Amen. A great discovery for me as well. I was going through the book of Ephesians and was prompted to search on the ultimate purpose of God and landed here. God bless .

Too many issues to spend time with any one… but to others reading this post..
be not spoiled through vain philosophy and vainer deceit. “they who as others wrest the scriptures to their own destruction.” reward and punishment is a universal theme throughout the word and reveals the very nature of God toward man. HE COMES IN FLAMING FIRE TAKING VENGEANCE ON THEM THAT KNOW NOT GOD AND OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL. the FEAR OF GOD is the begining of wisdom.

sherry— some quick thoughts. all run the race only one wins the prize,,,run that you might be that one!!! the others who lose that race are those who don’t prepare, who don’t know their way like the one who wins. the winner has fewer distractions to slow their progress, they are the focused ones, not in love with the world, but continually reaching for the prize of the HIGH CALLING OF GOD. Also, we are depicted as differing in glory one from another just as the stars of the heavens. we see that around the throne there are 24 elders who are in close proximity to God–not everyone has that priviledge–only elders. how about the overcomers in the seven churches–they receive a reward far in excess of the rest of the church. as i mentioned also, the differing rewards of the talents. i see no difference of reward to those who go to hell. As for the ten virgins parable, they are in fact called virgins, not whores. they have lamps with oil which speaks of the spirit. they just didn’t prepare as those who had oil (spirit) in excess, not just enough to get by–their weeping is to say –after seeing the reward they failed to obtain– why didn’t I prepare as did the ones who went in, the overcomers. i see all around me the lukewarm. i would characterize almost every christian i have met as falling in this category. they just don’t have the sense of urgency that i have, to know God, and to “GO ON TO PERFECTION.”

Chip – I don’t often have a chance to read your studies, so maybe what I’m about to share is not new. But I’m inclined to believe that hell doesn’t fit into the equation. Man sinned, the punishment was death. Jesus conquered death and the grave. In Hebrew it was called sheol. In Greek, hades. Both mean death, grave, underworld. From what I’ve been able to read, it wasn’t until well after the ascension of Jesus and the death of the disciples that the idea of a “hell” came into church teaching (other religions did have a form of “hell”). Think “Dante’s Inferno.” To the best of my knowledge, there isn’t one place where hell is mentioned in scripture where the word isn’t better translated as “death” or “grave.” Which means something completely different.

An eternity of suffering appears to be a tactic to force man to submit to other men out of fear.

While there are many biblical texts that we point to as proof of hell, I would suggest that this is because the church has taught this manmade tradition for 1700+ years. It’s what we’ve been taught scripture says – rather than what it really says.

An example – the use of the word “brimstone.” Better translated, this should be “sulfur” – which interesting enough is used to PURIFY.

Another example – the rich man and Lazarus. A parable in which Jesus was warning the religious leaders that they were going to lose their position of authority – which they did to the Gentiles – because of their disobedience and rejection of Him.

The sin of one man caused all men to be sinners and received death. Jesus conquered death and the grave for all men. Not “universal reconciliation,” which ignores what Jesus did. But the restoration of all by what Jesus accomplished for all.

Does this make all men “saved?” Not by the typical Christian’s definition. But I’m not interested in man’s tradition.

All men will bow down one day and call Him Lord. And everyone who calls Him Lord will be saved.

The question is the timing. Does scripture actually say man must confess while on earth to be saved? What if God’s purpose for someone like Pharaoh was so that God could glorify Himself to the world? Does a just God condemn a man to “hell” when He Himself has chosen this role for him… or is there another possibility? Do we have the ability to open our own eyes to the truth – as if our confession is what “saves us” – or is it God’s responsibility to open man’s eyes in His timing? And does God have a plan for all men to be redeemed – some by testing on earth while others by “fire” after their physical death?

To the question about different levels of reward and punishment, scripture does say we will be rewarded for our “good works” (obedience to the Law) – which is completely separate to salvation, which we do nothing to earn. It also says that the bondservants/overcomers/firstfruits – first the dead, then those alive – will be caught up to rule and reign for 1000 years. (Bondservant/overcomers/firstfruits are those tested by the Refiner’s fire during the lives). After the 1000 years, the rest of mankind – non-bondservant believers, along with non-believers – will be judged. The overcomers will not be judged – having already been found worthy. Believers will receive their reward, while those who were not believers will be judged according to God’s perfect judgment – purified by fire (“lake of fire” – a picture of God’s law).

And as Chip said – mercy triumphs over judgment. In the end, God is a God of restoration, who does not punish “for eternity” (mistranslation) but for an aeon (unknown – to us – period of time). In the end, all things will be restored to Him.

1 Corinthians 15:22-28 – “22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.”

Dan,
This is something that I have question about. Some say you either go to heaven or you don’t, there is none that will be different in heaven. I have also been taught that there are different levels of heaven and different levels of punishment in hell. In other word’s not all who enter into heaven will be the Bride of Christ sitting at the banquet table before her Husband. I thought the story of the 10 virgins is saying that 5 made it to heaven and 5 did not, I did not know all 10 of them did go to heaven, but only 5 was prepared to meet her Husband, and 5 was put somewhere else in heaven. I’m a little confused about the different levels of reward and punishment?

God will judge by the law of Love, James 2 v 12-13, So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of Love, the law that will set you free. For there will be No Mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over His judgment against you. For all who obey Jesus, who is Love, there will be no judgment, but for those who do not possess Love, they have already been judged.