Do you think the Bible supports the ultimate restoration of all people/things? I always thought no but have recently followed Robin Perry’s work and think it is very plausible
Discussion
The last two chapters of Revelation do describe a restoration, but it only happens after the near complete destruction of everything and everyone. There is one restoration right before the millennial reign of Christ and then there is the new heavens and the new Earth after that.
That’s interesting. Do you think even the “saved” will be destroyed and restored?
Based on my reading of Scripture, the saved will be raptured (caught up to heaven)
" For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)
This will happen right before the 7 year Tribulation. There will be many new people saved during the tribulation, but most of them will be martyred. At the end of the 7 year Tribulation (During which about half of the world's population will die from war, pestilence, drought, earthquakes, famine, and persecution), Jesus will return, destroy His enemies and reign on earth for 1,000 years (His millennial reign) At the end of the 1,000 years, new enemies will rise up to battle against Jesus, but will be destroyed by His word and a New Heavens and New Earth will be created in perfection for the saved alone. There will be no more sin, death, or tears.
The greatest details on end times are in Revelation starting with Chapter 4 and in Daniel starting with Daniel chapter 7. I do have some articles on the subject on my trustjesus.substack.com , but don't feel like a great expert on the subject, even though I have been studying the Bible for ~40 years and studying end times prophecy hard the past year.
That’s a really great summary! I admit I was raised amil but I will have to check out your article. What do you make of verses like this
19For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
20and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20
24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For “Godc has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15
I always read right past these but what does it mean for God to “reconcile all things” or be “all in all” if some are eternally in hell or destroyed?
" 9For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phillipians 2:9-11)
Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. In that respect they will all be reconciled to Him, but those who bow and confess before the Great White Throne Judgment will join Him in the New Heavens and New Earth while those who bow and confess Him after His return and victory will be punished by an eternity in Hell.
I think the "all in all" just refers to God being in all things because He created all things and upholds all things by the power of His word (from Hebrews 1:3). Right now He is the all in all, but at the last judgment he will be acknowledged as the all in all by everyone who is and ever was. (from Revelation 20)
When I'm more rested, I might be able to answer more or better.
That’s interesting you pulled that verse from Philippians. A lot of Christian universalists use that to argue that all will be saved because the Greek work for “confess” they claim means to openly give praise which leans more towards all people eventually accepting Christ.
Also have a Merry Christmas!!!!
Good point about all in all tho