God's Plan For All

In reading some thoughts and questions that have come up on universalism and what it means to be a universalist, I decided to do some research and try to find someone or an organization that defended that position.

Here is a read for you on why they believe that eventually, all will be reconciled. No, they do not think everyone gets a free pass from the get go. Read, take a look at the scripture, look at their greek exegesis and see what you think.

Feel free to rip it apart or praise it. Share your thoughts and insights on where they got it right and where they got it wrong. This was going to be a Monday Theological Musing, but with Roland's blog, I wanted to put it up.

God's Plan For All is to universally reconcile all things to Himself through Jesus Christ. The whole purpose of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is for God to reconcile without exception, all things in heaven and all things on earth to Himself. God’s plan is clearly, wonderfully and powerfully given in Colossians 1:15-20. These scriptural verses definitely and unambiguously include the reconciliation of ALL fallen angels through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities (arche) or powers (exousia). All things were created through Him and for Him.

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

These are the key scriptural verses of our book 'God's Plan For All' and we would therefore like to repeat as a reminder, our comments on them as given in Chapter 4 'Universal Reconciliation Scriptures'. The construct of these verses is such that it leaves absolutely no room for any doubt whatsoever that the word ALL can only mean ALL without exception. The Holy Spirit, who inspired Apostle Paul to write these verses, repeats the word ALL seven times before coming to the key verse, verse 20, where it says that God will reconcile all things to Himself through Jesus Christ. If you believe verse 16 that Jesus Christ created all things in heaven and on earth, all things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, then you have no option but to also believe verse 20, which says that Jesus Christ will reconcile the same all things that He created.

‘Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers’ as given in verse 16, definitely include Satan and the fallen angels. The truth that God will even reconcile Satan and the fallen angels exalts God’s power, wisdom, love, mercy, forgiveness and His justice to the full. God tells us to overcome evil with good, (Romans 12:17-21) and God will ultimately overcome all evil with good, so that the purpose of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the universal reconciliation of all things is absolutely and fully achieved.

Let us see clearly from the Bible that the expression, ‘thrones or dominions or principalities or powers’ as given in verse 16 above include Satan and the fallen angels. God through Jesus Christ created angels before He created the physical universe. A third of these angels rebelled against God under the leadership of Lucifer who became Satan. These fallen angels are referred to in the Bible as principalities and powers. A Christian fights spiritual battles against principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness of this age.

Ephesians 6:11-12
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities (arche), against powers (exousia), against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The Greek words arche and exousia used for principalities and powers in verse above are the same Greek words used in Colossians 1:16. All things that Jesus Christ created; visible and invisible, principalities and powers, most definitely include all fallen angels. Let us believe the Bible that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is all-sufficient to reconcile to God not only all fallen men but also all fallen angels. Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world, which includes the sins of fallen angels. (1 John 2:2)

Nowhere in the Bible, does it say that God punishes an unbeliever or a fallen angel forever. As previously explained in this book, there are four words in the Bible, two Greek words aion and aionios, and two Hebrew words owlam and ad, which have often been misinterpreted and mistranslated in most but not all bible versions to mean forever, everlasting or eternal. All of these four words are age-related, referring to an age of a definite time duration having a beginning and an end. Mistranslation or misinterpretation of these four age-related words in most versions of the Bible are the main reasons why Christians have failed to understand God’s Plan of the Ages to reconcile all things through Jesus Christ. For a full explanation of this important subject, please refer back to Chapter 6 'The Seven Ages in God’s Plan'.

There are three so called 'proof texts' normally used by those who believe that Satan and the fallen angels will not be reconciled. These are Hebrews 2:14-18, 2 Peter 2:4 and Revelation 20:10. Let us examine these texts in detail.

Hebrews 2:14-18
In as much then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Jesus Christ through His work on the cross destroyed Satan, who is the devil, who had the power of death. Not only did He destroy Satan by His work on the cross, but He also destroyed death itself, which is called the last enemy.(1 Corinthians 15:25-26)

From God’s perspective both Satan and death no longer exist, because it is only a matter of time, at the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth, that the work of the cross will be fully realised when everything on earth and in heaven will be reconciled to God Himself because of the finished work of the cross.

When death is destroyed, the only thing that can burst forth is life. Similarly when Satan is destroyed or disempowered, then Satan must revert back to his original created being as a holy ministering angel. It is God’s nature to overcome evil with good, and ultimately God will overcome all evil with good. (Romans 12:21) The false doctrine of hell teaches that God overcomes evil with more evil, which is completely against the nature of God.

In this present age, it is not God’s purpose to deal with Satan or the fallen angels, and He is not ‘giving aid to’ or trying to reconcile them. In this age, God is only calling and choosing His Elect, Christ’s Brethren, and preparing them for a special salvation. (1 Timothy 4:10) God has allowed Satan and the fallen angels as well as the majority of human beings to remain in spiritual darkness until the final Lake of Fire Judgement.

2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell (tartaroo) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.

In this verse, the Greek word tartaroo is mistranslated as hell. Tartaroo is used only once in the Bible and the context in which it appears reveals the meaning of the word as a prison of spiritual darkness.

Satan and the fallen angels were cast back down to earth when they first sinned during the Pre-Adamic Age and they remain confined to this earth in spiritual darkness, reserved for their final judgement in the Lake of Fire. The Bible says that true believers, God's Elect who are the Bride of Christ will rule and reign with Jesus Christ and they will have the privilege of judging fallen angels. (1 Corinthians 6:3)

Revelation 20:10
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (theion) where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented (basanizo) day and night forever (aion) and ever (aion).

In this verse, the Greek word aion meaning an age has been mistranslated to mean forever. The Lake of Fire judgement of Satan and the fallen angels including the beast and the false prophet will last for a further two ages i.e., for the final two ages of the seven Ages in God’s Plan of the Ages, and not forever and ever.

Please note in the verse above, that the Greek word for brimstone is theion. According to Strong's number G2303, the meaning of theion is “divine incense, because burning brimstone was regarded as having power to purify, and to ward off disease.”

Also the Greek word for torment in the verse above is basanizo. According to Strong’s number G928, the primary meaning of basanizo is “to test (metals) by the touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the colour of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal”

All of these three Greek words:

aion for an age with a definite duration having both a beginning and an end,

theion for brimstone indicating divine purifying power,

basanizo for its characteristic of testing purity,

clearly proves that the purpose of the Lake of Fire is to purify and refine Satan and the fallen angels rather than to endlessly torture them. Angels were created to be ministering spirits to God and men, and not to be kept in a prison of spiritual darkness forever. (Hebrews 1:14)

God’s power, His love, and His justice will ensure that Satan and the fallen angels will repent and be transformed back to their original holy state, which they enjoyed when they were first created. They will willingly, humbly, joyfully and thankfully minister forever like the other two-thirds of the holy angels in God’s Eternal Kingdom of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

The Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth, where there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain and no more curse, will not be established on this earth until God has reconciled all things in heaven and all things on earth through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. This includes the reconciliation of Satan and the fallen angels as the key scripture Colossians 1:15-20 clearly and powerfully states.