See What I See

     What persuades me of truth is the internal consistency of Holy Scripture. God showed the prophets of old what would happen to Jesus. Even more astounding is that God showed the prophets what would happen on the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. I am speaking of the apocalypse. John saw the earth destroyed at the end of time (Rev 21). Isaiah, eight-hundred years before, saw the same vision which John saw. Furthermore, Peter wrote of that day long before John:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Pet 3:3-7)

     I shall be saved before that time comes! What am I saved from? Not only Hell but that Terrible Day! The day the earth is baptized by fire is when the meek shall inherit the earth (Psalm 37:11; Mat 5:5). Be clear: meek men don't scoff at God! Meek men don't walk after their own lusts. Regeneration (born-again) should introduce a meek man to a scoffing world. As loving others is hard work, humbling oneself is as well. The knowledge of the end-of-days is humbling.
     Those who have not already will be begging for mercy: every knee shall bow to God - the kings of the nations included (Isa 45:23; Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10). You see, Paul knew about the end of days as well when he wrote what Isaiah saw. Thanks to Isaiah, Paul, Peter, and John; I see what they saw. They all provided me the same glimpse of that Terrible Day.
     I learned one specific and crucial thing early on: I don't want that terrible day before Christ comes for his one-thousand-years reign, and I neither do I want it for eternity. The fear of the Lord is essential, albeit it does not fit well with positive Christianity. Apparently some televangelists who preach the prosperity gospel have not seen what they saw, and have not seen what I see!
     Now, if you have been wise and read Revelation 21 and what Peter wrote, you will take the time to read the lengthy dissertation on what Isaiah saw. To reduce your reading, I have removed the positive things which happen to righteous people, but left in the broad path to destruction:

1 Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. 

2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.

4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

13 When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.

18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.

19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.

23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. (Isa 24)  

     If I was there, it would be a great day for me in spite of the terrible day for most. However, I have planned well: I won't be there! Likely, I will have died, been brought out of my grave, and my body glorified as I take on new flesh! That will be my Great Day!
     That is what salvation is all about - refusing to have a Terrible Day! I believe in Hell. Mankind will get a taste of Hell on earth in the final days but it won't be Hell. The fear of Hell will humble everyone, even the rulers of the nations. Their pride on that day will dissipate. Fear will encompass them as they finally come to realize, although too late, that they will indeed die just as the Serpent forewarned!
     Mankind all love themselves since nobody hates their own flesh, and because of that, all mankind seeks to preserve their bodies forever (Ephes 5:2). I am no different: I turned to Jesus because I can't save me! My weakness is humbling. Because I am meek, the earth on this day, if I was alive, would be mine. Since not, Heaven will be!
     People are "as gods" (Gen 3:5) as the Serpent taunted Adam and Eve with the new knowledge from God. As assumed gods, all men desire that they never perish. The purpose of the life of Jesus was that he, not us, fulfill our heart's desire. So that we not perish God perished for mankind because He loves us so (John 3:16)! With a bit of irony, our gods can't save us but the One True God can. That's why God came in the Flesh: to save our wretched bodies and our souls with it. Salvation is discarding the old flesh and putting on new incorruptible flesh - glorification. Those who are born-again have the hope to be like God!
     Isaiah, Peter, Paul, and John were a great part of the foundation of the Church which was built in reference to Jesus Christ - the Cornerstone or Datum for building the Church. The Church will someday be glorified and inhabitants of New Jerusalem. I want to be there, and anyone but a fool should as well! Isaiah saw the precursor to Heaven. He saw the people, as Noah did, in anguish and despair, yet that is just a small dose of what Hell will be like! Coming to realize that no one can save themselves from this peril but God can is when people are born-again. Jesus said you must be (John 3:7)!