If / Then, Part 2

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Series III IF/THEN - Part II

April 19th 2026

In Part I of If/Then we covered the following If’s –

“If or since Christ paid for the sin of the world and not just the sin of those that believe”

and

“If Satan has been destroyed”

Today we will cover some more “If’s” and we will begin with,

If (or since) death and hell have been cast into the Lake of Fire.

The obvious go-to passages to support the idea that both death and hell have been cast into the Lake of Fire come from Revelation chapter 20.

Relative to Satan and His power to tempt and accuse and capture, at verse 10 we read,

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night age upon age.

Four verses later John adds,

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

This one can be rightly troubling for many believers because when they see and understand all things literally and materially when it comes to scripture (especially revelation and prophecy) and read, “and death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire,” they tend to look around and ask sarcastically,

Well, people are still dying so that hasn’t happened?

We maintain that in harmony with the text that the sting of physical death in this world is only victoriously overcome by Christ in and through the Resurrection, but that the end of death, mentioned in Revelation 20:14, is a symbolic description of the end of the Old Covenant age and the removal of the power of spiritual death introduced by Adam.

Why the end of the Old Covenant age? We recall what Paul wrote in Romans 8:2

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Or when he added in 1st Corinthians 15:56

“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.”

Because Yeshua came and fulfilled the Law, the strength of sin is over (for by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin) and therefore the sting of death is literally only momentary for those involved – all go on to life some to a form of abundance and others to a form of lesser reward as all afterlife rewards are based on faith and love lived.

What the one-two combination of first Satan being cast into the lake of Fire, and then death and hell, both following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, believers no longer remain in a state of separation from God (Hades) after physical death – therefore hell (or hades) ended then.

As the accuser of the brethren empowered by the Law, and in the face of Christ fulfilling the Law on our behalf, Satan was neutered by Christ, rendered powerless, and that is in the least the meaning of him being cast into the Lake of Fire – he was made wholly ineffective, as he once held the power of death, or as Hebrews 2:14 states,

Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

That last line, that through death he might destroy him THAT HAD the power of death was written as an “aorist subjunctive verb”indicating the finished result of His death – that the devil was rendered "inoperative" or powerless by His death once and for all.

So again, the scripture suggests that 70 AD destruction marked the final judgment and the end of the "Old Heavens and Earth" (the Mosaic dispensation), not the end of the physical world and all the things that occur here.

When Yeshua was on earth and before He raised Lazarus from the dead He said to Martha, who was troubled over the death of her brother,

23 Thy brother shall rise again.

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

25 Yeshua said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Of course, we all know that everyone on earth who has ever believed on Yeshua – including Martha who He was speaking with, died physically, so Yeshua was not speaking of dying again or experiencing the second death in a place called, the Lake of Fire.

So again, the second death is mentioned on multiple occasions in the book of Revelation and is synonymous therein with the lake of fire.

This was a “death” in that it was a place utterly separate from God and appears to permanently divide things from the Giver of life once and for all.

It is called the “second” death because it follows the first death which is physical death.

I maintain that because of the victory of Christ that death and hell were destroyed as the scripture states – where were they destroyed? The Lake of Fire

Three other places in Revelation also mention the second death. The first is Revelation 2:11 where it says,

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (ESV).

In this verse, Yeshua promises that those believers in the Seven Churches would not experience the lake of fire.

What protected them? Their faith. Which is why John wrote in 1st John 5

1st John 5:1-5 Whosoever believeth that Yeshua is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Yeshua is the Son of God?

The second death, contextually, was reserved for those who rejected Him in that day BEFORE it was all wrapped up.

Today, those who reject Him remain outside the Kingdom of God above in a realm not punitive (for He was punished for us who were not under the Law and the prophets or Nation of Old as all of that was done away with from the first economy.

Revelation 20:6 speaks of the second death in relation to the period called the millennium as it reads,

“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”

Suggesting that the one thousand years (which means the fullness of that reign without Satan in power – which seems to have been from the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD till about 134 AD when all of Israel was utterly routed and not just Jerusalem and corresponds to the time where Christ and His 144000 reigned from heaven over the first fruti Church.

This verse represents three important facts. First, those who die for their faith in Yeshua during the tribulation were resurrected to enter the millennium and live with Him.

Second, these martyrs escaped the lake of fire or second death and third, they reigned with Christ during that time.

The second death is also and finally mentioned in Revelation 20:14–15, where we read,

“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

We maintain that this was also to them/then when even death and the grave (Hades) were thrown into the lake of fire and destroyed.

This is referred to by Paul when he wrote in 1st Corinthians 15:23-26, and speaking of the first resurrection that would begin at His return and says,

1st Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Those last souls referred to as not escaping the second death are described in Revelation 21:8 where it says,

“The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

This was written in the future tense by John who was describing the fate of all from the Nation who rejected faith in the Salvivic work of Christ and corresponds to all the Prophets, John the Baptist, Christ and the Apostles warned them about before the wrapping up of that age.

I wonder, frankly, if this was annihilation as I refuse to believe it was eternal torment but was perhaps the evil of that age being consumed by God.

Again, I do not see any of this having application to the world and Man post the Life, Death, Resurrection, ascension, return and reign of Christ with His bride in that day, as John, in the last chapter of Revelation appears to describe what exists today, saying,

Revelation 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

And both the chapter, and the Revelation ends with the following description of the age we have been in ever since, saying,

Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

In summary, the first three “If’s that we have addressed are,

“IF Christ paid for the sins of all once and for all,” and

“If Satan has been crushed and sent to the Lake of Fire,” and the third being,

And IF death and hell have also been destroyed as the last enemies and that brings us to a fourth IF which is, (and this one is really hard for most Christians to accept but its that

“Christ no longer mediates between God and Man.”

This is hard to swallow because of passages like,

1 Timothy 2:5-6: "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all..."

Hebrews 8:6: "But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better..."

Hebrews 9:15: "Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance...".

Romans 8:34: "...It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us".

1 John 2:1: "...And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous".

Hebrews 12:24: "...and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel".

Admittedly, and as a younger Bible reader, I too was convinced that Christ is FOREVER mediating on behalf of those who believe on Him today.

The one that is most difficult to see rightly is Hebrews 7:25 where we read,

"Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them"

Ready for a meaty reading of this? A contextual understanding?

First of all, who wrote this? Paul or another Jew, right? And who was the audience? Jews – converted to Christ before the end of that age.

Then look at the words themselves in this specific context – and lets look at Youngs literal to understand the Greek better as it says,

“whence also he is able to save to the very end, (the very end of what -that former age) those (who were the those? The Jews coming out of that age) coming through him unto God--ever living to make intercession for them. (again, who – the Bride)

Because these verses are in the Bible believers today assign them to our time and because they typically believe that Christ is returning to get us they believe that His intercession continues where He is acting as a High Priest for us who bridges the gap created by sin and ensures believers have direct access to God.

But its not sound nor accurate – even though it makes for a wonderful ongoing narrative to sink our teeth into, doesn’t it?

I remember feeling so much security and warmth when Pastors of my early walk would describe the seen – that Satan goes to God and says, “that Shawn McCraney is a rat – guilty guilty guilty (of course, the implication was that I was under the law by which I was made guilty which was not true) and the father was angry at me, but Yeshua steps in and in my defense and as our mediator says, “Father, He’s mine . . . and Satan bows his head and turns and walks away.”

But remember context friends – why would I have a high priest representing me to God when I was never part of an economy that was given high priests in the first place?

I know how comforting the imagery can be but its not sound, contextual and frankly, it goes against what is actually conveyed.

Years ago, while in ministry here in Utah, I was reading Hebrews and came upon this line which rocked my world when the words presented themselves, saying, and comparing Christ to angels says,

Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

I cannot overemphasize the powerful impression that fell on me because I was sure that Christ mediatorial role was forever.

But this passage said a word that changed all that – until – “until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

I soon discovered that this was the writer of Hebrews citing Psalm 110:1 from David, and that Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; and Luke 20:42 all reference it.

Until. Until. Until.

But it was the teaching of Revelation and 1st Corinthians 15 when it all came together in one giant realization. Why?

Because it is in 1st Corinthians 15 where Paul lays it all out for us plainly. We go to this a lot but repetition is vital to understanding.

The subject of 1st Corinthians 15 – resurrection.

Let’s quickly rehearse what Paul says about it, how he ties it to Yeshua’s return, and what that return would bring about in the new economy of fulfillment. Ready?

After establishing the fact of resurrection, Paul says at verse 20,

1st Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

(proving that the efficacious work of Christ in overcoming death in every way for all – first for those of His own house who believed and received Him in faith and then the rest of the world whether of faith or not – and they Paul says,)

23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

(of course, we maintain that “at His coming the spiritual resurrection of the dead was initiated and those in the grave who were His were spiritually raised up and met those on earth who were taken in the sky with Him and His angels – but then Paul says,)

24 Then cometh the end,

The end of what? The end of THAT world under the Law – over – dead – done. And then Paul describes what the end of that age would include, saying,

when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

25 For he must reign, until he hath put all enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

(which we just read about when Satan, death, and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. And then speaking in the present tense of that time, Paul adds,)

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.

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.

This describes the “until” moment, folks. And while it can appear to diminish Yeshua and His work for the world, it really only puts it in context for all that God has done to save the world.

Certainly, everything is founded on all that was predicted of Him (in the Old Testament) and all that He did and fulfilled (found in the Apostolic Record) but the fact of the matter is – Yeshua the Man of Nazareth, who was God with us – fulfilled His role entirely, and God is not all in all.

See, Christ, in His material resurrected body, and as the High Priest to that Nation, was at the right hand of God materially until He came out, returned and took His Bride.

Then came the end and that included the end of His mediatorial place at the right hand of His Father.

This is never to be forgotten, and in my estimation is foundational to someone having a right understanding of the love God had for the world.

I maintain that knowing the biblical Christ and His finished work is vital to a stronger and more fruitful understanding of the grand plan God had in saving the world from sin, Satan and death.

Quite frankly, without my understanding of Christ and His work I would personally remain fleshly, carnal and unable to discern they way to choose best how to live.

But hear me clearly now – Christ did not leave us alone. In fact, what our victorious King left us was Himself – the very Spirit of Himself – and this Spirit calls out to all human beings on behalf of the Living God.

This is the Spirit of the Risen Christ, the victorious Christ, the once incarnate, tempted in all things, suffered all things Christ that was once mortal and exemplified living love.

But the mortal Messiah, who once mediated for His brethren the Bride, sent His Spirit, which after His resurrection was synonymous with the Holy Spirit, and this Spirit reigns SPIRITUALLY and victoriously in the lives of all who too are material humans like He was.

The fruit of this Spirit is the very Spirit of the victorious Christ Himself and when anyone, anywhere, on earth elects to pursue, submit and live according to it, they KNOW Christ in the way He seeks to be known in the world and lives of others – through

Paul said to the Church at Ephesus,

Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

And he wrote to the church at Galatia, who were part of His Bride then,

Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

(and frankly, they would take part in the Lake of Fire, but Paul says to her)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

What we are suggesting – that anyone, whether they stand on a knowledge of the Mortal Messiah and His name and His life, death and resurrection or NOT – anyone today, who has elected to hear and pursue the fruit of the Spirit of the Risen Victorious Christ in their lives are His, are fit for the kingdom, and will someday know of Him when they willingly, humbly, kneel at His feet as the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

Unfortunately, and just like the Jews who refused to receive Him in His day, religionists, still operating by and antiquated, anachronistic view of the Bible, eschatology, soteriology, and ecclesiology, do not accept the scripture but see what they want to see, believe what tradition tells them, and therefore spend time dividing with people they believe have their doctrine and facts wrong rather than uniting with those from every culture, religion and lifestyle, who choose His Spirit and His love over everything else.

And this leads us to the final “IF”

And that is to ask, “If God is now all in all?”

This will lead us right into next weeks, Then conclusions which we summarize in the Yeshuan approach or model. But let’s first consider some supports for the idea.

Of course there is the 1st Corinthians 15:28 passage which again says,

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.

But let’s speak for a moment of the mission of the mortal Messiah, then His victory over sin, death and the grave, and then the ultimate ordering of all things under God.

To the church at Philippi, Paul wrote the infamous words to those Saints saying,

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Apostle Peter made the work of Christ apparent when he wrote in 1st Peter 3:18,

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.

How? By His Spirit – the Spirit of the RISEN CHRIST. This caused Paul to write to the Church at Rome,

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

This spirit brought the Bride and brings all of the Children of God forth as Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 13:4

For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

To the Church at Colosse Paul said,

Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.

(BTW, people say that the gospel has not gone out to the whole world but Paul makes it clear that even in his day it had when he says, “which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.”)

By and through His victory an order was established – ready? In 1st Corinthians 11:3 Paul writes,

“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”

To the Bride, whose was Christ’s, Paul said,

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Then taking her, and leaving His Spirit in all people, they have, and will continue to call to all the world, irrespective of errant or misguided religious traditions, fulfilling some of the last words of Revelation which read,

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let him that heareth say, “Come.” And let him that is athirst “come.” And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Next week we will embark on the “Then’s” should these IF’s be true and right.

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