The Lake of Fire In Genesis
Hi Mike:
After our last conversation, I have a hunger to start seeing Christ through the types in the old testament as you mentioned.
But I guess what I’m wondering is, when you and your family are reading through, let’s say, Genesis, do you just ‘see’ these types, or does it take some going back and looking up the words or other scriptures to give further understanding?
I have one further question: if all men will be raised immortal at the second ressurection, how would they be judged if they are immortal? Maybe you’ve answered this somewhere else; if so, let me know, and I’ll check it out.
I wanted to tell you that a friend of mine from the church I’ve just left emailed me and asked a question about pastors, so I responded about how pastor/laymen separation is not biblical and gave him a link to the site and encouraged him to do some reading. Well, to my surprise, he started reading and thought they were very interesting and was going to email the site to others. Praise the Lord!!
Your brother,
M___
Hi M___,
It is good to hear from you.
The types in the book of Genesis deal with the dispensations. By that I mean that the entire plan of God is revealed, from the ‘old man’ in his beginnings in the innocence of Eden, to his conviction of his sins at the preaching of Noah, to his initial baptism in the flood, also called the “deadly wound of the beast,” to life as a ‘new man’, in a new world in which the “deadly wound is healed” and the ‘new man’ is now right back where he started from. His deadly wound is healed, and he is now, once again, a healthy beast and begins to build Babylon. At this point he hears a voice saying, ‘leave your father’s house, (“come out of Babylon”) and go to a land that I will show you.’ This is followed by a walk of faith, typified by ‘the father of the faithful,’ Abraham, followed by the walk of sonship, Isaac, followed by a life of service, Jacob, followed by the maturing of Christ in us, Joseph, whose life and final exaltation to rulership over all Egypt, the world, dominates the entire last half of this book of beginnings. But remember the beginning is also the end (Rev 1:8). So Genesis also reveals the end. The key to the establishing of the kingdom of God is hidden in the disturbing dreams given to the Pharaoh. Pharaoh is the type of all the worlds rulers. God himself troubles him.
“And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled” (Gen 41:7-8). God will “trouble” the leaders of this world in such a way that they will willingly submit to Christ, typified by Joseph. For that to ever happen will require a symbolic “earthquake” that will be unlike any the earth has ever seen.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.).
I need to point out one more thing about the types; the cloud that delivered Israel from Egypt 480 years later was so bright that it made the night bright as the day for God’s typical elect, but was the same cloud that kept the Egyptians in such utter darkness that they could not see the elect who were just on the other side of that cloud. So it is with Pharaoh. While he typifies the world’s leaders, he also typifies the Father Himself, turning his entire kingdom over to the Son. The Father gives the Son power in everything but the throne.
Gen 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years [in the ‘prison,’ of the grave but raised to rulership the”on the third day”], that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
Again Joseph interprets the dreams leading to his coronation:
Gen 41:40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
Gen 41:41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under [ him, it is] manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
The “death of death” is the “great white throne judgment” in which Sodom, Samaria and Israel “according to the flesh” will be judged in the “lake of fire.” We know what the timing for this is because we are told when it will happen:
Eze 16:55 When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.
This 16th chapter of Ezekiel is a pivotal chapter in understanding prophecy, yet no one understands what is plainly stated: When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate. When will Israel be restored to God? “When… Sodom is restored…then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.”
The “tormenting in the presence of the Lamb” of Revelation 14 is the ‘lake of fire’ chastening, typified by the saving of Joseph’s family AFTER he had taken a wife while in Egypt, typifying the gospel going to the Gentiles who are now Christ’s bride. Joseph saved Egypt, the Gentiles, BEFORE he saved his own flesh and blood, but he loved his brothers and longed for their salvation: Nevertheless Joseph’s brothers, typifying “Israel according to the flesh” (Rom 9:3), were ‘tormented’ and in fear for their lives from the day they again met Joseph until after the death of their Father.
Gen 42:8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
Gen 42:9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye [are] spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
Gen 42:10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
Gen 42:11 We [are] all one man’s sons; we [are] true [men], thy servants are no spies.
Gen 42:12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
Gen 42:13 And they said, Thy servants [are] twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest [is] this day with our father, and one [is] not.
Gen 42:14 And Joseph said unto them, That [is it] that I spake unto you, saying, Ye [are] spies:
Gen 42:15 Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
Gen 42:16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether [there be any] truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye [are] spies.
Gen 42:17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
Gen 42:18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; [for] I fear God:
Gen 42:19 If ye [be] true [men], let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
Gen 42:20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
Gen 42:21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
Gen 42:22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
This is “torment in the presence of the Lamb!” And again:
Gen 44:14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he [was] yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
Gen 44:15 And Joseph said unto them, What deed [is] this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
Gen 44:16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.
Again this is torment in the presence of the Lamb in a ‘lake of fire.” (Isa 33:14-16). And it goes on “for the aion” or as long as necessary to accomplish the intended goal:
Gen 44:17 And he [Joseph, typifying Christ and those “in Him”] said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found [Benjamin], he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.
Gen 44:18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.
Gen 44:19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
Gen 44:20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
Gen 44:21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
Gen 44:22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
Gen 44:23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
Gen 44:24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
Gen 44:25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
Gen 44:26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.
Gen 44:27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:
Gen 44:28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
Gen 44:29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Gen 44:30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad [be] not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;
Gen 44:31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad [is] not [with us], that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
Gen 44:32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.
Gen 44:33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
Gen 44:34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.
Here Judah is at the “great white throne judgment” being “tormented ‘in the presence of the Lamb.”
While the deep down lessons of the futility of the flesh are being unveiled, the ‘torment’ continues:
Gen 45:1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
Gen 45:2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
Gen 45:3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
Gen 45:4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Gen 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Gen 45:6 For these two years [hath] the famine [been] in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither [be] earing nor harvest.
Gen 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Gen 45:8 So now it was not you t hat sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
And who was it really who had our Savior slain? Was it the Jews? Was it ‘our sins? Who was it really?
Act 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Am I saying it was not the Jews or you or me or our sins? No more than Joseph is denying what his brothers had done what they did to him. But like Joseph, I understand that nothing happens without it being the intention of God the Father. If it happens, then God intended it to happen.
Amo 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
Now the final example of the ‘torment’ of those who reject Christ while here in this flesh:
Gen 50:15 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
Gen 50:16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
Gen 50:17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
Joseph’s brothers “according to the flesh,” those Christians who think after “the letter and not after the spirit,” are ‘tormented’ until their chastening is completed.
Gen 50:18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
Gen 50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Gen 50:21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
If a thing happens, God intends it so! No matter how evil. No matter how hard it is for us to understand!
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
I didn’t intend for this to be so long. To tell you the truth, I didn’t see all this until I started writing you. But I have no doubt about the soundness of it. I can say that with confidence because: Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world (1Jn 4:17).
As far as immortal spirits being judged are concerned, we are told plainly “you shall judge angels” (1Co 6:3). Christ told the Pharisees “ye are of your father the Devil”. He also tells us that the lake of fire is “prepared for the Devil and his angels.” It is in this lake of fire that Satan and his angels and his children, as immortal spirits, will all be chastened and judged.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer f rom the beginning [so much for the ‘fall of Lucifer’ theory], and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Be sure to get a copy of Types in Genesis, by Andrew Jukes, as soon as you can. It is an incredible read. He hits everything just right except for the writings of Paul, which he says are not for the “children of Isaac, but for the children of Keturah.” God simply did not reveal to Mr. Jukes that “we [Gentile Galatians] brethren, AS ISAAC are children of promise”
(Gal 4:28 – Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise).
I’m encouraged to hear about your friend responding as he did. Your efforts are already beginning to ‘bear fruit’.
God place His blessings on your efforts to serve Him.
Your brother,
Mike
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- The Prophecy of Isaiah, Part 3 - Isa 1:4-6 (February 12, 2016)
- The Priests of Egypt (June 5, 2007)
- The Lake of Fire in The Old Testament (August 30, 2007)
- The Lake of Fire In Genesis (April 13, 2004)
- The Kings Prisoners Part 1 (July 8, 2009)
- The Keys to The Kingdom of Heaven - Part 10 (October 24, 2015)
- Teacher's Choice - "If Those days were not Shortened there Would be no Flesh Saved Alive" - Including the Elect (February 15, 2021)
- Reaping What We Sow (August 4, 2012)
- Purpose of This Lake of Fire of the Elect? (September 25, 2013)
- Orthodox Ministers Publicly Praying For The Elect (January 28, 2010)
- Missing Out On Half of Mankind (April 11, 2007)
- Is Joseph's Cup Also The Cup of Christ? (September 29, 2014)
- Foundational Themes in Genesis - Study 95 (May 28, 2015)
- Foundational Themes in Genesis - Study 93 (May 7, 2015)
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- Foundational Themes in Genesis - Study 114 (October 22, 2015)
- Foundational Themes in Genesis - Study 104 (August 6, 2015)
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- Exodus 1:1-22 Now There Arose up a New King Over Egypt, Who did not Know Joseph (March 7, 2022)
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