The Judge is the Savior
Author
Despite the American spellings used throughout the book, Jean Wyatt is in fact a British author and a long-standing member of the Anglican community. She practised as a doctor in Africa and Asia for many years, before becoming a GP in Liverpool. Since retiring, she has been an active lay member and reader for the last 25 years.
Content
The book considers the various issues raised by universalism, with each chapter leading with different sections of Lord’s Prayer. There are lots of interesting extra-biblical quotations in the book, although it is worth noting that C.S. Lewis was a firm believer in everlasting punishment.
Chapter 1
A wide-ranging chapter that covers some key questions and biblical principles. It argues against the inerrancy of Scripture (pp 62-64), and therefore considers numerous non-biblical sources as well. It concludes that atonement is offered to all (pp18, 21) and argues that God is a refining fire, who only punishes sinners out of love (pp 3, 56-57), and for whom the gates of heaven are never shut (p 55).
Chapter 2
This starts with brief reviews of several parables, followed by pen pictures of Christian reformers over the past 200 years. There is a strong call to not see ‘evangelism’ as not just about preaching, but as an act of bringing the good news to others by caring for them.
Chapter 3
A brief review of tensions in belief systems, mysteries and what is ‘plainly revealed’ in the scriptures. The latter does not include universal salvation per se, but the author holds firmly to the conviction that whatever God does will be ‘perfectly loving and perfectly just’.
Chapter 4
This focuses on forgiveness and argues that God’s mercy is not conditional on our repentance or faith. Reconciliation can, however, only take place when we have accepted God’s forgiveness (p 109).
Chapter 5
This chapter focuses on justice and argues that salvation can only occur after judgement, because ‘evil must be exposed before it is eradicated’ (p 134). It considers different theologies on salvation and argues that hell is a refining fire that destroys evil but not people (p 145). It concludes that there is no ‘room for a never-ending hell’ in the new heaven and earth (p 148).
Chapter 6
This focuses on the word ‘hell’ in the Bible. It reviews the writings of numerous religious leaders down the ages, together with some of the key scriptures, including 1 Peter 3:20 – 4:6. It concludes that escape from hell must be possible, but adds that if some ‘resist God’s love for eternity, they will finally be destroyed’ (p 179, c.f. 195).
Chapter 7
This chapter relates to God’s future kingdom and reviews various eschatological passages in the Old and New Testament. It emphasises that there is no evil in the new heaven and earth, all evil having been destroyed including ‘Hades’ itself. It is worth noting, however, that punishment in the lake of fire does continue even after Hades itself has been thrown into the lake (Revelation 20:10-15).
Appendix
This considers near-death experiences and observes that any fearful elements of these are followed by a beautiful, rapturous experience. This, it is argued, lends support to the idea that hell is a place of cleansing. It is worth noting, however, that the atheist philosopher Frederick Ayer had quite a different experience.
Conclusions
This is an interesting book, which draws on emotional and moral arguments more than logical or scriptural ones. As it argues against the inerrancy of the scriptures, this blunts the edge of the book’s ability to convince people on scriptural grounds alone. But the honest, heart-felt directness of the book will draw in readers of many persuasions.
The main argument in favour of universalism is that full knowledge of God and His love would be irresistible to non-believers. The author does acknowledge, however, that some might resist and have to be destroyed. And Satan and his angels did, of course, resist God’s grace, despite being in heaven originally.
Given this, it is unclear what, in the author’s view, would prevent people from falling from heaven after the Judgement Day. The other key questions that are not discussed are -
1. If God knows everything, why did He create beings He knew He was going to destroy?
2. If God didn’t originally know some wouldn’t repent, how did He become certain of this?
3. Did God know if any at all might repent? If not, might He have had to destroy everyone?
4. If God knew nothing about who would repent, would it have been moral for Him to gamble with the fate of billions of people?
Perhaps a follow-up book will help to clarify some of these issues.