Program 166: Yahushua & the Spirits in Prison

The “spirits in prison” mentioned in 1 Peter 3 refers to fallen angels convicted of a heinous crime. It does not refer to immortal souls of the dead.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: Yahushua & the Spirits in Prison

Miles Robey: What happened when Yahushua died? Did he go to hell after his crucifixion and if he did, what did he do there? Hi, I’m Miles Robey and those are some of the questions we’ll be looking at today. Later, Dave Wright’s going to share with us Bible verses that can be applied to the problems we all face on a daily basis.

But first: what happens at death? I know we’ve covered this in some previous programs but today I’ve asked Dave to take it from a slightly different angle. I think this is an important topic to discuss from all angles because of the disinformation and out-right error that has been spread through ignorance of what happens at death. Dave?

Dave Wright: Thanks, Miles. I’m glad you asked to talk about this topic again. I recently had an interesting conversation with some long-time friends. Now, sadly, these friends are no longer believers. Over the last, I don’t know. Five to ten years? They’ve lost their faith. A couple are now atheists while the other is agnostic.

Miles: That’s really sad.

Dave: Yes, and what’s worse is the unchristlike way many have treated them. These are the lost sheep, the wounded sheep in Christ’s parable. The very last thing they need is anyone dismissing their pain or their questions as, “Well, you were never truly converted if you’ve now turned your back on the truth.”

Miles: Yeah, that doesn’t help at all. Some people go so far as to shun those who’ve lost their faith.

Look, folks: shunning the lost sheep isn’t going to shame him or her back to the fold!

Dave: Right! Well, I honestly felt honored that they trusted me and my wife enough to open up to us and share from their hearts what their struggles had been, why they believed they’d lost their faith. And it wasn’t because they’d “backslid.”

Miles: Had someone hurt them or something?

Dave: Well, for each of them, there were a number of different reasons but the main thing that stood out at me was how each one of them was quite bitter about the terror they had felt as young children being taught that if they weren’t good enough to make it to heaven, they would burn in hell for eternity.

Miles: Oh, yeah. I remember that, too.

Dave: Really! You were taught that in the denomination you grew up in?

Miles: Oh, yeah! I remember once I even had a nightmare about it. You know how, for a time, scientists wondered and debated whether people dreamed in black and white or color? Well, they should have asked me! I still remember the red and orange flames in that nightmare. It was awful. It really was.

I don’t believe in the doctrine of eternal torment anymore, but I’ve never forgotten how terrifying it was to be taught that as a youngster. How about you? Were you ever taught that?

Dave: No. We were taught that death is like going to sleep.

Miles: Lucky you. Telling a vulnerable, innocent young child that if they’re bad they’re going to burn in hell for ever and ever and ever is … well, it’s child abuse.

Dave: That’s interesting. That’s the very term my friends used, too, along with a few other, stronger, choice words.

There are a lot of clear Biblical statements that teach the truth of what happens when we die and we’ll touch on that in our next segment. For now, though, I’d like to talk about a particular passage that a lot of believers use to support their belief in conscious awareness after death. It’s found in the third chapter of 1 Peter. Could you turn there for us, please?

It's 1 Peter, chapter 3 and verses 17 through, uh … why don’t you read through verse 22? Let’s get it all in context.

Miles: Let’s see … okay, it says:

For it is better, if it is the will of [Yahuwah], to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to [Yah], being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward Yahuwah)—

Dave: The marginal reading says, “But an appeal to [Yah] for a clear conscience.”

Go ahead.

Miles: Um … “through the resurrection of Yahushua Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of [Yahuwah], angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to him.”

Dave: This is an interesting passage that, from a surface reading, would suggest that when Yahushua died, he was taken to hell where he preached to the lost souls there. In fact, that is how Christians who believe in an ever-burning hell interpret this passage. But is that what it really means?

Miles: I’ll be honest: I have no idea what this passage could mean. I know that Scripture does not, in fact, teach an ever-burning hell. That actually came in later, but what does it mean, then, if not an ever-burning hell?

Dave: You’re right. The idea that we each have an immortal soul that can’t die came in at the end of the second century. The early church fathers were, typically, very well-educated in the thought of the time. As such, they were heavily influenced by the teachings of Plato.

Miles: We’ve talked about that in an earlier program.

Dave: We did. A lot of pagan philosophy entered the church through the classical education of these early so-called “church fathers.” The idea of eternal punishment goes hand-in-glove with the idea of an immortal soul. So, by the end of the second century after Christ, this was a concept that had invaded Christianity. It doesn’t actually show up in Scripture, but a couple of centuries later, it began to make an appearance.

Now, what most Christians don’t know is that what Peter is referring to is an event described in the book of Enoch. That’s an ancient book that doesn’t appear in our modern Bibles, but if you’ve read it, you’ll recognize when the various New Testament writers make references to it, and this is one such passage.

Miles: Isn’t the book of Enoch apocryphal or pseudopigraphal? I’ve heard a lot of Christians dismiss it for that reason.

Dave: Well, to be more precise, what Enoch describes is a sin so heinous that Christians don’t want to acknowledge that it could have happened at all, so they just dismiss the entire book as not inspired. And it’s possible that it was handed down through oral tradition and only written down much later.

Miles: What sin was that?

Dave: Let’s read it. Turn to Genesis chapter 6 and read verses 1 to 8, would you please.

Miles: Okay, um …

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of Elohim saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then Yahuwah said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of Elohim went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

Yahuwah saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. Yahuwah regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So Yahuwah said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahuwah.

Dave: Some denominations interpret these verses as describing the righteous believers being seduced and led astray by worldly women.

Miles: Nothing like a little, good ol’ patriarchal misogyny to dictate your Biblical interpretation!

Dave: Yes, well, if we blame women for “enticing” us, then we don’t have to be held accountable, do we? Very “convenient.”

Miles: For the men.

Dave: For the men.

Anyway, not all denominations believe that. Some denominations teach that the “sons of Elohim” (or “sons of God” as it appears in most modern translations) refers to fallen angels who saw human women, lusted after them, had sex with them, and produced giants. The book of Enoch supports this interpretation.

Miles: That is a shocking act. You can see why some people might hesitate to interpret Genesis 6 that way.

Dave: Sure. But what’s interesting is that, once you’ve read the book of Enoch, you’ll start to see many places in the New Testament where the apostles wove in teachings that first appear in the book of Enoch, which was written earlier. The book of Jude is only one chapter, but it draws heavily on the book of Enoch. Now, if the Bible writers accepted Enoch as an inspired book—and their inclusion of information found only there would tend to support this—then I hesitate to dismiss it as uninspired.

Miles: Yeah, okay. You’ve got a point.

Dave: In fact, the book of Jude actually quotes from the book of Enoch!

Miles: Wow! I guess I need to go read Enoch.

Dave: You can actually find it online for free in most languages. In fact, could you pull it up on your monitor there? You should be able to find it easily. Scroll down to chapter six. Start reading at verse 1.

Miles: All right, uh …

And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters.

And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.' And Semjaza, who was their leader, said unto them: 'I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.'

And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.'

Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it.

And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them. [Enoch 6:1-7a; 7:1]

Dave: Now the result of this was a tremendous amount of violence. A lot of innocent lives were lost so Yahuwah called a halt, just as we read in Genesis 6. Scroll down to Enoch chapter 9 and read that.

Miles: The whole thing?

Dave: It’s short.

Miles: All right … here we go:

And then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven and saw much blood being shed upon the earth, and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth. And they said one to another: 'The earth made without inhabitant cries the voice of their cryings up to the gates of heaven. And now to you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men make their suit, saying, "Bring our cause
before the Most High."'

And they said to the Lord of the ages: 'Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings, and God of the ages, the throne of Thy glory (standeth) unto all the generations of the ages, and Thy name holy and glorious and blessed unto all the ages! Thou hast made all things, and power over all things hast Thou: and all things are naked and open in Thy sight, and Thou seest all things, and nothing can hide itself from Thee. Thou seest what Azazel hath done, who hath taught all unrighteousness on earth and revealed the eternal secrets which were (preserved) in heaven, which men were striving to learn: And Semjaza, to whom Thou hast given authority to bear rule over his associates. And they have gone to the daughters of men upon the earth, and have slept with the women, and have defiled themselves, and revealed to them all kinds of sins. And the women have borne giants, and the whole earth has thereby been filled with blood and unrighteousness. And now, behold, the souls of those who have died are crying and making their suit to the gates of heaven, and their lamentations have ascended: and cannot cease because of the lawless deeds which are wrought on the earth. And Thou knowest all things before they come to pass, and Thou seest these things and Thou dost suffer them, and Thou dost not say to us what we are to do to them in regard to these.'

Dave: It was this sin, and the wide-spread evil that resulted, that Enoch and Genesis both give as the reason why the flood was necessary. Genesis 6:11 says: “Now the earth was corrupt in Elohim’s sight and was full of violence.” Enoch 10 verse 8 says it: “And the whole earth has been corrupted.”

Miles: So how does all this tie into 1 Peter and the “spirits in prison” that Yahushua preached to?

Dave: Because of the punishment these fallen angels received.

Miles: Okay. Hold that thought. We’re going to take a quick break and when we come back, let’s get into that.

Stay tuned! We’ll return in a moment.

* * *

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Belief in a triune godhead, or “trinity,” is a bedrock belief of the majority of Christians. And why not? It was adopted from paganism over one thousand, six hundred years ago! Most Christians have never known there was a time when believers would rather die than accept this heresy.

Yahuwah is restoring truth and one of those truths has to do with His nature. He is not a triune god. Scripture declares He is just … one. But even once this beautiful truth is studied and embraced, the tentacles of error sometimes still remain influencing many other doctrines.

One such doctrine is the nature of Christ. If Yahuwah is one—and He is—then His son did not, in fact, exist before Mary conceived him by the Holy Ghost. Scripture is clear on this fact: Yahushua did not have a pre-incarnate existence.

Proverbs 8 verses 22 to 31 is one passage that has long been pointed to as “proof” of Yahushua’s preincarnate existence. But when these texts are read within the context of the rest of the chapter, a very different picture emerges and it does not prove the Saviour had a pre-existence. In fact, the chapter has nothing to do with the Saviour at all.

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* * *Part 2: Yahushua & the Spirit in Prison

Miles: So this is all very interesting, but again: how does this link in to 1 Peter? You said it had to do with the punishment they received for cohabiting with women?

Dave: Yes. Can you go to Enoch chapter 10? The first few verses talk about Yahuwah sending a warning to Noah of His intent to send a flood. Pick up the story at verse, uh … verse 4

Miles:

And again Yahuwah said to Raphael: Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening
in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may
not see light. And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire.

And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish through all the secret things that the Watchers have disclosed and have taught their sons. And the whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin. [Enoch 10:4b-9a]

Dave: These extremely ancient events are hinted at in the various mythologies around the world. There was one ancient historian—I want to say it was Berosus, but it could have been someone else—that describes what happened when the fallen angels cohabited with women and they became pregnant with giants.

Miles: What happened?

Dave: Well, according to him, it killed the women. Every last one of them. The babies were simply too large.

Now, according to Greek mythology—and we’ve established in a previous program how the early church fathers were heavily influenced by Greek thought—Tartarus was a deep abyss. According to Plato, Tartarus is where souls went after death to be judged. Those who were evil, then received divine punishment.

Miles: Hmm. You can see how that could be extrapolated from the description of what was done to the fallen angels.

Dave: Right. There’s a quote from The Theogony of Hesiod I’d like you to read. I’ve printed it off. Go ahead and read that for us and as you do, notice the similarities to the book of Enoch.

Go ahead.

Miles: Okay, uh … looks like there are some rather strange names in here!

Dave: Just do your best.

Miles:

And amongst the foremost, Cottus and Briareos and Gyes, hungry for war raised fierce fighting: three hundred rocks, one upon another, they launched from their strong hands and overshadowed the Titans with their missiles, and buried them beneath the wide-pathed earth, and bound them in bitter chains when they had conquered them by their strength for all their great spirit, as far beneath the earth to Tartarus. For a brazen anvil falling down from heaven nine nights and days would reach the earth upon the tenth. Round Tartarus runs a fence of bronze, and night spreads in triple line all about it like a neck-circlet, while above grow the roots of the earth and unfruitful sea. There by the counsel of Zeus who drives the clouds the Titan gods are hidden under misty gloom, in a dank place where are the ends of the huge earth. And they may not go out; for Poseidon fixed gates of bronze upon it, and a wall runs all round it on every side. There Gyes and Cottus and great-souled Obriareus live, trusty warders of Zeus who protect Tartarus.

Dave: Thank you. This was written about 800 BCE. This was about 200 years before Nebuchadnezzar took Daniel and his three friends to Babylon.

Miles: So a long time ago!

Dave: We know from the Old Testament that Yahuwah sent prophets to other nations, too, not just Israel. As we’ve said before, each religion, each culture has some truth which, if followed, will lead the seeker into greater truth and eventually lead him or her to the worship of the true God.

This passage from Greek mythology is interesting because it supports the idea of spirits in prison for punishment, which is drawn from Enoch and mentioned by Peter.

In our last segment, you read from 1 Peter. I’d like you to turn now to the second chapter of 2 Peter. Here, Peter is warning of the dangers of false teachers and false prophets coming in and leading believers astray. Start at verse 4 and read through … well, this is a long sentence. Read through verse 9. And as you do, keep in mind what we read from the book of Enoch.

Miles:

For if [Yahuwah] did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—if this is so, then [Yahuwah] knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

Dave: Now what’s interesting, is that the word here translated “hell” is actually “tartarus” in the Greek! According to Greek mythology, it was where demigods were punished. So, the angels who sinned, the fallen angels that are bound in chains of darkness waiting for the judgment, are none other than the ones described in Gensis 6 and the book of Enoch that sinned when they copulated with human women. These are the same “spirits in prison” that Peter wrote about in 1 Peter chapter 3.

Because most believers are ignorant of the book of Enoch, we’ve not recognized when the New Testament makes references to it. These “spirits in prison” are not disembodied souls who died prior to Yahushua’s death and who were suffering in hell for their sins. They were the fallen angels who had committed a very grave sin.

Let’s take a look now at what Jude has to say. Jude really draws on the book of Enoch. It’s a very short book. The entire thing is only 25 verses. Here, Jude, like so many of the early apostolic leaders, is warning against creeping heresy. Read verses 5 to 7 to get it in context.

Miles:

But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that [Yahuwah], having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Dave: Jude is comparing the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah to the sin of the angels that are “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness.”

Miles: “Eternal fire.” Couldn’t that suggest an eternally burning hell?

Dave: Not when taken together with everything else Scripture teaches. We’ll get to that in a minute. To summarize what we’ve been saying, the imprisoned spirits Peter talks about are these fallen angels. With that backstory, I’d like you to reread 1 Peter 3 verses 18 to 20.

Miles:

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to [Yahuwah], being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

Dave: A quick surface reading might sound as though Yahushua was taken to “hell” at death and preached there to those who’d died before. But we know this isn’t what Peter’s talking about. Furthermore, notice in verse 18 that it says Yahushua was “made alive by the Spirit.” To be made alive is to be resurrected. Yahushua couldn’t have been preaching in hell while he was dead, because it states clearly right there that he did this after he was made alive; after he was resurrected.

Miles: All right. What about the use of “spirits,” though? What are they?

Dave: “Spirit” is one of the words that really doesn’t get translated into modern English all that well. It comes from the Greek word, pneuma. Same root from which we get the word, “pneumonia.” It means breath or wind.

We’ve projected onto it the additional meaning of “disembodied,” but in the original Greek it simply meant “breath.”

Miles: Oh, right! Right! Right! I remember now. It was when I actually took the time to look up every single use of the word “spirit” in both the Old Testament and the New that I became convinced there was no trinity because there’s no “God the Holy Spirit.” You look up the word, from Genesis to Revelation and it just means breath.

Dave: Exactly. So these “spirits” are not disembodied humans. They are simply a category of angels.

Miles: How do you get “angels” from “spirits”?

Dave: Well, read Hebrews 1:13 and 14.

Miles: Umm …

But to which of the angels has He ever said:

“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

Ahhh. Okay.

Dave: Scripture refers to angels as “spirits.” Some of these spirits fell and sinned horrifically. They’ve been held in prison waiting the great day of judgment. After his resurrection—and we don’t know when; Scripture doesn’t say—Yahushua went to these evil spirits and announced his victory to them. That’s all. This passage does not prove an eternally burning hell nor does it support the heresy that we all have immortal souls.

When we study these things out entirely in context, the truth becomes clear.

Miles: I find it fascinating that ancient mythology could have some truth entwined in it.

Dave: Well, you want to be careful there. Obviously, not all of it is truth. We don’t want to get off and assume there’s more light there than there is. However, sometimes mythology has roots that are grounded in real history. When it can be proven to align with Scripture, it’s interesting to gain insights from it.

Miles: I think it’s so beautiful how Yahuwah makes sure there is always some truth available to every generation, in every religion, so everyone has a fair chance to follow on to know Him.

Dave: Amen.

Miles: All right. Circling back for a moment. You said that this doesn’t prove an eternally burning hell. I know we’ve covered it in previous programs, but for any first-time listeners, could you share really quickly how you can know that Scripture does not teach an eternally burning hell?

Dave: This is going to have to be really brief, but we can know this when we look at other verses on the subject.

See, the severity of a punishment is determined, not by how much pain is inflicted, but by how long it lasts. That’s why capital punishment is considered the severest form of punishment there is. Revelation 14 verse 11 is another verse that’s used to teach an eternally burning hell, but when you understand what it’s really saying, you see that it teaches the very opposite.

Miles: Hold on a second. I’ve got it right here. It says: “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

Dave: A fire that is burning hot really doesn’t smoke much at all. It’s a fire that’s going out that produces billows of smoke. This’s why, when describing the encouraging, comforting work of the Messiah, Matthew quoted:

“A bruised reed he will not break,
And smoking flax he will not quench,
Till he sends forth justice to victory;
And in his name Gentiles will trust.” [Matthew 12:20-21]

A “smoking” flax is one that’s about to go out. So, if smoke ascends forever and ever—and it’s speaking metaphorically here—it’s because the fire has gone out, not because it’s still burning.

Miles: I want to add, for those who may not know, that there is other evidence in Scripture that no one is aware and conscious after death.

Listen to this. It’s Ecclesiastes 9, verses 5 and 6. It says:

For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward,
and even their name is forgotten.
Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
in anything that happens under the sun.

So, right there, it says that the dead have no awareness.

Dave: While you’re there, turn over to Ecclesiastes 12. This is the last chapter in Ecclesiastes and Solomon is urging his readers to put the service and worship of Yah first. Verse 1 says:

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them.”

Then he goes on in very flowery, poetic language to describe old age and death. And how does he describe death? What happens when a person dies? Verse 7.

Miles: “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

Dave: So the “spirit” is our breath … that’s the same word as used in Genesis 2 where it says: “And Yahuwah Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” [Genesis 2:7] We are not—ever—disembodied souls. It’s the combination of Yah’s breath, His “spirit”, with our temporal bodies that makes us alive. When we die, that breath of life returns to Him.

Miles: I like how you’ve pointed out in the past that Romans 6:23 says that “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Yah is eternal life in Christ Yahushua our Lord.” The wages of sin is death. It’s not eternal life, not even eternal life in torment.

Dave: There’s one more verse, well, there’s many, but one more I’d like to share that utterly obliterates any idea that humans have immortal souls is 1 Timothy 6 verses 15 and 16. Would you read that for us? Paul is sharing a description of Yahuwah here as the only true God.

Miles: It says: “God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”

Dave: Only Yahuwah has immortality, natural and underived. Holy beings who have never sinned have been gifted with it, just as the redeemed will receive it as a gift. But it’s not something that anyone else has as a matter of course. Only Yahuwah. There’s no way to prove an immortal soul or an everlasting, burning hell from Scripture because only Yahuwah has immortality, and because we also know He is love and He delights in justice, He would never sentence anyone to suffer for eternity based on the sins committed in a single lifetime. That’s just not who He is.

Miles: And I’m so glad! Aren’t you? Stay tuned, folks. Up next is our Daily Mailbag with a question I think a lot of us can relate to.

* * *

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The word “Christian” comes from the word “Christ.” Believers are called “Christians” because we are said to be followers of Christ. That is as it should be but the shocking truth is that the content of most sermons today is very different from what the Saviour preached about when he was on earth. Yahushua had a particular focus in his parables and teachings. This theme was developed throughout his earthly ministry, but do you know what it was?

The truth is, most modern Christians have shifted their focus away from the simple, life-giving message Christ came to bring and onto other topics. Pastors preach on the “felt needs” of their congregants. Many of them preach against error and what they see as creeping compromise against man-made standards and traditions. Others delve into pop psychology and new methods to retain the younger generation. But in all this, the true gospel message itself is overlooked, forgotten, and set aside.

As members of the final generation, it’s important to keep our focus on the kingdom of Yah and one way we do that is by putting the Saviour’s teachings in their proper place. Yahushua’s message is more important now than ever before. To learn what that is so you can benefit from this all-important, timeless message, look for the previously released radio program titled, “Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing.” [Program 145] Once again, that’s “Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing.” You can find it on our website or on YouTube.

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Today’s question comes from the country that has one of the largest and best-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the entire world.

Dave: Jordan?

Miles: How did you guess that? Now, see, if you’d asked me that, I would have guessed Italy.

Dave: No, too obvious. The city of Jeras in the country of Jordan has some of the best-preserved ancient Roman architecture of anywhere in the world.

Miles: It’s also one of only two Arab countries that have made peace with Israel, the other one being Egypt.

Dave: I can see that. Jordanians are very gracious people in that they are known for being very accepting of refugees. Last figures I read said they had almost three and a half million refugees, which is quite amazing when you realize their population is just 9 and a half million.

Miles: Wow! That’s almost a third of their population! Kind of puts the rest of us to shame, doesn’t it?

Well, Julien from Sahab, Jordan writes: “Dear Brothers, I have been very blessed by your radio programs that I discovered on YouTube. I always listen with interest to the various topics you cover and have appreciated that you always turn to Scripture when answering questions sent to you. My question is a bit different. I have learned a lot listening to your Daily Mailbag segment, but it seems my problems are always a bit different. I really appreciate how you always share Biblical principles in your answers. Do you know of any Bible verses that can be used more widely to apply to just your average problem that comes up in daily life?”

Dave: Hmmm … well, I’ll do my best. Yahuwah, of course, has provided promises for every situation but it’s kind of hard to know just what sorts of problems he’s talking about. It’s difficult to provide specific answers for a non-specific question.

Miles: All right. Here’s one. Worry. Seems like life gives us plenty of opportunities to worry. The reason we’re worrying may change, but we all always have reasons to worry.

Dave: All right. Corrie Ten Boom, in her book, Clippings from My Notebook, wrote: “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

Miles: Wise words. She also said, “Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength—carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time.”

That’s always stuck with me. But the thing is, worry is a very human emotion. What can you do when you’re worried?

Dave: Too often, worry drags us down to where we do nothing. That only makes us more worried. The key to overcoming worry is to be proactive. To do something. Philippians 4 verses 6 and 7 tells us what that something is. Would you read that for us?

Miles: Already turning there …

Okay. It says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to [Yah]. And the peace of [Yah], which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Yahushua.”

Dave: This is a well-known verse but it contains very practical tips for what to do when worried. First, pray. Second, give thanks. It is important to always look for something to be grateful for.

Miles: Yeah, it always feels better to focus on the positive.

Dave: Yes, but that’s not the only reason. In every situation you want to look for what you’re grateful for because when you do, you will see opportunities you won’t see if you’re simply focused on the negative. A positive, trusting outlook is of practical benefit because it enables you to see possible solutions for your situation.

Miles: That’s true. That’s true.

All right, then. What about when you’re simply feeling overwhelmed? By life, by school, by work, by … whatever. Any promise for when you’re feeling overwhelmed?

Dave: Absolutely. In fact, it’s in this same chapter. Drop down and read verse 13 of Philippians 4.

Miles: Uh … “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Dave: Never say “I can’t.” That’s a defeatist statement. “I can’t cope; I can’t understand; I can’t . . .” fill in the blank with whatever it is that’s a struggle. You can do ALL things through Christ. Why? Because he strengthens us.

Miles: That’s good. Reminds me of a promise in Romans 8. Let me turn there really quick.

We like to feel in control. It gives us confidence to think that we’ve got everything all under control but sometimes that can be a false confidence.

Dave: Or maybe we do have things under control … and then something unexpected pops up and we’re no longer in control.

Miles: That, too. When that happens, that’s the time to remember Romans 8:28. It says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love [Yah], to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Dave: Ah, yes. I love that promise. Very reassuring. You can claim it no matter what seems to be going wrong in your life.

One key component to being successful in life regardless of what problems may arise is to never give up. What does Paul say in Galatians 6 verse 9 about not giving up?

Miles: He says, um … “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Dave: There are tremendous rewards when you work with and for Yahuwah but even in our day-to-day activities not giving up is crucial to overcoming. Perseverance is an important character quality we should all nurture.

Miles: Okay, here’s something. What about if you find yourself in a confrontational situation. How should you handle that?

Dave: Proverbs 25:15 says, “With patience a ruler may be persuaded,
and a soft tongue can break bones.” Our words can be very powerful. In a confrontational situation, words can rile people up, or calm them down. What does Proverbs 15 verse 1 say?

Miles: Um … it says … “A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Dave: When someone is angry and venting at us, it’s very easy to lash back, but all that does is escalate the situation. A soft answer, a quiet, thoughtful answer can calm emotions down and help clarify things.

Miles: That reminds me of a memory verse I memorized as a kid. Let me find it really quick. It’s one that’s stuck with me because it’s helped in a number of situations. It’s in 1 Peter and it’s, um … verse 8 of chapter 4. It says: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

Dave: That’s very good. When you wrong someone, be quick with an apology. A sincere apology—no excuses, just saying you’re sorry—smooths over a multitude of hurt feelings and can make a situation better. It’s not weakness to give an apology to someone if an apology is owed.

Miles: No, it’s not. I remember once in university, I said something in class that the professor thought was utterly ridiculous. He went on and on for at least five minutes … okay. Maybe it was only three. But it seemed like a long time!

Dave: Yeah, that would be extremely uncomfortable.

Miles: It was with him going on and on about how ridiculous my statement was and how it couldn’t possibly be right. It was embarrassing. Well, before class the next day, I handed him a sheet of paper on which I provided documentation to back up my statement from the day before. This professor, someone I’d never really cared for, took the paper, read over it without saying anything as I walked to my seat, and then called the class to order. The very first thing he did was to share with the class what I’d given him and apologize to me in front of the class.

I really gained a tremendous amount of respect for him that day. He was the teacher; I was just a lowly student. He didn’t have to do that, but he did and my estimation of him went way up.

Dave: And I’m sure you forgave him for humiliating you in class the day before.

Miles: Of course!

Dave: Forgiveness is so important when someone wrongs us. As believers, we’re called to forgive wrongs committed against us. And it’s for our best good to let things go. If we’ve been severely wronged, it doesn’t mean we have to reconcile, but for our own sakes, it’s healthier to choose to forgive and let it go. That’s part of controlling our thoughts. Instead of choosing to focus on how we’ve been wronged, choose to let it go and focus on something else. Turn to 2 Corinthians 10 and read verse 5. That’s 2 Corinthians 10:5.

Miles: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of [Yahuwah], and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Making every thought obedient to Christ sounds good, but … well, what should we think about instead? You can’t have an empty mind. It’s going to fill up one way or another.

Dave: Philippians 4 verse 8 has the answer. Why don’t you read that for us?

Miles: All right, uh … “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Dave: This has been just a quick overview of promises that can apply to daily problems, but there are so many, many promises available. Turn to 2 Timothy 3 and read verses 16 and 17.

Miles: Aw! I think I know which one this is … Yes! This is perfect. It says: “All scripture is inspired by [Yahuwah] and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to [Yah] may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”

Dave: Scripture is excellent for providing us with promises, but even if you don’t know a specific one to claim to fit your situation, you can still go to Yah. Don’t wait! You can talk to Him just like you would a friend. Tell Him your situation and what you need help with. He is always ready to listen and, what’s more, He wants to help!

To close, would you please read Hebrews 4 verses 14 to 16. This lets us know that we can come to our heavenly Father in any situation even when we don’t know a particular promise to claim. Go ahead.

Miles:

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Yahushua, the Son of Yah, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Dave: You need help? Don’t be shy! Don’t hold back. Yahuwah wants us to come to Him boldly and He has promised to give us the help we need.

* * *Daily Promise

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with today’s daily promise from Yah’s word.

Proverbs 14 verse 23 tells us, quote: “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

I don’t remember the man’s name so I’ll just call him Jeff. When Jeff and his siblings had grown and left home, his parents decided to sell the family home and move to a condominium. While Jeff felt a bit sad at the loss of the home he’d grown up in, he understood. With just the two of them, his parents didn’t need as much room and a condo was certainly easier to care for than the large house and garden they’d had before. Besides, he was busy with his classes at university and later, finding a job after graduation.

A few years later, on a visit home, Jeff decided to drive past his old childhood home. The sight of the house, and especially the large, spreading tree out front, brought back many happy memories. Feeling a bit nostalgic, Jeff parked his car and walked over to stand on the sidewalk next to the tree. Looking up, he saw a young boy in his old treehouse. That treehouse had been his favorite place to go when he was a kid.

“Hey,” Jeff greeted the boy.

“Hey!” The boy replied.

“You live here?” Jeff squinted against the sun as he peered up at him.

“Yeah. That’s my bedroom right there.” The boy pointed to Jeff’s old bedroom window.

“Cool!” Jeff smiled. “I grew up here. That used to be my bedroom, too. You play in the tree house a lot?”

“Yeah. It’s my favorite place to get away from my sister.” The boy made a face. “I can pull the rope up and she can’t get in.”

Jeff laughed. “I hear you.” He said. “I used to spend all my free time in the tree, too.”

The sound of a car slowing to the curb had them both looking over. A man who looked to be in his 60s got out and came around to the passenger side. He opened the door and helped another man climb out. This other man was clearly very elderly. His frail shoulders stooped over a walker as he carefully made his way over to the tree. Nodding at Jeff, he smiled up at the young boy in the tree.

“Hello there, young man! You like my tree?”

“Your tree?” The boy asked.

“When I was a young man, I built a house on this lot. I wanted to leave something of value, something that would last. It’s not here anymore. Houses change. They get torn down for something bigger and better. Sometimes they accidentally burn down. So, I planted this tree here. I figured it would last. Long after I’m gone, it will still give shade in the summer, provide homes for birds and squirrels, and a place to play for youngsters.” The old man reached out wrinkled hand covered in age spots. He gave the trunk an affectionate pat. “This tree’s my legacy. Every so often I like to drive by and see how much bigger it’s grown. I like knowing that something I did will still be here, giving pleasure, when I’m gone.

“You boys have a good day now.” With that, the elderly man made his way back to the car.

Jeff and the boy stared after him then looked at each other with wide eyes.

“Wow!” The boy breathed. “Imagine planting a sapling and getting to see it, years later, grow this big.”

“Makes me want to do something that lasts.” Jeff thoughtfully returned to his car but the experience stayed with him.

It’s so easy to set short-term goals but making a difference that will span years even after we’re no longer here, is something a lot of people neglect to do. Rich rewards await all who work to make the world a better place. Especially when we put time and effort into working for Yahuwah, He will bless our efforts and the rewards will be beyond anything we could ever imagine.

Daniel 12 verse 3 promises: “Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.”

We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: Yahushua & the Spirits in Prison

Miles: Thanks for doing such an in-depth explanation of this passage in Peter. You know, when you change your beliefs as an adult, you may embrace truth but there can still be a passage here or there that raises questions, and this one in Peter was confusing for me.

Dave: I think it was Winston Churchill that said a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. As believers, we need to be doing more than just resting content that our beliefs are the truth because, after all, we believe them! Sometimes what we’ve been taught comes from tradition or pagan error and we don’t even realize it.

And nothing against our parents or whoever may have taught us the error: it was taught to them, too.

Miles: Like Galileo said: “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”

Dave: Nowhere is that more true than when it comes to truths of eternal value. I know that sometimes believers are taught not to question, but that’s actually not Biblical. In Isaiah, Yahuwah invites us by urging, “Come now, let us reason together.” We’re supposed to question. Truth can bear the weight of investigation, but we’re supposed to study for ourselves, not be spoon fed what someone else has inherited from tradition.

Miles: I know, speaking for myself, one of the benefits of studying for myself is that it gives Yahuwah the opportunity to, hmmm … how to say this? I guess, settle me down into the truth? When Yah is your teacher, He knows just how to present truth to your individual mind so you can stand firm.

Dave: That’s a good way to put it.

Miles: Be Bereans, folks! Luke says that the Bereans were “more noble” than the believers in Thessalonica because, while they joyfully accepted the truth, they still studied it out for themselves in Scripture. They didn’t even take Paul’s word for it. They studied it out for themselves, and we need to do the same thing.

I want to thank you for tuning in and hope you can join us again tomorrow. Until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.