Hell is a Christian Hoax 49

I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard one of these self-appointed TV preachers telling everyone what God "spoke to my heart." They are always telling us of a two-way conversation they recently had with the Lord. "The Lord told me this and that..." "The Lord said thus and such..." "I asked the Lord what He will do, and He told me this..." "The Lord told me to tell the people that a great work is coming." "The Lord is so sad because funds are down and people have stopped tithing." "God said we are on the verge of a really great spiritual revival."

But here is what God really says, but these charlatans can't hear God:

I sent them not, nor commanded them at all, says the LORD" (Jer. 23:30-32)

"I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy in My Name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart" (Jer. 23:25-26)

Is this ancient history only? Hardly. Some of the following source material was gleaned from: (Why All Church-Age Endtime Prophets are False by Ray Waugh, Sr.1915-1995).

PROPHET PETER WALDO:

Founder of the Waldensians, of the late 12th century, Peter Waldo who was not permitted to preach by the Archbishop of Lyons, seeing that he was not ordained. In 1214 Pope Innocent denounced the Waldensians as heretics. Peter taught that the Pope is "the Antichrist," and "the man of sin," which would usher in the return of Jesus and the end of the world. I was taught that Peter Waldo was one of the great defenders of the faith.

His prophecies were false, however, as they never happened.

PROPHETS MARTIN LUTHER, JOHN CALVIN, and others, all took their turn in declaring the residing Pope as the Antichrist which would usher in the return of Christ and the end of the world. They are all false prophets - it never happened.

PROPHET WILLIAM MILLER:

Miller was a Freemason Baptist minister from Pittsfield, Massachusetts who prophesied that Jesus would return on October 22, 1944. He did not. Miller's loyal followers became known as The Seventh Day Adventists

JEHOVAH'S WITNESS PROPHETS:

The JW's prophesied that Jesus would return in 1914. He did not. They then suggested that the "generation of 1914" would not pass until Jesus returned: "Yes, there was a generation of people that was living in 1914, and that saw the major historical changes...We can be happy, therefore, for Jesus' assurance that there will be survivors of 'the generation of 1914' - that this generation will not have completely passed away - when the 'great tribulation' rings down the curtain on this wicked world system." (The Watchtower October 15, 1980, page 31). It is now nearly 100 years since 1914 and Jesus has not yet returned. But "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again":

"In what year, then, would the first 6,000 years of man's existence and also the first 6,000 years of God's rest day come to an end? The year 1975." (Awake! magazine, October 8, 1966, page 19).

PROPHET ARMSTRONG:

Herbert W. Armstrong of Worldwide Church of God fame also prophesied that Jesus would return in 1975 (See booklet: 1975 In Prophecy by Herbert W. Armstrong). I have a copy in my files. Looks like the JW's and Herbert were wrong on this date - Jesus did not return. As 1975 approached, Dr. Rod Meredith suggested that maybe they shouldn't put too much emphasis on that date, as it then looked like it wasn't going to happen. Later the Church made one more attempt by placing Christ's return in the 90's. I believe they have since concluded that they are not very good at setting dates.

PROPHET JACK VAN IMPE:

"Judgment is about to fall for all of the 'rottenness' that runs rampant in our beloved land. If it does not commence in 1976, I have no doubt that unbelievable calamities will occur before 1980." (What In The World Is Happening?" pp. 29-36). It didn't happen. He later suggested that the planets would align themselves in a certain way and all hell would break out in 1982. It didn't happen. He then said the world would run out of food by 1984. It didn't happen. (underline is mine)

How well I remember back in the 80's when a friend assured me that Mr. Van Impe had the truth regarding the return of Jesus. He had figured how exactly how long a "Biblical generation" is. To help them understand that Mr. Van Impe is a false prophet, I spent several days making two charts of the Genealogies of Joseph in Matthew's gospel and Mary's in Luke's account. I proved by using Van Impe's methods of calculation, a generation could be made to vary by as much as 50 years. So anyway, he calculated a Biblical generation to be 48 years. But how does this tell us when Jesus will return? Simple, you just add 48 years to the year 1948 (the year that modern Israel became a nation), and like magic, you have the exact date of Christ's return - 1996! Ah but 1996 has come and gone and Jesus has not yet returned to set up His government over the nations.

PROPHET HAL LINDSEY:

"The Bible fortells ( sic) the signs that precede Armageddon" and "We are the generation that will see the end times ... and the return of Jesus" ("The 1980's: Countdown To Armageddon," 1981. Back Cover of paperback edition).

And like Van Impe, Hal Lindsey has Armageddon taking place sometime in the 1990's. It didn't happen.

PROPHET PAT ROBERTSON:

"During the fifth year, in 1982, Russia strikes Israel, is defeated, and for seven years Israel makes symbolic offerings by fire of Russian war materiel. These seven years are a transition period for Israel and the world. On the eighth year, there begins a new era - a new beginning - for Israel and for the world" (Pat Robertson's Perspective," A special report to members of the 700 Club, February/March 1980. pp. 3 & 5). It hasn't happened.

In the October, 1980, issue of Presbyterian Survey, we find this headline, "Doomsday Tomorrow? Two Leaders Predict It." Those two leaders are Hal Lindsey and Pat Robinson. From the Religious News Service out of New York, we read: "Pat Robertson, the TV evangelist, maintains that the Common Market of Western Europe is the beast with seven heads and 10 horns referred to in the Book of Revelation, and that 'the anti-Christ' will emerge from it." They continue on, "If his dating is 'even close,' Robertson said, 'then we must conclude that there is a man alive today, approximately 27 years old, who is now being groomed to be the Satanic Messiah.'"

"According to Lindsey, the last seven years of history are beginning and 'will culminate with the worst war the world has ever seen, and the Messiah Jesus will come back and stop it and bring about world peace.' That would be the 'millennium,' a thousand year reign by Christ spoken of in Revelation" (The Presbyterian Survey, October, 1980, p. 32). (Underline is mine). Need I remind anyone that their "last seven years of history" began in 1980, and it is now 2010?!

PROPHET BENNY HINN:

The Spirit tells me - Fidel Castro will die - in the 90's. Oooh my! Some will try to kill him and they will not succeed. But there will come a change in his physical health, and he will not stay in power, and Cuba will be visited of God." (Benny Hinn, Orlando Christian Center, Dec. 31st, 1989)

"The Lord also tells me to tell you in the mid 90's, about '94-'95, no later than that, God will destroy the homosexual community of America. ( audience applauds) But He will not destroy it - with what many minds have thought Him to be, He will destroy it with fire. And many will turn and be saved, and many will rebel and be destroyed." (Benny Hinn, Orlando Christian Center, Dec. 31st, 1989).

Comment: Don't you find it interesting that the Lord knew for sure that Fidel Castro would die in the 90's but wasn't sure of the exact year? Also that the Lord told Benny that God would destroy the homosexual community of America, "about '94-'95)?

I believe, that Jesus, God's Son, is about to appear physically, in meetings and to believers around the world, to wake us up!...Paul and Jan are coming to Nairobi with me, but Paul, we may very well come back with footage of Jesus on the platform!...Paul do you remember when I came on TBN years ago and showed you a clip of the Lord appearing in our church in Orlando, on the balcony on the wall? Yeah. You, you remember that? ( Paul Crouch) Very well, I saw it!

( Benny Hinn) ...

The Lord has done this in the past, but He is about to do it again, now hear this, I am prophesying this! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is about to appear physically in some churches, and some meetings, and to many of His people, for one reason - to tell you He is about to show up. You have held back from the Lord in the past, don't you dare do it now. The day will come you'll stand before Him and give an answer. How dare we not give to God. How dare we hold back." By holding back, Benny means holding back from giving lots of money to their ministries. (Benny Hinn, TBN Praise-a-thon, April 2nd, 2000).

I won't take the time to comment on the dozens of other popular false prophets.

"That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

Wherefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant" (Isaiah 30:9-13).

Be sure to read my paper: "In the Great day of the Slaughter When the Towers Fall," found at the top of our bible-truths.com home page. I draw attention to one of the world's most renowned evangelists and a speech he gave at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. after the Nine/Eleven attack on the World Trade Center. You can judge for yourself the "smooth things," and the "deceit" of this famous American evangelist and prophet.

Here's what God says through His inspired Prophet, Jeremiah:

"I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them: they prophesy... the deceit of their heart.

Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, that steal My words...I am against the prophets, says the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He says. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, says the LORD, and do tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, says the LORD" (Jer. 23:30-32)

Well if God did not send this lying prophets, who did? Whose prophets are they? They are the ministers of Satan who present themselves as "ministers of righteousness" (II Cor. 11:15). Here's what Jesus said about false prophets:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Not every one that says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name ...And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity" (Matt. 7:15, 21-23)

And certainly not all the clergy of Christendom are pawns of Satan, but many of them are. Let's get real for a moment, shall we? A few verses before Jesus berates the "many" for their "iniquity" in Matt. 7:17-21, He warns us in verse 15 to:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

Excuse me, but did I not read Jesus' warning correctly? Did Jesus say: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you IN WOLVE'S CLOTHING, but inwardly they are gentle sheep"? Is that what some of you think Jesus said?

Does anyone reading this paper believe for one second that this hideous and disgusting looking creature pictured below from someone's deranged imagination is wearing, "sheep's clothing?" Does this look like a beast that Satan would use to "deceive the whole world?" Give me break...

Bill would have us believe that this monster is one of the Devil's Angels

Maybe we would have more luck in detecting a false prophet in "sheep's clothing" if we paid more attention to the pious preachers in the pulpits wearing a $2000 fine "Cashmere suits"?

"The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so" (Jer. 5:31)

Truer words were never spoken: Show the people how they are being ripped off physically, spiritually, and financially, and more often than not, they will hate you for it. They don't want their ministers (their shepherds, pastors, and prophets) to be honest with them. They want to hear "smooth things," and "deceit," but they do not want to hear Isaiah's report to the nation. All too many "despise this word" of Isaiah. They don't want to hear that:

"When Thy judgments are in the earth, THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD will learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:9)

They would rather hear that there is an eternal hell of torture awaiting those who have not had opportunity to be converted in this lifetime.

There have always been false prophets in God's Church, and they will continue to be there until the end.

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" (II Pet. 2:1)

False prophets are not just something from the past that are found in the Church of God. They are here today in greater numbers than ever: "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived" (II Tim. 3:13).

And just who are these "seducers" of which Paul spoke? Why they are, of course, the "false prophets" of which Jesus spoke:

"For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" (Mark 13:22)

"And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not" (II Peter 2:2)

How well I am acquainted with those who "speak evil of the truth." Although I receive thousands of letters and emails from people around the world who have been set free by our Scriptural teachings on bible-truths.com, I have also received tens of thousands of emails from Christians claiming to know Christ, who damn me to hell and curse our ministry. One would think that showing people hundreds of Scriptures from their own Bibles which promise a world of righteousness and peace would be inspiring to Christians. But no, they get angry for you even to show them such Scriptures.

Case in point: Recently two Jehovah's Witnesses women came to my door (I don't invite them in anymore), but we exchanged a few words at my door. One of them launched into one of their pet topics, to which I quoted a verse of Scripture from memory of the Apostle Paul, that totally contradicted this woman's statement. Her response? She said: "THAT'S not in the Bible!" I assured her that it is, and I showed her where it was in her own New World Translation. They then quickly turned, dusted off their feet, and exited my yard.

And as I have already stated the only difference in the false prophets of the past and those of the present is that they were prophesied to GET WORSE! And just how many are there that "...shall follow their pernicious ways...?" TWO BILLION and counting, that's how many!

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

"And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish" (Isaiah 2:2-3, 17-18)

Isaiah makes it sound like nearly everyone from every nation is in need of learning about the Lord and His laws. What about the two billion self-professed Christians? And by the time this prophecy takes place on earth, there will be many more Christians than the present two billion. It's time we learned and understood that the basic doctrines of Christendom are not Scriptural.

In this paper we are discussing primarily the Christian concept of an eternal hell of torture in fire for most of the human race. Is that God's invention, as Bill and millions of other Christians assure us? That it was initially created for the Devil and his angels, but it has now been expanded to include most of the human race? Where did this idea of burning humans in real fire come from? Is the idea of Torturing people in fire God's invention? No, it was Israel's invention:

"And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into My heart" (Jer. 7:31)

I don't know how to say it any stronger: It is only the religious leaders of Christendom that can possibly fulfill Christ's prophecy:

"And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world ( Gk: 'age') ?

"And MANY false prophets shall rise, and shall DECEIVE MANY. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible ( Thank God that it is not possible...) they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:3, 11, & 24)

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (Matt. 24:4-5)

I marvel that theologians teach that many people will come saying that "they are the Christ," No, Jesus did not say that many would come claiming that they, themselves, are Christ, but rather that He (Christ) is the Christ. Now then, who but Christians teach that Jesus Christ IS THE CHRIST of God? No one, but Christians only. So those who "deceive many" are Christians!

About every ten or twenty years a person will come along and claim that he, himself, is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And so, it is not the "many" who do this, but rather only an occasional one every so many decades. And, no one of normal intelligence (certainly not "the many") would ever really believe that these weirdos really are Jesus Christ. So these rare few are not themselves the "many" nor do they deceive the "many."

It's not the Muslims who teach that Jesus is the Christ. It's not the Hindus who teach that Jesus is the Christ. It is not the heathens or the pagans that teach that Jesus is the Christ. And certainly the athiests do not teach the Jesus is the Christ. You know who they are - they are the pastors, ministers, teachers, prophets, priests, shepherds, and theologians of Christendom. They are "many," and Jesus said they would be deceiving "many." There is no other category of people on earth whose number is "many," who claim to represent Christ, and teach that Christ is the Christ, yet are deceiving "many."

If you really think that the leaders of the Christian Church are not these "many false prophets," who are "deceiving many," then you have to account for them with some other large group that does this, or you make Christ and the Scriptures out to be lying.

It does you no earthly good to get angry with me for bringing this message. Peter said it correctly when he warned that God's "... way of truth shall be evil spoken of" (II Pet.2:2).

Those two Jehovah's Witness ministers at my door got angry with what I said, even though what I said was right there in their own Bibles. I have found that there is nothing more impenetrable than a closed mind. Here's what the apostle John has admonished us to do:

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4:1)

And just how are we to "try the spirits?" Here's how:

"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to THIS WORD, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20)

Amazing how we keep coming back to "Isaiah's report," isn't it?

And for sure, the vast majority of Christians and virtually all orthodox Christians (and of course, their leaders and teachers), "...speak NOT according to this word." You can't find the doctrines of the Christian Church in the Scriptures. I have challenged anyone for many years to prove any major orthodox Christian doctrine from God's Word - the Holy Scriptures. Oh don't get me wrong, show any Christian any Scripture and he will SAY that he believes it. But getting him to show you any Christian doctrines from the Scriptures, and he can't.

One had this defense to my challenge: "Well Ray, you believe that Jesus died for our sins, don't you?" I answered: "Yes, of course I believe, but YOU DON'T." Oh he assured me that he did believe that Jesus died for our sins. I prodded him a little further: "Are you telling me that you, an orthodox Christian, believe that when Jesus DIED for our sins, that He was DEAD?" He quickly responded: "Oh now I didn't say that!"

Of course he didn't, because orthodox Christians do NOT believe that when Jesus was nailed to the cross and died for the sins of the world, that he really died and was dead. No, they think that Jesus' body died, but that Jesus Himself (the real Jesus) ( 1) Went to hell, or ( 2) Went to heaven, or ( 3) Went to paradise - anything but TO THE GRAVE. Only His physical body died and only His physical body was buried, therefore, according to the "souls never die" heresy, Jesus is not the Saviour of the world - the Saviour of World is a CADAVAR!!

Jesus contradicts these lying frauds: "I am He that lives and was DEAD" (Rev. 1:18). On the third day, God the Father did not bring Jesus back from sheol, or hades, or hell, or heaven, or paradise, but rather "God the Father raised Jesus from the DEAD" (Gal. 1:1). They teach such unscriptural heresy because if Jesus was DEAD when He died, then we too are DEAD when we die. And being dead, we don't "go" anywhere - not to heaven, not to paradise, and not to hell. What is the ONLY HOPE for life after we die? Answer:

"For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the DEAD, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming," (I Cor. 15:16-23)

So what is a Christian's ONLY HOPE to live after death? The answer is found in a truth which has all but been thrown into the garbage and trampled under foot. It's called "The Resurrection OF THE DEAD." Oh I am well aware of the fuctional Apostles' Creed stating: "I believe in the resurrection OF THE BODY." Well I don't. I know that Christians do, but I don't, and I'll tell you why: Because there is no such thing in the Bible. I'll give the first person that shows me the words "resurrection of the BODY" in their King James, a thousand dollars. The Bible teaches "the Resurrection of the DEAD - dead PEOPLE, not dead bodies:

"But as touching (Greek: 'peri,' with respect to, concerning, pertaining to, about, on behalf of, ' the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Matt. 22:31-32)

Some ignorant theologians use this verse to prove that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob never died, since it says "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

For crying out loud, can they not read? In what way? Pertaining to WHAT? With respect to WHAT, is God the God of the living? "But as touching ( concerning) THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD...God is the God of the living"! It is only "concerning the resurrection of the DEAD" that God is the God of the living. It is only in "resurrection" that the dead will be once again "living," and God will then be their God.

Acts 17:32 - "...resurrection of the dead."

Acts 24:15, 21; 23:6 - "...resurrection of the dead."

Heb. 6:12 - "...resurrection of the dead."

Phil. 3:11 - "...resurrection of the dead."

I Cor. 15:12, 13, 21, 42 - "...resurrection of the dead."

Rom. 1:4 - "...resurrection of the dead."

Nowhere in the Scriptures do people go to some geographical location when they die. The dead are in the realm of death, not in a literal, heaven or hell. It is only in the resurrection from the dead, that these dead people will be alive again. The idea that dead people go to heaven or hell, but have no body until a resurrection of dead bodies sometime in the future, is pure fantasy straight from the pagan pits of Amenti. And so, as all people who die are presently dead, save Jesus Christ only, these dead people are not presently in hell OR heaven.

Paul says in I Cor. 15 that man's "only hope" of life after death is if there is a resurrection of the dead. And Jesus is the proof that there is a resurrection of the dead - He was the First. When will the next resurrection of the dead be? Answer:

"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep ( euphemism for death) but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Cor.15:51-52). "At the last trump."

Besides, we will not come up even in resurrection with the same old body that we died with. We will be given new bodies, spiritual bodies, and then only at the last trump, NOT WHEN WE DIE!

"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body" (I Cor. 15:42-44)

People do not go to heaven when they die, and they do not go to hell when they die. They go to the grave! And their only hope is a resurrection from the state of the dead. We are being judged now (I Cor. 11:31-32; I Pet. 4:17; Isa. 1:27; etc.

However, for all those millions (billions) of people who never heard of Jesus, or never became a Christian, or didn't even believe that God exists, or hardened criminals who have rejected living righteously, will all come up in resurrection, and they will all be taught the ways of God and His laws, and they "...will learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:9).