Old Testament Prophecy – God Saving from Hell?
Old Testament Prophecy of God Saving from Hell?
Son of Man – Can these live?
Verses:
“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.
He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry.
He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”
Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’
“Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.
‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.
Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’”
So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’
“Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
“Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people.
“I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it,” declares the LORD.’” (Ezekiel 37:1 – 14)
Let us remember the ‘impossibility’ uttered by these ‘lost dead souls’ who declared that their ‘hope’ is ‘cut off’:
“Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.'” (Ezekiel 37:11)
God answers beautifully to this ‘impossibility’:
“Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
“Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people.” (Ezekiel 37:12 – 13)
Conclusion:
Here are some beautiful secrets from Old Testament Scripture:
(i) The Problem of Hell is addressed (Word: Sheol or Hades; remember the rich man & Lazarus?)
The ones who put their trust in “lies & falsehood” are in “Sheol” (Hades, Hell) & “Death” in the afterlife believing that there is ‘no’ more hope for them anymore ‘as they claim or believe’:
“Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:” (Isaiah 28:15, KJV)
(ii) God answers not agreeing with their ‘false- eternal hell’ implying belief but rather with this response first:
“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16, KJV)
Christians know from New Testament Scripture that this ‘Chief Conerstone’ refers to ‘Lord Jesus Christ’:
“Have you never read in the Scriptures,” said Jesus, “‘The Stone which the builders rejected has been made the Cornerstone: this Cornerstone came from the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes’?” (Matthew 21:42)
(iii) God Answers in the subsequent verse that it is through this Cornerstone (Christ Himself), that the ‘hopeless ones in Hell’ (Isaiah 28:15) will be ‘saved’ for their Covenant with ‘Death & Hell’ will “not” stand (disannuled, cancelled, not eternal) but through “Judgment” in Hell first till they understand the “report” (called Gospel in Isaiah 53:1, John 12:38*) as verses below clearly describe:
“Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.” (Isaiah 28:17 – 19, KJV)
*”Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1)
“so that word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, that said: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (John 12:38)
“whom (Jesus) it behoveth heaven, indeed, to receive till times of a restoration of all things, of which God spake through the mouth of all His holy prophets from the age.” (Acts 3:21)
Doesn’t it sound the ‘same’ as the ‘Gospel’ (‘report’) being preached to the dead as described below? Amazing, isn’t it?
Consider briefly:
The Gospel preached to the dead too (A mystery or Secret revealed in Holy Scripture):
Either way, nothing can limit His Saving Power & He Saves as He Wills be it from Hell itself as the famous occurrence (in 1 Peter 3:19, 1 Peter 4:5 – 6) proves that He can Save from Hell itself & beyond death.
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” (1 Peter 3:18 – 20, KJV)
(1 Peter 3:19) is the “first occurrence” (and ‘not’ the only occurrence as so commonly erred) of ‘Christ Saving from Hell’ in Scripture.
(1 Peter 4:5 – 6) explains the ‘Saving of Christ from Hell’ is via the order below:
(1) “Gospel being preached to them”, followed by
(2) “Judgment (in Hell)” for them first as only believers do not come under judgment having passed into life.
(3) It doesn’t end there as “their spirit” will eventually “live according to the Will of God” (Salvation achieved).
The ‘outworking’ (big picture) of this hope is given in the verses from 1st Peter above but further details which may not be necessary for us now is not revealed further.
(viii) The conclusion verses below all testify to this ‘same truth’ of “Holy Scripture”:
“For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10)
Indeed, God is Good:
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” – Lord Jesus Christ (John 12:32)
Yes, the Gospel will be preached even to ‘the dead’ as the first (and not the only) occurrence of it is recorded mysteriously in Scripture below; it records ‘their Judgment as men in the flesh first’ (age-during punishment of Matthew 25:46 in Hell) but eventually by the ‘Will of God’, these too will ‘live in the spirit (in the afterlife)’:
“For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:6)
“Who (God our Saviour) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)
Unbelievable, isn’t it?
