Many question whether Adam will receive any benefit from the ransom sacrifice that Jesus provided. The argument is that Adam sinned willfully, and thus no ransom could be provided for him. In this study we will be examining some the arguments and many present to conclude that Adam was not included in the ransom, and the reasons that we believe that Adam is included in the ransom sacrifice.

If Adam is not to be restored to life, this would mean that Adam did not die the death in Adam, and must have therefore died the second death. This would, in effect, mean that the death in Adam is actually the second death. This, in turn, would mean that the whole human race was condemned in Adam to the second death. And thus the self-contradiction of this error becomes apparent.

Jesus paid the debt for the condemnation upon Adam. The same condemnation that was upon Adam came upon the whole human race. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22) There was not one condemnation upon Adam and a different condemnation for the rest of mankind, as the Watchtower, and some others, teach. Jesus paid the penalty that was upon Adam. If he didn’t, then none of us have been redeemed, since it is the penalty upon Adam that is the whole basis of the ransom. If Jesus paid the condemnation upon Adam, and if the condemnation upon human race is a different condemnation, then only Adam is redeemed, and the human race in Adam has not been redeemed. Only if it is the same condemnation could there be any application of the ransom to the whole world of mankind. And since it is the same condemnation, as can be seen in Romans 5:12-19 and 1 Corinthians 15:21,22, then Jesus did indeed pay the price for the condemnation of Adam, and thus Adam is included in that ransom, and would be due the benefits provided by that ransom.

The statement is made in The Watchtower of February 15, 1991:

Neither Adam nor Eve, however, benefit from the ransom. The Mosaic Law contained this principle: “You must take no ransom for the soul of a murderer who is deserving to die.” (Numbers 35:31) Adam was not deceived, so his sin was willful, deliberate. (1 Timothy 2:14) It amounted to the murder of his offspring, for they now inherited his imperfection, thus coming under sentence of death. Clearly, Adam deserved to die, for as a perfect man, he had willfully chosen to disobey God’s law. It would have been contrary to Jehovah’s righteous principles for him to apply the ransom in Adam’s behalf. Paying the wage for Adam’s sin, however, does provide for the nullifying of the death sentence upon Adam’s offspring! (Romans 5:16) In a legal sense, the destructive power of sin is cut off right at its source. The ransomer ‘tastes death for every man,’ bearing the consequences of sin for all of Adam’s children.—Hebrews 2:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24.

What this overlooks is that we are condemned with the same condemnation that was placed upon Adam. Why is this so? Because, just as Adam sinned, so we would we have all sinned if placed under the same conditions under which Adam sinned. Because of this, God, in His wisdom is just in condemning all in the one man, so that only one sinless man would be needed to buy the world mankind back from sin. If Adam receives no benefit from the ransom, then neither does anyone else, since all share his condemnation; if his condemnation was such for which no ransom could be provided, then no ransom has been provided for anyone who is dying by means of Adam’s disobedience, since all are under the same condemnation that came upon Adam. — Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22.

Adam was not under the Mosaic Law Covenant, he was under a covenant of obedience to one command: not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. When he disobeyed, then “sin entered into the world.” (Romans 5:12) The law covenant was a provided with the thought that if any obeyed that law, he could thereby be justified and gain everlasting life by keeping the Law. In effect, the Law covenant was given as result of Adam’s sin, and the general condemnation upon mankind through Adam’s sin.  We know that the law covenant was not in effect so as to bring judgment under law until Moses, for we read: “until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed (counted, reckoned) when there is no law.” (Romans 5:13) Nonetheless, the sin of Adam was imputed before the law as can be seen by Romans 5:14-19, thus all were made sinners by means of Adam’s sin.

To further show that Adam was not under the Mosaic Law Covenant: Adam was fully righteous before he sinned; Adam was not a sinner until he sinned; the Law was made for sinners, those made so due to Adam’s sin;  the  Law Covenant was made for a righteous person as Adam was before Adam sinned (1 Timothy 1:19), with the promise that any who could obey the Law would, in effect, justify himself so as to be released from the condemnation in Adam so that he could live forever. (Leviticus 18:5; Mark 10:16-19; Romans 10:5) Of course, due to the crooked condition (Ecclesiastes 1:15; 7:13) and subjection to futility (Ecclesiastes 1:2,13,14; Romans 8:20) that mankind was placed under due to Adam’s sin, none could obey that Law perfectly, and thus righteousness (justification) could not come by obeying the law covenant. — Acts 13:39; Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; 3:11,21.

The very basis of the atoning sacrifice through Jesus is that Jesus paid the wages of Adam’s sin, so that the debt for Adam’s sin was placed upon Jesus, and thus the wages could be lifted from Adam. Indeed, to say that Jesus paid the wages for Adam’s sin but that the wages for Adam’s sin remains upon Adam is self-contradictory! It would mean that the wages for Adam’s own sin was something more than the wages of Adam’s sin that was passed on to Adam’s offspring!

In effect, it would mean that the condemnation upon all mankind is considered something different than the condemnation upon Adam. If Jesus paid the wages for Adam’s sin, it was Adam’s sin that was covered by the payment of that wages, not a different ‘wages’ that is being assumed to have resulted from Adam’s sin, but which is would not actually be the wages of Adam’s sin for Adam himself. And, if the wages of Adam’s sin was such that no ransom could cover his sin, then how could any who are of his offspring who are included in that sin be ransomed?

In truth, the wages of Adam’s sin (both for Adam and all his offspring) would have been eternal had it not been for the ransom sacrifice of Jesus which paid the debt of the wages of Adam’s sin. If the ransom sacrifice of Jesus does not remove the wages of Adam’s from Adam, and/or if Adam is never released from the wages of his sin, in effect, it would mean that the ransom sacrifice did not actually pay that debt, and thus no one has been saved through the redemption of Jesus.

The argument is made that we as Adam’s offspring having Adam’s curse never had the same choice as Adam because we were never “perfect” — we were born handicapped. This again, overlooks the truth that all of us, given the same experience that Adam had, and the same knowledge that Adam had, would have done exactly the same thing that Adam did. We all would have made the same choice, and our first choice is accounted as having been made through Adam; Adam, being inexperienced with sin, submitted to his own desire for his wife, and her belief in the serpent’s promise of becoming wise. Thus Peter wrote of the “corruption that is in that world by [means of] lust.” (2 Peter 1:4) Paul wrote that “knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21) “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:22) Adam was not deceived concerning the forbidding of the fruit, but he was fooled by his own desire for his wife, and her desire to become wise, which she thought would come to her due to her obeying the serpent rather than Yahweh. Paul, however, implies that that Adam, by joining Eve in this foolishness, share this foolishness with her. Eve put faith in the serpent’s promise, and Adam joined with her by obeying his wife rather than his Creator. (Romans 1:25) As a result, God made all of Adam’s offspring crooked (Ecclesiastes 1:15; 7:13; Philippians 2:15), under a bondage of corruption from which they all need to be delivered (Romans 8:21), in subjection to futilty/vanity. (Ecclesiastes 1:2,14; 2:11,17; Romans 8:20) “God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness.” (Romans 1:24) “God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful: who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them. Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judges another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things.” (Romans 1:28-2:1, American Standard Version) And Paul shows in the next chapters that all of mankind, both Jew and Gentile, are thus condemned by means of Adam’s sin, and he says: “we previously charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.” — Romans 3:9, World English.

The second chance for the whole human race, including Adam, comes because of the promise made of a seed that was to bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15), which promise Adam and Eve heard. The scriptures do not specifically state that Adam and Eve put faith in that promise, but the words of Genesis 4:1,25 show that they did, to some extent, have some kind of faith in that promise.

The argument is presented that after the resurrection we will be perfect and if then we should sin we would be subject to the second death, thus if God gives Adam a second chance…for he was created perfect… then God would have to give any of us… after being resurrected perfect….and who then sin “another chance.”

This argument again overlooks that all of us are included in the “first chance” given in Adam, for we would all have done exactly the same thing that he did. What is being proposed above would actually be a “third” chance, not just “another” chance. This would then place an assumption upon Yahweh, that Yahweh would provide a third chance after having given a full individual opportunity in the “second chance.” In fact, God’s justice was not obliged to provide even a second chance, but his love extended to satisfy justice through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. However, once one has received the “second chance”, whether in this age or the next, having become “not of this world” that has been corrupted through lust, but of the new creation that belongs to the age to come, if the new creation sins, being a fully willful sin, there is no more sacrifice for sin. The new creature cannot return to the condemnation in Adam, but he comes under a new condemnation, the second death. There is no ransom sacrifice provided for those who come under this new condemnation. It is the “second death” — not the death in Adam — that poses a “threat” to the new creature until the new creature overcomes. — Revelation 2:11.

Mankind in general is not under the condemnation of the second death. The condemnation upon man through Adam is the the death in Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Romans 5:15-19) It was from the death in Adam, generally called the “Adamic death,” which death results in the oblivious condition of hades/sheol (Ecclesiastes 9:5), that Jesus physically died to rescue mankind from. (1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Romans 5:6,8,15-19) It is from death and hades, not the second death, that mankind is rescued from. — Hosea 13:14; Revelation 20:13.

No human can come under the condemnation of the second death, except that he first be “made alive” from the death in Adam. The overall application of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus belongs, not in this age, but the age to come, in the regeneration (Matthew 19:28), when the whole world will be made alive in the resurrection day. (John 5:28,29; 6:39,40,44,54; 11:24; John 12:47,48; Acts 24:15) The world in general will be brought back to life in the last day here on earth for the final judgment. (John 12:47,48; Isaiah 2:2-4) Yahweh comes to judge the people on the physical earth by means of Jesus. — Psalm 96:13; 98:9; Acts 17:31.

However, one can be reckoned — counted — as justified and made alive in this age through faith in the blood of Jesus, accounting the powers of the age to come as already upon him. (Romans 3:21,22,24; 4:5,17,24,25; 6:11,13; Ephesians 2:1,5; Colossians 2:13; Hebrews 6:5) Nevertheless, in this age, even one who has not been counted as alive by faith will be made alive in the age to come, and what he does in this age can affect his ability to escape from coming under the judgment of Gehenna (the second death) in the age to come. (Matthew 5:22; 10:15; 11:22,24; 12:32; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:12,14; 12:10) The Christian believer, however, in this age, until he has overcome, until he has put on incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:54), until he has attained the goal of perfection of faith and love (Philippians 3:12.14; Colossians 1:28; 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; Hebrews 6:1; James 1:4; 2 Peter 1:4-19; 1 John 4:17), is in danger of being harmed by the second death (Revelation 2:11) if he returns to willful sin, since there is no more sacrifice for sin. (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:18,26,27,29) Thus, once one comes under the condemnation of the second death, there is no more any provision provided for such a sinner. They are without life forever. There is no more sacrifice for sin, and the ransom sacrifice of Jesus does not cover those under that condemnation of the second death.

In the age to come, when the unbelievers are released from hades (which is through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus), they are raised for judgment. (John 5:28,29; 12:47,48; Revelation 20:13) They are released from the condemnation in Adam by means of Jesus’ sacrifice. They are not judged because of that former condemnation, but are judged by means of the things that are written in the books that are opened to them at that time, according to their works. (Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 7:10; Revelation 20:12) Those who fail to put on incorruption at that time (1 Corinthians 15:54) will come under a new condemnation, that is, the second death. No, they are never rescued from that condemnation, since there is no more offering for sin. They are devoured in the second death. (Revelation 20:9; Hebrews 10:27) It is then that the prophecy will come true: “The wicked will be no more. Yes, though you look for his place, he isn’t there.” — Psalm 37:10.

The point is not whether Adam was deceived or not deceived; that simply sidetracks the issue. The point is: What was the wages of sin that Adam received, which is the same wages that he passed upon all his offspring?

It is only because all are included in Adam’s sin and the wages of his sin that all of his offspring are indeed included in the ransom sacrifice. It is indeed because of that application that there is a ransom sacrifice for all; conversely, it is also because of that application that if the wages of Adam’s sin are removed by means of Jesus’ corresponding price, then it is not removed upon all of Adam’s offspring. However, since all are indeed condemned by means of Adam’s transgression, all, including Adam, are redeemed through the payment of the corresponding price for Adam and all of Adam’s offpsring. Take away that scriptural basis, then you actually take away the ransom sacrifice of Jesus for anyone.

Someones asks if we are saying that the only way God can forgive us is to FIRST forgive Adam? No, not exactly. What we are saying is that we are all in the same boat as Adam; the same exact condemnation that is upon Adam is one us all. None of us worthy of being forgiven on our own merit; if the condemnation upon Adam was such that he could not redeemed, then none of us can be redeemed, since we all share that exact same condemnation.

If Adam is not redeemed by Jesus’ payment of the debt, suffering the equivalent of Adam’s condemnation, then it would mean that we are not condemned by means of Adam’s disobedience, but rather that each of us are dying because of our sin. It is only because we are all sharers in the exact same penalty as Adam that only one sinless man is needed to provide the ransom sacrifice for sin. On the other hand, if we do not share in the exact penalty, and penalty upon Adam is different from his offspring, then each one of who sin would need to have a personal redeemer to correspond our own sin. In other words, 20 billion sinners would need 20 billion non-sinners who give up their sinless humanity in order to pay the price for the 20 billions sinners.

Yes, ever since Adam sinned, “as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; so death passed to all men in that all sinned.” (Romans 5:12, RLIV) That sin that all men have is the through Adam, for as Paul goes on to say: “Until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam’s transgression, who is a figure of him that was to come.” (Romans 5:13,14, RLIV) Death was upon the human race because they had the condemnation due to Adam’s sin, as Paul goes on to show in the following verses, saying, “by means of the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one” (Romans 5:17), even though they did not commit a sin in the same manner as did Adam. Adam, before he sinned, however, was a figure — a type — of him that was to come, that is, Jesus, who, being begotten of the holy spirit in the womb of Mary (Matthew 1:20), was not born into this world as “of this world,” as the the rest of mankind. (John 8:23) Jesus’ body was specially prepared by God, separate from the corruption that is in this world. (Hebrews 10:5; 2 Peter 1:4)

As Paul goes to say, however, “by means of the trespass of the one the many died.” (Romans 5:15, RLIV) Yes, this had to be so, else they could not be covered the ransom sacrifice of one man who was equal to the first man before the first man sinned. Praise Yahweh for his wisdom in this matter!

And Paul states: “through one trespass the judgment came upon all men to condemnation.” (Romans 5:15, RLIV) No, he does not say that there was one judgment with one condemnation upon the first man, and another judgment with another condemnation upon the rest of mankind. They are all under the same judgment, the same condemnation. Again, praise Yahweh that this is so, for it is only this means that Jesus is our Savior!

And further Paul wrote: “through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners.” (Romans 5:19, RLIV) Yes, all of his offspring – the many – were made sinners, not because of their own sin, but by means of the first man’s disobedience. And thus it is that “through the obedience of the one will the many be made righteous.” Yes, the same “many” that were made sinners will also be made righteous by the application of the blood of Jesus. This means Adam, and every man, every woman, every child, every embryo, every baby, every insane person, every Buddhist, every Nazi, every Muslim, every Catholic, every Shintoist, every Sodomite, and on and on. Yes, indeed, while the application of the blood of the covenant is applied to believer in this age through faith, the application of the ransom sacrifice will be applied to all who don’t believe in this age so that they may be raise in the resurrection of judgment. If this is not so, then there will no resurrection of judgment for anyone at all, and that part of the Bible that speaks of a coming judgment day for the world should be ripped from the Bible! But Jesus said: “If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” (John 12:47, World English) Thus, those who do not believe in this age are to be saved by Jesus’ blood; that indeed is exactly what Jesus is saying in this verse. What does the salvation of the world mean? Jesus continued: “He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48) That is the day of judgment that Paul speaks of as recorded in Acts 17:31, and which is foretold in Psalm 96 and Psalm 98, as well as Isaiah 2:2-4; Matthew 25:32-46; Revelation 20:11-15, and many other scriptures. That judgment day for unbelievers simply would not be if the ransom sacrifice of Jesus is not applied so as to justify them so that they could be raised from the dead for that judgment.

Getting What One Deserves

1 Corinthians 3:13,14 is presented with the thought that one gets what they deserve, evidently with the thought that Adam does not deserve a resurrection, and thus he will not be raised.

Each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. — 1 Corinthians 3:13,14.

Paul is not speaking of the world in these verse, but rather he is speaking of the new creation, ” those who are sanctified (consecrated) [by means of] Christ Jesus, called to be saints (set apart ones, consecrated ones).” (1 Corinthians 1:2) Those consecrated by means of the blood of Jesus are called to live their lives according to that calling, as saints, with the goal of attaining the prize of their high calling. (Philippians 3:14) This comes by overcoming as new creatures, so that they can no longer be harmed by the second death. (Revelation 2:11) If and when they have reached that perfection in this age (Philippians 3:12), it is no longer possibly for them to be turned aside by any temptation, thus the second death can no longer harmed them, as for such, “death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54) These will have obtained the resurrection that is being spoken of in Philippians 3:11, that of joint-heirship with Jesus. — Romans 8:17.

The believers in this age come under a trial of faith (1 Peter 1:7), a testing that will prove what position — what reward — that they will receive in the age to come, whether in be as joint-heirs or a lower position. Thus, they are tried, not according to the things that are written in the books that are opened to the world in the judgment day (Revelation 20:12), but rather by the works that they do while in the present “tent” that is being dissolved. — 2 Corinthians 5:1,10.

Nevertheless, if any of us get what we deserve before God’s justice, then it will be death, and nothing more. Indeed, none of “deserve” even the release that is given by means of the sacrifice of Jesus. Neither Adam, nor any of his offspring, “deserve” the resurrection that is given as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice; it is the gift of God by means of the sacrifice of Jesus. Those who believe in this age are “justified freely by his grace [unmerited favor, undeserved kindness] through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24), not because they deserve it. Nevertheless, as far as “deserving” the resurrection through Jesus’ sacrifice, all of us are in the same boat as Adam — neither Adam nor any of us “deserve” that ransom sacrifice of Jesus.

Doesn’t Adam bear a greater responsibility because of what he did? He brought the destruction upon the whole world!

Not one of us can say, “If I had been Adam, I would not have disobeyed.” To do so, would, in effect, be saying that “if I had been Adam, having the same experience as Adam, I would not have done the same thing as Adam.” But let us be aware: “Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” (Romans 2:1, New American Standard) Yes, we are all in the same boat as Adam; and we are all just as condemned by means of Adam as Adam is condemned. We are certain that if any one of the billions of Adam’s offspring had been in Adam’s place, with his experience, etc., would have done exactly as he did. So if you had been in Adam’s place, you would be condemning youself, for what if it had been you that committed that first sin in this world (kosmos), so as to bring sin into the world?

One claims that Adam knowling sinned, knowing that Eve had been lied to, but willfully sin even knowing that he would be bringing misery upon his offspring. There is no indication that Adam had any foreknowledge of the fact that all his descendants would be condemned by means of his disobedience. Again, if “you or I” were in the same position as Adam, with the same knowledge, and with the same experience, we would have done exactly as he did.

We are asked to take a look at an infant…what law has that infant broke? Yet the infant has sin because of our selfish father Adam…Who’s worse Adam or the fallen angels? This is actually looking at matter from hindsight and seems to looking at the results of Adam’s sin as though Adam had foreknowledge of the full extent those results. Adam evidently did not have such foreknowledge; if he did have a full foreknowledge of the extent of his disobedience, we can assume that he more than likely would not have disobeyed. He did know that he would be disobeying, but we cannot even be sure that he fully understood what it would mean to die, although he evidently did have some knowledge of what it would mean. Outside this, we get into the realm of speculation. Did Adam see animals dying, as some claim, and thus have knowledge of what death is by observation? This would assume that the animals in the Garden did die; but we could also assume that the animals in the Garden did not die. Some, presenting some scriptures, claim that the animals all over the earth did not die until Adam sinned, and they began dying because of his transgression, but this also is an assumption. This assumption, of course, raises many other questions — and on and on it goes. The truth is that we cannot be sure on many things, nor is there any reason that we need to think we need to have answers for absolutely everything we might be curious about. For instance, we have little knowledge of the angels and the testing of their obedience, or any covenant that God has made with the angels regarding their life. The only assumption that seems to be reasonable is that there is some kind of covenant between God and the angels, but exactly what are the terms of that covenant is certainly not stated in the Bible that we know of. All we can say is that the God of justice will do what is just regarding the angels, as well as man.

The “Heavenly Gift” and Adam

Some assume that Adam had tasted of the heavenly “gift” spoken of in Hebrews 6:4,5, because he was given life in the Garden of Eden:

Hebrews 6:4 For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Hebrews 6:5 and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come,

In reality, what is this “heavenly gift” that is being spoken of? “Heavenly” refers, not a gift to be in heaven, as some might assume, but it refers to a gift from heaven. The are two gifts that are referred to in another scriptures, both of which could be included in the “heavenly gift” spoken of.

The following scriptures describe the primary gift of God from heaven:

Romans 5:15 — But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

John 4:10 — Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

Ephesians 2:8 — for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

Romans 5:15 — But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

Romans 5:17 — For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23 — For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It should be obvious that this “heavenly gift” as a result of the need of being delivered from the condemnation in Adam. Adam himself came to be in need such a deliverance after he sinned, just as everyone else.

The other gift is the gift of the holy spirit.

Acts 2:38 — Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Probably Hebrews 6:5 is classifying both in this “heavenly gift.” Regardless, the gift is obtained by tasting of the powers of the “age to come,” for the new creature has “tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come.” (Hebrews 6:4) Why is it important to understand this? Because, as we read in the following chapters of the book of Hebrews, this heavenly gift is in the blood of the new covenant, which covenant actually belongs to the age to come.

In blessing the cup, Jesus said: “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28) “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, that which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:20) The “heavenly gift” is the result of the application of the blood that new covenant. It is by means of this “heavenly gift” — the blood of Jesus — that the new creature is sanctified. (Hebrews 10:29) Adam, before he sinned, did have a heavenly gift of life, but not the heavenly gift that is being spoken in Hebrews 6, since the heavenly gift there given relates to the New Covenant and of the age to come. Adam had no need of a new covenant before he sinned. I do believe that the blood of the new covenant will be applied to Adam so that he will be raised in the age to come, and will need to be perfected in spirit (Hebrews 12:23) under the new covenant in that age; I do not believe that Adam had received this heavenly gift through the new covenant before he had sinned — before there was even any need of the gift of the blood of the new covenant to be poured out for his sin.

It is true that all of the offspring of Adam became what Adam had become by nature of his sin, that is, children of wrath, sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 2:2,3) But there is more to it; Paul said that through Adam’s “one disobedience” the many — all of his offspring — were “made sinners.” (Romans 5:29) This means that Adam’s sin is placed upon his offspring, even if they have committed no personal sin. We know that this is so because we see the death of unborn children as well as infants who have not committed any personal sin. They die because Adam sinned, and thus pay the same exact wages for sin that Adam paid, that is, death. From God’s standpoint, they all, having been condemned in Adam, are not worthy of life, and thus are condemned by means of Adam’s sin to death. Nevertheless, it is also because these children who have died are included in Adam’s sin that we know that they are also included in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus.

The Unforgivable Sin

Someone asks: “Did not Adam commit the unforgivable sin?” This question is asked due to the prevailing misconception that if one commits the unforgivable sin, such a person is forever hopelessly lost, and such a person will not be raised in the resurrection, not even in the resurrection of judgment. In fact, many have misconceived that the “unforgivable sin” results in the condemnation of the second death.

The “unforgivable sin” is not directly applied to Adam in the Bible. Any such application would be by assumption, placing retrospectively upon Adam what Jesus said. To whatever extent Adam may have committed such an “unforgivable sin” as Jesus described, so that extent he would have a greater difficulty in the age to come of escaping coming under the new condemnation of the second death, as Jesus also spoke of. Having committed an “unforgivable sin” does not mean that one has no opportunity to overcome that sin, nor does it mean that the general application of the ransom sacrifice would not be applied for such person. It does bring in a degree of accountability in the age come, since such sin will still not be forgivable in the age to come. Not being forgivable, it must by some means be overcome beyond simply applying the forgiveness through the blood of Jesus, else it could lead the person into coming under the judgment of the second death.

Nevertheless, most have not thoroughly examined what Jesus said about the “unforgivable sin”, and thus have come to wrong conclusions. For instance, it is often claimed that in Matthew 25:31,32, Jesus condemned the Jewish religious leaders that he was speaking to the second death because they had committed an unforgivable sin. Let us examine this scripture:

Matthew 12:31 – Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
Matthew 12:32 – Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this [age], nor in that which is to come.

Matthew 12:36 – I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

The very fact that Jesus speaks of them as being in the age to come, in the day of judgment, should be noted. This means that the salvation of world is still applied to them (John 12:47,48), even though they had committed the kind of sin that Jesus spoke of.

Yes, some read into Jesus’ words that those who speak against the holy spirit are eternally lost, that there is no more hope for them at all. This, however, is not what Jesus said. Directly, Jesus was speaking of the Pharisees, who had just witnessed an operation of the holy spirit through Jesus, in the healing of a demon-possessed blind and mute man. — Matthew 12:22.

The question was raised as to whether Jesus was the Son of David. (Matthew 12:23) Evidently, these religious leaders did recognize the operation of the holy spirit in Jesus, and that Jesus was indeed the Son of David, the long-promised Messiah. The scripture says that Jesus knew their thoughts. (Matthew 12:25) These Pharisees were not sons of God, being the offspring of vipers. (Matthew 23:33) They certainly did not have God’s holy spirit, and thus did not have the truth. (1 Corinthians 2:6-8,14) Yet they did have some understanding that Jesus was indeed the promised one, but did not wish to accept it. That they understood Jesus to be the promised heir is indicated in the parable that Jesus spoke. (Matthew 21:38; Mark 12:7,8; Luke 20:14) Caiaphas spoke the truth to them, but they did not understand the truth, and evidently Caiaphas himself did not understand the truth concerning his own words. Their desire was not that Jesus be the savior, but that through his death, they thought Israel would not be troubled by him anymore. They took counsel and began to seek some way to kill Jesus. (John 11:47-53) Caiaphas evidently did have some knowledge that Jesus was the Messiah, but did not want to accept it, as can be seen by his words at Matthew 26:63-65.

The general penalty of sin through Adam was still upon these Jewish leaders. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22) Unlike the sons of God spoken of in the New Testament (Matthew 5:9; Romans 8:19; 9:26; Galatians 3:26; 4:6), who become regenerated to a new life by means of the holy spirit (Titus 3:5), these Jewish leaders had not had any such experience. Not being made alive, they could not, at that point, come under the condemnation of a second death. Nevertheless, seeing that they were at least partly knowledgeable of who Jesus was, in that they did realize that Jesus was the promised Son of David, their sin was also partially willful in their words against the operation of the holy spirit as demonstrated through the works of Jesus.

Jesus, in his above words, is not speaking of the penalty of death, nor of the second death, but he is speaking of giving account in the day of judgment, that is, in the age to come. (Matthew 12:36) Jesus is not saying that these religious leaders have no opportunity to repent, for we know that some of them did repent. Most translations speak of “idle words” said by men that will need to be accounted for in the day of judgment. Our English word “idle” may fall short of what Jesus was speaking about, since the Greek word he used carries a thought of shunning of responsibility. This was what these religious leaders were doing in speaking words against the operation of the holy spirit. Jesus did not say that they would not come back in the general resurrection for judgment in the last day, for he plainly speaks of their giving an accounting in the day of judgment. What he is saying is that their words were so willfully against what they knew to the contrary, that they could not be forgiven, either in this age or the age to come (thus they will be there in the age to come), but they must be accounted for.

This harmonizes with Jesus’ statement that he came to save, deliver, the world, not to judge the world in this age, but that judgment would come in the last day. Jesus did not judge or pronounce an eternal condemnation upon these religious leaders, for he declared that he had not come to judge the world, or to condemn it and those who did not accept him, but quite to the contrary, to die for it/them, to redeem it/them, to purchase it/them at the cost of His life. — John 3:16,17; 12:47,48.

In a parable, Jesus also demonstrated this principle when speaking of his true servants, that there must be some accounting for partially willful sins. He spoke of this correction as the giving of “stripes”.

Luke 12:47 That servant, who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,
Luke 12:48 but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes.

This same kind of principle will be applied in the day of judgment. Thus Jesus said of those who rejected him and his disciples in his day, because their rejection was partially willful, especially in light of the many miracles performed:

Matthew 10:15 – Most assuredly I tell you, It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Matthew 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
Matthew 11:23 You, Capernaum, who are exalted to Heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day.
Matthew 11:24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for you.”

Although not expressly stated, the actual basis for forgiveness in this present evil world is though faith in Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God, since it is through is blood that one is forgiven of sin. — Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:17.

Forgiveness by God before Jesus’ sacrifice was also due to faith, especially in the promises; in effect, Jesus’ sacrifice is evidently retroactively applied to various ones of faith, justifying them in the sight of God. — Luke 20:38; Acts 4:3,6-8,13,17,18,20-25.

Notwithstanding, Jesus, in his words recorded at Matthew 12:32,33 and elsewhere, does give a warning reproof to the religious leaders who opposed him that those who could thus see the righteousness of his teachings, and how he made use of the holy spirit to glorify God in his words and actions, and who could then impute all of this to Satan, must be to a considerable extent perverse in their hearts, and if so, they would be in great danger in the judgment day of being condemned to Gehenna, the second death, since they had hardened their hearts to such great truths and works of God that Jesus had done by means of the holy spirit in him. — Luke 4:1,14; Matthew 12:28; Mark 23:33.

The Bible teaches that the penalty of Adam’s sin was death — cutting off from life — but that under divine providence the work of Jesus is to release all mankind from that death sentence, and give to all an opportunity of returning to harmony with God by bringing all to a clearer knowledge of the Truth. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 2 Timothy 2:5,6) To some this knowledge comes now, with the privilege of becoming sons of God, the seed of Abraham (by faith) that is to judge and bless all the heathen. (Genesis 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Romans 4:13; 1 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 3:29; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Obadiah 21; Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29,30; Romans 8:16-21; 2 Timothy 2:11,12; Revelation 3:21; 5:9,10; 20:4,6; 22:17) To such as accept this privilege and receive the begetting of the Holy Spirit, a judgment begins now to qualify them for their reward in the kingdom. — 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:20-22; 4:12-15; 2 Thessalonians 1:4,5; 1 Peter 4:17; James 1:18.

But with the world this present age is not the time of judgment respecting life or death everlasting, for they have already been judged in the sin of Adam. (John 3:18; Romans 5:12-17; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22) For them the next Age, the period of Messiah’s Kingdom, will be the time of judgment, when the books are opened for their understanding when Satan is not around to deceive, and their privilege will be to attain human perfection, otherwise to be cut off in the Second Death. (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:9,10; 25:6-9; 40:5; 52:10: Jeremiah 31:34; Habakkuk 2:14; Revelation 20:1-4,12) Meantime, whatever light they may be enjoying will be either helpful or injurious, as they shall deal with it. If they allow it to have an uplifting influence in their lives they will be that much more advantaged when they shall come under the Kingdom influences and tests; and their trial will be more tolerable, or easier, in that day of judgment than those who sinned against greater light. — Matthew 10:15; 11:22,24; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:12,14.
http://studies.reslight.net/res-a.html

Although not expressly stated, the actual basis for forgiveness in this present evil world is though faith in Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God, since it is through is blood that one is forgiven of sin. — Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:17.

Forgiveness by God before Jesus’ sacrifice was also due to faith, especially in the promises; in effect, Jesus’ sacrifice can be seen to have been applied prospectively and retroactively to various ones of faith, justifying them in the sight of God. — Luke 20:38; Acts 4:3,6-8,13,17,18,20-25.

Notwithstanding, Jesus, in his words recorded at Matthew 12:32,33 and elsewhere, does give a warning reproof to the religious leaders who opposed him that those who could thus see the righteousness of his teachings, and how He made use of the holy spirit to glorify God in his words and actions, and who could then impute all of this to Satan, must be to a considerable extent perverse in their hearts, and if so, they would be in great danger in the judgment day to be condemned to Gehenna, the second death, since they had hardened their hearts to such great truths and works of God that Jesus had done by means of the holy spirit in him. — Luke 4:1,14; Matthew 12:28; Mark 23:33.

The Bible teaches that the penalty of Adam’s sin was death — cutting off from life — but that under divine providence the work of Jesus is to release all mankind from that death sentence, and give to all an opportunity of returning to harmony with God by bringing all to a clearer knowledge of the Truth. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 2 Timothy 2:5,6) To some this knowledge comes now, with the privilege of becoming sons of God, the seed of Abraham (by faith) that is to judge and bless all the heathen. (Genesis 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Romans 4:13; 1 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 3:29; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Obadiah 21; Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29,30; Romans 8:16-21; 2 Timothy 2:11,12; Revelation 3:21; 5:9,10; 20:4,6; 22:17) To such as accept this privilege and receive the begetting of the Holy Spirit, a judgment begins now to qualify them for their reward in the kingdom. — 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:20-22; 4:12-15; 2 Thessalonians 1:4,5; 1 Peter 4:17; James 1:18.

But with the world this is not the time of judgment respecting life or death everlasting, for they have already been judged in the sin of Adam. (John 3:18; Romans 5:12-17; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22) For them the next Age, the period of Messiah’s Kingdom, will be the time of judgment, when the books are opened for their understanding when Satan is not around to deceive, and their privilege will be to attain human perfection, otherwise to be cut off in the Second Death. (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:9,10; 25:6-9; 40:5; 52:10: Jeremiah 31:34; Habakkuk 2:14; Revelation 20:1-4,12) Meantime, whatever light they may be enjoying will be either helpful or injurious, as they shall deal with it. If they allow it to have an uplifting influence in their lives they will be that much more advantaged when they shall come under the Kingdom influences and tests; and their trial will be more tolerable, or easier, in that day of judgment than those who sinned against greater light. — Matthew 10:15; 11:22,24; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:12,14.
http://agsconsulting.com/htdbv5/htdb0073.htm

On the the other hand, even those of the world who violate clear opportunities and ignore the light which they enjoy and sin against it, will find themselves proportionately degraded when they shall come under the Kingdom influences and tests. The scribes of this lesson had so misused their education and opportunities as to be in great danger of becoming so degraded that even the Kingdom influences would not bring them to a condition worthy of everlasting life.

See also Harvest Gleanings II, page 242
“Some Sins Forgivable and Some Unforgivable”

Someone asks, if Satan, being a spirit being, knew of the heavenly gift and sinned why shouldn’t he be forgiven? Or the fallen angels? Does the word ” ALL ” (1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6) include those also…why not? They tasted the heavenly as Adam….were born without sin as Adam…and sinned…so why is Adam forgiven and not the fallen angels who were not deceived…as Adam?

Again, this is assuming that the “heavenly gift,” spoken of in Hebrews 6:4,5, should be applied retrospectively to Adam’s life before he sinned, and thus also the the life given to Satan and the angels that sinned, which we have already shown is not the case. This “heavenly gift” is given only because Adam had sinned, and is given in response to Adam’s sin, and, as such, is in reference to restoring mankind only.

Forms of the Greek “pas” the word translated as “all”, always look to context and/or common evidence for what is included or excluded. An example of common evidence that is directly written of is in 1 Corinthians 15:27. In the case of 1 Timothy 2:5,6, it is “evident” that the ransom — the offsetting/corresponding price — is in reference to what was lost in Adam — the world of mankind, as Paul had written of in his other letters, and of which teaching Timothy was surely aware. Jesus is savior of the whole (pas) world (kosmos), the whole (pas) creation that is now groaning and travailing in pain due to Adam’s sin. (Romans 8:22; 1 John 2:2) This “whole creation” does not include the angels, but it refers to the whole world (kosmos) that was created through Jesus, into which Jesus came, the world (kosmos) that that did not recognize him. –John 1:3,10.

However, a side effect of the ransom sacrifice was that in being faithful in giving such sacrifice, Jesus was raised and exalted above the angels. Thus, although not directly included in the ransom for all, the angels receive benefit from that ransom due to Jesus’ exaltation. As a result of his exaltation, the saints are chosen out of the world (kosmos) — the whole world that became corrupted through the sin of Adam — that they may be judges of the world, but not only the world, but also of the angels. (1 Corinthians 6:2,3) We read that the angels that sinned have been debased, reserved to judgment. (2 Peter 2:4) While we do not know the details of how these angels that sinned will be judged, nor are we given a basis for such judgment as we are given in the Bible for the world of mankind, it is possible that these angels may be given an opportunity to repent and come back into harmony with God. Whether this opportunity will included Satan himself is also not given in the scriptures. On the other hand, there being reserved for judgment could simply mean that they will be judged as condemned and thus be destroyed. Since there are no detail actually revealed in the scriptures concerning the judgment of the angels, probably the wisest course would be to not get too involved in speculating too much concerning the judgment of the angels; it is well enough for us to know at the present time that the saints will be involved in their judgment.

As the Sand of the Sea

and will come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. — Revelation 20:8.

This scripture is sometime referenced, evidently with the thought that the vast majority of mankind will not receive life, so they will not be raised in the resurrection. In context, however, this is speaking of after the resurrection of judgment, and the finally results. Thus, the scripture actually supports that these had already received the benefits of the ransom sacrifice by being brought forth in the resurrection of judgment, but, after having the blessings presented to them, they willfully chose to not be obedient.

But what is the revelation revealing of in this verse? Is it saying that all heathen will follow Satan after the judgment day is over? Yes, the nations — God and Magog — at that time will probably be more than 20 billion people, a great number as the sand of the sea. The scripture, however, does not say that all of these will be deceived by Satan, but rather that Satan will to go out to deceive them. Only those who willfully refused to perfect themselves during the 1,000 years will follow Satan at time; the vast majority of those whose number is as the sand of the sea will have become so perfected that they, like the overcomers of this age, will not be harmed by the second death, and will thus not be misled by Satan at time. (Revelation 2:11) Concerning the New Jerusalem city, we read that the “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” (Revelation 21:24) And, “they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.” (Revelation 21:26) These are the nations, the heathen — God and Magog — who, are spoken of in Isaiah 2:2-4:

It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be raised above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, 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 the law shall go forth, And the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations, And will decide concerning many peoples; And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning-hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more.

Thus God and Magog will have learned the ways of Yahweh in that coming age. That coming ‘new earth’ will be the earth of righteousness, in which they will be shown favor:

When your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the earth of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not see the majesty of Yahweh. — Isaiah 26:9,10.

Peter spoke of that “earth of uprightness,” saying: “according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.” — 2 Peter 3:13.

It is in that earth of uprightness that the proving is done. The inhabitants will learn righteousness, but there will be those who will refuse, in that upright new earth, to learn to do what is right.

In Ezekiel 38, where we find mention of God and Magog in this age, God’s promise is made at the end of the chapter: “I will magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.” (Ezekiel 38:24) Yahweh promised to make himself know to these nations. What will this mean? Do they come know that he is Yahweh in this age? We don’t think so. They heathen are still blinded by Satan. We see a similar statement made toward Jerusalem (representing Israel), when God speaks of Israel in the age to come, saying: “I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall know that I am Yahweh; that you may remember, and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more, because of your shame, when I have forgiven you all that you have done, says the Lord Yahweh.” (Ezekiel 16:62,63) We believe also it will be in age to come that the heathen will come to know Yahweh.

It is only those who willfully refuse to submit the righteousness of that age that we read: “nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:27) Those of the “nations” who get their names written in the Lamb’s book of life in that age will be those who obey the things that are written in the books that are opened to them in that age. (Revelation 20:12) Those are the “nations” — the heathen — God and Magog — who in this age did not believe. The nations — God and Magog, as a whole, will have, by the end of the thousand years, in that earth of uprightness, entered into the city by learning righteousness in obedience, while a remnant will be left out of the city because of their failure to repent at heart.

Possibly Related Posts:

• 1 Timothy 2:4 – God Desires All Men to Be Saved
• Basis for Atonement (Not completed)
• Ransom Sacrifice (RL Search Link)
• Hope of Life After Death (Hereafter Link)
• Mankind’s Course to the Day of Judgment (Hereafter Link)

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, or kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. — 1 Timothy 2:1-5; New American Standard Bible translation

Some see in the statement of 1 Timothy 2:4 that God is trying to save as many as possible from some eternal doom in the present evil world, if only they would learn and believe. Thus, instead of seeing the beauty that is actually there, that God will indeed save, or deliver, all men from their ignorance, and as a result of that deliverance bring all to an accurate knowledge of the truth, they vaguely see it as a warning of doom, rather than the guarantee of joyful blessings in due time, in the judgment day of the age to come. — Genesis 22:18; Psalm 96;  Psalm 98; Isaiah 2:2-4; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; Acts 17:31; Hebrews 6:5. See our studies
Mankind’s Course to the Day of Judgment
Judgment and the Lake of Fire
The Day of Judgment

First of all, we note that the KJV is generally considered not completely precise in its translation: “and God will have all men to be saved.” Most translations do present this as God “desires all men to be saved,” (New American Standard) or God “wants everyone to be saved .” (Today’s English Version) The New World Translation tries to qualify it as “all sorts of men should be saved”. While the KJV may not be totally precise in its translation, yet we do believe that the KJV captures the thought that Paul was trying to express to Timothy: that God will fulfill his desire to have all mankind to be saved [delivered]. Paul had just mentioned prayers for the worldly rulers, not that they come to a knowledge of the truth, but that the believers “may go on leading a calm and quiet life.” Then Paul states that this is fine and acceptable, not because they will be eternally doomed because of their unbelief, but because they will eventually be delivered [saved] from Adamic death and from their blindness so as to come to a knowledge of the truth.

This statement, that it is God’s will that “all men should be saved”, finds a parallel in the statement by the same Apostle, in Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel shall be saved.” The thought in this last passage is not that all Israel is to be live forever, but merely that all Israel will be saved from their blindness — in the sense of being recovered from the blindness which came upon them as a people as a result of their national rejection of the Messiah. So the thought of the text is also limited and applies only to the Adamic catastrophe: God wills that all men should be saved, not only from the just sentence which he pronounced and which cut short Adam’s trial (this he has already accomplished in the death of his Son) but he also wills that all men will be recovered from the ignorance and blindness with which Satan since the fall has darkened their minds: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) God wills that all should be so saved from all the train of evils following Adam’s sin and curse, that they may come to a knowledge of the truth. Why does he will this? To the intent that having a clear knowledge of the truth they may make the very best possible use of the new trial for life secured for them by their Redeemer’s ransom-sacrifice. It is for the carrying out of this, God’s will, that the Redeemer will inaugurate his Millennial Kingdom, which will first abyss Satan (restrain all outside evil influences) and then release man from his blindness — as it is written, “the eyes of the blind shall be opened.” (Isaiah 35:5) For the same reason, viz., that the new trial shall be most favorable for man, it is the divine arrangement that its work shall be done gradually and require a thousand years. — Isaiah 2:2-4; 25:6,7; 29:24; John 12:47,48; Revelation 20:1-5.

Is this, then, “universal” salvation? The word “universal” is derived from the word “universe,” which originally meant “everything that exists,” which would include God Himself, since God does exist, as well as the angels of God. However, neither God nor the loyal angels are in need of any salvation. Nevertheless, in common usage, both the word “universe” as well as “universal” are used, not to refer to absolutely everything that exists, but to all that exists in a common sphere. Thus, some may refer to “universe” as speaking of all the created universe, the material universe or of all mankind upon the earth. As speaking universally of all mankind now dying in Adam, yes the salvation provided through Jesus may be called a “universal” salvation. However, there are other scriptures which speak of the ultimate eternal destruction of a certain class. In seeking to harmonize these Scriptures we note that there are various applications of the blood of the new covenant effect salvation from Adamic death. We should also note that the word “saved” in the Bible does not always refer to the same thing. For illustration: A man might be saved from a burning building in the morning, and in the afternoon from drowning in a pond of water. The next day he might be saved from financial disaster, from bankruptcy, and later from something else.

We will speak here of “salvation” from one aspect, in that there is one general trouble in the human family. The whole human race were sold under sin. The apostle Paul, writing on this subject, says: “through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; so death passed to all men, all having sinned.” (Romans 5:12) This, then, is the great disaster. The scriptures tell us that God has provided Jesus to be a life-giver to all mankind, and that He died, the just for the unjust. “Since by means of a man came death, by means of a man comes also the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:21) “The hour is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and they, having heard, will live… Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all that are in the tombs will hear [the] voice [of Jesus], and will come forth.” (John 5:25,28,29.) This awakening from death is what the apostle had in mind, evidently, when he said that God is “the savior of all men.” — 1 Timothy 4:10.

Jesus purchased for man what Adam lost. Thus, when the present unbelievers are “saved” from death and raised in the resurrection day, they will be as Adam was before Adam sinned. But when the whole human family, now groaning and travailing under a subject to futility (Romans 8:20-22), are brought back to the same condition in which Adam was, it does not necessarily mean that will never die again. Jesus said that when they live in that resurrection, and they believe, they will never die. (John 11:26) Adam was perfect in that he was sinless, yet he fell into death due to disobedience; and his race, when fully recovered from the penalty, will be placed on trial as was he. Having been raised through application of the blood of the new covenant, that new covenant will then be in effect so as to allow a time of mediation whereby those so raised will be enabled by means of the Yahweh’s kingdom in that age to come to a knowledge of the truth, and have the opportunity by means of that new covenant of perfecting their obedience. If obedient, then they will live forever. Any one who will then be disobedient to God will not be depart into everlasting life, but will suffer the eternal punishment of the second death. (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:12-15) The Scriptures show us that Christ, having saved the world, will at the beginning of the Millennial Age establish His Mediatorial Kingdom, which will be for the very purpose of liberating man from their former sinful desires and so that eventually death will be swallowed up, and they, like those who overcome in this age, can no longer be harmed by the second death. (Revelation 2:11) Then whoever chooses sin will be choosing the wages of sin — death, but that will not be death by means of Adam (1 Corinthians 15:21,22), but rather the second death for which no sacrifice remains. (Hebrews 10:26) The world, having been saved — delivered — from Adamic death and its resulting condition of hades/sheol, will, in that age to come, be judged by the books that are opened to them at that time, so that they will be judged by their works from what is written in those books. (Revelation 20:11-15) Whoever chooses righteousness in that age will be choosing the reward that goes with it — everlasting life. Each will be granted the opportunity of everlasting life, because of having been saved by Christ’s blood from the condemnation upon Adam. So all who are now dying by means of Adam must first be must be saved from the first condemnation that is by means of Adam (John 4:42; 12:47,48; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; 1 John 4:14) and come to a knowledge of the truth (Isaiah 2:2-4; 26:9) before having either the second punishment of everlasting death, or the reward of departing into everlasting life. — Isaiah 26:10; Matthew 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Hebrews 10:26; Revelation 20:12-15.

God “desires all men to be saved [from the condemnation of death by means of Adam] and to come to the knowledge of the truth [recovered, out of the death state, the tomb], and to come to an accurate knowledge of the Truth; for there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men; namely, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a Ransom [corresponding/offsetting price] for all, to be testified in due time.” The due time for the world in general, here spoken of, will be during Messiah’s Reign in “the age to come.” The knowledge of Yahweh will cover the whole earth as the waters cover the great deep. But there is in this age a class being specially blessed — “Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.” Having this blessing now, being reckoned as sons of God as Adam was before he sinned (Luke 3:38; Romans 8:16,17; Galatians 3:26), these have the gracious opportunity of attaining joint-heirship with our Lord in celestial glory. — Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 15:40.

Some Related Links
We do not necessarily agree with all that is stated by the authors linked to below:

“Prayers for Earthly Rulers“
(See fourth question)

“Ransom and Testimony: Will They Become Co-Extensive?“

“The Will of God“

“One Mediator“

“The General Resurrection“

“Are Wars to Cease?“

“Universal Salvation“

Possibly Related Posts:

• Adam and the Ransom Sacrifice
• Ransom Sacrifice (RL Search Link)
• Hope of Life After Death (Hereafter Link)
• Mankind’s Course to the Day of Judgment (Hereafter Link)
• The Watchtower’s Self-Contradiction About the Ransom (Foc. on JWs Link)

Unless stated otherwise, all Bible quotations are from The World English Bible Bible translation.

Working on, when completed delete this and the link to the old file; redirect link from old file to this file.

THE doctrine of the Atonement*, or reconciliation, lies at the very foundation of the Christian religion. Having thus the most important place in theology (aside from the glorification of God), a clear understanding of this subject is very essential, and this is generally conceded amongst Christian people. Nevertheless, the Atonement, though believed in, is little understood; the various ideas and theories respecting it are disconnected as well as vague; and faith built upon these disconnected and vague views of the foundation doctrine must, of necessity, be proportionately unstable, weak and vague. On the contrary, if this important subject be clearly seen, in all the grandeur of the proportions accorded it in the Word of God, as the foundation of the divine plan of salvation, it not only will firmly establish faith, rooting and grounding it upon correct principles, but it will serve as a guide in discriminating between truth and error in connection with all the minutiae of faith. When the foundation is well established and clearly discerned, and every item of faith built upon it is kept in exact alignment with the foundation, the entire faith superstructure will be perfect. As we will show later, every doctrine and theory may be brought in contact with this touchstone, and have its proportion of gold or of dross quickly determined thereby.
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*Atonement, or At-one-ment, is based on the Hebrew word Kaphar (Strong’s Hebrew #3722). This word is given several meanings: “(1) to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch (a) (Qal) to coat or cover with pitch (b) (Piel) 1. to cover over, pacify, propitate 2. to cover over, atone for sin, make atonement for 3. to cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites (c) (Pual) 1. to be covered over 2. to make atonement for (d) (Hithpael) to be covered” (Brown, Driver, Briggs and Gesenius. “Hebrew Lexicon entry for Kaphar”. The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon”.. Another related Hebrew word is Kippur (Strong’s Hebrew #3725). In the New Testament Greek, the atonment is referred under the wordsKatallage (Strong’s Greek #2643), which appears at Romans 5:11; 11:15; 2 Corinthians 5:18,19, and Katallasso (Strong’s Greek #2644; Romans 5:10; 1 Corinthians 7:11; 2 Corinthians 5:18,19,20). Three other related words in Greek are Hilasmos (Strong’s Greek #2434; 1 John 2:2; 4:10), Hilasterion (Strong’s Greek #2435; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:5) and Hilaskomai (Strong’s Greek #2433, Luke 18:13; Hebrews 2:17). “The meaning of the word is simply at-one-ment, i.e., the state of being at one or being reconciled, so that atonement is reconciliation. Thus it is used to denote the effect which flows from the death of Christ.” (Easton, Matthew George. “Entry for Atonement”. Easton’s Bible Dictionary.)

Three Views of the Subject

¶2 There are two general views of the Atonement:

¶3 First View: What is known as the orthodox view, namely, that man, as a transgressor of the divine law, came under divine condemnation—”under wrath”; and that God, while hindered by Justice from exonerating the sinner, has provided a just redemption for him, and thus provided for the forgiveness of his sins, through the sacrifice of Christ. This entire work of satisfying the claims of Justice and making the sinner acceptable to God, is denominated the work of Atonement.

¶4 Second View: What is known as the unorthodox view of the Atonement (at one time represented chiefly by some Universalists, but which has recently been spreading rapidly and generally in every quarter of Christendom), approaches the subject from the opposite side: it presupposes no requirement on the part of divine justice of a sacrifice for the sinner’s transgression; it ignores the wrath of God as represented in any special sentence of death; it ignores “the curse.” It holds that God seeks and waits for man’s approach, placing no hindrance in the way, requiring no atonement for man’s sin, but requiring merely that man shall abandon sin and seek righteousness, and thus come into harmony with God—be at-one with God hence this view is generally styled At-one-ment, and is understood to signify harmony with righteousness regardless of the methods by which mankind may be brought into this state: atonement for sin being considered from the standpoint of expiation by the sinner himself, or else as unconditional forgiveness by God. From this standpoint our Lord Jesus and all his followers have part in the atonement, in the sense that they have taught and exhorted mankind to turn from sin to righteousness, and in no sin-offering or ransom sense.

¶5 A Third View: The view which we accept as the Scriptural one, but which has been overlooked very generally by theologians, embraces and combines both of the foregoing views. The Bible doctrine of the Atonement, as we shall endeavor to show, teaches clearly:

¶6 {a} That man was created perfect, in the image of God, but fell therefrom, through wilful disobedience, and came under the sentence of wrath, “the curse,” and thus the entire race became “children of wrath.” (Ephesian 2:3)

¶7 {b} While God justly executed against his disobedient creature the sentence of his law, death, and that without mercy, for over four thousand years, yet, nevertheless, blended with this justice and fidelity to principles of righteousness was the spirit of love and compassion, which designed an ultimate substitutional arrangement or plan of salvation, by which God might still be just and carry out his just laws against sinners, and yet be the justifier of all who believe in Jesus. (Romans 3:26) By this plan all the condemned ones might be relieved from the sentence without any violation of Justice, and with such a display of divine love and wisdom and power as would honor the Almighty, and prove a blessing to all his creatures, human and angelic —by revealing to all, more fully than ever before seen, the much diversified wisdom and grace of God. — Ephesians 3:10, Diaglott

¶8 {c} It was in the carrying out of this program of Atonement to the divine law for its transgression by father Adam, that our dear Redeemer died, “a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,” — 1 Timothy 2:6, King James Version.

¶9 {d} But the sacrifice for sins does not complete the work of Atonement, except so far as the satisfaction of the claim of Justice is concerned. By virtue of the ransom paid to Justice, a transfer of man’s account has been made, and his case, his indebtedness, etc., is wholly transferred to the account of the Lord Jesus Christ, who paid to Justice the full satisfaction of its claims against Adam, and his race. Thus Jesus, by reason of this “purchase” with his own precious blood, is now in consequence the owner, master, “Lord, of all.” — Acts 10:36; Romans 14:9; 1 Corinthians 15:27,47; Ephesians 1:20,21; Philippians 2:9,10.

¶10 {e} One object in this arrangement for Adam and his race was the annulment of their death sentence, which, so long as it remained, estopped Love from any efforts to recover the condemned, whose privileges of future life under any circumstances were wholly abrogated — destroyed.

¶11 {f} Another object was the placing of the fallen race beyond the reach of divine Justice, and under the special supervision of Jesus, who as the representative of the Father’s plan proposes not only to satisfy the claims of Justice, but also undertakes the instruction, correction and restitution of so many of the fallen race as shall show their desire for harmony with Justice. Such he will ultimately turn over to the Justice of the divine law, but then so perfected as to be able to endure its perfect requirements.

¶12 {g} Though originally the only separating influence between God and man was the divine sentence, now, after six thousand years of falling, degradation and alienation from God through wicked works — and because of ignorance, superstition, and the wiles of the Adversary — and because the divine character and plan have been misrepresented to men, we find the message of grace and forgiveness unheeded. Although God freely declares, since the ransom was accepted, that he is now ready to receive sinners back into harmony with himself and to eternal life, through the merit of Christ’s sacrifice, nevertheless the majority of mankind are slow to believe the good tidings, and correspondingly slow to accept their conditions. Some have become so deluded by the sophistries of Satan, by which he has deceived all nations (Revelation 20:3), that they do not believe that there is a God; others believe in him as a great and powerful adversary, without love or sympathy, ready and anxious to torment them to all eternity; others are confused by the Babel of conflicting reports that have reached them, concerning the divine character, and know not what to believe; and, seeking to draw near unto God, are hindered by their fears and by their ignorance. Consequently, as a matter of fact, the number who have yet availed themselves of the opportunity of drawing nigh unto God through faith in the blood of Christ is a comparatively small one — “a little flock.” — Romans 3:25; Ephesians 2:13; Luke 12:32.

¶13 {h} Nevertheless, the sacrifice for sins was not for the few, but for the “many,” — “for all.” (1 Timothy 2:5,6) “Through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19, New American Standard Version) And it is a part of the divine program that he who redeemed all with his own precious blood shall ultimately make known to all men, “to every creature,” the good tidings of their privilege under divine grace, to return to at-one-ment with their Creator.

¶14 {i} Thus far only the saints have been benefited by the Atonement, except indirectly; but the teaching of the Scriptures is that the saints (Ephesians 1:18; Colossians 1:26) shall constitute a “Kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6; Daniel 7:22,27), “a kingdom and priests” (Revelation 5:10, New American Standard Version) or “royal priesthood,” (2 Peter 2:9) with Christ the Royal High Priest (Hebrews 3:1; 4:14,15; 5:1), and that during the Millennial age this Kingdom class, this royal priesthood, shall fully and completely accomplish for mankind the work of removing the blindness which Satan and error and degradation brought upon them (2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9; Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:9; 25:7; Revelations 21:1-5; 22:2), and shall bring back to full at-one-ment with God whosoever wills, of all the families of the earth. — Revelation 22:17.

¶15 {j} In harmony with this is the apostle’s statement that we, believers, the saints, have received the atonement. (Romans 5:11) The provision for atonement was made, so far as God was concerned, eighteen centuries ago, and that for all; but only believers have received it in the sense of accepting the opportunity which the grace of God has thus provided — and the rest of mankind are blinded. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.” — 2 Corinthians 4:4.

¶16 {k} In harmony with this thought also is the statement of scripture, that the first work of Christ in connection with his Millennial reign, will be to bind, or restrain, Satan, so that he will deceive the nations no more for the thousand years. (Revelation 20:3) We also have the numerous statements of the prophets, to the effect that when the Kingdom of God shall be established in the earth, the knowledge of Yahweh will fill the whole earth, as the waters cover the great deep, and none will need to say to his neighbor, “Know Yahweh”. (Hebrews 8:11; Jeremiah 31:34) Additionally, we have the petition of the Lord’s prayer, “May your kingdom come. May your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.” — These scriptures agree with what the apostle expressly declares, that God desires all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. — 1 Timothy 2:4.

¶17 {l} Therefore, the Atonement is in two phases — the satisfaction of Justice, as well as the bringing back into permanent harmony or at-one-ment with God of so many of his creatures as, under full light and knowledge, will avail themselves of the privileges and opportunities of the New Covenant. The atonement work continues until the close of the Millennial Age, when all who have willfully and intelligently rejected divine favor, offered through Christ, “will be destroyed from among the people,” with “an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” — with a destruction from which there will be no hope of recovery by future resurrection. — Acts 3:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:9.

¶18 {m} Then the great work of the Atonement will be completed. All things in heaven and in earth will be found in harmony with God, praising him for all his munificence and grace through Christ. (Psalm 103:19-22; 148:3-10; Revelation 5:13; Philippians 2:9-11) There will be no more dying and no more sighing, no more pain there, because the former things will have passed away (Revelation 21:1-3) — as the result of the work of the Atonement, commenced by the propitiation of Justice by our Redeemer’s sacrifice, concluded by the full reconciliation of all found worthy of eternal life.

¶19 However the word Atonement may be viewed, it must be conceded that its use at all, as between God and man, implies a difficulty, a difference, an opposition, existing between the Creator and the creature — otherwise they would be at one, and there would be no need of a work of atonement, from either standpoint. And here particularly we discern the deadly conflict that exists between the Bible and the modern doctrine of evolution as the explanation of the origin of man, which, for the past century in particular, has been permeating the faith of Christian people of all denominations, and which shows itself even in many theological schools and pulpits of Christendom.

¶20 The theory that the first man evolved from lower forms of life denies the fall of man; denies that he ever was in the image and likeness of God; denies that he was ever in a fit condition to be on trial before the bar of exact Justice; denies that he ever sinned in such a trial, and that he ever was sentenced to death. It claims that death, so far from being a penalty is but another step in the process of evolution; it holds that man, instead of falling from the image and likeness of God into sin and degradation, has been rising from the condition of lesser sentient abilities into greater levels of sentient abilities. The logical further steps of the theory would evidently be, to deny that there could be any justice on God’s part in condemning man for rising from a lower to a higher plane, and denying, consequently, that Justice could accept a sin-offering for man, when there had been no sin on man’s part to require such an offering. Consistently with this thought, it claims that Christ was not a sin-offering, not a sacrifice for sins — except in the same sense, they would say, that any patriot might be a sacrifice for his country; namely, that he laid down his life in helping to lift the race forward into greater liberties and privileges.

¶21 But we find that the Word of God most absolutely contradicts this entire theory, so that no harmony is possible between the scripture teaching and the teaching of evolution of man from lower forms of life — science falsely so-called. (1 Timothy 6:20, King James Version) Whoever believes in the evolution theory as an explanation of the origin of man, to that extent disbelieves the Scriptural teaching; and yet we find a very large number of Christian people vainly struggling and attempting to harmonize these antagonizing teachings. To whatever extent they hold the theory of evolution to account for how man can be, to that extent they are off the only foundation for faith which God has provided; to that extent they are prepared for further errors, which the adversary will be sure to bring forward to their attention, errors presented so forcibly from the worldly-wise standpoint that they would, if it all possible, even lead astray the elect. (Matthew 24:24*) But the elect have in the scriptures “the faith once delivered to the saints”; by God through his holy spirit to aid them to hold to the doctrine of the atonement. Having also the holy spirit, if they submit to what the spirit has revealed, they will thus be aided to guard against every item and feature of the evolution theory respecting the origin of man, for the faithful will be willing to be taught by God through holy spirit, by means of the apostles and the prophets (Luke 11:49; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; 2 Peter 3:2), especially upon this doctrine of the atonement, which lies at the very foundation of revealed religion and Christian faith.

¶22 The Scriptures unequivocally testify that God created man in his own image and likeness — mental and moral; that man, an earthly being, was the moral and intellectual image or likeness of his Creator, a spirit being. (Genesis 1:26,27; 9:6) They declare his communion with his Creator in the beginning (Genesis 2:16); they declare that his Creator approved him as his workmanship, and pronounced him “very good,” very acceptable, very pleasing; they show that the proposition of life or death was set before the sinless and incorrupt Adam, and that when he became a transgressor it was an intelligent and willful act, inasmuch as it is declared that Adam “was not deceived.” They declare the beginning of the execution of the death penalty. They record the progress for centuries of the death sentence upon the race. They point out how God revealed to faithful Abraham his purpose, his intention, not at once, but later on, to bring in a blessing to the race, which he declared he had cursed with the sentence of death. — Genesis 1:31; 2:16,17; 3:23; 1 Timothy 2:14; Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 3:17.
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Since the curse or penalty of sin was death, the blessings promised implied life from the dead, life more abundant: and the promise to Abraham was that in some unexplained way the savior who would accomplish this work of blessing the world should come through Abraham’s posterity. The same promises were, with more or less clearness, reiterated to Isaac, to Jacob and to the children of Israel. The prophets also declared that the Messiah coming should be a Lamb slain, a sin-offering, one who should “pour out his soul unto death,” for our sins, and not for his own. And they portrayed also the result of his sacrifice for sins, in the glory and blessing that should follow; telling how ultimately his Kingdom shall prevail, and, as the Sun of Righteousness, he shall bring into the world the new day of blessing and life and joy, which shall dispel the darkness and gloom and the sorrow of the night of weeping, which now prevails as the result of original sin and the fall, and inherited evil tendencies. Isa. 53:10-12; 35; 60; 61

The Apostle Peter, speaking under the inspiration of the holy Spirit, so far from telling us that man had been created on the plane of a monkey, and had risen to his present degree of development, and would ultimately attain perfection by the same process of evolution, points, on the contrary, a reverse lesson, telling us that Christ died for our sins, and that, as a consequence of the redemption accomplished by his sacrifice, there shall ultimately come to mankind, at the second advent of our Lord, great times of refreshing — times of restitution of all things, which, he declares, “God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21) Whoever may think the Apostle Peter was preaching a doctrine of evolution, when preaching the gospel of restitution, must have closed his eyes and stopped the operation of his reasoning faculties; for if the original condition of man was that of a monkey, or if it was anything whatever inferior to our present condition, the Apostle would have been the veriest fool to hold out, as a grand hope and prospect, times of restitution, for restitution means a restoration of that condition which previously existed.

On the contrary, the Apostle’s words are thoroughly out of harmony with and antagonistic to the theory of evolution, [E24] and in strictest harmony with the doctrine of the Atonement, reconciliation and restitution — in strictest harmony with the Scriptural teaching that mankind were sold under sin, and became the slaves of sin, and suffered the degradation of sin, as the result of father Adam’s original disobedience and its death-penalty. Restitution, the good tidings which Peter preached, implies that something good and grand and valuable was lost, and that it has been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, and that it shall be restored, as the result of this redemption, at the second advent of Christ. And the Apostle’s reference to the prophets, declaring that these restitution times were mentioned by all of them who were holy, distinctly implies that the hope of restitution is the only hope held out before the world of mankind by divine inspiration.

All the Apostles similarly pointed backward to the fall from divine favor, and to the cross of Christ as the point of reconciliation as respects divine Justice, and forward to the Millennial age as the time for the blessing of all the world of mankind with opportunities of knowledge and help in their reconciliation to God. They all point out the present age as the time for the gathering out of the elect Church to be associates with Messiah (his “royal priesthood” and “peculiar people”) to cooperate with him as his “bride,” his “body,” in the work of conferring upon the world the blessings of restitution secured for them by the sacrifice finished at Calvary.

Mark the words of the Apostle Paul along this line: “By one man’s disobedience sin entered into the world” — and death as a result of sin; and so death passed upon all men, for [by reason of inherited sin and sinful dispositions] all are sinners. The Apostle Paul quite evidently was no more an Evolutionist than the Apostle Peter and the prophets. Mark the hope which he points out as the very essence of the Gospel, saying: “God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us; much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath [E25] through him.” (Rom. 5:8,9) Here is a specific declaration that the race was under divine wrath; that the saving power was the blood of Christ, the sacrifice that he gave on our behalf; and that this sacrifice was an expression of divine love and grace. The Apostle proceeds to show the work of Atonement, and the restitution which will follow as a result, saying: “As through one offense [Adam's disobedience] sentence came upon all men to condemnation [the death sentence]; so also through one righteous act the free gift [the reversal of the sentence] came on all men unto justification of life. For as through the disobedience of one man [Adam] many were made sinners [all who were in him], so by the obedience of one [Jesus] many [all who ultimately shall avail themselves of the privileges and opportunities of the New Covenant] shall be constituted righteous.” Rom. 5:12,18,19

The same Apostle, in many other of his masterly and logical discourses, presents the thought that the Atonement, so far as God is concerned, is a thing of the past — finished when “we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,” while we were yet sinners. (Rom. 5:10) In this he evidently did not refer to a work accomplished in the sinner, reconciling the sinner to God, because he states it in the reverse manner, and declares that it was accomplished, not in us, but by Christ for us, and while we were sinners. Note also that in various of his learned and logical discourses he points out a work of blessing to the world, to be accomplished through the glorified Church, under Christ, her divinely appointed Head, showing that it will consist in bringing the world to a knowledge of God’s grace in Christ, and that thus so many of the redeemed world as may be willing can return to at-one-ment with their Creator during the Millennial Kingdom — a restitution of the divine favor lost in Eden.

As an illustration of this point note the argument of Rom. 8:17-24. Here the Apostle distinctly marks as separate salvation of the Church and the subsequent salvation [E26] or deliverance of the world, the “groaning creation.” He calls attention to the Church as the prospective joint-heir with Christ, who, if faithful in suffering with him in this present time, shall ultimately share his glory in his Kingdom. He assures us that these sufferings of this present time are unworthy of comparison with the glory that shall be revealed in us by and by. And then he proceeds to say that this glory to be revealed in the Church after its sufferings are all complete, is the basis for all the earnest expectations of the groaning creation — whose longings and hopes necessarily await fruition in the time when the sons of God shall be revealed or manifested.

Now the sons of God are unrevealed; the world knows them not, even as it knew not their Master; and though the world, indeed, looks forward with a vague hope to a golden age of blessing, the Apostle points out that all their earnest expectations must wait for the time when the Church, the sons of God, shall be glorified and shall be manifested as the kings and priests of God’s appointment, who shall reign over the earth during the Millennial age, for the blessing of all the families of the earth, according to the riches of divine grace as revealed by God in his promise to Abraham, saying: “In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Gal. 3:8,16,29

The Apostle proceeds to show that mankind in general, the intelligent earthly creation, was subjected to frailty (“vanity”) by heredity, by the transgression of father Adam, according to divine providence, and yet is not left without hope; because under divine arrangement also, a sacrifice for sins has been provided, and provision made that ultimately mankind in general may be emancipated, set free, from the slavery of sin, and from its penalty, death, and may attain the glorious freedom (from sickness, pain, trouble, sorrow) which is the liberty of all who are the sons of God. It was from this plane of sonship and such “liberty” that mankind fell through disobedience, and to the same [E27] plane of human sonship they will be privileged to return, as a result of the great sin-offering at Calvary, and of the completion of the work of Atonement in them, reconciling them to the divine law by the Redeemer, as the Great Prophet, the antitype of Moses. (Acts 3:22,23) The Apostle also points out that the Church, which already has received the Atonement (accepted the divine arrangement) and come into harmony with God, and has been made possessor of the first-fruits of the spirit, nevertheless, by reason of the surroundings, groans also, and waits for her share of the completed work of the Atonement, in her complete reception to divine favor, the deliverance of the body of Christ, the Church, in the first resurrection. Rom. 8:23-25

These two features of the Atonement, (1) the righting of the wrong, and (2) the bringing of the separated ones into accord, are shown in the divine proposition of a New Covenant, whose mediator is Christ Jesus our Lord. When father Adam was perfect, in complete harmony with his Creator, and obedient to all of his commands, a covenant between them was implied, though not formally expressed; the fact that life in its perfection had been given to father Adam, and that additionally he had been given dominion over all the beasts and fish and fowl, and over all the earth as the territory of his dominion, and the additional fact that it was declared that if he would violate his faithfulness to the Great King, Jehovah, by disobedience, he would forfeit his life and vitiate all those rights and blessings which had been conferred upon him — this implied, we say, a covenant or agreement on God’s part with his creature that his life was everlasting, unless he should alter the matter by disobedience, and bring upon himself a sentence of death.

The disobedience of Adam, and its death penalty, left him utterly helpless, except as the Almighty provided for the recovery of the race through the New Covenant, and the New Covenant, as the Apostle points out, has a mediator — God, on the one part, deals with the mediator, and not [E28] with the sinner; the sinner, on the other part, deals with the mediator, and not with God. But before our Lord Jesus could become the Mediator he must do for mankind a work which, in this figure, is represented as sealing the New Covenant with his own precious blood — “The blood of the New Covenant.” (Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:24; Heb. 7:22; 9:15-20) That is to say, God, in justice, cannot receive nor deal with the sinner, either directly, or indirectly through a mediator, so as to give the sinner a release from the sentence of death, and reconciliation to God, with its accompanying blessing, the gift of eternal life — except first divine Justice be remembered and satisfied. Hence it was that our Lord Jesus, in paying our penalty by his death, made possible the sealing of the New Covenant between God and man, under the terms of which all who come unto God by him, the mediator, are acceptable.

Reconciliation with God, at-one-ment with him, was impossible until, first, the redemption had been secured with the precious blood, that the one seeking at-one-ment might approach God, through the mediator of the New Covenant: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) It is for this reason that the highest privilege of the most favored of mankind, previous to the commencement of Christ’s sacrifice, was that of “servants” and “friends” of God — none could be accorded the high privilege of sonship (with all that this implies of divine favor and eternal life), and none were thus recognized. (John 1:12; Matt. 11:11) Thus it will be seen that those who ignore the sin-offering and Justice-appeasement features of the Atonement are ignoring important and indispensable parts — primary and fundamental features. But not less do others err, who, while recognizing the sacrifice of Christ as the sacrifice of the Atonement for sealing the New Covenant, ignore a work of reconciliation toward men, by which men are to be brought, through the operation of the New Covenant, back into harmony with God. [E29]

Nor can this work of Atonement, so far as mankind is concerned, be accomplished instantaneously and by faith. It may begin in an instant and by faith, and at-one-ment may be reckonedly accomplished between the sinner and the Almighty through faith; but the scope of the At-one-ment which God purposes is grander and higher than this. His arrangement is that those of the human race who desire to return to at-one-ment with him (and his righteous law) shall be reckonedly accepted through their Mediator, but shall not be fully and completely received (by the Father) while they are actually imperfect. Hence, while it is the work of the Mediator (Head and “body”) to proclaim to mankind the fact that God has provided a sin-offering, whereby he can be just and yet receive the sinner back into harmony with himself, and that he is now willing to confer the blessing of sonship and its eternal life and freedom from corruption, it is additionally his work to make clear to all mankind that this offer of salvation is a great boon and should be promptly accepted and that its terms are but a reasonable service; and additionally to this, it is the Mediator’s work, as the Father’s representative, to actually restore — to mentally, morally and physically restitute mankind — so many of them as will receive his ministry and obey him. Thus eventually the Mediator’s work will result in an actual at-one-ment between God and those whom the Mediator shall restore to perfection.

This great work of the Mediator has appropriated to it the entire Millennial Age; it is for this purpose that Messiah’s Kingdom shall be established in the earth, with all power and authority: it is for this purpose that he must reign, that he may put down every evil influence which would hinder the world of mankind from coming to a knowledge of this gracious truth of divine love and mercy; this provision under the New Covenant, that “whosoever will” may return to God. But while the great Mediator shall thus receive, bless and restore, under the terms of the New Covenant, all who desire fellowship with God through him, [E30] he shall destroy from among the people, with an everlasting destruction, all who, under the favorable opportunities of that Millennial Kingdom, refuse the divine offer of reconciliation. Acts 3:23; Matt. 25:41,46; Rev. 20:9,14,15; Prov. 2:21,22

The close of the Millennial age will come after it shall have accomplished all the work of mediation for which it was designed and appointed. And there the mediatorial office of Christ will cease because there will be no more rebels, no more sinners. All desirous of harmony with God will then have attained it in perfection; and all wilful sinners will by that time have been cut off from life. Then will be fulfilled our Lord’s prophecy that all things in heaven and earth will be found praising God; and then will be realized the divine promise that there shall be no more dying, no more sighing and no more crying, because the former things (conditions) will have passed away. Rev. 21:4; Psa. 67

When the great Mediator-King shall resign his completed work to the Father, delivering up his office and kingdom as the Apostle explains (1 Cor. 15:24-28), what lasting results may we expect the great Mediator’s redemptive work toward mankind to show?

It will have accomplished:

(1) The sealing of the New Covenant with his own precious blood; making its gracious provisions possible to all mankind.

(2) The reconciling or bringing back into harmony with God of a “little flock,” a “royal priesthood,” zealous of good works — willing to lay down their lives in God’s service; who, because thus copies of their Savior, shall by divine arrangement be privileged to be his joint-heirs in the Millennial Kingdom and partakers of his divine nature. 1 Pet. 2:9,10; Titus 2:14; Rom. 8:29

(3) The reconciliation, the full restitution, of an earth full of perfect, happy human beings — all of mankind found desirous of divine favor upon the divine terms: these the [E31] Mediator turns over to the Father, not only fully restored but fully instructed in righteousness and self-control and full of the spirit of loyalty to God, the spirit of holiness and possessed of its blessed fruits — meekness, patience, kindness, godliness — love. In this condition they shall indeed be blameless and irreproachable, and capable of standing every test.

(4) The destruction of all others of the race, as unworthy of further favor — the cumberers of the ground, whose influence could not be beneficial to others, and whose continued existence would not glorify their Creator.

Thus, at the close of the Millennial age, the world will be fully back in divine favor, fully at-one with God, as mankind was representatively in harmony, at-one with God, in the person of Adam, before transgression entered the world: but additionally they will possess a most valuable experience with evil; for by it they will have learned a lesson on the sinfulness of sin, and the wisdom, profit and desirableness of righteousness. Additionally, also, they will possess an increase of knowledge and the wider exercise of the various talents and abilities which were man’s originally in creation, but in an undeveloped state. And this lesson will be profitable, not to man alone, but also to the holy angels, who will have witnessed an illustration of the equilibrium of divine Justice, Love, Wisdom and Power in a measure which they could not otherwise have conceived possible. And the lesson fully learned by all, we may presume, will stand for all time, applicable to other races yet uncreated on other planets of the wide universe.

And what will be the center of that story as it shall be told throughout eternity? It will be the story of the great ransom finished at Calvary and of the atonement based upon that payment of the corresponding price, which demonstrated that God’s Love and Justice are exactly equal.

In view of the great importance of this subject of the Atonement, and in view also of that fact that it is so imperfectly comprehended by the Lord’s people, and in view, additionally, [E32] of the fact that errors held upon other subjects hinder a proper view of this important subject, we propose, in its discussion in this volume, to cover a wide range, and to inquire:

(1) Concerning Jehovah, the Author of the plan of the Atonement.

(2) Concerning the Mediator, by whom the Atonement sacrifice was made, and through whose instrumentality all of its gracious provisions are to be applied to fallen man.

(3) Concerning the holy Spirit, the channel or medium through which the blessings of reconciliation to God are brought to mankind.

(4) Respecting mankind, on whose behalf this great plan of Atonement was devised.

(5) Respecting the ransom, the center or pivotal point of the Atonement.

Taking these subjects up in this, which we believe to be their proper and logical order, we hope to find the divine statement respecting these various subjects so clear, so forceful, so satisfactory, as to remove from our minds much of the mist, mystery and misconception which has hitherto beclouded this admittedly important subject of the Atonement. But to attain these desirable results we must not come to these subjects hampered by human creeds or opinions. We must come to them untrammeled by prejudice, ready, willing, nay anxious, to be taught of God; anxious to unlearn whatever we have hitherto received merely through our own conjectures or through the suggestions of others, that is not in harmony with the Word of the Lord; anxious also to have the whole counsel of God upon every feature of this subject. To all who thus come, who thus seek, who thus knock, the great Teacher opens the way, and “they shall be all taught of God.” Isa. 54:13

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Last update: March 13, 2003 *** We still have more to add to this document, so please check back later, or join our mailing list to be informed of updates.

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2 Thessalonians 1:4 so as for us to boast ourselves in you in the assemblies of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions, and the afflictions which you endure,
2 Thessalonians 1:5 a clear token of the just judgment of God, for you to be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you indeed suffer;
2 Thessalonians 1:6 since it is a just thing with God to pay back tribulation to the ones troubling you,
2 Thessalonians 1:7 and to give you, those being afflicted, relief with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from Heaven with angels of His power,
2 Thessalonians 1:8 in flaming fire giving full vengeance to those not knowing God, and to those not obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 Thessalonians 1:9 who will pay the penalty: everlasting destruction from the face of the Lord, “and from the glory of His strength,” when He comes to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all those who believe in that Day, because our testimony to you was believed.  — J.P. Green’s Literal Translation

These verses, especially 2 Thessalonians 1:8,9, are often quoted by those who believe that God will eternally destroy millions of people before the day of judgment, so that they die eternally without receiving any benefit from the ransom. The thought usually alleged is that in the Armageddon battle, God will  eternally destroy those who do not know him. Often this is associated with the non-acceptance of a certain doctrine, or religious organization. The scripture is offered as proof that many who have not believed in this age suffer the punishment of eternal destruction. Is this, however, what Paul is speaking of?

To make 2 Thessalonians 1:8,9 mean that millions will be eternally destroyed without having received the benefit of the ransom sacrifice, the verses have to be taken out of context and misapplied to the generation living at the end of the age rather than to those who persecuted the Christians in the first century. In the context 2 Thessalonians 1:8, Paul is speaking about those who were persecuting the Christians in the first century. He speaks of their patience under persecution, and how their patience offers a sign of the righteous judgment of God toward them, that they be found worthy of the kingdom, for which they were patiently suffering persecution. Then Paul speaks of God’s right to repay affliction to those who had been afflicting them, and that there would be such when the Lord Jesus is revealed. When the Lord Jesus is revealed is speaking of the same time when the “the sons of God” are likewise revealed (Romans 8:19), for which revealing the groaning creation is unknowingly in expectation. The result of the revealing of the Sons of God is for the purpose that “that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.” — Romans 8:19-22.

2 Thessalonians 1:6
eiper dikaion para thew antapodounai
IF EVEN RIGHTEOUS (THING) BESIDE GOD TO GIVE BACK INSTEAD
1487_3 1342 3844 2316 0467
tois thlibousin humas thlipsin
TO THE (ONES) MAKING TRIBULATION FOR YOU TRIBULATION
3588 2346 4771_7 2347
Westcott & Hort Interlinear

While it is righteous on God’s part to seek retribution on those making tribulation for those first century Christians, God was not at that time doing so. In a general way there was a retribution upon the Jews who persecuted the Christians, especially with the destruction of Jerusalem and Masada, but this retribution was not particularly because of the Jew’s persecution of Christians, and did not include others who were not Jews, but who persecuted the Christians in Thessalonica. What Paul is saying is that God would have been just had he brought retribution upon those who were persecuting them, but he doesn’t, for some reason.

Peter, in effect, speaks of the same thing, when he said:

2 Peter 2:9 – [Yahweh] knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment to the day of judgment.

The unrighteous are kept under the punishment in Adam until the day of judgment, when they will be judged, not according to Adam’s sin, but according to how they respond to the books that are opened in that “last day”, the day of judgment.

After speaking of the fact God would have also been righteous to have brought retribution upon those who persecuted those first century Christians, then Paul speaks of the time coming when such will be judged individually, when Jesus will be revealed, made known. Paul is not saying that those who persecuted the first century Christians will be raised back to life “before” the end of the age in order to be punished in the Battle of the Great Day, but he tells the first century Christians that they should be revealed in that there will be a coming day of judgment. The “day of judgment”, while it is a time of rejoicing, a time of blessing, it will also be a time of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Luke 13:28), especially in the early arrival of many from the graves when they realize that they are not in positions where they thought they would be. It will not be easy at first for many, as Jesus said to his twelve apostles when he sent them out to preach:

Matthew 10:14 Whoever doesn’t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet.
Matthew 10:15 Most assuredly I tell you, It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Jesus did not say that they would not be raised in the resurrection of judgment, or that they were condemned to the second death, but he speaks of both those who didn’t not receive his apostles, as well as those of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, as being raised in the resurrection of judgment, at which time it would easier for those of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, than for those Jews who did not receive his apostles.

Paul is basically speaking of the same principle in 2 Thessalonians 1:4-7, and he returns to this in verse 10, in speaking of those who believe in that day, that day of judgment, when Jesus will glorified with the saints. (Romans 8:19,21) His speaking of the time of Jesus’ being revealed is the same time described in Revelation 20:12, when the dead are judged individually, not in Adam, by the things recorded in the books that then opened [revealed] to them.

But in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 Paul describes the end result of the day of judgment on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news (being made known, revealed, to them at time), which needs to be taken in harmony with other scriptures, such as Revelation 20:15, for anyone, after having undergone the kingdom blessings who are not found written in the book of life, are cast into the lake of fire. This is also spoken of in Isaiah 26:10: “Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not see the majesty of Yahweh.” Thus there is God’s final vengeance on those who do not know Him, and who do not obey the good news, and it will indeed be eternal destruction, for there is to be no ransom for those in the second death, but this final vengeance is taken at the end of the millennial reign, not before it. — Hebrews 10:26.

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• Ransom Sacrifice (RL Search Link)
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