Rev 16:9, An Argument Against Universalism

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by crakjak

You, my friend, miss the point, the judgment of Rev 16, is not intended to turn folks to God, it is to remove those whose cup was full! Example: Pharoh, Hitler, Saddam and the like.

Whether it was intended for that purpose or not is beside the point. The point is rather than turn to God they cursed God...Besides why argue the point if you don't believe the Lake of Fire is judgment

However IF that is not what is intended why even bother to mention they did not repent?

Rev 16:9 Thus people were scorched by the terrible heat, yet they blasphemed the name of God, who has ruling authority over these plagues, and they would not repent and give him glory.
Rev 16:10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that darkness covered his kingdom, and people began to bite their tongues because of their pain.
Rev 16:11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings and because of their sores, but nevertheless they still refused to repent of their deeds.

But how does "Tormented day and night" fit into your idea that they are instantly, painlessly, guilt free, forced to be good and love God against their will?

Rev 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Whether it was intended for that purpose or not is beside the point. The point is rather than turn to God they cursed God...Besides why argue the point if you don't believe the Lake of Fire is judgment.

The "lake of Fire" is judgment, BUT WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE IS:

Jesus comes to us as a Comforter, but also as a Refiner. All the symbolic, spiritual fires of Scripture are the same fire. The fire of Gehenna, eonian fire, unquenchable fire, furnace of fire, salted with fire, fire already kindled, God's consuming fire, chaff burning fire, tares burning fire, fiery trials, ministry of flaming fire, and lake of fire are all the same spiritual consuming fire of God. And they all accomplish the same thing--THEY PURIFY!

"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when He appears? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness" (Mal. 3:2-3).

The apostle Paul tells us how this spiritual Refiner's fire will purify and save us:

"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (I Cor. 3:13-15).

We all will be "judged" according to our works. ALL FIRE OF GOD IS FOR THE SAME PURPOSE TO PURIFY. God has used temporal judgment on many in the earth to keep His creation on track, but when applies the "refining fire" none will resist, and ALL will submit. When "SEE" HIM, and "KNOW" HIM, they will love HIM.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by crakjak

The "lake of Fire" is judgment, BUT WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE IS:

Jesus comes to us as a Comforter, but also as a Refiner. All the symbolic, spiritual fires of Scripture are the same fire. The fire of Gehenna, eonian fire, unquenchable fire, furnace of fire, salted with fire, fire already kindled, God's consuming fire, chaff burning fire, tares burning fire, fiery trials, ministry of flaming fire, and lake of fire are all the same spiritual consuming fire of God. And they all accomplish the same thing--THEY PURIFY!

"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when He appears? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness" (Mal. 3:2-3).

The apostle Paul tells us how this spiritual Refiner's fire will purify and save us:

"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (I Cor. 3:13-15).

We all will be "judged" according to our works. ALL FIRE OF GOD IS FOR THE SAME PURPOSE TO PURIFY. God has used temporal judgment on many in the earth to keep His creation on track, but when applies the "refining fire" none will resist, and ALL will submit. When "SEE" HIM, and "KNOW" HIM, they will love HIM.

I didn't see any evidence in the above that all fires are the same fire.

And fires destroy. That is how they "purify". How is God going to purify the earth? He is going to destroy it with fire just as He did once with water and started over

2Pe 3:12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
2Pe 3:13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Thus God will restore all things by destroying the earth and re-forming it. But in this the earth is purified by destroying everything on it

Another case is where those that are evil are destroyed

Mat 13:37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
Mat 13:38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
Mat 13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Mat 13:40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.
Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
Mat 13:42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Same greek word used here
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
2Pe 3:11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,

And here
Rev 18:8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her."
Rev 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.
Rev 18:10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come."

And here
Act 19:19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. Fire always "purifies". In the above, the fire does not purify those books. It destroys them thus purifying the people who gave them up.

When the wicked are destroyed they are removed from the righteous people and from the earth God wants to reform

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I didn't see any evidence in the above that all fires are the same fire.

And fires destroy. That is how they "purify". How is God going to purify the earth? He is going to destroy it with fire just as He did once with water and started over

2Pe 3:12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
2Pe 3:13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Thus God will restore all things by destroying the earth and re-forming it. But in this the earth is purified by destroying everything on it

When the wicked are destroyed they are removed from the righteous people and from the earth God wants to reform

I disagree that God is going to destroy the physical earth. Rather He is going to REDEEM the earth, that means He is going to purify the earth, and all that is in it. He will remove all evil and wickedness from His creation and make it pure. I Cor. 3:13-15, is clear that humanity will be saved, and evil will be burned up.

"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (I Cor. 3:13-15).

Don't know why traditional interpertation, has such a problem with God SAVING AND RESTORING ALL THOSE CREATED IN HIS IMAGE?

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by crakjak

The "lake of Fire" is judgment, BUT WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE IS:

The acts in Rev 16:9 are also said to be judgment

The word judged means

To separate, distinguish, discriminate between good and evil, select, choose out the good. In the NT, it means to judge, to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case

Thus the lake of fire was not reformation. It was separation. Those dead were separated from the rest as we see through out Matthew 13 and other chapters

One must still explain what this means
Rev 20:10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Devil is thrown into the lake of fire. Now here would be a good place to say "and they were instantly made clean and in love with God" but it does not

The word torment here means
an examination by torture, torment. To torture, afflict with pain, vex, harass.

And this was to occur ":day and night" indicating not an instantaneous event but a process that continues