Sin causes spiritual death which is eternal separation from God. Genesis 3:22-24. But Jesus died that eternal death in every man's place on the cross. Hebrews 2:8-9. How is it possible that an eternal, living God could ever die an eternal death? The answer lies in the fact that God is Eternal Love. I John 4:8. God's Love is infinite and all-powerful. Psalm 147:5. An Infinite and Almighty God cannot be diminished or increased in any way, not even by eternal death. Infinity also cannot be divided or multiplied. This means that any part of the Infinite must be equal to the whole. While Jesus walked the earth, He appeared to His believers to be but a part of God. John 14:28. But although Jesus did put off a part of His power and glory when He came to earth, He nevertheless held an equality with His Father and the Holy Spirit at all times as He willed. Matthew 26:53; John 19:11; John 4:34. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all eternally equal to each other, being One God. John 10:30; I John 5:7.
There exists a kind of hole in eternity similar to a black hole in space. This hole in eternity corresponds to the three days that Jesus was dead, and God was separated from Himself. Yet, the world did not end, and Satan did not take over the universe. How could such an event be possible? The simple answer is that Eternal Love happens to be far more powerful than eternal death. Satan counted on eternal death being more powerful. Even when separated from Himself in eternal death, the Almighty Power of God's Love could not be diminished in the least. Just as a black hole in space sucks in all matter that comes near it, that three day hole in eternity sucks in all the sins and deaths of all humans. I John 3:8; I Corinthians 15:22-26. Through His creation of humanity, God has tested His Love and has proven that His Love can never fail. God tested His Love because the rebellion of Lucifer had brought the power of His Love into question. I Corinthians 13:8.
The good and living parts of every human yearns for a return to fellowship with God. Romans 8:21-22. God saves some humans by His grace to show the world that He is still here and can still save. Matthew 5:16. But God's Love does not give up on the rest of humanity whom He must temporarily separate from Himself by consigning them to one of the three regions of the dead because they are still filthy with sin and evil. Revelation 20:13; Hebrews 9:27. But God will allow the living parts of these dead humans to repent and return to fellowship with Him. The Bible prophesies that this event will happen as recorded in Isaiah 45:21-24 and Philippians 2:9-11, and it will be fulfilled in Revelation 5:13. However, the living parts of these dead humans must wait until after the millennial reign of Christ for God to permanently separate their lives from their deaths in a general resurrection of all that are left in their graves. John 5:28-29. God will use His consuming fire to effect this eternal separation. Christ made this salvation possible by His descent into hell. God will recover the good and living parts of all humans within the regions of the dead for Him to recreate to inhabit His recreated earth. Revelation 21:1-5. God will consign the spiritual deaths of these humans to the lake of fire forever. Revelation 20:13-15; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:11-12.
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