Blotted Out
by Shepherds Chapel - http://www.shepherdschapel.com/

Blotted out. What does it mean to us in relation to God's Word? In as much as there is nothing new under the sun, an observant person is able to better understand His Plan. A drop of rain falls in the hills, runs into a river, flows to an ocean, evaporates into the air to fall back on the hills again. If you are paying attention, you may see His Plan as it is rehearsed over and over. There is nothing new under the sun.

The English word eternal is translated from the Greek word "aionios" (ahee-o'-nee-os) which means all the way from the beginning without interruption. People often use the word preexistence in reference to souls. This is actually incorrect terminology. Souls exist from the point they were created through eternity. That is unless they are blotted out.

In the beginning God created the heavens and earth. God said in Isaiah 45:18 the earth was formed to be inhabited. It was inhabited in the first world age, but the earth became without form and void. This may be easily documented if you will take Genesis 1:2 back to the Hebrew using a Strong's Concordance. The earth became without form and void due to Satan's rebellion.

God created everything for His pleasure. Possibly, He created souls, or man, because He was lonely. After all, we were created in His own image and we don't enjoy being alone all of the time. When He created us, He gave us free will. He didn't program us to love Him. The Lord gave us the free will to love Him or Satan. I encourage you to love Him. If you choose to love Satan instead, you will be blotted out as I will document in the remainder of this lecture.

If I drew a line on a chalk board and then erased it, where would the line be? Gone. Blotted out. That is exactly what will happen to those that choose to love Satan. This is the reason there will be no tears for those that go to hell. There will be no remembrance of them. It will be as though they never existed. Let's go to the Scriptures with Jesus teaching.

Matt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Fear, or revere, Him that has the ability to blot out both your flesh body and your spiritual body. After the millennium, that thousand year period when the Elect will teach God's Word, and the earth has been rejuvenated, God will dwell with men. We will be in the spiritual body Paul taught us about in 1 Corinthians 15:44. What will become of death then?

Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Imagine, no sorrow, nor crying, or pain, or death. All of those things will be blotted from our minds as tears from our eyes. This is the reward for those that choose to love God. What about those that love Satan?

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Does the Bible say they will all be in the lake of fire screaming for mercy forever? No, it says the lake which burneth is the second death. It will be over for them finished. Let's turn back one chapter. Don't forget to turn your Biblical clock back to the period during the millennium so you understand what is being said. We are going to pick it up at the end of the millennium where God has taken control and judges those that chose to follow Satan when he was loosed for a short while. Remember, no flesh bodies at this time, dear ones, we are in spiritual bodies.

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

The spiritually dead, those that choose to follow Satan, and hell will be cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death or spiritual death.

Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

A lot of people worry about having a church letter. And, there is nothing wrong with having a church letter; however, you had better spend a lot more energy making sure your name is written in the book of life. Anyone that inquires about joining Shepherd's Chapel is told to take the matter up with the Father. If you are good enough for Him, you are surely good enough for us. Please God. If that pleases men, great. If that doesn't please men, tough. Make certain, your name is in His book. Make certain your soul is not blotted out bringing about the second death. Let's turn to Ecclesiastes where God instructs us on the matter of death.

Eccl 9:1-2 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

There is one thing all of us in the flesh must do besides pay taxes.

Eccl 9:3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

We are all going to die a flesh death or undergo a change into our spiritual bodies at the seventh trump.

Eccl 9:4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

If your soul possesses your body rather than your body possessing your soul, there is hope. As far as flesh alone is concerned, a lowly living dog is better than a "king of the jungle" lion that is dead.

Eccl 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

When the flesh body dies, only a pile of minerals remain. I believe the death of a flesh body and the death of a spiritual body are the same word in God's vocabulary. Do you remember the second death we discussed? Why would He say, "fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul". The death of one is the same as the other. After the death, there is nothing left. It's gone... erased. There is a "blotted out" under the sun, or on earth, and there is a "blotted out" in heaven. Those that are blotted out in the flesh will have a chance for spiritual eternity in the millennium. It is a much more serious thing to be spiritually blotted out in heaven. An example of fleshly blotted out is found in the following verses.

Deut 29:20 The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

Did the Word say this sinner would be blotted out forever? No, it said he would be blotted out under heaven, or on earth. This sinner would still have a chance to repent. An example of spiritual blotting out, a much more serious thing, may be found in Exodus. Moses saw the people of Israel had built a golden calf while he was on the mount receiving the commandments. He was so distraught he went back to God and asked Him to forgive the people or blot Moses's name out of His book.

Exod 32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Another example of spiritual blotting out may be found in Psalms. Let's pick it up in verse 21 so you will recognize whose words are spoken.

Ps 69:21-22 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

What was given to Jesus for drink on the cross? His crucifixion should have been for their welfare, but it will become a trap to many that worship the wrong messiah.

Ps 69:23-25 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.

Take away all of their blessings.

Ps 69:26-28 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

That is the book in heaven, friend. That is the book of which you never want to be blotted out. After Christ was placed in the tomb, He went to those which had been blotted out in the flesh in the prisons of their graves, as is written in I Peter 3:19. He gave those that had been blotted out from the time of Noah, a chance to place their name in the eternal book of life. There is a difference between blotting out under heaven and blotting out in heaven. It is important to understand this difference because it means the love of our Father won't allow souls to burn in hell forever as some would have you believe. Those that are spiritually blotted out will be erased from all memory. In closing let's turn to Revelation. Christ is speaking to the church in Sardis.

Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

To be blotted out is to not exist, nor to have ever existed. The second death erases a soul from time eternal. God loves us so much, that he came to this world in the form of Christ our Savior. If He hadn't, I guess we would have all been blotted out. But, through repentance we all have the chance to wipe the slate clean and gain eternal life. We have a truly loving Father.

In His Service

Pastor Arnold Murray