At a Unbeliever's Funeral-Shall I say He is Going to Hell

I just read an interesting post at http://blogs.christianpost.com/building-his-kingdom/whats-never-said-at-a-funeral-but-christians-are-thinking-it-11036 "What's Never said at Funerals-But Christians Are Thinking About It"


The author is right. We do pussyfoot around the issue about attending funeral of unbelievers, with no one daring to say that they will be going to "Hell". He makes the point that this is exactly what will happen.  Well in a sense he is right (except that Hell will be cast into the lake of Fire, so Hell and the lake of Fire are two separate entities). But to play devil's advocate, why do little kids or babies get a free pass.If everyone is born in sin, they are all born in sin.  Unfortunately our traditional theology has no answer for this.

Fortunately we have the Word of God which is not limited by man's theology or traditions.

This article confuses some different concepts. The following is never taught by traditional preachers, but is all biblical. There is a hell but hell is not the same as the Lake of fire(pur). The three words for Hell are 1.) Hades/ Sheol 2.) Gehenna (Valley of Hinnon, or Topheth) and 3.) Tartarus (know by the Greeks, but referred to Peter as a place where the wicked angels from Noah's day are help i.e the Titans). Hades (which is just the pit, the grave) is cast into the lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire starts from the throne of God as a river and then forms a lake outside New Jerusalem. Daniel saw it as a river (Dan. 7:9-10) while John saw it as a lake, while Isaiah placed it outside Jerusalem (Isa 66:22-24). The last chapter in Revelation 22 is not even the end. It is the beginning of something else, where we have a garden city with the tree of life (New Jerusalem), with a new man (Christ) and his bride (Church). This New Jerusalem is in the middle of earth. Sounds like Garden of Eden vs 2.0- a new beginning. This New Jerusalem is on the earth surrounded by fire and outer darkness where the "dogs" are. Rev 22:15, says outside the city are the dogs, wicked, sexual immoral, murders etc., right where you expect them to be after they were cast in the midst of the fire. Yet we observe three curious elements: 1.) There is a tree of life with leaves for the healing of the nations. Why would nations ever need healing if all the Christians are already resurrected and in the city. 2.) The Spirit and the Bride says Come and eat and drink from the tree and water of life. Who are they saying come to? Most Christians would say Christ, but when you look at the scripture, it says whoever is thirsty to come...Christ has no need for the tree of life. They are saying come to those outside the city and a plea is made to have their robes washed to do so. 3.) There is no Greek or Hebrew word for forever as we understand it in English. The word for eternal is olam, a time based word, which means ages/ eons. So even though the Levitical order with its Aaronic priesthood was said to be forever/ eternal, yet we know it was not. God is know as the God of the Ages, which is the same as Eternal God. Olam, the word for Eternal means indefinite time or age that can continue indefinitely or be interrupted by something to end. God reserves the right to call something olam. eternal and then interrupt it and bring it to an end. There are many instances of this in the bible, use your English concordance.

Finally, Rev. 22 is not the end. It is a new beginning towards the end. What is the end? The restoration of all things (Acts. 3:21) which began with the reconciliation of all things at the cross (Col. 1:15-21). The real end involves him resolving that as in Adam all Died, So in Christ All Died in Him (2 Cor. 5:14-15), as he did say that when he was lifted up on the corss He will drag all men to Him. The real end is 1 Cor. 15: 22-28 where after slaying every man in Him at the cross, just as in Adam all died, in Christ all will be made alive but each in His own order, first Christ Himself and then those who first believe (the first fruits) and then comes the rear guard, all those enemies, that he has to begin the process by subjection, dealing with his enemies until He can hand the kingdom to the father and God Be All in All. God All in All is the end, where out of Him, through Him and Back to Him are all things (Rom 11:36). This is what he swore on His throne in Isa 45:22-25, where He declared Look to Me all the ends of the Earth and be Saved. This is word uttered that will not be revoked. God Himself defined that proclamation and what He meant by to be saved by declaring that unto Him that every knee will bow and every tongue will swear (confess).All who raged against Him will be put to shame. This is the full gospel. It involves the Lake of Fire (His prison), but God is the Consuming Fire. However in the end He will accomplish His will, and will get every knee and every tongue and become All in All.

As Paul Harvey would say that is the rest of the story.