Hiya Bro Dan,

I have some part of your discussion with Bro Ike. While I cannot draw definite conclusions from the little, I have read. It brought a few thoughts into my mind that could be explored further.

If according to your discussion based on Rev. and Lev., you infer that God was not talking about a final death, then it would suppose that you open the passages quoted actually agree with the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, which in turn contradicts the fact that the bible says that it is appointed unto man, once to die, and after this the judgment.

This is just some thoughts, nothing conclusive yet.

F.O. Sanyaolu.

Folusho: I am glad that you brought up the scripture of Heb. 9:27. I have since been thinking about how it may relate with the topic of my chat with Ike. The question that kept coming back to me was, “once to die…?” I began to see that the scripture actually gives credence to my lines of thought.

I decided to outline the points from my conversation with Ike as follows:

1. God gave the world a witness of heavenly things through His dealings with the people of Israel, which the bible refers to as “a shadow of things to come.”

2. One of those examples is God’s method of handling disobedience (judgment) based on His character, the likeness in which His mercy endures forever.

3. There will always be the opportunity for offenders of the divine order to accept His forgiveness and be reconciled to Him or face a heavier wrath of justice.

4. In accordance with Lev. 26:14-46, there shall be time phases in which sinners may respond by faith to the call to repentance.

5. The fashion of these opportunities reflects the nature of ‘man in sin.’ His nature poses on him a tendency to fall back to his sin, including believers.

6. To ensure progression, sinners (believers alike) may confess their sins anytime within any phase and receive forgiveness – and God is no respecter of persons. Jesus clarified this when he was asked how many times we might forgive. His answer said, ‘as long as there is the asking.’

7. The price of sin is an eternal appointment upon the person of Jesus Christ from the foundation of the world.

8. In any phase, sinners remain in a state of death or separation from God.

9. The first death, with reference to humankind, occurred beginning from Adam’s transgression.

10. The first phase ends ‘once’ man leaves his present body or following the second resurrection.

11. Judgment must proceed at the end of each phase unrelentingly, which explains the scripture, “…once to die…”

12. The second phase begins following the judgment (i.e., the second death; a further separation from God).

The goal is to reconcile ALL things to God.

Unless I have not understood the logic of the Catholic purgatory, I don’t see the above lines of thought complimenting that doctrine. But if through my search of His truth, God chose to unveil His mysteries, and it explains the Catholic doctrine, to Him be the glory. He would only have wrought harmony in His Church. That is however not the aim of this project. I remain humbled in prayer, asking the Lord to guide me and to correct me, lest I fall. I covet your prayers too.