"OTHERWISE they might see...hear...understand...and repent"

What about the previous three verses, Mk.4:10-12?
"And when He was alone,they that were about Him with the twelve aked of Him the parable (vss.1-9). And He said unto them, unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."

 

And is that not the reason why Jesus came to atone for the sins of the world, all the sins of all times? That is, so that man would believe (be converted) and their sins forgiven?

Remember Jesus was speaking to Jews, not to Gentiles! The Jews were deliberately hardened in order to "teach them a lesson", to make them "jealous", and the gentiles were given the Gospel because they would believe and receive.

 

Me2,

the lake of fire is a metaphorical symbol of something. It is not a lake nor is it literal fire, nor literal brimstone. It doesn’t burn literal flesh and bone.

It is represents something in the spiritual realm.

It has to be something that is the consequence of the Great white throne judgement.
This is a judgement rendered within the bounds of righteousness.</font>[/QUOTE]"It doesn't burn literal flesh and bone" OF COURSE NOT ME2! NO FLESH CAN ENTER HEAVEN! THAT WHICH IS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE IS FIRST, EVIL, THEN THE UNBELIEVING SPIRITS OF MAN! What ever the "burning lake is" it is a final destination for those who do not believe when they die the first, physical, death.

Do you believe Ephesians 2:8,9? "For by grace are we saved THROUGH FAITH, and not of ourselves it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast". There is no scripture that supports your "purging by fire" theory. What does "Saved" mean to you? What are we SAVED from? What are we SAVED to?

GOOD NEWS! Because of Adam's sin, we already have the knowledge of GOOD and EVIL within us, therefore we need not gain it through experience! That is why when we do an evil act, we know it is evil. The more often we do that same evil act the less guilt we feel inside us. That is why active Homosexuals feel no remorse for their sins, etc.

The Great White throne judgment is the final judgment of evil and unbelievers. There is no escape from the penalty of a final judgement! There is no higher authority to whom one can appeal!

CONTEXT Me2, CONTEXT!

Were dealing with spirit concepts. Not physical. Again misinterpreting the word of God.</font>[/QUOTE]Then why did you say (above) that "it doesn't burn literal flesh and bone"? You are confusing natural with spiritual all the time, so don't call me for something I do not do!

NO Me2 you are misinterpreting scripture! The first death is the natural death the second death is of the unbelieving spirit.

As we can concede that wrath is opposite of mercy in Gods plans for man, what is the conclusion of theses vessels of wrath?</font>[/QUOTE]Does that mean that you agree with the Dictionary definition of WRATH? If yes, then you are obliged to stop missusing the term!
You posted this scripture,

for what I don't know, but I'd like you to tell me if it means what you want it to in...in context which I've posted for you.

CONTEXT IS A WONDERFUL THING Me2, you should comply with it all the time!

Showing mercy to all is not the same thing as giving SALVATION to all! We are living in the time when God is showing mercy to all mankind, so that all mankind have an equal opportunity to come to faith and thereby receive God's gift of Salvation.

When you gonna get the message Me2? ATONEMENT DOES NOT EQUAL FORGIVENESS NOR DOES IT EQUAL SALVATION!

THEN IT IS YOU THAT IS MISSINTERPRETING SCRIPTURE! WRATH IS NEVER MISCONSTRUED TO BE MERCY! THE WRATH OF GOD IS ALWAYS DESCRIBED AS BEING AN OUTPOURING OF DESTRUCTION! e.g. Sodom and Gomorrah! The flood! Famines! pestilence! The second Death! What you describe as happening to you daily is you recognizing God's Grace, not you experiencing his WRATH. You could not stand up under God's wrath!

You need to get a Good dictionary of the Common Language!

 

the wrath of carnal man and God is completely opposite. God has already forgiven Man. God is not angry with man. It is man who is angry at God. It is man who hasnt forgiven God. It is man who chooses to be an enemy of God.

the wrath of God to man is judgement day.

Remember the cross. Thats God forgiving man and expressing the method of reconciliation.

You are amiss at believing man has sovereignty over his eternal choices in his life. This is incorrect for there is only one God. and man is a mere creature within His creation.
God has already made the way open for mans return.

we are not living in the age where God has unveiled his truth to all mankind. nor has it been for 6000 years. by the fact that all men are NOT called today nor or all men come to the same truth as it is given today to Gods called out ones.
This is the period whereas God is selecting his vesssels of mercy and vessels of wrath. All others are not being called today. they will begin their salvation journey after death at the GWT judgement.

In a way it is. you nor I was present at the resurrection. yet the day we understand it occurred as a reality in our own individual lives and that we are to participate in this same spirit resurrection. that day forgiveness and atonement equals resurrection and life eternal. yet it only begins the purging and learning of truth necessary to cover over knowledge of unrighteousness.
In this case the understanding of atonement, forgiveness and resurrection does equal salvation.
or begins the process of salvation.

from a carnal mindset. I would agree God destroys our evil unrighteous attitude. from a spirit mindset, the goal is to dispence eternal life towards us. Not to destroy us completely. . In a rational sense..we learned unrighteousness. we learn righteousness and discover that righteousness is more powerful and life giving towards mankind.

If you believe God destroys mankind. this is shortsighted. God changes our evil attitude to one that is capable of experiencing his Zoa Life.

Why do you want to destroy mankind Yelsew2?
Isnt mankind worth saving in your eyes?

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

Only unless the Holy Ghost wrote the dictionary. other than that small stipulation..
carnal man would be interpreting Gods word when you should be comparing scripture with scripture.

1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

Me2

 

Once again you demonstrate how little you know of the reality of God!

 

I'm trying to understand the theology:

If God truly desires the salvation of all people, why did he use parables to seemingly mask the truth from the group of Jews in fulfillment of the Isaiah passage?

 

And by the way, as a Calvinist, I do believe that God desires the salvation of all men in a sense. God commands all people everywhere to believe and repent.

Likewise, God desired Pharaoh to release the Israelites (by his revealed will through Moses, "let my people go"), yet God decreed that Pharaoh would indeed not let the people go, so that God may display his glory through the reprobate ruler ("I raised you up for this very purpose...").

 

God has a specific plan using specific people. the jews that you have mentioned represented those who were called of God, yet not chosen to represent the body of Christ in Gods Plans of reconciling mankind.
As you have discovered, the only way to understand Jesus parables is to have the spirit of Christ within you. for it is a spiritual message using figurative symbols. and we must compare spirit with spirit. not literal with literal. or physical with physical.

Many can tell you the literal meaning of the parable, then as well as today. but the parables are not to be interpreted or understood literally.

those chosen in the last 2000 years to represent the body of Christ have a futuristic mission. that is to witness the truth. Today? yes but not as any majority., today the body of Christ is hated by the religious world. as Christ was hated by the religious majority then.
So what he represents is hated today also by the religious majority.
If you think the religious majority represents Christ, then is the same hatred being applied to them? ABSOLUTELY NOT! sorry. your focusing on people who call themselves christians but are lying. representing so called truth yet in the end they cosign billions of HUMAN BEINGS to be eternally punished by A God who tells them that He Loves them and treats all equally and in righteousness. the same that he has proven to treat the Body of Christ.

Why are you against my theology? because i tell you that God loves everyone and has intentions of saving everyone using the body of christ as his witnessing tool. is this tool used today?should this tool be hated as it was then by the religious majority.

his tool is being prepared to be used in the next age to come as they reconcile all who stand at the GWT judgement.

Me2

 

Because God "hardened" the Jews so that they would not accept in order that the Gentiles would receive the Word and believe. At least that's what I get out of scriptures.