By J. D. Faust

This book’s main theme though is built around the idea of a

“Christian purgatory.”

That “. . . outer darkness’ is a temporary prison in the heart of the earth where carnal Christians will spend the millennium. This is the view of this book.”

Then a biggie - “In the above passages “eternal life” is through works.”

This book was sent to me as a gift and due to those listed on the cover I decided to read it. The book is a dissertation to convince the reader that it is God’s plan for the saved who do not live righteous and fruitful in this current life (according to Faust) to go into hell and suffer for their unrighteousness during the thousand year millennium. While the righteous and fruitful reign with Christ the same thousand years. The book is 440 pages including footnotes, etc., and is very thorough and well written.

Here are some quotes from the book.“Yet, the millennial reign is a double portion. It is the inheritance that first born sons will receive. This privileged position is only granted to those who suffer with Christ against sin and the world.” (P.4 emphasis in original)

“The Bible teaches that the millennial reign is only given to the faithful saints who suffer with Christ.” (P.72) Faust did not prove that statement to this writer.

“Some modern Christians hold that this ‘outer darkness’ is a temporary prison in the heart of the earth where carnal Christians will spend the millennium (like many older fundamentalists). This is the view of this book.” (P.(96)

J. D. Faust is universal church and miss-apply many verses due to this doctrinal position. Also, he holds that every mention of “kingdom” refers to the millennium which is not so. See John 3:3, 5.

He continues this line of application with Matthew 7:21 (Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.) and 19:23-24 (Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.) when he says the kingdom mentioned in these verses is the millennium. No other Bible interpreter that I’m aware of interprets these in this way nor do I. I hold these verses to speak about salvation or entering heaven.

Faust also interprets Israel’s entering their promised land as the millennial kingdom (see P83). Entering their “land” of service would be more accurate, not heaven nor millennial. This book’s main theme though is built around the idea of a “Christian purgatory.” And we are told that the view of the book is that Christians will go into outer darkness.

“...this ‘outer darkness’ is a temporary prison in the heart of the earth where carnal Christians will spend the millennium...” “This is the view of this book.” He further states that “the Bible teaches that Christians can be banished for 1000 years (during the kingdom age) in the underworld.” (P.116)

Then when he is presenting all this he says that “there is therefore a sense in which carnal Christians do not have the spirit of Christ dwelling fully within them.” (P.132)

Does the Bible teach a partial dwelling of the Holy Spirit within one saved? “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Romans 8:9. This editor thinks not.

In his conclusion of one chapter he makes the following statement:

“In conclusion, the gospels and Paul’s epistles teach that the Lord’s unfaithful servants will temporarily perish at the judgement seat of Christ. They will be slain by the consuming fire of the Lord’s breath. They will not be permitted to enjoy the glorious millennial kingdom yet. Death at the judgement seat is not annihilation, nor is it a lack of consciousness. Every unfaithful Christian will mourn the loss of the millennial kingdom and will have to wait 1000 years to be reunited with the faithful saints in bliss and glory.” (P.133)

Another way off statement he makes is “...many Christians will experience...not only the death of the body, but also the death of the soul.” (P.135) and “The Christian’s soul is already saved in eternity. Yet, there is also a saving of the soul in relation to the future age of reward. Disobedient Christians are in danger of losing their souls temporarily at the judgement seat.” (P.141) This editor does not know where in the Bible this is taught but Faust believes it to be.

In yet another place Faust says “Yet, Christians are warned about the danger of being temporarily ‘hurt’ by this lake of fire.” And then he quotes Rev 2:11 and immediately follows this by saying, “After being slain by the Lord’s fiery breath at the judgement seat (no verses are offered by Faust here), unfaithful Christians will then be banished to the underworld for 1000 years. Notice that the above warning (Rev 2:11 is meant - RT) is to the ‘churches’. This means true Christians.”

If Faust is saying all who are members of churches are Christian he is most certainly deceived or taking the broad evangelical position on salvation.

He then calls this “fiery breath” of the Lord “this flowing fiery lava” that gathers into a giant lake. There is no indication in the Bible that this is as he says or that the Lord’s lake of fire is made of current elements such as lava. So much supposition, speculation and subjectivity.

He makes much of “unholy living” but does not define except he clearly leave out doctrine or doctrinal purity. It seems as if he is caught up more with some idea of moral, social rightness but leaves completely out what God holds highest, that is doctrinal rightness. Oh yes, the Lord does hold moral, social and political rightness high but they all fall below doctrine. Observing His doctrine, following it’s pattern, order and procedures was preached by Jesus Christ and His apostles from the beginning. But Faust puts Saints in hell for unrighteousness that leaves this issue of doctrine out. He is wrong on several counts.

Faust presents unholy living from the moral, social realm as the standard by which the Lord will place some true Christians into hell’s fire for the 1000 millennium. If the Bible did show such, and I do not believe it does, it would be based on doctrinal purity (1 Tim 1:10; 2 Tim 1:13; 3:16; 4:2-4).

He again miss-applys Scriptures when he states that in 1 Cor 3:17 the temple represents the believers physical body. This has been long recognized as a reference to the local church body at Corinth and not individuals. The same is true of 1 Cor 6:19-20. Then he recognizes that some interpret it to be the local church, but disagrees with that position himself. (P.162)

Faust clearly claims that the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory is a historic error, a corruption of what is found in true doctrine that the Lord gave to early Christians. But holds that it is true and says “Purgatory then is a perversion of truth instead of a whole new creation.” (P.164)

Following this Faust misinterprets some parables that are clearly (to me) Jew vs Gentile in teaching. He interprets them to be believers and where the Lord warns the Jewish nation of judgement, Faust applies to polluted Christians. “Disobedient Christians will fall from heaven (ie sky) above earth much like the ‘star’ falls in the book of Revelation in the midst of the tribulation period.” (P.182) Then he quotes Rev 9:1. Personally I’ve never heard of such a “doctrine.” Such a statement adds to silliness.

Faust also believes that “It is possible that there is more than one ‘book of life.’” (P.213) He speculates that there might be a book of life for physical life and another book of millennial life. This is fabrication to this editor.

On page 233 he tells us that “It appears that Jonah died in the whale’s belly and his soul literally went to hell (2:2). When he cried out to the Lord, his soul came back into his body...” This is used to further “prove” that Christians do go to hell (the fire part) and suffer in hell until purged of sin.

On Page 226 he tells us that there are two aspects of eternal life, that there is dualism in the words. He then explains this dualism as absolute eternity and future eternal life after the millennium which he calls “relative eternal life” in the kingdom (millennium) of God. Oh Wow! Then a biggie - “In the above passages “eternal life” is through works.” (P.227)

This reading has been an exercise in studying errors of doctrine and interpretation. And now that I’ve read the thesis I’m much more inclined to remain with the position I held before I read the book.

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