22 major reasons to abandon the Premil doctrine

[Timtofly]

It's abundantly clear for those with understanding of Scripture that The Revelation of Christ written by John is NOT in chronological order!

What order is it written in then? Is the Bible not written in Chronological Order either?

 

[rwb]

What order is it written in then? Is the Bible not written in Chronological Order either?

The Revelation is written much like we find in the writings of the prophets. That is with much symbolism and allegory. Just as Matthew, Mark, and Luke write of varying versions of the same events, so too the Revelation of Jesus Christ repeats the same event from varying points of view or perspectives. John seems to repeat again and again how the end of the Old Covenant written to Israel of old has come to an end and the New Covenant through Christ is written to the universal church on earth and is extended to all the nations of the world. Trying to read the Revelation in chronological order makes a complete mockery of the book.

 

[Timtofly]

Meanwhile, about those promises...

There is not a single NT promise for physical Israel outside of Christ.

In God's New Will and Testament, all covenants and promises are fulfilled only in Christ, and in those who are in Christ.

The OT covenants and promises are the promissory clauses of God's Old Will and Testament, and they are both revoked and fulfilled in the promissory clauses of His New Will and Testament, written in the Blood of His Son Jesus Christ, the Divine Testator, coming into full force and effect upon His death.

If you have made your own Will and Testament, you will see that the very first clause states the following or its equivalent:

"I HEREBY REVOKE all former Wills and other testamentary dispositions by me at any time therefore made and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament."

This means that all former wills and testaments, and all of their promissory clauses in their entirety, are completely null and void. In their place, the promissory clauses of the current last new will and testament are the only ones in force and effect. Any promissory clause which appeared in the old will and testament, but does not appear in the new will and testament, is irrevocably null and void unless yet another new will and testament is made which re-includes it.

Thus we see:

Hebrews 9
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

Hebrews 10
9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

Hebrews 8
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

God`s New Will and Testament is everlasting:

Hebrews 13
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.

There is none greater.

We see other new promissory clauses of the New Will and Testament in:

Matthew 21:33-45
In this parable, the son, who is identified as the heir, typifies Christ.

Galatians 3:16
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:20
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Hebrews 1:1,2
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

In them, we see that the Heir and Beneficiary is Christ alone, that all of the promises are affirmed and confirmed in Him, and that He is Heir of all things. All includes the OT land promises, the restoration promises, the blessings promises, and all else. There are no exceptions.

If you deny that God has appointed His Son alone as heir of all things, you declare God to be a liar.

His New Will and Testament contains even better promises:

Hebrews 8
6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Such as:

Hebrews 11
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Additional promissory clauses in...:

Romans 8:16-17
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

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

...declare that we who are in Christ are joint heirs with Him.

But notice:

There are no promissory clauses for anyone, Jew or Gentile...

Who is not in Christ.

So the whole point of rebuttal is that the promise of the new covenant was also revoked, so the new covenant made the new covenant also null and void?

The point made was the new covenant, and had nothing to do with the old covenant one bit.

That was a long post just to nullify your own point in the post. You think God never explained the New Testament in the Old Testament at all? And that, that explanation was nullified once the New Testament was written?

You seem to indicate any mention of the New Testament was just a promissory clause of the Old Testament. Implication speaks louder than one can image.

 

[Timtofly]

But that is speaking of the NHNE earth. When does the NHNE arrive in your opinion - before or after the millennium?

Why would Satan be loosed in the NHNE? Satan is already in the LOF when Jesus hands back creation to God. How many creations exist in Revelation? 7? How many times in Revelation is creation explicitly handed back to God? Since you expect explicit words from Scripture, how can you expect us to accept your 7 accounts of creation, being handed back to God, in the book of Revelation?

 

[covenantee]

So the whole point of rebuttal is that the promise of the new covenant was also revoked, so the new covenant made the new covenant also null and void?

The point made was the new covenant, and had nothing to do with the old covenant one bit.

That was a long post just to nullify your own point in the post. You think God never explained the New Testament in the Old Testament at all? And that, that explanation was nullified once the New Testament was written?

You seem to indicate any mention of the New Testament was just a promissory clause of the Old Testament. Implication speaks louder than one can image.

Hebrews 8
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

So you believe that Hebrews 8:13 makes the new covenant null and void.

Have you informed the Holy Spirit of His error?

 

[BreadOfLife]

Have you been living on another planet this past 30 years? Look how many Roman priests that have been exposed as pedophiles in recent years? This is gross institutional perversion. It is sick.

YOUR claim of “tens of thousands” is patently false. The numbers were FAR less than that – so at least TRY to stay honest here . . .

And don’t fool yourself that this is a “Catholic” problem. The molestation problem is FAR WORSE in Protestant circles, as outlined in the book Pedophiles and Priests, by Protestant author, Philip Jenkins. He lays out the insurance and FBI statistics that PROVE this.

Soooo, MY question to YOU is, “Have YOU been living on another planet this past 30 years?”
READ the headlines . . .
How Protestant Churches Hid Sexual Abuse ...
Blogger Who Exposed Protestant Sex Abuse Cover Up Sued By Her Pastor
Denial About Sexual Abuse In Evangelical Churches
Southern Baptists Apologize For Sex Abuse Coverups
Confronting Evangelical Enabling of Sexual Abuse
Bombshell: sex abuse, coverup in America's largest Protestant ...
Southern Baptist leaders covered up sex abuse, kept secret ...
Clergy Abuse Coverup within the Protestant Church
A History of Sex Abuse in the Protestant Imagination
FAQ: Sexual Abuse by Protestant Clergy - The Doan Law Firm
1 in 10 Young Protestants Have Left a Church Over Abuse
Evangelicals ‘worse’ than Catholics on sexual abuse
Evangelical Sex Abuse Record ‘Worse’ Than Catholic, Says Billy Graham’s Grandson
Protestants can no longer dismiss abuse as a ‘Catholic problem’
Child Sex Abuse More Prevalent Among Protestants Than Among Catholics
There Is More Sexual Abuse In The Protestant Churches Than Catholic
Catholic priests no guiltier of sex abuse than other clergy
Data Shed Light on Child Sexual Abuse by Protestant Clergy
Blogger Who Exposed Protestant Sex Abuse Cover Up Sued By Her Pastor
Denial About Sexual Abuse In Evangelical Churches
Southern Baptists Apologize For Sex Abuse Coverups
U.S. Protestants’ Views Mixed about Extent of Clergy Sexual Abuse
Churchgoers Split on Existence of More Sexual Abuse by Pastors
Confronting Evangelical Enabling of Sexual Abuse
Child abuse a Calvinist problem, podcast says

 

[WPM]

YOUR claim of “tens of thousands” is patently false. The numbers were FAR less than that – so at least TRY to stay honest here . . .

And don’t fool yourself that this is a “Catholic” problem. The molestation problem is FAR WORSE in Protestant circles, as outlined in the book Pedophiles and Priests, by Protestant author, Philip Jenkins. He lays out the insurance and FBI statistics that PROVE this.

Soooo, MY question to YOU is, “Have YOU been living on another planet this past 30 years?”
READ the headlines . . .
How Protestant Churches Hid Sexual Abuse ...
Blogger Who Exposed Protestant Sex Abuse Cover Up Sued By Her Pastor
Denial About Sexual Abuse In Evangelical Churches
Southern Baptists Apologize For Sex Abuse Coverups
Confronting Evangelical Enabling of Sexual Abuse
Bombshell: sex abuse, coverup in America's largest Protestant ...
Southern Baptist leaders covered up sex abuse, kept secret ...
Clergy Abuse Coverup within the Protestant Church
A History of Sex Abuse in the Protestant Imagination
FAQ: Sexual Abuse by Protestant Clergy - The Doan Law Firm
1 in 10 Young Protestants Have Left a Church Over Abuse
Evangelicals ‘worse’ than Catholics on sexual abuse
Evangelical Sex Abuse Record ‘Worse’ Than Catholic, Says Billy Graham’s Grandson
Protestants can no longer dismiss abuse as a ‘Catholic problem’
Child Sex Abuse More Prevalent Among Protestants Than Among Catholics
There Is More Sexual Abuse In The Protestant Churches Than Catholic
Catholic priests no guiltier of sex abuse than other clergy
Data Shed Light on Child Sexual Abuse by Protestant Clergy
Blogger Who Exposed Protestant Sex Abuse Cover Up Sued By Her Pastor
Denial About Sexual Abuse In Evangelical Churches
Southern Baptists Apologize For Sex Abuse Coverups
U.S. Protestants’ Views Mixed about Extent of Clergy Sexual Abuse
Churchgoers Split on Existence of More Sexual Abuse by Pastors
Confronting Evangelical Enabling of Sexual Abuse
Child abuse a Calvinist problem, podcast says

You clearly have such a hatred of Protestantism and biblical truth. You are incapable of being objective. You have bought into the lies of your anti-Protestant websites and their false narrative. The fact you have all this junk collated shows that you have been defending the many thousands of pervert priests all over the world for years. The perverted scandals are off the Richter scale. This is a massive epidemic in the RCC. Back 10 years ago CNN highlight how 5000 priests had been found guilty of gross child abuse. Everywhere in the world you look is the same. Portugal's Catholic clergy sexually abused nearly 5,000 minors. These are facts. But these are only the ones who have been caught. What about the rest.

I was a Police Officer in Northern Ireland, the RCC depravity was out of control. The RCC covered over and protected the abusers.

My wife is a former Catholic, many of her family are. Her brother was abused by one of your pervert priests. The whole family refuse to go to chapel now. Many have found true Christianity. They found Jesus. They reject all the religious nonsense.

I am a Pastor. Many of our congregants are former Catholics. The RCC are currently in the process of closing 11 rural churches due to low attendance. We are actually building a new bigger church.

You need to come out from this wicked system.

 

[WPM]

Why would Satan be loosed in the NHNE? Satan is already in the LOF when Jesus hands back creation to God. How many creations exist in Revelation? 7? How many times in Revelation is creation explicitly handed back to God? Since you expect explicit words from Scripture, how can you expect us to accept your 7 accounts of creation, being handed back to God, in the book of Revelation?

You are avoiding again. That is what you do.

When does the NHNE arrive in your opinion - before or after the millennium?

 

[BreadOfLife]

LOL. Really? Here we go again. More false claims but zero Scripture. Let's put it to the test and see if you run again:

Where in the Bible does it teach Purgatory occurs after death?
Where in the Bible does it teach papal infallibility?
Where in the Bible does it teach Mary as Co-redempter
Where in the Bible does it teach Mary as mediator?
Where in the Bible does it teach indulgences?
Where in the Bible does it teach transubstantiation?

NO problem.
Purgatory - 2 Macc. 12:42-46, Matt. 5:25-26. 1 Cor. 3:12-15, Matt. 12:32, Matt. 18:32-35 and Luke 12:58-59

Papal infallibility – Matt. 16:18-19, Matt. 18:15-18, Luke 10:26, John 16:12-15

Transubstantiation - Luke 22:19–20, Matt. 26:26–28, Mark 14:22–24, 1 Cor. 11:23–25

Intercession/Mediation – 1 Tim. 2:1, James 5:16, 1 John 5:16, Rev. 5:8, Rev. 8:3-4

Indulgences - Matt. 16:18-19, Matt. 18:15-18, John 16:12-15

Co-Redemptor – Col. 1:24
YOUR problem, as is the problem with EVERY anti-Catholic is that you don’t have a CLUE as to what certain words like “Co” means. For your information, it does NOT mean “Equal” – it means “With”. We cooperate with God’s grace. Paul uses the Greek work, subergos (1 Cor. 3:9, 2 Cor. 6:1).

Anything else?

 

[BreadOfLife]

You obviously have no concept what the Protestant born again Church is, but practicing and justifying homosexuality or murdering innocent babies is not part of the true Church. That relates to the dead duck liberal apostate churches and the Roman Church. It is they that practice that, cover up and promote that. Tens of thousands of pedophile priests are testimony to that.

Again with the “tens of thousands lie?
Apparently, YOU didn’t learn anything from my LAST post to you and how the problem is WORSE in YOUR Protestant factions.

Lety me refresh your memory . . .

How Protestant Churches Hid Sexual Abuse ...
Blogger Who Exposed Protestant Sex Abuse Cover Up Sued By Her Pastor
Denial About Sexual Abuse In Evangelical Churches
Southern Baptists Apologize For Sex Abuse Coverups
Confronting Evangelical Enabling of Sexual Abuse
Bombshell: sex abuse, coverup in America's largest Protestant ...
Southern Baptist leaders covered up sex abuse, kept secret ...
Clergy Abuse Coverup within the Protestant Church
A History of Sex Abuse in the Protestant Imagination
FAQ: Sexual Abuse by Protestant Clergy - The Doan Law Firm
1 in 10 Young Protestants Have Left a Church Over Abuse
Evangelicals ‘worse’ than Catholics on sexual abuse
Evangelical Sex Abuse Record ‘Worse’ Than Catholic, Says Billy Graham’s Grandson
Protestants can no longer dismiss abuse as a ‘Catholic problem’
Child Sex Abuse More Prevalent Among Protestants Than Among Catholics
There Is More Sexual Abuse In The Protestant Churches Than Catholic
Catholic priests no guiltier of sex abuse than other clergy
Data Shed Light on Child Sexual Abuse by Protestant Clergy
Blogger Who Exposed Protestant Sex Abuse Cover Up Sued By Her Pastor
Denial About Sexual Abuse In Evangelical Churches
Southern Baptists Apologize For Sex Abuse Coverups
U.S. Protestants’ Views Mixed about Extent of Clergy Sexual Abuse
Churchgoers Split on Existence of More Sexual Abuse by Pastors
Confronting Evangelical Enabling of Sexual Abuse
Child abuse a Calvinist problem, podcast says

 

[BreadOfLife]

Your list is unfair at best and dishonest at worst. The bulk of Protestant denominations adhere to the ‘Apostles Creed.’ Your list deliberately highlights minority views within mainstream Protestantism, and you toss in a few known false cults. Then you add things from unbelievers and use them to besmirch Protestants.

Not impressed.

Ummmm, exactly which items on this list offend you.
I can point you to a Protestant congregation near me that fits the bill for EVERY ONE of them.

Nothing "dishonest" here . . .

 

[BreadOfLife]

And that Church isn't Roman Catholicism

Vatican City Is Built Upon Graves Of Torture And Death, Where Nero's Circus Once Stood

Roman Emperor Constatine is the father of Roman Catholicism, he built St Peter's Cathedral, and he was the civil authority carrying out banishment of Christians at the request of his created State Church

The 325AD Council of Nicaea saw 1800 invitations given to bishops throughout the Roman Empire all expenses paid for travel and lodging, only 318 showed up to Constatines invitation, some put the number at 250

The Church on earth wanted nothing to do with Constatine or his newly created (State Church) that is now Roman Catholicism in lineage, with Vatican City sitting on the very same place Constatine originated, Nero's Circus of torture and death

Jesus Is The Lord

Wikipedia: St Peter's Basilica

History: The area now covered by the Vatican City had been a cemetery for some years before the Circus of Nero was built. It was a burial ground for the numerous executions in the Circus and contained many Christian burials

What an embarrassment, you are . . .

The fact that St. Peter’s is built upon the very ground where Christians were once put to death totally escapes your understanding does NOT surprise me.

This is a VICTORY for Christendom – not a point of shame. As a matter of fact, the Obelist in St. Peter’s square – where Peter Himself was crucified, has a CRUCIFIX on top of it, signifies the ultimate victory of Christ over paganism.
Only a FOOL doesn’t understand the significance of this . . .

Oh, and since you always regurgitate the same asinine vomit about Constantine having founded the Catholic Church – I need for you to produce a SINGLWE Church document with his name on it that even alludes to this lie.

I’ll wait right here for your “proof” . . .


PS - "Roman Catholicism" is a Liturgical Rite, Einstein.
It's NOT the name of the Church . . .

 

[WPM]

NO problem.
Purgatory - 2 Macc. 12:42-46, Matt. 5:25-26. 1 Cor. 3:12-15, Matt. 12:32, Matt. 18:32-35 and Luke 12:58-59

Papal infallibility – Matt. 16:18-19, Matt. 18:15-18, Luke 10:26, John 16:12-15

Transubstantiation - Luke 22:19–20, Matt. 26:26–28, Mark 14:22–24, 1 Cor. 11:23–25

Intercession/Mediation – 1 Tim. 2:1, James 5:16, 1 John 5:16, Rev. 5:8, Rev. 8:3-4

Indulgences - Matt. 16:18-19, Matt. 18:15-18, John 16:12-15

Co-Redemptor – Col. 1:24
YOUR problem, as is the problem with EVERY anti-Catholic is that you don’t have a CLUE as to what certain words like “Co” means. For your information, it does NOT mean “Equal” – it means “With”. We cooperate with God’s grace. Paul uses the Greek work, subergos (1 Cor. 3:9, 2 Cor. 6:1).

Anything else?

LOL. What a joke! There are no mentions of your apostate teaching in these. You know it! That is why you refused to quote one single passage. To quote your alleged evidence would show it up for what it is: extra-biblical nonsense. Your organization may deceive some but not all. Protestantism has exposed Rome for what it is. It is the truth that sets men free, not lies.

 

[BreadOfLife]

LOL. What a joke! There are no mentions of your apostate teaching in these. You know it! That is why you refused to quote one single passage. To quote your alleged evidence would show it up for what it is: extra-biblical nonsense. Your organization may deceive some but not all. Protestantism has exposed Rome for what it is. It is the truth that sets men free, not lies.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it’s a “final purification of the elect” (1030-1032).

In 1 Cor. 10:15, this is how the process is described:
"According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day (judgment) will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person WILL be saved, but only as through fire."

This CANNOT be Heaven because there is NO suffering in Heaven.
This CANNOT be Hell because the person is eventually “Saved”.
This is describing a THIRD state – that of final purification before entering Heaven.

Since Rev. 21:27 tells us that NOTHING unclean can enter Heaven, a final purification (purgation) is necessary for some before entering heaven. Those in Purgatory will indeed make it into heaven.

I, the Old Testament, there are MANY verses that describe God handing out his justice as a Refiner. A refiner is someone who takes the raw material for metal and actually gets the gold and silver and iron from that material - and he does it with FIRE. We see in Mal. 3:3, Jer. 6:27-30, Ezek. 22:18, Psalm 119:119, Psalm 37:20, Zech. 13:9, Isa 48:10, where God is the Refiner who burns away the impurities to get to the precious metal – the gold and silver.

Give me a BIBLICAL refutation - not a pathetic blanket denial like before.

 

[Timtofly]

You have the wrong concept of bible study.
Opinions are arrived from gathering and studying material to interpret and form a belief or an opinion. Even on facts already established,to get to other meanings and different levels. The biblie may not use the words,millennium, or rapture. But the meaning is there. The word homosexual is not used in Romans 1. But we know what Paul means.
If everything was laid out clearly like reading Tom Sawyer,where would the study be?
The rapture,millennium all sorts of things are there. With the Holy Spirit as a teacher,you have to dig it out.

What does Isaiah 11 say to you?

I am pretty sure Amil think that only amil is taught in the Scripture even though the word is not found once, yet they want explicit words to appear in Scripture for all other views. They are about the only ones guilty of doing what they claim others do. Their own way of interpreting Scripture via their own personal bias seems immune to their refutation of others.

 

[Truther]

That's correct, Roman Emperor Constatine is the father of Roman Catholicism, he built St Peter's Cathedral, and he was the civil authority carrying out banishment of Christians at the request of his created State Church

The 325AD Council of Nicaea saw 1800 invitations given to bishops throughout the Roman Empire all expenses paid for travel and lodging, only 318 showed up to Constatines invitation, some put the number at 250

The Church on earth wanted nothing to do with Constatine or his newly created (State Church) that is now Roman Catholicism in lineage, with Vatican City sitting on the very same place Constatine originated, Nero's Circus of torture and death

Jesus Is The Lord

Wikipedia: St Peter's Basilica

History: The area now covered by the Vatican City had been a cemetery for some years before the Circus of Nero was built. It was a burial ground for the numerous executions in the Circus and contained many Christian burials

Excellent post.

 

[BreadOfLife]

Excellent post.

When you have to praise your own posts - that's when you know you hit rock bottom . . .

 

[covenantee]

When you have to praise your own posts - that's when you know you hit rock bottom . . .

Better toss your papist goggles in the trash.

They're not working.

 

[Truth7t7]

When you have to praise your own posts - that's when you know you hit rock bottom . . .

Rock bottom is paying homage to the pope and the Roman catholic catechism

 

[WPM]

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it’s a “final purification of the elect” (1030-1032).

In 1 Cor. 10:15, this is how the process is described:
"According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day (judgment) will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person WILL be saved, but only as through fire."

This CANNOT be Heaven because there is NO suffering in Heaven.
This CANNOT be Hell because the person is eventually “Saved”.
This is describing a THIRD state – that of final purification before entering Heaven.

Since Rev. 21:27 tells us that NOTHING unclean can enter Heaven, a final purification (purgation) is necessary for some before entering heaven. Those in Purgatory will indeed make it into heaven.

I, the Old Testament, there are MANY verses that describe God handing out his justice as a Refiner. A refiner is someone who takes the raw material for metal and actually gets the gold and silver and iron from that material - and he does it with FIRE. We see in Mal. 3:3, Jer. 6:27-30, Ezek. 22:18, Psalm 119:119, Psalm 37:20, Zech. 13:9, Isa 48:10, where God is the Refiner who burns away the impurities to get to the precious metal – the gold and silver.

Give me a BIBLICAL refutation - not a pathetic blanket denial like before.

Who writes your script? Ahhh, that's right, El Papa. Do you still believe in Limbo? Oh, of course not, the Pope has now resigned that nonsense to the garbage bag of history. Why not recognize what we all see: your institution makes it up as it goes, and the faithful are required to blindly follow?

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 is not talking about some imaginary ongoing purging of the dead in Christ in purgatory during the intra-Advent period. There is no mention of that. There is no such place. That is a Roman Catholic invention. Read the text! It is talking about judgment day. It is talking about the second coming.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 says, “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.”

1 Corinthians 4:5 says, “judge nothing before the time, until the lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

When Christ comes, at His Second Advent, He will “bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” Judgment day is therefore a very personal day of judgment for every single soul, in which each individual receives his final just sentence. Christ will expose everything at His coming. This only serves to prove that mankind are judged at the Second Advent.

Refining

Just like the Refiner uses natural fire to burn away the dross from a precious metal in the oven, God refines us through the trials of life.

The fire burns away your pride, your confidence in self, your stubbornness and rebellion, and your independence. He uses this to bring you to the place of usability and effectiveness. The gold within you is Christ, the dross within you is self,

1 Peter 1:7

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

The bottom line is: the only way that Christ will be seen when you get out of the way. God has to burn away the dross from the gold or silver.

Malachi 3:3 says, “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.”

The “gold and silver” in this passage is you and me. It is us that must go through this purging process in order that we can shine for Christ. There is therefore a very definite purpose for this experience. In fact, it is impossible for silver or gold to be brought forth which has not went through the fire to burn off all the impurities – all the dross. It is the exact same with the believer – the exact same.