Revelation 2:8-11
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty ( but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty ( but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
This is an unfamiliar passage of God's Word to a lot of people. We discussed it with a Bible Study once and people asked to look it up and study it as an aside to our evening study. It caused a lot of reaction. It surprised me. People were angered at the thought of hell being ended by death. I think it is amazing, and it needs to be not as discussed as other passages. I was telling it to someone I dearly love and it provided assurance - the hell they worry is in their future - is not going to be eternal. This really is not the point.
The point is that God is above all things. His dominion is over all and He will be merciful over all. I find comfort in that. It speaks to how merciful He is.
What is man, that God is mindful of Him. God follows the unredeemed into hell, to cause them not to suffer. Now that really is Light.
John 1:5
New International Version (©1984)
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
New Living Translation (©2007)
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
English Standard Version (©2001)
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
It is absolutely our joy and obligation to pray diligently, as Jesus Christ is LORD, for the people we care about in salvation. This passage far from eliminates the worry. This tells us there is a Kingdom of God and hell.
When you read Scripture, God is specific about a judgment. My uncle was saved in his 78th year. My grandmother said she would never give up praying for him. My mother said her mother was dancing in Heaven.
Never give up. Never.
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