Another great theme of the Bible repeats itself throughout it. A good system becomes sinful because of the misuse of some of its created elements, but God works to eliminate the sinfulness that invaded the system until the system becomes wholly good and useful again. For example, in the story of the prophet Joseph and his brothers, the sin of hatred entered into a system based on brotherly love. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God worked in Joseph's life to elevate him to become the Prime Minister of Egypt so that he could provide food for his family in a time of famine. When Joseph met his brothers again, remorse for their sin replaced their hatred, forgiveness replaced animosity, and brotherly love again became the basis of this good system. God worked the sin out of this family system, saved Joseph's family from starvation, and restored this good family system. Joseph said it best in Genesis 50:20.
This same theme repeats itself throughout the Word of God. This theme repeats in the story of Jacob and Esau, the story of Judah and Tamar, the story of Samson, the story of king David and Bathsheba, the story of the prophet Jonah, and many others. In the story of Samson, God always forgave Samson's sins of weakness until Samson allowed his hair to be cut. In this sin, Samson rebelled against God. He thought he could be strong without God. Judges 16:20. God did not forgive Samson's sin of rebellion until his hair grew back and their covenant was restored. Sins of continuous rebellion never repent and God never forgives them, but when a sinner repents of a sin of rebellion then God forgives because of His mercy toward the sinner's weakness. God sent Samson to a type of hell for his rebellion, but Samson repented and his hair grew back, and God used him again to destroy His rebellious enemies. Judges 16:28.
Someday, as John 5:28-29, II Timothy 4:1, Revelation 20:5, and Revelation 20:11-15 reveal, God will repeat this theme when He separates and recovers all of His life and goodness that He has put into man and recreates it. God will also separate from man all of his unrepentant evil and deadness and cast it into the lake of fire forever. Samson's restoration to God's favor symbolized God's recovery of all His goodness and life that He put into man. The Philistines whom Samson destroyed symbolized all of man's rebellious evil and deadness that God will forever purge from His universe.
The Bible also reveals that a time will come when all of the life and goodness that God has put into man will repent of its sins of weakness and will seek restoration to God's favor. Philippians 2:9-11 repeats the prophecy of Isaiah 45:21-24 that one day all of humanity not already saved by grace will bow to God, admit that God has given them righteousness and strength, and be ashamed of their sins which will show remorse and repentance. God reveals in Isaiah 45:22 that all of humanity will look to Him and be saved. Revelation 5:13 reveals the very day when this prophecy will be fulfilled. All of the life and goodness that still remains within humanity within all the regions of the dead will worship God on that day. They will praise Christ for His "...blessing, and honor, and glory, and power..." Humans cannot have such an attitude toward God without repentance and faith. They will recognize that God holds almighty power over sin and death and that He will rescue their lives from eternal death. Revelation 20:5 reveals that God will recover all of His life and goodness that He put into all humans when He created them for Him to recreate. Revelation 20:11-15 reveals that God will cast all of the separated rebellious deadness and evil in mankind into the lake of fire forever. Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:11-12. This resurrection and restoration will not apply to believers saved by grace because they will have already been resurrected in the Rapture in the case of the Church, in the resurrection of Christ in the case of the Old Testament saints, and in the resurrection of the Tribulation saints in the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ. I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Matthew 27:52-53; Revelation 20:4-6. All believers saved by grace will live with Christ forever in heaven. Believers rescued in the general resurrection God will recreate to live on His recreated earth. John 5:28-29; Revelation 21:1-5.
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