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NASB | Hebrews 11:40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 11:40 because God had us in mind and had something better for us, so that they [these men and women of authentic faith] would not be made perfect [that is, completed in Him] apart from us. |
Subject: How are pre-Christians made perfect? |
Bible Note: I'm not questioning your use of the scriptures as they are there to give us a glimpse of what Hell is like. All I'm saying is after this world is "burned up" and the whole universe as God created it is destroyed, God's spiritual world is going to be all that's left. There won't be any oxygen or fuel with which to burn the proverbial "fires of Hell." There won't be any "nashing of teeth," at least not any physical teeth that you and I know about. I've studied on this topic for quite some time and have compared this figurative language to that in Revelation and Isaiah. In my opinion it seems that our Lord uses this kind of language when He's trying to describe something for which we don't have a common point of reference. In other words, just as we don't have a clue what Heaven is really going to look like, I don't think God has been able to describe what Hell is going to be like. I don't think you really expect to see "streets of gold," or "palaces of pearl," "seas of glass" in Heaven for the same reasons as stated above, do you?. Those kind of hard, physcial items of earthly elements won't exist either after Judgment Day. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite certain there will be Heaven and Hell and in the mean time, it looks like according to scripture there now exists Hades and Paradise. Now what those actual places look like as to actual details, I don't think the Bible reveals it in the very same kind of details that we're going to recognize when we arrive at one of those places. The things we do know for an absolute fact is that Heaven is going to be wonderful because it's with God and Hell is going to be a very miserable place because it's without God. It seems the figurative language was used to motivate us to respond appropriately: love for Heaven and intense hatred for Hell. I'm sorry, but the only scripture I can recall to support my conclusions on this matter from Peter. 2 Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. I'd be interested in your response. I realize this is kinda radical and you might take a while. God bless. |