Mike,

I have enjoyed the Truths you have pointed out. I desire to believe “All” will be saved, but so many verses cast doubt onto this.
Questions: 1. Are there any that go on to Destruction? I know you repeat many times 1 Timothy etc. about “All” will be saved. This is the Fathers will, but doesn’t the word ‘perish’ mean destruction in Joh 3:16? Also, many verses like the parable of the Vine indicate the same feeling. While John the Baptist was baptizing, he used an example of branches thrown into fire being burned up as being destroyed?
2. Is the Christ that comes back in Revelation our Messiah or John’s dreamed- of warrior Messiah?
I believe it is not our Messiah. Christ taught “I come to save the world not destroy it,” “Who is without sin cast the first stone,” “Who that can not forgive will not be forgiven” and “Condemn others & you will be Condemned.”I read a document from a Jewish web site clearly explaining what the Jews were looking for to fulfill the prophecy. This is The Jewish hoped for Messiah, not ours.
What do you Think?

God Bless You,
R____

Hi R____,
Thank you for your question.

Destruction means destruction. All rebellion against God will be destroyed, all flesh will be destroyed:

Mat 22:7 But when the king [ God through Christ] heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

This is not talking about saving these people, as they are. It is about their destruction. But who are these people? They are those who know God and rebel against Him:

Mat 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Mat 22:3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Mat 22:4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and [ my] fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
Matt22:5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Mat 22:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

Those who are destroyed are those who know God and hate what He stands for. This will be the condition of all who God will destroy. Destruction is reserved for those who rebel against God. Destruction is reserved for the carnal mind in all men:

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God

That is why we must all “lose our life:”

Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

And there is the answer to your question. There are very few indeed who can receive that answer. Are you really willing to “lose your life?” I hope you are. That is the only way to find it.
But what is the purpose of having to “lose our life?” Why does our enemy, our flesh and blood body, have to be given up?

1Co 3:13 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.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

“He himself” is the spiritual body. It is not the ‘flesh and blood’ body.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

The whole orthodox Christian world believes that you will be given a spiritual body of flesh and blood. They may modify their words to flesh and bone so as to not appear to be in direct contradiction of this plain, much quoted verse. They quote Christ saying to Thomas:

Luk 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

Since this is the resurrected Christ, this verse is used and abused to prove what is not provable, that after all, flesh can inherit the kingdom of God. But while it is indeed all of the “historical orthodox Christian church” which espouses this false doctrine, they fail to point out that the very reason for which Christ was showing Himself to Thomas and all of His disciples in such a humiliating and disfigured and wounded way, was simply to be able to say these words:

Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [ it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Joh 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

So what is a spiritual body really like? What saith the scripture? What saith Christ Himself?:

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Spiritual bodies are invisible to physical eyes. Spiritual bodies are more real and are far more lasting than physical bodies inasmuch as they are not subject to death. But they are invisible to the natural man. The flesh actually recoils from the thought of its total demise. And yet it must be “destroyed… that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”
I will address a couple of the points mentioned on the Jewish web site that are requirements for a Messiah, such as direct descendant of David, a military leader and be married and have children.
It takes spiritual eyes to see it, so these people will never do so with the eyes they presently possess. Nevertheless Christ will fulfill all three of these qualifications:
1) Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2) Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 3) 2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [ you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of [ his] government and peace [ there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Who will declare His generation?

Act 8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

Abraham is not the father of many nations except in type. The real “everlasting Father” is Christ:

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

I pray that God will give you eyes to see the hidden things of the spirit which the natural man cannot see:

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Mike>