormented,” “tormentors,” are located twenty-one times in our AV and they are all found in the New Covenant Scriptures. Three only are connected to the “Lake of the Fire” – or, Gehenna.

In recent times I communicated some of my thoughts about the biblical revelation to our IMCF Associate Students on FB. Let me share them here.

“One really has to develop a relationship with Yeshua, and God the Father, in order to enter into the promises of a devoted family atmosphere which constellates around Divine Love. Developing that relationship is mainly up to us (as I have taken pains to point out innumerable times over the past 45 years). TRUST is the keynote in relationship. TRUST must be first and foremost the focus of our being. Membership of organisations, participation in rituals and ceremonies, believing in the contents of creeds, doing good works, and even mental assent are not substitutes to authentic discipleship. A heart experience is vitally imperative. It's not good enough just to “believe.” “The demons also believe and tremble, shuddering in terror and horror such as make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin” (Jam 2.19 Gk). Doctrines are no substitute for reality."

Truly, apostle John was inspired to write, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out all fear: because fear has torment. He who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 Jn 4.18).

Yes! Torment is mentioned in the passages concerning a negative judgment on those incorrigibles who finally face the “Lake of the Fire.” [I speak of “the Lake of the Fire” in my lectures as it is plainly revealed in the biblical narratives that this “fiery lake” will be the Dead Sea which will ignite again just prior to Christ's second Advent. The ancient secular documents and maps spoke of the Dead Sea by this very designation.] And, as we have witnessed there are even “fires” in Sheol which carnal, unregenerate men and women must face in some degree of “torment” before passing into another life – be that life one of a reincarnating spirit, or a passing into eternal life at the Great White Throne Judgment aeon.

But please understand! God is decidedly NOT a “tormentor.” God himself doesn't torment anybody. The priestly John tells us that we are to be centred always in a focus of love, because “perfect love” concerning THAT which GOD the FatherMother is – “casts out [expels, exorcises] fear as fear has torment” (1 Jn 4.18).

Torment is therefore the furthest thought from God's Mind and Nature and Divine Character when it comes to a heavenly interest in humankind. WE ARE TO BE LIKE GOD and this present life is our training ground to develop the very “divine nature” of which Peter and the apostle John speak. Remember that the “fruits of the Spirit” – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5.22,23) – happen to be reflections of God's very CHARACTER. The Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) IS GOD'S Nature Herself. And true believers are IMPREGNATED with these 9 (at least) characteristics of God.

Torment is not one of them!

Paul amplifies what John has written. He speaks of God's creative LOVING NATURE and CHARACTER in 1 Corinthians 13 as we all are well aware. He writes: “Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked nor overly sensitive and easily angered; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth when right and truth prevail. Love bears all things regardless of what comes, believes all things looking for the best in each one, hopes all things remaining steadfast during difficult times, endures all things without weakening. Love never fails, fades nor comes to an end” (vv.4-8., based on Amplified Version).

Those religious pontificating wretches who contend that the Creator God is more than  capable of implementing “torment” – even “everlasting torment” with its horrific endless misery – need to be asked quite bluntly where such intention to torment is expressed in the avowed divine character sequences of Godly Nature so described in 1 Corinthians 13 and in 1 John.

QUESTION: Is God inconsistent? Ask yourself the question! The Bible tells us that God “is the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13.8; see also Mal 3.6).  Frankly, in my humble opinion, you cannot endlessly torment others and still call yourself “everlasting love.” To be constant in LOVE one must be relentless, undeviating, continuous, perpetual, unending, ceaseless, incessant, unremitting and altogether pursuant in open display of such CONSTANT LOVE – Protestant and Catholic sentimental and argumentative slobberdrool and pseudo-spiritual thought-bubbles to the contrary notwithstanding. God is either AUTHENTIC LOVE or God is a liar. God is not a Calvinist. God is not an Arminian. Such is the bottom line. It is written: “Let God be true, but every man (including this author and the person right now reading this) a liar” (Romans 3.4). 

WHO IS TORMENTING THE RICH MAN IN SHEOL?
So WHO was tormenting the rich man in Sheol? Look again at the character of this individual. He was at once utterly corrupted by his daily ingrained habits of self-indulgence and nauseating self-will. He was contemptuous of the beggar at his gates. The stray dogs of the street were more interested in Lazarus than he was. And suddenly he finds himself DEAD. His spirit awakes in the Afterlife – in Sheol. It's not where he expects to be! He is surrounded by flames. He is mortified, realising the impact of how weak in fact he has been all his life. But it's too late to change! He wonders why he's been preoccupied with himself and not others – not even his siblings. He's horrified at the thought of his pursuing of materialism when he never gave a thought to his character. Now he feels the penetrating fire of remorse and shame and punishment kindled within him. He now is cognisant that his sin must be burned out. His nature is being JUDGED. Judged severely. The once rich man sees the beggar in Father Abraham's close embrace – where he should rightfully have been! He sees the GLORY of Paradise beyond the awesome gulf that divides him from even the “waters of forgetfulness.” He screams out for just a drop of that water on his tongue! He is a Jew who knows the Scripture. He recalls the text “Our God is a consuming fire” and he is very AFRAID. He well knows that fire surrounding him must burn until the sin that saturated his nature and became one working with the yetzer ha'ra – the EVIL opponent lurking within – is about to be burned up.

So, again... WHO is it that torments the rich man? If I were to ask the great psychiatrist Karl Menninger (who wrote the brilliantly insightful Man Against Himself) this question he would at once answer affirmatively – the rich man. The torment mentioned in Luke 16 comes from deep within the human BEING. As the fires of Sheol enter the human heart, so commensurately the rich man enters a period of SELF-torture. Satan is not mentioned in this context. Demons are not referred to in this context. God is not even mentioned in this context. Abraham is not torturing the rich man, and neither is Lazarus shown to be a “tormentor” – the sad beggar who is at last being comforted beyond the grave.

We ought to reflect on the biblical narratives much more than we do. What we find in this parable of Christ's is the JOY of locating evidence in the story that almost instantly the rich man – who only ever thought of himself in glowing terms – begins to do something remarkable. He has started to think outside of himself to his brothers who were still living in their sins. The moral effect of his self-discovery in Sheol is that he becomes concerned for his siblings craving that they might be spared from what he is experiencing in his life after life in that he fully now realises in his tormented soul of how he has wasted his life. The fires are burning into his very spirit – cleansing him anew, restoring him to conscious appreciation of life and all that life has to offer – that God's GRACE in correction and punishment is designed to REDEEM and RESTORE humanity.

WILL CHRIST TORMENT THOSE WHO TAKE THE MARK?
And so it is in the Apocalypse wherein we are Graced to see in advance what lies before us in the period of the coming tribulation when the demonically-formidable final Antichrist holds sway over the earth. According to modern translations of the scroll of Revelation, and according to the interpretations put on certain texts in the scroll by false teachers of the “eternal misery society,” God is intending to torture men and women and little children in hell for all eternity because they took the “Mark of the Beast” and worshipped the Antichrist and his image.

The FACT is, an eternal God who, through the Divine Love displayed in the horrors of Golgoleth, is now and presently conciliated to the world is, by virtue of his essential and unchangeable character of eternality, ever and always conciliated to the human race. This has been often overlooked by the advocates of everlasting torment. It goes well beyond even human reason to appreciate or fathom a God who expects all men to freely “come to him” when he alone by virtue of his irresistible Grace compels only some men so to do at this time and yet those whom he does not compel (and who thus remain dead as a cadaver in their sins) are at the same time somehow to find it within themselves (apart from God's spiritual Life-giving intervention and inward accomplishment of Grace) to “work up” a positive response to the lack of a heavenly calling!

To maintain theological orderliness and have a concordant flow in subject matter it is imperative we consider that which John tells us in Rev 14.10,11:

Those who worship the Beast “shall also drink of the wine of the intense anger of God, that has been blended undiluted in the chalice of his furious indignation, and he shall be tormented in fire and sulfur before the holy angels, and before the Lamb, and the smoke connected with their torment ascends to ages of ages [the aeons of the aeons]; and they have no rest day and night, who are worshipping before the beast and his image, also if any does receive the mark of his name" (Rev 14.10,11 Gk).

Of course, as I have majored in teaching over many decades, the “smoke of torment” does not last “forever and forever” as some versions insist. The Greek word aeons means time periods, or ages. Those ages may be limited to centuries or millennia. Because aeon is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew ol'm, the age may even be limited to three days and three nights – as in the case of Jonah who was in the belly of the great fish for that duration (Jon 1.17; 2.10 but cf 2.6; Mt 12.38-40). He was not in that condition “forever” as we understand the term, for the fish vomited him out onto the Assyrian seashore along with the revolting contents of its stomach. The ages may last an even shorter span depending on the intention of God in the matter.

We also ought to reflect on the FACT that the Temple of God in Jerusalem was to stand “forever,” the Aaronite priesthood with its ordinances was to last “forever,” and the leprosy of the corrupt servant of the prophet Elisha, Gehazi, was also to be inflicted “forever” (2 Kgs 5.27). In every instance that “forever” came to an abrupt conclusion.

Those who are prophesied to worship the Beast and receive his Mark – and there may well be millions of such unfortunates – will burn in torment “day and night.” So for this punishment or correction to last for the length of the period mentioned, the angels and the Lord Yeshua (the Passover Lambkin) must of necessity be in their actual tormented presence for the same amount of time. Read the passage carefully (Rev 14.9-11). Furthermore, it is said that the “smoke of their torment” will last for “the ages of the ages.” We know this because the Bible tells us so.

We must be very cautious with the text – for the smoke is under discussion, and not specifically the period of human torment. And, I must insist in the observation that the text does not state “the smoke of the fire of their torment.” Look closely and you will see that this is decidedly the case. Modern science admits that smoke (as in any form of energy) does not entirely dissipate... it just rises and turns into something else. In fact, all must recognise that TORMENT HAS NO SMOKE. The reference is therefore a mere figure of speech. The Bible is replete with such expressions. Consider, “the mountains will sing” (Isa 55.12), “the trees will clap their hands” (same verse), “John came neither eating nor drinking” (Mt 11.18), “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold on trays of silver” (Prov 25.11), “The ground is thirsty” (Isa 44.3), “I will run the way of Thy commandments, When Thou shalt enlarge my heart” (Ps 119.32), and “I am the bread of life” (Jn 6.35). We could add to these figures of speech such as “he was a rough man,” “he had an iron will,” “and a heart of stone.”

Because we are now thousands of years removed from the biblical culture and milieu we do not quickly identify a figure of speech, particularly if we have been a good church-conditioned Bible student – having read the entirety of the holy book on a number of occasions through a particular denominational or sectarian lens. On this very subject one bright spark noted how difficult it would be if somebody from 2000 years past happened to be sitting in a modern 21st century living room to hear the lady of the house greeted by her returning husband after a long hard day at the office.

"Honey, I'm home. I sure hope you don't want to paint the town tonight because I am one whipped pup. I just want to stay around the crib this evening. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse and my feet are killing me. I want to down some groceries and hit the hay. No sheep counting for me tonight. I bet I'll be asleep before my head hits the pillow. I'm going to sleep like a baby. Before I 'catch some Z's' though, I'm going to see what's on the tube, do a little web surfing and catch up on some email."

I think this says it all.

But concerning Rev 14.10,11 the Greek text allows for an indication of the actual time period of torment for the rebels who find themselves in the presence of the Lamb and the angels of God. It might surprise everyone but please note the phrase “day and night.” Yes, that's correct... but read it again! “Day and night.” A day and A night. That is all it says about the time period of their torment. Do not be tempted to read what does not appear in the text. It says day and night. It does not have anything to say about day and night forever, or even day and night for the ages of the ages. That is read into the text because of our church teachings and conditioning. All that John mentions is that they will be tormented day and night.

The judgment brought against those who worship the Antichrist, and who have received the mark, and who failed to repent of these actions and activities even though they have been subjected to the angelic plagues that were showered upon the seat of the Beast's Kingdom, will be for a period of intense torment not exceeding 24 hours. Then with repentance worked within them, and a successful reprogramming process involving their brain, it will be brought to an abrupt conclusion.

It will be observed again that “the smoke of their torment” ascends for the exact same period as far as duration is concerned for the reign of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah: “The kingdom of this world became our Lord's and his Messiah's and he shall be reigning for the aeons of the aeons!” (Rev 11.15).

Now, the Scriptures definitely prove that his Messianic reign is not endless, for, after he has abolished all enmity from the universe, Yeshua himself abdicates and delivers up the kingdom to God the Father, “that God may be ALL in all” (1 Cor 15.20-28).

If “the eonian kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Yeshua the Messiah” (2 Pet 1.11) is limited to its “eonian” duration, then the phrase “chastening eonian” as well as “the smoke of their torment ascends for the eons of the eons” are deprived of their so-called endlessness. The fire that torments certain human beings for a short period will be so hot they will die down and smoulder for the aeons of the aeons. Bear in mind too, that these fires may not be literal at all – after all is said and done we today are tried in furious fires as we experience trials that change our character for the better (hopefully), and God is no respecter of persons. Why should God deal with us in one fashion called “fire” and others have to go through real fire? These fiery trials experienced by those who will be “tormented” for a night and day may well be figurative.

Once more I stand by my assessment that the “torment” which is experienced by the rich man in the parable of Luke 16 will be equally experienced by those who have failed to obey Christ – when they know better – during the Antichrist reign at the end of the age. It will be a matter involving SELF-torment.

I have on file a ms by J. Preston Eby in which this author comments on the text under discussion in the Apocalypse. I cannot fault what he writes. I share it now with all my students.

“Rev. 14:10 sheds... light, (on) those (who) are... tormented by and through another agency, which in reality sums up and constitutes the fire and brimstone, and that agency is THE PRESENCE OF THE LAMB and the holy angels, or messengers. What an amazing divine paradox! The Lamb – precious embodiment of the very character of innocence, patience, meekness, gentleness, holiness, sacrifice, and redemption – being made TORMENT to men for whom He died! The very thought seems incongruous. You see, dear ones, IT IS NOT THE NATURE of a lamb to torture anyone. It is simply not in the nature of the lamb to want to hurt in any way. Really! What could a lamb do to torture anyone? It has no capability for such a thing. And so it is with the LAMB OF GOD! The Lamb of God has no desire, no ability to inflict torture in any way – His desire is entirely redemptive – that men might have life and have it more abundantly! 

“I cannot imagine One with the nature of a lamb packing poor lost souls like brick into a kiln, standing there blowing the fires of hell through them for ever. Such a grotesque representation charges the blessed Redeemer with crimes more heartless than those of Adoph Eichmann. Ah, the torment comes not from the Lamb. The torment lies within the bosoms of the tormented. The Scripture does not say that the Lamb torments them! If you think it does, you are mistaken. It states that THEY ARE TORMENTED IN THE PRESENCE of the Lamb. What a thought! TORMENTED IN THE PRESENCE. The Lamb is merely present. He does not torment. The condition is within themselves. Because they are wrong and sinful in nature, wicked in their hearts, selfish in their minds, and impure in their desires, they are CONDEMNED IN THEIR CONSCIENCES by the very PRESENCE of the pure, holy, sinless, selfless, sacrificing Lamb of God. Hell is at its fiercest when it sees heaven, and not till then. 

“When these realize the presence, or the character of the Lamb, they are tortured in their consciences, for in the Light of the Lamb they see themselves for the wretched little devils they are. The very PRESENCE of TRUTH torments the deceitful and the liar. The very PRESENCE of HOLINESS torments the immoral and corrupt. The very PRESENCE of LOVE is torment to the mean and hateful. The PRESENCE of Him who is the PRINCE OF PEACE is torture to those who live by violence and the sword. The very PRESENCE of the LIFE OF THE LAMB is the most awful torment and torture to all the opposing forces, both deceiver and deceived, until all the deceit and hostility has been taken out of them, and they come to KNOW THE LORD. When these have been exposed for a sufficient time to the PRESENCE of the Lamb, the Lamb will overcome them; His love and power will conquer their hearts; the rebellion and waywardness will be taken from them and they will at last ENJOY the Presence of the Lamb!

“When the maniac of Gadara encountered the Christ the devils cried out, saying, 'Have You come here to TORMENT US before the time?' (Mat. 8:29). IT WAS TORMENT FOR A POSSESSED PERSON TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE CHRIST. It is torment for any enemy of God to be ushered into the presence of God. Anyone who is unacquainted with God and happens to come into a group who are worshipping and praising God, is in torment all the time he is there. The sooner such a person can leave, the better he likes it. Such an atmosphere is hell for that person! Why is it so hard to get your unsaved loved ones and friends to go to Church? They are unhappy and miserable in a Church meeting! They are tormented, when with the saints worshipping God. They are estranged from God, citizens of the devil's kingdom, and cannot relate to the praises of God, the moving of the Holy Spirit... and the Word that is ministered. This all makes them unhappy and uncomfortable.

“Peter Marshall said that when the apostles preached the Gospel there were either riots or regeneration. The fact of the matter is that in most cases there were both, for the same Gospel melted some hearts and turned others to stone. People were led either to faith in Jesus Christ or they were stirred to the most violent animosity and enmity. Jesus Christ has always been either a stone of stumbling or the sure foundation stone. We build upon it or we stumble over it and are crushed by it. Riots or regeneration! Joy unspeakable and full of glory or torment!

“A person under deep conviction is tormented. Tormented with what? He is tormented with the fire of God's holy presence, the fire of His penetrating, burning Word. He has no peace or rest, day or night. His conscience troubles him continually. When you and I were under deep conviction for our sins and past life we were tormented by the Holy Spirit, the presence of God. And we had no rest day or night. When we were finally broken by the Holy Spirit's dealing and repented and confessed those sins to Jesus, we cried often and shed many bitter tears of remorse and regret. THAT, my friend, is exactly what the rebellious will do in the ages to come as God deals with “every man in his own order.” There was no short cut to salvation for us, and there will be none for them. In some cases it took months and years, sometimes a lifetime, of preaching and dealings to win our hearts to the Lord. And I am sure that it will take much preaching and many dealings along with the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to win the ignorant, disobedient, and defiant masses who lived and died in this world outside of Christ.

“A brother in the Lord shared this illustration of wicked people being tormented in the presence of the Lamb: “A few years ago, we often preached to ALL the women in the state penitentiary for women. They were forced to sit and listen while we sang about Jesus, talked about Jesus and preached about Him. Some wept, some stared, and some faces showed bitter hatred toward us. Others seemed to writhe and twist in mental anguish and physical torment. Why? Because they were forced to listen. There was no escape” –  end quote.

“Suppose a few filthy, vile men and a few immoral women from some house of prostitution were forced to sit in the midst of a large congregation of singing, shouting, worshipping saints. This certainly would be torment to most of them. They would be tortured in the flames of the blazing glory of God in that place! If they were not held in their seats by force, most of them would rush out of there. I have been in meetings where I witnessed three responses to the glorious manifestation of the Lord's presence. First, the saints who loved the Lord rejoiced and adoringly worshipped. Some who were not Christians, but whose hearts were tender toward the Lord, came under deep conviction and, weeping and broken, gave themselves into the loving hands of Jesus. But others, filled with self, haters of righteousness, I have seen jump up and literally run out of a meeting – TORMENTED IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LAMB! Sure, they would rush, even run to get away from the convicting power of the Holy Ghost! I have seen it, and so have you.

“To the unsaved, HIS GLORY is a LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE – divine, cleansing, purging, purifying, consuming fire! In ages yet unborn God shall expose ALL MEN to the sweet abiding presence of the Lamb. They will come under such severe processings, under such profound conviction that they will be tormented and have no rest day or night until they finally yield. And when they do, many fountains of tears will flow with weeping, praying, and calling upon the Lord.

“I believe it!

“God hasten it!” [Extract from Eby's article “Lake of Fire.”]

May God bless this current lecture to those who are open to JOYFULLY hear of the richness of God's superabundant GRACE.

THIS CONCLUDES THE CURRENT LECTURE