My Recent Dream..."about hell"
In the morning hours of July 22, I was lying in bed and fell back into a dream. In the dream I saw a kitchen floor that was missing one floor tile. Also in the dream I heard a voice, which I knew was God, saying to me, “billion souls are going to hell … Don’t cover it up.”
(Note: It was either “a billion” or “billions;” I could not recall exactly when I awoke)
I knew that the missing floor tile represented something that was going to be swept under the tile to be “covered up” like sweeping dirt under a carpet. I do not recall God ever speaking to me in a dream about hell before.
WHAT GOD IS HIGHLIGHTING
In certain time periods God likes to reveal and emphasize different attributes of Himself. Currently, in this season, I believe the Holy Spirit is highlighting Father God and especially “His goodness.” Even our songs are reflecting it:
“You're a good, good father
It's who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am …” (Chris Tomlin)
In the early 1900s a clearer picture of the Holy Spirit was brought to the church beginning with the Azusa street revival and followed by others.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Jesus was a big focus through the Jesus Movement. In fact, most current, full time pastors in America were saved during the Jesus Movement time period.
In the last several years there has been a focus on the “father’s heart” aspect of God. The radical love of Father God is getting clearer and clearer. I am so thankful for this! My life has been transformed by getting a greater revelation of how good God is, how much Father God loves me and even likes me! Wow!
With all of this incredible revelation of Father God’s love and His nature that is getting “uncovered” in this hour, I see some starting to “cover up” biblical truths that may seem inconsistent or uncomfortable with God’s love such as “hell”. (Note: for the sake of a shorter article, I do not differentiate between: hell, gehenna and sheol)
Again, what God spoke in my dream was, “billion souls are going to hell … Don’t cover it up.”
I believe God gave me this dream because of a current, false teaching referred to as “Universal Reconciliation” through Jesus. This idea teaches that every person, through Christ, will eventually not experience ‘hell’ and will be fully restored back to the Father in heaven. Some go as far as to teach and believe that fallen angels and Satan, himself, will be fully restored back to God.
This doctirne is trying to erase Hell because of God’s great love. That is a HUGE demonic deception and a grave error. God’s great love provided a way to escape hell through Jesus. God’s love is proven by JESUS! (Romans 5:8)
This Universal Reconciliation viewpoint is unbiblical, damaging and completely a false doctrine. Heaven and hell are both very much acknowledged in the word of God.
With that being said, there is a biblical salvation plan that is, in fact, “universal” to all mankind. There are many verses that speak about a “universal” reconciliation plan through Jesus. These verses show God universally made a way of reconciliation for the entire world.
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” - John 1:29
“This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers”. - 1 Timothy 4:10
These verses state that, through Jesus Christ, God universally poured out His “grace to be saved” to ALL mankind. Basically, God has said to all mankind, “I love you! You are soooo valuable! Will you choose me back? Will you join me in a covenant relationship (marriage) and become one with me?”
Jesus has now universally made EVERYONE “Save-able” and “Restore-able” back to Father God and back into the original design of their created value … back into ”The image of God!”
GRACE AND FAITH
The Bible says that we are saved “by grace ... through faith”- Ephesians 2:8,9
“Universally,” God has poured out His grace to ALL flesh; however, “individually” we must all respond to that grace with either belief or unbelief-- a “yes” or a “no.”
God, from before the foundation of the earth, chose a BIG, “YES … I choose YOU!” towards us through Jesus. He now eagerly and hopefully awaits a “YES … I choose You back!” reply on our end.
Everything is now provided to us by “grace,” but there is a part that we also play by saying “yes” to God’s offer of salvation, which is “faith” or “believing” the gospel of Jesus.
The whole New Testament shows the disciples “preaching the gospel of God’s grace” so that some might believe and be saved. Most gave their lives to martyrdom because of the intensity and importance of this incredible good news message.
We see clearly see through scripture that there MUST be a response in man’s heart to the “good news” for the remission of sins.
We see a clear picture of what this looks like throughout the book of Acts. The gospel is preached and there is a response. With a response of repentance follows water baptism and then a separate baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is seen over and over and is a clear model to us.
I would like to close with this quote from Reinhard Bonnke, “We do not threaten people with hell … we warn them. You threaten an enemy, but to those you love, you warn.”
CONCLUSION
I am not a big preacher of heaven and hell after someone dies as the central theme of the gospel. In other words, I do not promote that missing hell and making it to heaven after death is the greatest target of our joy. NO! I believe the gospel and eternal life starts the very second that an individual “believes” in Jesus and is born again! This brand new life in God that never ends is for NOW and not just for later! The BIG TARGET for me is that eternal life is KNOWING GOD! My target is that we can know, love and experience GOD NOW, and that it never ends if a person “believes” and is IN CHRIST!
We must be born again!!! Yay Jesus!!
Works Cited: Chris Tomlin. “Good Good Father,” Never Lose Sight, Sparrow Records, 2016.