Tusk: Special place in hell for Brexiteers without a plan
European Council President Donald Tusk has spoken of a "special place in hell" for "those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan of how to carry it out safely". He was speaking after talks with Irish leader Leo Varadkar in Brussels. Later, Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator, also waded in and tweeted: "Well, I doubt Lucifer would welcome them, as after what they did to Britain, they would even manage to divide hell."
Mr.Tusk's comments brought an angry reaction from Brexit-backing MPs who accused Mr. Tusk of "arrogance". The UK Prime minister's official spokesman said: " In what was the largest democratic exercise in our history, people voted to leave the EU." And added that everyone should now focus on delivering that.
As time runs out the acrimony between the UK and the EU is getting stronger, perhaps because it threatens the European dream of becoming one great Superpower. Which is what the Bible says Europe will become when in Revelation 17 we are told that a group of nations in Europe will give up their power and become "one nation"...
Rev 17:12-14 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:
This is the resurrected Holy Roman Empire which will stand against the Lord Jesus Christ at his return, and both events are evidently – coming soon!
Brexit and Bible prophecy
Many Bible students believe that the Tarshish power mentioned in the Bible correlates to the power of Britain. (Ezekiel 38) Shortly before the Return of Christ, the powers of Russia, North Africa, Iran, Turkey and Europe are prophesied to combine into one super power, whilst Tarshish and a small number of other nations will oppose this; hence the UK will no longer be confederate with Europe at that time. This super power headed by Russia (Gog) invades Israel which will trigger the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to defeat the invading army, save the Jews and establish his Kingdom on the earth. Thus heralding the dawn of a new age of peace and righteousness when God's glory will "fill the earth as the waters cover the sea". (Habakkuk 2:14)
From studying Bible prophecy, it seems clear that Britain's destiny lies outside the EU; Brexit must come, if not now then at some future date.
A few words about hell
Whether or not Mr Tusk and Mr Verhofstadt actually believe in 'Hell' or whether they were merely using a figure of speech -, its worthwhile considering the concept of "hell" in the Bible. Nowhere in the Bible is it taught that Hell is a fiery place of torment into which your immortal soul goes if you are found unworthy of a place in heaven.
No immortal soul
Firstly, the Bible does not teach that you have an immortal soul. It is very clear in the Bible that a soul simply means a living creature. Not something that leaves the body upon death. A soul can die and is therefore not immortal as can be seen by the following verses:
"the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezek 18:4
"save a soul from death" James 5:20
"he spared not their soul from death" Psalm 78:50
"my soul chooseth death rather than my life." Job 7:15
"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Psalm 146:3-4
"the dead know not any thing" Ecclesiastes 9:5-6
"none can keep alive his own soul." Psalm 22:29
Secondly the idea of hell being a fiery place of torment for bad souls to go to is also not Biblical.
When we come across 'hell' in our Bibles we are reading a Hebrew word which has not been fully translated . This Hebrew word is 'sheol' which just means 'a covered place' and the word 'Hell' is just the Anglicized version of it. This 'covered place', or 'hell', is the grave into which dead bodies are placed as we can see in the following verses, where sheol is sometimes put as 'hell' and sometimes more correctly translated as 'the grave':
"Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave (sheol)." Psalm 31:17
"For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (sheol); neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Psalm 16:10
"Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell (sheol) cried I, and thou heardest my voice." Jonah 2:1-2
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave (sheol) whither thou goest." Ecc 9:10
In the New Testament where the original language was Greek, we find the word 'Hades', being used, which has the same meaning as the Hebrew word 'Sheol'.
There is also another word in the Greek translated 'hell' - "Gehenna". Gehenna was an actual place in Jerusalem where rubbish was burned at the time of Christ.
So, in the Old Testament – hell just means the grave and in the New Testament it's the grave or a rubbish tip which was always smouldering. It is from the descriptions of this rubbish tip that some of the ideas of eternal hell fire have come. But, as there is no 'immortal soul' taught in the Bible, and the dead have no consciousness, Hell certainly is not a place where the souls of unrepentant sinners are tortured for eternity.
Therefore the idea of a special place being reserved for Brexiteers is also unbiblical. The Bible teaches that, because of Adam's sin, all of his posterity are rightly destined to end in hell, or the grave, where they will remain unless raised to Judgement at the Return of Christ.
The resurrection
As Christadelphian's we look forward to the resurrection of the sleeping, unconscious dead - of those who have known the gospel and who are therefore responsible to it. A judgment will take place and those who have been found acceptable will, in God's love and mercy, be granted a place with the Lord Jesus Christ. They will have their bodies changed to be made immortal and will help him set up and run the Kingdom of God on earth. The doctrine of the resurrection is throughout all the Scriptures (see Psalm 17:15, Daniel 12:2, Isaiah 26:19, Luke 14:14, John 5:28-29, 6:40, 11:24) and negates the idea that man has an immortal soul. Why would someone need to be raised from the dead if they are already experiencing eternal bliss? It makes no sense!
This language of "hell" is steeped in ancient Church dogma which corrupted the truth of the Bible and fused it with the ideas of paganism. Evidently these ideas are still prevalent as can be seen by the word hell being used by the politicians of today. We look forward to a time when the truth of these things will be known throughout the earth.
As we watch the signs of the times, we see the time fast approaching when the Lord Jesus Christ will return and the resurrection will be a reality: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught away together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 These 4:16 and 17. And we repeat the words of the Apostle Peter at Pentecost 'save yourselves from this corrupt generation' (Acts 2:40-NIV)
For a more full exposition of this topic go to www.BIBLEinthenews.com
Getting Ready for Armageddon
Trump announces huge expansion of US missile defence system... Headline in the Guardian 17 Jan 2019
Arms control experts fear system review, could fuel arms race with Russia and China
In view of the increasingly advanced missile threats from Russia and China and other nations, President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to rapidly expand current missile defenses and build new interceptors, space sensors, and advanced technology to neutralize foreign missiles. President Trump stated that both China and Russia, are fielding more missiles, including hypersonic missiles which are so fast that they cannot be brought down by existing missile defenses. "Our goal is simple:" he said, "To be sure we can detect and destroy any missile launched against the United States, anywhere, any time, and any place,"
The world is getting itself ready for ARMAGEDDON. Not Hollywood's concept of a rogue asteroid or a mutant plague. The Armageddon which the Bible refers to is a real conflict that comes at the time of the end – centred on Israel and Jerusalem. It is a war that will form part of the time of trouble such as never was, which Jesus warned would be at his Return (Matt 24:29-31). It will be a conflagration so great that if God did not intervene by sending his Son back to the earth – no flesh would survive. Everything would be destroyed. All the evidence from a prophecy point of view says that this conflict could begin literally at any time. The World is preparing for war...
Armageddon is a place
And Armageddon is an actual place- the place where the armies of the world will arrive to oppose the Lord Jesus Christ and his Saints as is foretold in the Book of Revelation. Rev 16:16 & 18 NIV
Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.,,, Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.
Verse 14 of this chapter tells of ' the kings of the earth and of the whole world,' in other words , all nations, who have been persuaded to "gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty". Apparently at that time, such animosity will be aroused against the nation of Israel that they will band together to invade, and will be prepared to do battle at a place called Armageddon. It is then that God intervenes by sending The Lord Jesus Christ and his Saints.
The prophets Ezekiel and Zechariah describe the tumultuous battle which follows. In Ezekiel chapter 38 v 9 we read of an invasion of Israel headed by Gog "Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee" (38:9). In response Ez 38:18 tells us 'And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
Ez 38:20-23 all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. .. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: ...
And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.... Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.
With the result that Gog and his army of Nations is destroyed Ez 39:4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee.
The Prophecy of Zechariah
Consistent with Revelation 16, Zechariah 14 presents God as gathering the nations to battle. And Jerusalem is captured. Initially the picture is one of complete defeat for the Israeli forces. The force that invades the Land at the time of the end will be a massive force with highly aggressive intentions. Israel's army, skilful as it is, will be no match for this mighty force and will be overwhelmed.
And it is then, when Israel is utterly unable to deliver itself, that God will intervene
Zechariah 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken. 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 14:4 And his (Jesus') feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Signs that Armageddon is close
So, is this an event which will happen in the far future or is the Battle of Armageddon very close? The Prophet Joel gives us a clue to the timing Joel 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, ( we have experienced Israel restored as a Nation and Jerusalem again proclaimed as its Capital)
3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. ( the Valley of Jehoshaphat is another name for Armageddon)
3:10-11 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
We are seeing the Mighty Ones of China and Russia awakening from their relative peace which followed the Cold War and little weak Nations like N.Korea flexing their muscles too and saying 'we are strong!'. Surely we are very close to the Battle of Armageddon.
A place of Judgement
Armageddon is a Hebrew word, which is taken to mean Mount Megiddo. In the Old Testament Megiddo was a place of numerous decisive battles because of the broad plain that stood before it. Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera and his Canaanite army there (Judges 4-5), Gideon drove off the Midianites and Amalekites ( Judges 6 ).
It is therefore a fittingly symbolic name for the place of judgement on Israel's enemies when Christ returns to establish God's throne. As it happened to Deborah and Gideon, the invader will cover the land; appear triumphant, but will meet his end through Divine intervention. In that day of the battle of God Almighty the people will be delivered by God as they were through Gideon or Deborah and Barak.
The signs of the times
The signs of the times give us every reason to expect that this day is near, and this should be a powerful stimulus to us to prepare for that great and terrible day before it is too late. Let us, then, watch events as they unfold, encouraged that God is in control and that He will bring them to a climax soon when He intervenes to establish His Kingdom.
Bearing in mind the judgements about to be unleashed on the world it would be wise to take heed to the words which Paul gave to the people gathered around him at the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38-40) 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gif t of the Holy Spirit.
2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Welcome
Welcome to our website. We believe the Bible communicates to mankind God's plan and purpose with His creation and how our response to God's offer of salvation provides purpose in our day-to-day lives and hope for eternity. On our website you can find details of free regular Bible talks, discussion groups and courses held in Ipswich; booklets and articles; and how to contact us.
On Sundays we hold Bible Hour at 10 a.m. and at 11:30 we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus by sharing bread and wine in the way Jesus told his disciples to do.
You are warmly invited to join us for our next Bible Hour on Sunday. If you are able to join us then please just turn up.
The theme for our next Bible Hour will be:
The young church in action - 40 days with Jesus
You are also warmly invited to join one of our regular informal Bible discussions groups that are held on Thursdays at 2.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.. Just turn up.
All events are totally free. They happen at Castle Hill Community Centre, Highfield Road, Ipswich. The Bible Hour will be in the main hall. Thursday discussion groups will be in Room 4.
If you would like further information about us, our beliefs or our events please email us by selecting the 'Contact Us' button below, or call us on 01473714555.
Learn about future Bible Talks and other events.
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God willing, the Bible talk for Sunday February 17th at 10:00 pm
at Castle Hill Community Centre is
'Promises in The Bible- in Eden'
You are also invited to our Bible Class on Wednesday
Feb 13th 7:5pm.
The subject is 'Studies in Exodus: Crossing the Red Sea- baptism of a Nation'
Do I Have to grow old?
Do I have to grow old? To make me look younger I can buy numerous anti-ageing products – face creams, hair dyes and toning creams – to name but a few.
If I want a really youthful look, and am prepared to pay, I can have a ‘chin tuck’, a ‘nose job’ or even improve my failing eyesight with laser treatment. But all this doesn’t stop me growing older. So, I ask, why do we all have to grow old?
No Escape
Old age happens to us until finally we die. No one escapes death, not one; you never meet somebody who fought against Napoleon, or heard a speech by George Washington do you?
That’s because everybody dies - but do I have to physically grow old? Can’t I get to 21 and stay like that until I fade away at 75, 85 or whatever? Why does my body have to degenerate?
Well, one thing that ageing makes us do – if we stop to think about it – is to face up to the issue of death. If you always looked 21 you might be tempted to think you were going to live on for ever. But every wrinkle and every grey hair is God’s wake-up call to us. It reminds us that we won’t last forever in our present state.
What God Intended
Death is not the end; it can be just the beginning. When God created the earth and placed man on it, he didn’t design it so that we would die after a mere 70 or so years in which we could enjoy his wonderful creation. No. Death came into the world as a punishment, not as the gateway to heaven, as some people wrongly think. God said to Adam:
“Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19).
Death was a punishment for disobedience and death is there defined as a return to dust. That’s what happens when we die – we cease to exist – unless we do something about it.
“Man who is in honour, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish” (Psalm 49:20);