DID GOD CREATE SOME TO SEND THEM TO HELL?

Chapter 1.

THE MYSTERIES OF THE ACTS OF GOD

We know and understand by the holy scriptures that not everyone born in this world will inherit the kingdom of God. While some will inherit the kingdom prepared by God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, billions will spend eternity in the lake of fire.

One might ask, “If God loves people, why would He let them go to hell?” This we can answer by saying that the Lord does not send people to hell; rather, men send themselves to hell by rejecting God’s plans for their lives.

It gets more confusing and might even seem contradictory when we look further into the holy scriptures, especially in the Old Testament and the accounts of old, concerning things that were permitted by God.

In this section or subtopic, I’ll start with the Bible’s account of the Pharaoh. This will help us see through the tunnels and intricate web of mysteries concerning man and the things that were done by God.

When you read the Bible’s account of Moses’ call at the burning bush, his calling to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, and the plagues, one might think that God purposely doomed the king of Egypt and the Egyptians because God wanted to show forth His power.

Firstly, we have to establish a reference point. This is what I call “the God compass or God’s borders.” God, though He is the owner of all things and superior to all things He has created, has restrictions that He has placed on Himself. Without those, He can’t be justified as God— the perfect one. Those restrictions are His bedrock, and one of those is this: God can't send people to destruction because He desires that even the most vile man on earth be not destroyed along with Satan and the demons.

Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. -

Ezekiel 18:22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Ezekiel 18:23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

1 Timothy 2:4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Now, let's see another scripture that tells us God’s utmost desire and His heart's desire for even the most vile woman that ever lived.

Revelation 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

-Revelation 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not.

We see here that it wasn't God’s will that Jezebel perishes even after she killed many prophets and committed many abominations.

How then could He, whose desire it is that all men be saved from everlasting condemnation, send people to hell or harden Pharaoh's heart just to show His splendour and might? If He did, then He would have been unloving and a liar and the one fighting against His own agenda and kingdom. But he is not a liar!!

And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? -Mark 3:23

And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. -Mark 3:25

And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. -Mark 3:26

We see from Jesus's words that God couldn't have created people just to send them to hell because that'd be God fighting against Himself and His Kingdom.

Mark 3:23-26

23 So Jesus called them together and talked to them using some stories. He said, “Satan will not force his demons out of people. 24 A kingdom that fights against itself will not survive. 25 And a family that is divided will not survive. 26 If Satan is against himself and is fighting against his own people, he will not survive. That would be the end of Satan.

God will not doom people to destruction because He desires to show His power. If God acts unjustly, then He is an unjust God and can’t be holy. He can’t desire that all men be saved and yet, condemn people arbitrarily. If he did, He would be destroying His plans and purposes. Hence, He wouldn't even need Satan to do evil in the world, because His actions would cause His downfall.

If indeed He is not a liar and does not arbitrarily condemn some people for His purposes to be made manifest, why then did He harden Pharaoh’s heart?

“And I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go [unless forced to do so], no, not by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in it, and after that, he will let you go. And I will give this people favor and respect in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.”

Exodus 3:19-21 AMPC

He did harden Pharaoh’s heart only after He had seen that Pharaoh wasn't going to let the Israelites go. The Egyptian king’s heart was already bent toward destruction, and he would not have let God’s people go. So, God decided to harden his heart as a means to show forth His glory on the earth because Pharaoh was already heading toward destruction.

Exodus 7:3-4 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgement.

Why would He harden some men’s hearts? It’s because He saw the future and the choices they would make. Hence, he could decide to harden their hearts more than it was hardened, since their end to start with, was destruction and will still be destruction, be it hardened or not.

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: -Isaiah 46:10

God, having seen the future and what Pharaoh's choice would be, used Pharaoh’s end to bring about the knowledge of God’s glory.

Exodus 9: 18“Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very heavy and dreadful fall of hail, such as has not been in Egypt from its founding until now. 19 Send therefore now and gather your cattle in hastily, and all that you have in the field; for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home shall be struck by the hail and shall die.”Exodus 9:18-19 AMPC

Did you see that God warned them of the coming hail that would destroy men and beasts? What was the reply of some of them? Just as He continues to, and is still warning people today. Some hearken and repent, but others refuse to listen, having seen the hand of God. Not everyone who starts well ends well, and not all who are walking in darkness now will end in darkness. God will send warnings through dreams and people to bring men to His light, but not everyone will heed God's instruction.

Exodus 9:20-21

[20] The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; [21] but he who paid no regard to the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field.

At this point, God reserves the right to use people's ends to bring about the knowledge of His glory on earth.

Romans 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

That scripture in Romans 8:28 wasn’t written just for us believers, but for God also. All things work together for us who believe, and all things also work together for God’s use because nothing goes to waste when God is involved.

Now that we have seen one of God's ways, we can now explore to see why God would harden one’s heart for His glory.

Exodus 9: 15-16. For by now I could have put forth My hand and have struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this very purpose have I let you live, that I might show you My power, and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth. Exodus 9:15-16 AMPC

Here comes the "God ability" (seeing into the future and inferring from the end) and not arbitrary decisions.

Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end /and/ the result from the beginning, And from ancient times the things which have not [yet] been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will do all that pleases Me /and/ fulfills My purpose,’

Because we all have choices, and God can see our last decisions and our ends, He can use our lives for what He wants to do.

He establishes His purpose and can do His work on earth, based on what will be our final decision/life-choice after it can’t be changed. See that? After it can’t be changed, not whilst you and I might change it. It's important to state that it's only God who sees the future who knows who will and will not change.

Does this mean that some people have been destined to the lake of fire whilst others aren’t? The answer is self-evident and that is "NO"!

We have choices, and because He is the creator, He can fulfil His desires on earth from our end (the end of our lives on earth).

i.e. God can harden a man’s heart and release plagues that will destroy the man for God’s glory because that man’s end is destruction. Hence, He hardened the pharaoh’s heart to reveal His glory because of this.

Let’s use this as an example. If God looked into the future and saw that no matter how much of His rebuke and signs He decides to send to a certain individual to save that person, that particular individual will not change. God can then, use that individual’s life to show his power toward the wicked and unrighteous.

A very good example is the life of Judas Iscariot. Reading the scriptures, you see that Satan only took absolute hold of him after the Lord had given him bread. But his end was already tilted toward destruction and wouldn't have been changed. You see, whilst he saw Jesus walk this earth and did many miracles, even after he (Judas) had cast out devils by using Jesus' name, his heart was full of evil, and he enjoyed evil. He stole from the pause without fear, regardless of the sermons against stealing that he had heard from Jesus. For this, it was left for God to use him as the one destined for destruction and not because God wanted to destroy him.

“But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples who was about to betray Him, said, Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii [a year's wages for an ordinary workman] and that [money] given to the poor (the destitute)? Now he did not say this because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and having the bag (the money box, the purse of the Twelve), he took for himself what was put into it [pilfering the collections].” John 12:4-6 AMPC

His heart was never right even though he walked in the presence of the Almighty. His heart was full of unrighteousness, and his end was destruction because the Lord had seen that. Hence, his life worked together for God’s purpose to be accomplished on the earth.

John 13: 2 So [it was] during supper, Satan having already put the thought of betraying Jesus in the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, 3 [That] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God, 9 Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, [wash] not only my feet but my hands and my head too! 10 Jesus said to him, Anyone who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is clean all over. And you [My disciples] are clean, but not all of you. 11 For He knew who was going to betray Him; that was the reason He said, Not all of you are clean. 26 Jesus answered, It is the one to whom I am going to give this morsel (bit) of food after I have dipped it. So when He had dipped the morsel of bread [into the dish], He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son.

27 Then after [he had taken] the bit of food, Satan entered into and took possession of [Judas]. Jesus said to him, What you are going to do, do [e]more swiftly than you seem to intend and [f]make quick work of it.

The only thing Jesus did was ask Judas to speed up. So, instead of waiting maybe one more year before going to hell, he died sooner so that Jesus might be betrayed.

Judas betrayed Jesus Christ and sold him, whilst Peter denied him and cursed.

Two men committed great sins; one died in it because death and evil were lurking within his heart whilst the other did not condemn himself to eternal damnation by killing himself.

“After a little while, the bystanders came up and said to Peter, You certainly are one of them too, for even your accent betrays you. Then Peter began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not even know the Man! And at that moment a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered Jesus' words, when He had said, Before a single rooster crows, you will deny and disown Me three times. And he went outside and wept bitterly.”

Matthew 26:73-75 AMPC

Peter after he had realised his sins, wept and repented. He did not take his own life.

But that was not the case for Judas Iscariot.

“When Judas, His betrayer, saw that [Jesus] was condemned, [Judas was afflicted in mind and troubled for his former folly; and] with remorse [with little more than a selfish dread of the consequences] he brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, [Exod. 21:32.] Saying, I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. They replied, What is that to us? See to that yourself. And casting the pieces of silver [forward] into the [Holy Place of the sanctuary of the] temple, he departed; and he went off and hanged himself.” Matthew 27:3-5 AMPC

Here, we see how all things work together for good, both unto showing God's power and unto those who love him.

We must watch. Just because you think that you are in the Lord now does not mean that you will continue in Him. We have a choice, and God can only pull us to Himself, but we must decide whether to hearken and heed or refuse and walk away.

The narrow road to eternal life gets narrower as we continue on that path. Some will say it's too hard to continue in it because the further you go, the more you are required to leave behind and let go. The way we began our Christian walk is not the way we will remain as we continue in Him. He will prune us and remove all the bags that are not His as we continue in Him. Those who heed will be made perfect, and those who refuse will be cast out because they'll not be able to go through the road as it becomes even narrower towards the end.

1 Corinthians 10: 11 Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation].

...to be continued.

Extra:

Think on the two evil kings in the Bible: Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar. Pharaoh refused to repent, but Nebuchadnezzar, though he might have been more evil than the Pharaoh of Egypt, always bowed to God’s sovereign power each time he encountered God’s power through Daniel and the other three Hebrew men.

Stay tuned for Chapter 2: