3:1 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of Elohim, and there shall no torment touch them. 2 In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, 3 And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. 4 For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. 5 And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for Elohim proved them, and found them worthy for himself.
6 As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering. 7 And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. 8 They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. 9 They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect. 10 But the ungodly shall be punished according to their own imaginations, which have neglected the righteous, and forsaken יהוה . 11 For whoso despiseth wisdom and nurture, he is miserable, and their hope is vain, their labours unfruitful, and their works unprofitable: 12 Their wives are foolish, and their children wicked: 13 Their offspring is cursed. Wherefore blessed is the barren that is undefiled, which hath not known the sinful bed: she shall have fruit in the visitation of souls. 14 And blessed is the eunuch, which with his hands hath wrought no iniquity, nor imagined wicked things against Elohim: for unto him shall be given the special gift of faith, and an inheritance in the temple of יהוה more acceptable to his mind. 15 For glorious is the fruit of good labours: and the root of wisdom shall never fall away. 16 As for the children of adulterers, they shall not come to their perfection, and the seed of an unrighteous bed shall be rooted out. 17 For though they live long, yet shall they be nothing regarded: and their last age shall be without honour. 18 Or, if they die quickly, they have no hope, neither comfort in the day of trial. 19 For horrible is the end of the unrighteous generation.
Chapter 3 begins by delving into the mystery of human suffering, tribulation, and ultimate divine purification.
Why do we suffer in life…and is there a redemptive potential that comes through acceptance – accepting the crucible of this life and then being received into paradise in the next? Makes me wonder!
Or non-acceptance of the crucible of this life…wanting to live your best life now…and then not being received into paradise in the next…but Hades -the fire…and then Hades is thrown into the crucible – the lake of fire – an aeon – some longer than others…however long it takes to refine the soul.
1 “But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of Elohim, and no torment will ever touch them.”
You’re not forsaken; rather, you’re being refined.
Paul told the Romans in 8:17-18 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of Elohim and co-heirs with Moshiach, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
The crucible of life is the key part to a true walk…it’s meant to be a as fire sometimes…refining, not as a punishment but as a process of spiritual purification, akin to gold refined in the furnace (Malachi 3:3).
In Matthew 11:28-30, Yahusha offers an invitation that speaks directly with this theme of Solomon’s – the refining through life’s trials:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
In 1 Peter 1:6-7, Peter speaks of the refining fire that tests the genuineness of faith:
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Yahusha Messiah is revealed.”
The crucible of this life, then, becomes the process through which our character is refined and our faith strengthened.
1. Paradise, Sheol, and Hades
Sheol (Hebrew) and Hades (Greek) are terms referring to the resting place of the dead. In the Torah. The term Hades in Greek has the same meaning.
Jonah 2:2: Jonah describes being in the “belly of Sheol” while in the whale. This metaphorically indicates a state of death or separation from יהוה, but also it’s a place of eventual hope and deliverance.
Luke 16:23: The rich man and Lazarus are depicted as in Hades, with a chasm between them (verse 26), representing the separation between the righteous and unrighteous before the Exodus brought about by Yahusha!.
The Grave (Qeber)
The Hebrew word Qeber refers to the physical grave or tomb, literally the earth where the body is buried. It is not a compartmentalized state like Sheol or Hades but the physical burial site in the earth!
Ecclesiastes 12:7: “The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to יהוה who gave it.” This speaks to the physical return to the earth (grave) and the soul’s spiritual return to יהוה.
2. The Intermediate State: Exodus from Hades
Luke 9:31: When Yahusha spoke with with Moshe and Elijah…he literally spoke with them and they came up from Hades – the compartment called paradise…on the Mount of Transfiguration!
Ephesians 4:8-10: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive.” Yahusha through His death and resurrection, freed those righteous souls in Hades, bringing them to paradise (the third heaven)
Matthew 27:52-53: After Yahushas’ resurrection, many saints were raised and appeared to others. These are examples of those who were released from Hades after Moshiach’s victory over death.
3. The Three Heavens and Paradise
The Third Heaven: 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, a place of divine revelation and the presence of יהוה.
2 Corinthians 12:4: “That he was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
Revelation 2:7: “To him who overcomes…I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of יהוה.”
4. The Unbelieving Dead: Awaiting Resurrection
John 5:28-29: “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
Revelation 20:13-15: “The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”
5. The Refining Process: Gehenna and the Crucible
Gehenna is the final punishment abode of the wicked, where they experience refinement through fire. In reality it’s the place of cleansing, not everlasting torment, which aligns with the understanding of the Lake of Fire as a crucible.
Matthew 5:22: “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.”
1 Corinthians 3:13-15: “Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.”
Mark 9:49: “For everyone will be salted with fire.”
1 Timothy 2:4: “Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Philippians 2:9-11: “Therefore יהוה also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Yahusha every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Yahusha Ha Moshiach is Sovereign, to the glory of Elohim the Father.”
Revelation 21:24-26: “And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.”
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