Any serious student of the Scriptures has at one time or another questioned the seeming contradiction in God’s revelation. How could God, the Almighty, Omnipotent Creator who is Love itself, and Who works out all things in accordance with His will and purpose, have made a place where He will confine most of mankind to a loveless, fiery torture perpetually?
If the God of the Bible is able to bring proud rebellious men such as Nebuchadnezzar and Saul of Tarsus to Himself, why would He not do the same for all created sons? Does He not love all?
Since God’s ways and thoughts are vastly superior than man’s, even as the heavens are higher than the earth, why would He bring into existence a creation that could thwart His plan of eternal bliss for all; and instead, by way of Adam's disobedience, condemn most of his progeny to agonizing hell-fire with no hope of escape?
Did God not perceive this outcome before He created Adam? Was the cross of Christ only partially successful in saving mankind from sin’s penalty? Is the salvation of the few worth the unceasing torment of the many?
The following study reflects these and other questions that troubled the author for a long time. I pray that the Word will always be our final authority on any subject, and especially on this crucial topic.
May Scripture be allowed to speak above the din of accepted religious tradition, and give us God's revealed truth that our souls yearn for. May God use this study to get glory for His Holy Name, and nullify any error on the author’s part.
May Scripture be allowed to speak above the din of accepted religious tradition, and give us God's revealed truth that our souls yearn for. May God use this study to get glory for His Holy Name, and nullify any error on the author’s part.
Note: All scripture quotations in this treatise are taken from the King James (Authorized) Version of the Bible. The reason for this is not that the author believes this to be the best translation, only that this version was the predominant one available to English speaking people for better than 270 years, and from this version, the concept of never-ending punishment was propagated and reinforced.
Facts About “HELL” In The KJV Bible
It is always the translation of the Hebrew word Sheol in the “O.T.”
It is used 65 times in the Old Testament
It is translated “pit” 3 times
It is translated “grave” 30 times
It is translated “hell” 32 times
It occurs 22 times in the “N.T” and represents 3 different Greek words : Hades, Gehenna, & Tartarus
“Sheol” Translated as “Pit”
“They shall go down to the bars of the pit, (sheol) when our rest together is in the dust.” (Job 17:16)
“But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; (sheol) then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD…They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, (sheol) and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.” (Num 16:30,33)
Korah and his followers went to their “death” in a violent fashion because of their rebellion against God.
Both of these passages where “pit” is used, would have been better translated “grave”, having been buried alive in a fissure of the ground.
Examples of “Sheol” Translated Correctly as “Grave”
“And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave (Heb.sheol) unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.” {Gen. 37:34-35}
“And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (sheol) Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.” (sheol) {Gen 44:29-31}
Jacob was convinced that his son Joseph was in the “grave” and that he would join him in both of these passages.
“Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave (sheol) in peace…Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave (sheol) with blood.” {1 Kings 2:6,9}
David is instructing Solomon about his enemy, Joab.
“O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, (sheol) that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!” {Job 14:13}
“I will ransom them from the power of the grave (sheol); I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave (sheol), I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.” {Hosea 13:14}
Here God promises to rescue his redeemed from the grasp of “the grave” (death). Paul quotes from this passage to prove physical resurrection:
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” {I Cor. 15:53-55}
Examples of “Sheol” Translated Incorrectly as “Hell”
“I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell (sheol) compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me” {2 Sam 22:4-6} David who was recognized as a saved man by all, spoke of experiencing the “sorrows of hell.”
“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (sheol); neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” {Ps. 16:8-10}
The correlating verse in the New Testament is {Acts 2:25-28}. This shows us that Christ himself was in “hell.”
“For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.” (sheol) (Ps. 86:13}
Here David speaks of a place from which the soul can be rescued.
“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell (sheol), behold, thou art there.” {Ps. 139:8}
In this verse we read that David believed that prior to his bodily resurrection, when he would be at rest in “bed” in the grave, that God would not abandon him in “hell.”
“And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell (sheol) with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.” {Ez. 32:27}
Here the dead are directly compared with the living, and the warrior’s weapons are buried with them in “hell.”
“And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell (sheol) cried I, and thou heardest my voice.” {Jonah 2:2}
Jonah a prophet of God, said that he prayed to God from “hell”, as the great fish’s belly had become his grave.
All of these references would make more sense and remove the doubt and fear that the word “Hell” imparts, besides being more
understandable, if the word “hell” was replaced with “grave.” The KJV translators did everyone a great disservice by not translating the word Sheol as Grave.
Etymology of the Word “Hell” *
The modern English word “Hell” is derived from Old English hel, helle (about 725 AD to refer to a nether world of the dead) reaching into the Anglo-Saxon pagan period, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *halja, meaning "one who covers up or hides something.”
The word has cognates in related Germanic languages such as Old Frisian helle, hille, Old Saxon hellja, Middle Dutch helle (modern Dutch hel), Old High German helle (Modern German Hölle), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish "helvede"/helvete (hel + Old Norse vitti, "punishment" whence the Icelandic víti "hell"), and Gothic halja. Subsequently, the word was used to transfer a pagan concept to Christian theology and its vocabulary (however, for the Judeo-Christian origin of the concept see Gehenna).
The word has cognates in related Germanic languages such as Old Frisian helle, hille, Old Saxon hellja, Middle Dutch helle (modern Dutch hel), Old High German helle (Modern German Hölle), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish "helvede"/helvete (hel + Old Norse vitti, "punishment" whence the Icelandic víti "hell"), and Gothic halja. Subsequently, the word was used to transfer a pagan concept to Christian theology and its vocabulary (however, for the Judeo-Christian origin of the concept see Gehenna).
The English word hell has been theorized as being derived from Old Norse hel, but the cognate does appear in all the other languages and has a Proto-Germanic origin. Among other sources, the Poetic Edda, compiled from earlier traditional sources in the 13th century, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, provide information regarding the beliefs of the Norse pagans, including a being named Hel, who is described as ruling over an underworld location of the same name. This is envisioned as a "misty" place (rather than the fire envisioned by Christianity and Islam) where go all women and in addition, some men. Punishment for wrong deeds is not mentioned. * Source: Wikipedia
DOES THE BIBLE TEACH AN ETERNAL HELL ?
This question would have brought a cynical laugh from me only a short time ago. “Well of course it does! The Bible speaks more about hell than Heaven!” This would have been my unhesitating response. The suggestion that my preconceived idea of eternal torment, in a God – forsaken chamber of eternally burning flames, was somehow non-existent in the scriptures, would have been beyond belief to me.
But starting in the fall of 2010, I found my thoughts consumed with this question. Is it possible that the God who gave His Son to rescue sinners will burn most of them forever? As I prepared to lead our men’s Bible study on the topic of hell, my whole theology concerning eternal punishment of lost souls began to unravel.
But starting in the fall of 2010, I found my thoughts consumed with this question. Is it possible that the God who gave His Son to rescue sinners will burn most of them forever? As I prepared to lead our men’s Bible study on the topic of hell, my whole theology concerning eternal punishment of lost souls began to unravel.
I had always believed in hell, just as surely as I believed in heaven. To believe in one and not the other would have been unthinkable! I have attended many denominational and non-denominational churches over my lifetime, and every one of them believed in eternal bliss for the saved, and eternal doom by fire for the lost. How could it be any other way? I’ve read the verses for myself, there could be no mistaking Jesus’ dire warnings:
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Gehenna) {Matt. 10:28}
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, (Gehenna) into the fire that never shall be quenched”. {Mark 9:43}
There it is, no mistaking such plain language, right? Add to this verse the 23 other verses from Matthew through Revelation where the term “Hell” is used, and we have an ironclad case for hell’s existence. Only… why, when I look up “Hell” in a concordance, do I find 3 different Greek words from which the translators derived this 1 word… “Hell”?
The whole of the “N.T.” was translated by the translators of the King James Version of 1611, from their limited access to Greek language manuscripts. They relied more heavily upon the Latin Vulgate for their “N.T.” renderings than most realize. Often they abandoned the Greek to follow the “Bishop’s Bible”, an earlier English translation, and widely accepted among the English readers of the day. Besides this, they were given strict instruction from King James I of England himself to maintain the accepted doctrines of the Church in their new translation.
Is it possible that the translators erred by making 3 different Greek words into 1 Anglo – Saxon word? Do all 3 Greek words mean the same thing? Why then would the original writers not use the same Greek word? Were the KJV translators just making it easier for us to understand, or rather, were they leading us to a false conclusion by mistranslating the sacred scripture?
I am not questioning the intentions of the translators, although they did ultimately have to please King James with their finished product, but I do find it hard to accept that 1 English word can represent 3 different Greek words that have no similarity in spelling or etymology.
The whole of the “N.T.” was translated by the translators of the King James Version of 1611, from their limited access to Greek language manuscripts. They relied more heavily upon the Latin Vulgate for their “N.T.” renderings than most realize. Often they abandoned the Greek to follow the “Bishop’s Bible”, an earlier English translation, and widely accepted among the English readers of the day. Besides this, they were given strict instruction from King James I of England himself to maintain the accepted doctrines of the Church in their new translation.
Is it possible that the translators erred by making 3 different Greek words into 1 Anglo – Saxon word? Do all 3 Greek words mean the same thing? Why then would the original writers not use the same Greek word? Were the KJV translators just making it easier for us to understand, or rather, were they leading us to a false conclusion by mistranslating the sacred scripture?
I am not questioning the intentions of the translators, although they did ultimately have to please King James with their finished product, but I do find it hard to accept that 1 English word can represent 3 different Greek words that have no similarity in spelling or etymology.
The 3 Greek words that the translators rendered HELL are: Hades – used 10 times; Gehenna – used 11 times; and Tartarus used only once. Let’s take these words and see what we can find out about each one. If we find that they are just the same place called by different names, then the texts where they are used should show us that there is no difference at all. After all, “A rose by any other name is still a rose.” So, Hell by any other name should still be Hell. However, if through our study we find these 3 words to have different meanings, we are forced to reevaluate a long-standing tradition of “orthodox Christianity”.
SHEOL / HADES
In taking up any study of a word, it is a great advantage to have a verse found in the so-called “New Testament” that has been quoted from the “Old Testament”.
NOTE: The word “testament” simply means “covenant” or in modern English “contract”. Any writings in the Bible that we have before the giving of the Law of God from Mt. Sinai (Old Covenant/ Testament) in Exodus 20, should be considered Pre-Old Testament; and any scripture in the Bible before the crucifixion of Christ,(which includes almost all the gospels of Matthew through John), Old Testament.
However, for simplicity, I will refer to both O.T. and N.T. by their commonly accepted divisions (Malachi/ Matthew) in this treatise, but with quotation marks, (“O.T” & “N.T.”).
NOTE: The word “testament” simply means “covenant” or in modern English “contract”. Any writings in the Bible that we have before the giving of the Law of God from Mt. Sinai (Old Covenant/ Testament) in Exodus 20, should be considered Pre-Old Testament; and any scripture in the Bible before the crucifixion of Christ,(which includes almost all the gospels of Matthew through John), Old Testament.
However, for simplicity, I will refer to both O.T. and N.T. by their commonly accepted divisions (Malachi/ Matthew) in this treatise, but with quotation marks, (“O.T” & “N.T.”).
In {Psalm 16: 8-10}, we have a Psalm which appears to refer to King David speaking of himself, however, we have the same passage quoted almost word for word by Peter in {Acts 2: 25-28} which he attributed to our Lord Jesus.
“ I saw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (Hades), neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.”
Now according to this passage, the soul of Jesus Christ was in “Hell” after His crucifixion and death, and returned from “Hell” at His resurrection to life. The Greek word for hell in this passage is Hades.
When we compare these 2 passages, we find that the Hebrew word translated Hell in the Psalm passage is Sheol. So we can conclude that Sheol, used by David, is equivalent to Hades, used by Peter. Our next step therefore is to determine the meaning of Sheol in the O.T. Did the ancients consider Sheol to be a place where departed souls were in conscious torment, or even conscious?
Often the way to best understand the meaning of any word in the Scriptures is to note how it is first used. This is known as the rule of first mention. In {Genesis 37:35} we first encounter the Hebrew word “Sheol”. Jacob is mourning the supposed loss of his son, Joseph, to wild animals, as he eloquently opines:
Often the way to best understand the meaning of any word in the Scriptures is to note how it is first used. This is known as the rule of first mention. In {Genesis 37:35} we first encounter the Hebrew word “Sheol”. Jacob is mourning the supposed loss of his son, Joseph, to wild animals, as he eloquently opines:
“For I will go down into Sheol unto my son mourning.” Here is Jacob ( Israel ), who had already received great blessings from God through his father Isaac ;
“Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be everyone that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.” {Gen. 27:29}
After this blessing, The Almighty appeared to Jacob on 2 other occasions to confirm God’s favor and promises of blessings to him. See {Gen. 28:10-16} ; {Gen. 32: 24-30}.
And to remove any doubt of Jacob’s salvation, God appears to Moses at the burning bush, and says:
“ I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” {Ex. 3:5}
So we see from these texts that Jacob was surely one of the redeemed of God and yet entered Sheol upon his death.
King Hezekiah is another example of a child of God who knew that Sheol was to be his place in death.
“The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah , when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave (Sheol): I am deprived of the residue of my years. I said, I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. For the grave (Sheol) cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.” The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. {Isa. 38 : 9-13,17-19}
It is important to note in this passage that Hezekiah, (giving praise by the Spirit of God), in v. 18, equates Sheol with Death and the Pit where no one can praise God, and contrasts it with Life and the living, who do give praise to Him. He plainly states that his soul was delivered from corruption when God graciously extended his life for another 15 years as an answer to his heartfelt prayer.
It is clear from this passage that Hezekiah is not praising God today in a “disembodied state”, but rather is sleeping in the grave (Sheol).
After receiving and recording the great revelations of Israel ’s future, Daniel the prophet was told of the resurrections of Daniel’s people and of his own resurrection: It is clear from this passage that Hezekiah is not praising God today in a “disembodied state”, but rather is sleeping in the grave (Sheol).
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting (Heb. Olam) life, and some to shame and everlasting (Heb. Olam) contempt.3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” 13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. {Dan. 12:2,3,13}
Add to this David’s Psalm:
“Return, O LORD, deliver my soul : Oh save me for thy mercies” sake. For in death there is no remembrance of thee: In the grave (Sheol), who shall give Thee thanks?” {Psa. 6:4,5}
“But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost (expires), and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave (Sheol), that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call (to life), and I will answer thee (become conscious): thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.” {Job 14:10-14}
In this marvelous text, Job, a great man of God, gives us a wealth of information concerning the state of the dead in Sheol. Man is said to be lying down, asleep, and not roused again until called forth by his Creator. In view of his great suffering, Job longed to lie down in the sleep of death until at his next conscious moment, he would hear the voice of his LORD calling him forth from the grave!
We have a picture of this momentous resurrection of the believers in {John 11:11-14, 21-26, 41-44}
“These things said he (Jesus): and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”
“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”
Notice, Jesus did not say, “Lazarus’ BODY is dead”, He said: “Lazarus is dead.” Jesus recalled Lazarus from a state of unconscious rest.
Solomon, the wisest of mortal men, speaking by the Spirit of God said this:
“Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, (activity) nor device, (intelligence) nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, (Sheol) whither thou goest.” { Ecc. 9:9,10}
This is plain language that all can understand. The dead individual is said to have no activity or knowledge of anything after death, in other words, he is unconscious. It is metaphorically referred to as “sleeping.”
During any period of sound sleep, an individual is unaware of any passage of time, so it seems to him that no sooner that he closes his eyes in sleep that he is waking again. Those suffering traumatic brain injuries whereby they enter into a comatose state, may remain in that condition for many weeks or even years, and upon waking out of that condition, continue their experience of life as though it was the next moment of the day of their accident.
The same can be said of any that have been sedated for surgery. No sooner is the sleep induced state administered, than the patient seemingly is opening his eyes in the recovery ward. So we can confidently say that not only is there no conscious suffering in Sheol / Hades, but no consciousness at all! To believe otherwise would be to deny these clear statements of scripture.
During any period of sound sleep, an individual is unaware of any passage of time, so it seems to him that no sooner that he closes his eyes in sleep that he is waking again. Those suffering traumatic brain injuries whereby they enter into a comatose state, may remain in that condition for many weeks or even years, and upon waking out of that condition, continue their experience of life as though it was the next moment of the day of their accident.
The same can be said of any that have been sedated for surgery. No sooner is the sleep induced state administered, than the patient seemingly is opening his eyes in the recovery ward. So we can confidently say that not only is there no conscious suffering in Sheol / Hades, but no consciousness at all! To believe otherwise would be to deny these clear statements of scripture.
Here, at Pentecost, Peter assures the crowd that had gathered, that David’s body was still in the grave, and his soul was still in the unseen (hades). He had not ascended with Christ and been taken to heaven as the vast majority of Christendom teaches. Unlike Christ, David’s soul was left in hell (hades), and his flesh did see corruption. David will sleep on until Christ calls him forth at the resurrection of the last day.
The reason that so many have the concept of post – death consciousness for both saved & unsaved, is primarily the result of one passage of Scripture that seems to unequivocally teach this doctrine. I accepted without question that the passage in {Luke 16:19-31} taught by Jesus, of “The Rich man & Lazarus”, was a historical account of two men that lived and died, and that we are given an unprecedented view of the “disembodied state” of both men. And from this account, it could be determined definitively, that there is conscious bliss for the saved, and torment for the lost, immediately upon physical death.
If this passage does indeed teach this, then it completely repudiates all the passages of scripture that we have looked at thus far concerning Hades. Furthermore, it would stand as the only story that Jesus related to teach the crowds that is not a parable. We are specifically told that Jesus did not teach to the crowds, except by using parables.
If this passage does indeed teach this, then it completely repudiates all the passages of scripture that we have looked at thus far concerning Hades. Furthermore, it would stand as the only story that Jesus related to teach the crowds that is not a parable. We are specifically told that Jesus did not teach to the crowds, except by using parables.
“All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” { Matt. 13:34,35}
Strong’s concordance defines a parable as: ‘a similitude, a fictitious narrative’. We are also told the reason for Jesus speaking to the mixed crowds in parables :
“And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” {Matt. 13:10-15}
The first thing we must understand in our study of the Scriptures is that, although all of God’s truth is for our understanding, it is not all for application to ourselves. This principle is not perceived by most believers. The Bible is treated like a “How To” book of general instruction to all readers, regardless of the context or the subject at hand.
Most believers would understand that God’s instructions to Israel to present a lamb to the priest to be sacrificed, in order to have his sin forgiven by God, is not for him to obey today. He would rightly conclude from Paul’s revelation, that he is not under the Mosaic Law, and that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice of Himself paid for all sin, fulfilling the type exquisitely.
Most believers would understand that God’s instructions to Israel to present a lamb to the priest to be sacrificed, in order to have his sin forgiven by God, is not for him to obey today. He would rightly conclude from Paul’s revelation, that he is not under the Mosaic Law, and that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice of Himself paid for all sin, fulfilling the type exquisitely.
The same believer though, will seek to obey the beatitudes of Matthew’s gospel as though they were given to him, claiming for himself the many direct quotations of Jesus from that same Law given to Israel ! Most overlook the fact that Jesus was born and conducted His entire earthly ministry in Israel , lived His whole life under obedience to the Law, and that He said Himself:
“I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. {Matt. 15:24}
We would be well served to ask ourselves the 5 Ws when reading any and all verses in our Bibles; WHO is speaking, or being spoken to: WHAT is the subject at hand: WHERE is the text, speaker, or subject: WHEN is the subject in force: WHY is the subject being discussed: and HOW is this applicable to those being spoken to initially, and how is the reader today to appropriate these things to himself. Applying these principles, let us investigate the parable of “The Rich Man & Lazarus”.
The first observation that we make in reading this parable is : WHERE it is located; the locale, as well as where in God’s revelation. It is found in the Gospel of Luke only.
WHAT “gospel” (good news) does Luke record? Do we find Paul’s revelation of the gospel of the super-abounding grace of God given freely to all men, without distinction, based on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? No, Jesus’ coming sacrifice of Himself had not yet occurred.
Luke is recording the earthly ministry of THE Jewish Teacher proclaiming the Jewish gospel of the Jewish kingdom to His Jewish brethren in Israel . Next, we want to inquire as to WHOM Jesus spoke this parable. Just prior to Jesus beginning His discourse on this parable, we read:
WHAT “gospel” (good news) does Luke record? Do we find Paul’s revelation of the gospel of the super-abounding grace of God given freely to all men, without distinction, based on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? No, Jesus’ coming sacrifice of Himself had not yet occurred.
Luke is recording the earthly ministry of THE Jewish Teacher proclaiming the Jewish gospel of the Jewish kingdom to His Jewish brethren in Israel . Next, we want to inquire as to WHOM Jesus spoke this parable. Just prior to Jesus beginning His discourse on this parable, we read:
“ And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. {Luke 16:14-18}
Jesus is making the case that the “ kingdom of God ” message introduced by John the Baptizer, and proclaimed by Jesus and the 12 apostles, was perfectly consistent with, and an extension of “ the Law and the Prophets”. The Pharisees had nullified the Law by their vain traditions, and reinforced their rebellion by rejecting reproof from John and Jesus, thereby standing by their spiritual adultery.
We can see that the Pharisees, who were ever present, and trying to catch Jesus in His words, were the ones primarily to whom this parable was directed. When we recall that Jesus spoke in parables to hide truth from the unbelievers in Israel , rather than reveal truth, we will view this parable in a different light.
This is the key as to WHY the parable was spoken. Earthly wealth was “highly esteemed” by the Pharisees who viewed it as a token of God’s favor lavished on them. They “justified themselves before men”, by their self righteous displays of public prayer, wearing of religious symbols and garb, etc., even as they accumulated their wealth at the expense of the poor through corrupt means. Jesus rightly observed about them:
We can see that the Pharisees, who were ever present, and trying to catch Jesus in His words, were the ones primarily to whom this parable was directed. When we recall that Jesus spoke in parables to hide truth from the unbelievers in Israel , rather than reveal truth, we will view this parable in a different light.
This is the key as to WHY the parable was spoken. Earthly wealth was “highly esteemed” by the Pharisees who viewed it as a token of God’s favor lavished on them. They “justified themselves before men”, by their self righteous displays of public prayer, wearing of religious symbols and garb, etc., even as they accumulated their wealth at the expense of the poor through corrupt means. Jesus rightly observed about them:
“But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer (allow) ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation (condemnation). Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness (corruption).” {Matt. 23:5-7,13,14,25-28}
Jesus minces no words when it comes to the Pharisees and other religious leaders in His apostate nation. Those that were to radiate God’s Love & Light to the Gentile world, and to be ministers of the Glory and Life of God’s righteousness, were now compared to the embodiment of dead bones and rotting flesh, what we would expect to find in Hades !
Here is the entire parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus from {Luke 16: 19-31} for our consideration:
Here is the entire parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus from {Luke 16: 19-31} for our consideration:
“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
While the only One who knows for sure the exact meaning of this parable, is the One who spoke it, we can be sure that Jesus would not contradict the rest of scripture in dealing with the subject of Sheol/Hades.
This is not the first parable spoken where the subject is portrayed to have life, and speak, even though such activity is impossible. After Abimelech had murdered his brothers, Gideon’s youngest son, Jotham, spoke this parable to the men in the city of Shechem :
This is not the first parable spoken where the subject is portrayed to have life, and speak, even though such activity is impossible. After Abimelech had murdered his brothers, Gideon’s youngest son, Jotham, spoke this parable to the men in the city of Shechem :
“And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.” {Judges 9:7-15}
Now we all know that trees do not convene in order to elect a leader over them, nor do they speak, and reason, and implore other trees concerning kingship in the vegetable kingdom. Nor would a thornbush threaten the others with destruction by fire, if his wishes are not met.
This is hyperbole used by Jotham to convey a stark lesson to the wicked men in the city of Shechem .
This is hyperbole used by Jotham to convey a stark lesson to the wicked men in the city of Shechem .
Solomon, speaking by the Spirit of God, gives life, emotion, and animation to an inanimate, immaterial quality, namely Wisdom. We can picture this whole scenario in our minds, knowing all along the impossibility of it.
“Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.” {Proverbs 9:1-6}
Here Wisdom is said to be a house-builder, carving foundation pillars out of bedrock , butchering animals, setting a dinner table, mixing wine to drink, sending out servant girls, and calling from the high point of the city to its inhabitants, exhorting them to follow her. Scripture is full of such rich imagery, for God has chosen to use these word pictures to state His Truth.
Even Sheol itself is given living qualities in this passage: “Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem . Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell (Sheol) are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves”. {Isa. 28:14-15}
Notice it is the rulers in Jerusalem that enter into a solemn covenant with their counter-part, Sheol. The unfaithful rulers are said to have a promise from Sheol not to harm them when God’s judgment comes, but God does not honor their agreement… “And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell (Sheol) shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.”{vs. 18}
Death is promised to Israel ’s leaders because they did not put their faith and confidence in God to deliver them, but instead relied on their own shrewdness and wicked ways.
There are two other passages in the prophetic writings that picture life in Sheol after death. The first is found in Isaiah chapter 14 and concerns the “King of Babylon”. The time frame is after Israel ’s great tribulation, when… “The Lord will choose Israel and settle them in their own land.” When “nations will take them and bring them to their own place.” Beginning in vs. 7 we read:Death is promised to Israel ’s leaders because they did not put their faith and confidence in God to deliver them, but instead relied on their own shrewdness and wicked ways.
“The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. 8Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. 9Hell (Sheol) from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. 10All they shall speak and say unto thee, “Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?”
First we are given a scene of the earth singing out of sheer joy for her new found peace. Next is a picture of fir and cedar trees singing and rejoicing over the death of the destructive king and having no further members of their group being felled. The venue then shifts to Sheol, which is again personified as well as it’s inhabitants. Sheol “is moved” ( Heb. Ragaz – “Quivers”) as the king descends into it. The same word is used by David in his song to the Lord:
“I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 5When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; 6The sorrows (Heb.Chebel-“noose”) of hell (Sheol) compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; 7In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. 8Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved (Heb. Ragaz) and shook, because he was wroth (angry). 9There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.” {2 Sam. 22:4-9}
In the same descriptive prose whereby the “noose of Sheol” was around David, and the “foundation of heaven quivered”, and “smoke came out of God’s nostrils”, Isaiah says that Sheol rouses her dead to meet the king. And instead of these dead heathen kings being in torment in Sheol, they are said to be seated on thrones! These dead kings ask rhetorical questions of the newcomer as they rise from their thrones.
Can we take these things to be literal accounts? Does it not better fit the poetic hyperbole which is used in many passages of Scripture where inanimate things are said to move, speak, reason, and sing? We should always interpret Scripture literally when possible, but let us not fail to see the figurative when it is so obvious.
The second example of Sheol’s activity is found in Ezekiel’s prophecy. There God tells Ezekiel to lament Egypt ’s destruction at the hand of the king of Babylon :
“Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt , and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit. 19Whom dost thou pass in beauty? Go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised. 20They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes. 21The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell(Sheol) with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword. There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living. 27And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell(Sheol) with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. 28Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword. 29There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit. 30There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit. 31Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.” {Eze. 32:18-21, 26-31}
In this graphic portrayal concerning these uncircumcised armies of various defeated nations, God tells Ezekiel to “cast them down.. to the nether parts of the earth”. Ezekiel accomplishes this command by prophesying against the Egyptians, thereby rendering them dead. Again, as in the Isaiah passage, those mighty warriors already in Hades “speak” to Pharaoh and his descending warriors.
These freshly killed fighters are said to have their weapons with them in “hell”, placed under their heads. And instead of Pharaoh being in agony, he is “COMFORTED” along with his entire uncircumcised army!! This was the very thing that is said about Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom!
Turning our attention back to the parable, let us make some observations of details that can assist our understanding of our Lord’s message. First, the Rich Man (Pharisee) was wearing “purple and fine linen.” This was the attire of a prominent individual, and was worn by a king or priest.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day used their wealth and the influence it brought them, to “rule” among the common people that had no money or influence. The Rich man had no concern for the poor beggar outside his gate. It was just such lack of compassion for the “nobodies” in Israel , that warranted Christ’s rebuke to the religious leaders in another parable of “The Good Samaritan”.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day used their wealth and the influence it brought them, to “rule” among the common people that had no money or influence. The Rich man had no concern for the poor beggar outside his gate. It was just such lack of compassion for the “nobodies” in Israel , that warranted Christ’s rebuke to the religious leaders in another parable of “The Good Samaritan”.
It is assumed by almost all that the rich man and Lazarus of Jesus’ story are BOTH in Hades at the time of the conversation between the rich man and Abraham, although, strictly speaking, the text does not say this. To be sure, both are pictured as having died, however the passage does not reveal that both were still dead.
On the contrary, remembering all the texts we have cited showing that dead people are just that…dead, not alive, then these word pictures must be conveying another truth. Lazarus is seen in “Abraham’s bosom” far away from the Rich man. The phrase, “Abraham’s bosom”, reminds us of the last supper where John the beloved, was reclining next to Jesus as they ate;
On the contrary, remembering all the texts we have cited showing that dead people are just that…dead, not alive, then these word pictures must be conveying another truth. Lazarus is seen in “Abraham’s bosom” far away from the Rich man. The phrase, “Abraham’s bosom”, reminds us of the last supper where John the beloved, was reclining next to Jesus as they ate;
“Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?” {John 13:23}
Now the question is: When would we expect to see Lazarus with Abraham? Was Abraham alive in Sheol, contrary to every other passage of Scripture where the dead are said to be at rest? Did Abraham & Lazarus exist in some kind of living ethereal body with bosoms, eyes, fingers, etc.? Was the rich man alive with a burning ethereal tongue even while his physical tongue was rotting in a tomb?
Even the Pharisees knew that Abraham, not just Abraham’s body, was dead.
Even the Pharisees knew that Abraham, not just Abraham’s body, was dead.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?” {John 8:51-53}
It should be noted that Jesus did not refute this fact concerning Abraham’s state.
It should be noted that Jesus did not refute this fact concerning Abraham’s state.
What was the hope of the believers in Israel ? Their’s was not a heavenly hope, but a hope of Christ’s earthly kingdom on a restored earth, upon which there would be great joy and feasting in the company of all redeemed. But they knew that this hope would only be realized upon their resurrection, not upon their death!!
“And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: 35But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world ( Gk.(aion-“ age”) (ie: the Kingdom), and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. 37Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.” (in resurrection) {Luke 20:34-38}
Some would use the end of this passage to prove that all are alive now, but Jesus’ whole discourse is to prove the future resurrection, in which all the saved dead will at that time be vivified, which the Sadducees denied. God does not dwell in time, and therefore sees the future state of all as though it were present reality.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (Gk. Krisis, ie. Judgment) {John 5:25-29}
Abraham, the father of faith, the progenitor of Israel ’s believing sons and Gentile proselytes will be at a prominent place at the Kingdom table.
“When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the (unbelieving) children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” {Matt. 8:10-12}
“Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God .” {Luke 13:26-29}
Let’s remember, these are passages from the four Jewish gospels. Two futures for His hearers are being put forth by Jesus, Life in the Kingdom with Him, or separation from Him into outer darkness ( ie. outside the Kingdom).
Even if it could be established that an ethereal body of the rich man was in fiery torment while his actual body lay rotting in a tomb, it would not make it so for the rest of humanity. In that case, it would be a “special” case of judgment which disagrees with every other verse concerning Hades.
Even if it could be established that an ethereal body of the rich man was in fiery torment while his actual body lay rotting in a tomb, it would not make it so for the rest of humanity. In that case, it would be a “special” case of judgment which disagrees with every other verse concerning Hades.
Of the 10 times Hades , (always translated Hell by KJV) is used in the “N.T.”, this is the only passage where the word “flame” is used, and that only once in this parable. Fire has to do with judgment and purifying in the Scripture, and always accomplishes God’s goal of purification and reconciliation. It is only the unforgiving hearts of men that would turn God’s remedial chastening into perpetual vengeance in the form of a living crematorium!
And what heinous crime did the rich man commit in order to earn this awful torment according to the parable? He was rich, feasted deliciously, and neglected Lazarus outside his residence. And yet many will gladly ignore all the rest of scripture concerning Hades , in order to consign not only this self-indulgent rich man, but all of God’s unbelieving children of disobedience, to perpetual fiery suffering without trial, while they await a future resurrection judgment, which will seal their fate in an even more intense inferno FOREVER!
And what was Lazarus’ piety of life that gained him a place at Abraham’s side in the coming Kingdom? According to the passage, he was a poor beggar, which was neglected by the rich man. Nothing is said about his faith in God, or even his attitude toward the rich man who ignored his miserable plight.
To be sure, this fictitious character would have had to put his faith in God’s true spiritual riches in order to gain Kingdom entrance, but if our theology for this Age of Grace is to be formed from this passage, concerning an “intermediate state” between death & resurrection for all the dead, then it becomes a question of social and economic status that determines salvation.
Lazarus is said to gain bliss because he suffered poverty during his life, and the Rich man received torment because he was self-indulgent in his wealth. If this parable contains the criteria used by religious leaders today for the salvation and damnation of all humanity, then it explains why so many preach a “social gospel” in our churches.
Lazarus is said to gain bliss because he suffered poverty during his life, and the Rich man received torment because he was self-indulgent in his wealth. If this parable contains the criteria used by religious leaders today for the salvation and damnation of all humanity, then it explains why so many preach a “social gospel” in our churches.
The comparison of the rich & poor in this story is right in line with other comparative parables that Jesus gave. All these pointed to the appearance of God’s favor of the leaders in Israel to the casual observer, as opposed to those that actually were to receive God’s blessing in the promised coming Kingdom of Messiah .
Thus, we have a picture of the true believers that were “poor in spirit” that received God’s favor, and forgiveness, and the promise of Kingdom entrance represented by Lazarus; and the blind, self indulgent, self righteous religious leaders in Israel that were exposed by Jesus in this parable by the Rich Man. As for the Rich man being pictured in Hades, (the grave) we need only to see how Jesus previously referred to those who rejected His message in Israel …
Thus, we have a picture of the true believers that were “poor in spirit” that received God’s favor, and forgiveness, and the promise of Kingdom entrance represented by Lazarus; and the blind, self indulgent, self righteous religious leaders in Israel that were exposed by Jesus in this parable by the Rich Man. As for the Rich man being pictured in Hades, (the grave) we need only to see how Jesus previously referred to those who rejected His message in Israel …
“And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer (allow) me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God .” {Luke 9: 59, 60}
Those that accepted the Kingdom message and humbled themselves in repentance and water baptism in Israel , passed from death to life. On the other hand, those proud in spirit, that rejected God’s call to repentance, remained in their “death” of which the Rich man was a figure.
A vast chasm separated the “living” from the “dead”, ie. those with the true riches, and those that were spiritual paupers. The fact that the rich man refers to Abraham as “father” and Abraham in return calls him “son”, ( Gk. teknon – child) shows that a family relationship remained intact, and gave hope of restoration.
Although an impassable chasm was pictured in the parable, it is not said to be perpetual, and the purifying fire of God is already seen to be accomplishing it’s work as the rich man’s view turns from himself and his relief, to the concern for his lost brethren. The last verses of this parable reveals the ultimate lesson that Jesus wanted to convey to His listeners.
A vast chasm separated the “living” from the “dead”, ie. those with the true riches, and those that were spiritual paupers. The fact that the rich man refers to Abraham as “father” and Abraham in return calls him “son”, ( Gk. teknon – child) shows that a family relationship remained intact, and gave hope of restoration.
Although an impassable chasm was pictured in the parable, it is not said to be perpetual, and the purifying fire of God is already seen to be accomplishing it’s work as the rich man’s view turns from himself and his relief, to the concern for his lost brethren. The last verses of this parable reveals the ultimate lesson that Jesus wanted to convey to His listeners.
“And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” {Luke 16:30,31}
This shows conclusively that those to whom this parable is given were to get their instructions from the Law of Moses and the O.T. prophetic writings. It has no bearing on those of this dispensation, to whom is sent the good news of the Grace of God through the Apostle Paul. This statement was directed squarely at the Pharisees. It is reminiscent of Jesus chastising them on another occasion:
“Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.” {John 5: 45,46}
This last verse in this parable was literally fulfilled a short while later when another Lazarus was raised by Jesus from the grave, and ultimately Jesus Himself was raised by the Father, which did not move the stony hearts of the sons of stubbornness in Israel.
Admittedly, this parable presents some difficulties, and my analysis of it’s meaning may fall woefully short of Christ’s real intent. But when we take the preponderance of evidence from the rest of Scripture concerning Sheol/Hades, this story is better understood as a rebuke to the living rather than a glimpse of those already dead and in the grave.
Admittedly, this parable presents some difficulties, and my analysis of it’s meaning may fall woefully short of Christ’s real intent. But when we take the preponderance of evidence from the rest of Scripture concerning Sheol/Hades, this story is better understood as a rebuke to the living rather than a glimpse of those already dead and in the grave.
Let us not deny the clear message of Scripture, that God will save all His creation, by making this parable a conjured “death state” for the vast billions of the children of Adam. Our heavenly Father revealed His great love and forgiveness, by sending the Son of His love to redeem mankind, and reconcile ALL to Himself, that in due time, He might become ALL in All His creation!
“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 10For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe. 11These things command and teach.” { I Tim. 4:9-11}
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” {Gal. 6:10}
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine” {I Tim. 5:17}
“The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.” {2 Tim. 4:13}
Now in order to deny that Paul did not mean that God is the Savior of ALL men, but ONLY those that believe, we would have to say that He would not have us do good unto ALL men, but ONLY to those of the household of faith.
Neither are ALL elders to be given double honor, but ONLY those that labor in the Word and doctrine.
Nor did Paul want Timothy to bring BOTH coat and books with him, but ONLY the books.
It is imperative that we overcome the traditions of men, that obscures God’s Word, and open our eyes to see the marvelous truth of universal reconciliation as taught by Paul. Those that believe this side of the grave, will be put on display to the universe as objects of His marvelous grace. But that does not mean that He will not bring the others into His fold after death in their own order, revealing that same grace by sight.
The last enemy destroyed will be death, surely this includes the second death, for any death that would remain would be a testimony to the failure of Christ to defeat death by His Life.
Neither are ALL elders to be given double honor, but ONLY those that labor in the Word and doctrine.
Nor did Paul want Timothy to bring BOTH coat and books with him, but ONLY the books.
It is imperative that we overcome the traditions of men, that obscures God’s Word, and open our eyes to see the marvelous truth of universal reconciliation as taught by Paul. Those that believe this side of the grave, will be put on display to the universe as objects of His marvelous grace. But that does not mean that He will not bring the others into His fold after death in their own order, revealing that same grace by sight.
The last enemy destroyed will be death, surely this includes the second death, for any death that would remain would be a testimony to the failure of Christ to defeat death by His Life.
“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24Then 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. 25For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27For 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. 28And 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 (everyone).” {I Cor. 15:21-28}
If we acknowledge that ALL humanity died in Adam, then the passage demands that we acknowledge that “even so” ALL will be made alive in Christ. Religious tradition denies this vociferously, but it is simply a prideful refusal to believe ALL of Paul’s Gospel, indeed the crowning revelation of the true accomplishment of the Cross of Jesus Christ for ALL!
GEHENNA
We now turn our attention to the next word translated Hell in the “N.T.” The Greek word Gehenna is used 11 times and always translated Hell. Of the three words translated hell, Gehenna is most often associated with fire. Literally, it means “ Valley of Hinnom .” The first time we see fire associated with this valley located on the SW side of Jerusalem , is in II Chron. 33:5,6, where it says:
“And he (King Manasseh) built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.”
We see from this account that Manasseh, king of Israel , instituted child sacrifice to pagan idols in this ignominious place. So, evil was associated with Gehenna from early on. The prophet Jeremiah gives us more details about this valley of moral degradation..
“For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. 31And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. 32Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. 33And the carcasses of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray (scare) them away.” {Jer. 7:30-33}
Here we learn that Israel ’s leaders built a raised area in the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), named Tophet, where they built an altar to the despicable Canaanite god Molech, the Phoenicians called him Baal. Upon this altar, they killed their infants & small children by burning them in the red-hot outstretched metallic arms of the idol, hoping to gain the favor of the god. God, speaking through Jeremiah, again says:
“Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; 5They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: 6Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter. 7And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcasses will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. 11And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.” {Jer.19:4-7,11}
That the Valley of Hinnom was a real place, where child-sacrifice was performed cannot be denied. The “high place” of this valley, Tophet, was a stark example of the incredibly shameful low moral and spiritual point to which God’s special nation had fallen. Is it any wonder that Jesus would call Israel ’s attention to this horrific place as He came imploring the nation to repentance?
Now isn’t it sadly ironic, that this very place where children were being burned alive to false gods, namely Gehenna (valley of Hinnom), of which Jehovah says “I never commanded it to be done, NOR DID IT ENTER MY MIND”, that Christendom has decreed about an imaginary place with that very name, that God burns His created children, not to death, but burns them alive FOREVER!!
Let’s take these passages concerning Gehenna, which the KJV translators called Hell, to see what the Bible has to say about this place. Of the 11 times Gehenna is recorded, Jesus uses it 10 of those times! The only other time it is used is in James, who is referring to the destructive power of the tongue.
We know from all previous passages that Gehenna was a place of perversion and wickedness, and had become symbolic of God’s judgment on His rebellious nation. Let’s recall God’s dire pronouncement concerning Gehenna in Jer. 19:6.
“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom (Gehenna), but The valley of slaughter.”
Now it is evident to anyone studying the prophets in the O.T., that many of the prophecies related not only to occurrences in the prophet’s day, but also looked forward in time to an ultimate fulfillment in the distant future. Jeremiah the prophet spoke to an apostate nation whose leaders did not take heed to God’s warning of impending judgment.
In Jeremiah’s day, this prophecy was partially fulfilled when the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and piled bodies of the slain Israelites in the valley of Hinnom . The Jews were carried away to Babylon , and many were sold as slaves to the surrounding nations.
But this was not to be the last time God would discipline His nation of rebels. A remnant of the people were left in the land, and 70 years later, under Nehemiah and Ezra the priest, restoration of the city wall and Temple was begun. This has been Israel's history. Construction, rebellion, destruction, repentance, rebuilding.
God’s purpose in judgment is always for restoration and reconciliation. No matter how harsh or final the judgment may seem, God is accomplishing His loving heart’s desire to purge His own from rebellion. This is borne out in the letter to the Hebrews:
In Jeremiah’s day, this prophecy was partially fulfilled when the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and piled bodies of the slain Israelites in the valley of Hinnom . The Jews were carried away to Babylon , and many were sold as slaves to the surrounding nations.
But this was not to be the last time God would discipline His nation of rebels. A remnant of the people were left in the land, and 70 years later, under Nehemiah and Ezra the priest, restoration of the city wall and Temple was begun. This has been Israel's history. Construction, rebellion, destruction, repentance, rebuilding.
God’s purpose in judgment is always for restoration and reconciliation. No matter how harsh or final the judgment may seem, God is accomplishing His loving heart’s desire to purge His own from rebellion. This is borne out in the letter to the Hebrews:
“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”{ Heb. 12:5-8}
In this same letter to the Hebrews, the writer had previously written:
“For if we (Hebrews) sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment (Gk. Krisis- “decision”) and fiery indignation (Gk. Zelos- jealousy), which shall devour the adversaries. 28He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” {Heb. 10:26-31}
It is important to note that in this passage, a fearful, fiery judgment is in the offing for Israel . However, the very ones that will undergo this judgment are said to be “sanctified by the blood of the (New) Covenant”, and are called “His people”. This is in line with Paul’s testimony concerning them:
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” { Rom. 11:25-29}
The testimony of Scripture is clear; Israel will undergo a fierce judgment from the Almighty, not to destroy them, but to SAVE them! Now to be sure, the children of Israel , those that endured the savage destruction at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar’s army, did not see it as the love of God being expressed to them. However, we believe the testimony of Scripture that “God is Love”.
Therefore all of God’s dealings with His children must flow through the essence of His nature… LOVE. What would His holiness or righteousness mean to His created beings if it was not expressed through His Love?
His Holiness expressed in judgment APART from His Love would result in the vengeful annihilation of His creatures. It is Love that seeks not only the good, but the BEST of the beloved!
The sole purpose in any of God’s judgments is RESTORATION! Once we see this wonderful truth, our perception of God’s dealings with His creation shines forth like the noonday sun.
Therefore all of God’s dealings with His children must flow through the essence of His nature… LOVE. What would His holiness or righteousness mean to His created beings if it was not expressed through His Love?
His Holiness expressed in judgment APART from His Love would result in the vengeful annihilation of His creatures. It is Love that seeks not only the good, but the BEST of the beloved!
The sole purpose in any of God’s judgments is RESTORATION! Once we see this wonderful truth, our perception of God’s dealings with His creation shines forth like the noonday sun.
“Ah”, you say, “But His Love is only for His children, those obedient to His call, not for the unbelievers.” Really? Listen to God’s word through Paul the Apostle addressing heathen idol worshippers:
“And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.” {Acts 17:26-29}
Paul confirms the statement of a heathen poet that all men are God’s offspring. How many of God’s “offspring” does God love?
“For God so loved Lit. (”loves”) the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting (Gk. Aionion) life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” {John 3:16,17}
With these truths in mind, let’s take on the passages in which Jesus presents dire warnings about Gehenna.
First, we must remind ourselves that the Book of Matthew does not begin the “New Testament”. Rather, it is the continuation of the “Old Testament”. Also we must remember that Jesus was sent to minister to the Jews ONLY during His days in the flesh, and in fact did just that, except for allowing some crumbs of Israel ’s blessing to fall from the children’s table to a few persistent Gentiles. But even these Gentiles were dealt with in accordance with the Jewish Kingdom program, receiving miraculous healings from our Lord.
First, we must remind ourselves that the Book of Matthew does not begin the “New Testament”. Rather, it is the continuation of the “Old Testament”. Also we must remember that Jesus was sent to minister to the Jews ONLY during His days in the flesh, and in fact did just that, except for allowing some crumbs of Israel ’s blessing to fall from the children’s table to a few persistent Gentiles. But even these Gentiles were dealt with in accordance with the Jewish Kingdom program, receiving miraculous healings from our Lord.
Matthew records the proclamation of the prophesied Kingdom of God from the heavens. This period of unprecedented peace and joy was promised to Israel by her prophets of old. John declared it to be “at hand”, ready to be instituted. All that was needed from God’s rebellious nation was repentance and water baptism, signifying their national cleansing.
Many of the people responded to John’s admonition, but Israel ’s wicked, self-righteous leaders saw no need to repent. As a result, they received the dread warning of their coming punishment at the hands of the Roman army.
Many of the people responded to John’s admonition, but Israel ’s wicked, self-righteous leaders saw no need to repent. As a result, they received the dread warning of their coming punishment at the hands of the Roman army.
“Then went out to him Jerusalem , and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan , 6And were baptized of him in Jordan , confessing their sins. 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire”. {Matt. 3:5-12}
Israel was about to endure another outpouring of God’s cup of wrath. This fiery judgment for continued rebellion would affect many of John’s hearers in their lifetime, with the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of Rome ’s army. But ultimately these words will be fulfilled in God’s “lake of fire” judgment, which we will deal with in the last portion of this treatise.
The Holy One of Israel had sent prophet after prophet to rebuke His nation of rebels, to no avail. Now, He sends John the Baptizer, the last of the prophets before His own Son is sent in His prophetic role. Both issued the final call to repentance to a nation about to receive the awful consequences of continued stubbornness.
The Holy One of Israel had sent prophet after prophet to rebuke His nation of rebels, to no avail. Now, He sends John the Baptizer, the last of the prophets before His own Son is sent in His prophetic role. Both issued the final call to repentance to a nation about to receive the awful consequences of continued stubbornness.
The prophet Jeremiah had used similar threats against the sinful nation of Israel prior to their destruction by the Babylonians:
“Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 22Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! 24Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against His people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” {Isa. 5:21-25}
As stated earlier, Gehenna is the only one of the 3 Greek words translated Hell by the King James translators, that is associated with the word Fire. Here we are introduced to the words “unquenchable fire”. This sounds very ominous indeed, and seems to imply that “the chaff” will burn perpetually. However, when we study the other passages in the Scripture using this term, we see the true meaning.
…”for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea . For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion . 9And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. 10It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever (Heb. Olam): from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. (Heb. Olam)” {Isa. 34: 6b,8-10}
This as yet unfulfilled prophecy concerning a city in modern-day Jordan , will take place in “the day of the Lord”. What we need to see is that the fire from this judgment is said to not be quenched FOREVER.
That “forever” cannot mean never ending, is proven from the truth that in the new earth God will make all things new. The Hebrew word “Olam” literally means “concealed” or “beyond sight”, but was translated by the KJV as “Forever”.
The Greek Septuagint version translated this as “Aion” or the English equivalent “Eon”, meaning a long age. Any thing that is beyond human view is of indefinite length of duration, but does not mean unending!
That “forever” cannot mean never ending, is proven from the truth that in the new earth God will make all things new. The Hebrew word “Olam” literally means “concealed” or “beyond sight”, but was translated by the KJV as “Forever”.
The Greek Septuagint version translated this as “Aion” or the English equivalent “Eon”, meaning a long age. Any thing that is beyond human view is of indefinite length of duration, but does not mean unending!
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” {Rev. 21:1,4}
This is our first clue that “unquenchable fire” does not indicate perpetual fire. It also shows us that “forever” (Hebrew-Olam) does not mean never ending.
“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.” {Jer.7:20}
“But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched” {Jer. 17:27}
“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.” {Jer. 4:4}
“O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.” {Jer. 21:12}
These verses are speaking of Jerusalem , and were primarily fulfilled in Jeremiah’s day, when Nebuchadnezzar was used of God to execute His judgment on His people. Surely there is no literal, perpetual fire burning there today. God is expressing the severity of His judgments upon His people which overflows to consume vegetation and animals as well.
“And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein. 48And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched. {Eze. 20:47,48}
“For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. 20And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. 24And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” {Isa. 66:15,16,20,24}
“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” {Matt.3:12}
After reading all these passages, we have a much better idea of what John the Baptist was warning. John was an Old Testament prophet who was sounding the alarm in Israel . Unless the nation would repent of their rebellious ways, especially the leaders, namely, the scribes and Pharisees, they would not enter the promised Kingdom of Messiah , but suffer the fury of God’s wrath.
Those that were “poor in spirit” (the wheat) would be gathered into the garner (the Kingdom), but the proud and self-righteous (chaff) would be cast outside into God’s judgment (unquenchable fire). The “fire” was unquenchable, not because it burned eternally, but because it could not be extinguished UNTIL it had effected God’s purpose.
Those that were “poor in spirit” (the wheat) would be gathered into the garner (the Kingdom), but the proud and self-righteous (chaff) would be cast outside into God’s judgment (unquenchable fire). The “fire” was unquenchable, not because it burned eternally, but because it could not be extinguished UNTIL it had effected God’s purpose.
We have already seen God’s purpose in judgment, it is to purify and restore those that suffer it. The “fire” of His anger is necessary to humble and illuminate. It is only then that there can be restoration and reconciliation.
This is always God’s ultimate goal. This is how Love operates. To allow Israel to continue in rebellion would not be an expression of love! He never would have created man if He was unable to effect the eventual repentance and restoration of every last one.
Do we really believe that man’s iron will cannot be broken by The Almighty? This makes man’s will frustrate the plans of his Creator, and man then becomes God, and The Omnipotent One becomes the unable one. How can we worship a god that has tried for Millenia to bring his people back to himself, but cannot? Perhaps we need to read His words to Job:
“Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? 10Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. 11Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. 12Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low (humble him); and tread down the wicked in their place. 13Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. 14Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.” {Job 40:9-14}This is always God’s ultimate goal. This is how Love operates. To allow Israel to continue in rebellion would not be an expression of love! He never would have created man if He was unable to effect the eventual repentance and restoration of every last one.
Do we really believe that man’s iron will cannot be broken by The Almighty? This makes man’s will frustrate the plans of his Creator, and man then becomes God, and The Omnipotent One becomes the unable one. How can we worship a god that has tried for Millenia to bring his people back to himself, but cannot? Perhaps we need to read His words to Job:
The book of Matthew contains more than half of the occurrences of the word Gehenna in the “N.T.” Of the 11 usages of the word, Matthew records it 6 times by name, along with several other references to fiery judgment. Jesus, the beloved Son of God, was also a Jewish prophet, THE PROPHET, about whom Moses spoke:
“This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.” {Acts 7:37}
Israel’s leaders sent priests and Levites to inquire of John if he was that promised prophet.
“And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.” {John 1:19-21}
Jesus is the fulfillment of the 3 offices that God instituted for His earthly people, Prophet, Priest, & King.
As Prophet, He warned the nation of impending judgment from God.
As Priest, He offered Himself as The Sacrifice for the sin of the people, and by His resurrection, received from God the new order of the Priesthood of Melchisedek.
As King, He is the Lion of Judah’s tribe, Who will return to sit upon the throne of His worldwide Kingdom to administer righteous rule and to show love and instruction to a rebellious planet.
As Prophet, He warned the nation of impending judgment from God.
As Priest, He offered Himself as The Sacrifice for the sin of the people, and by His resurrection, received from God the new order of the Priesthood of Melchisedek.
As King, He is the Lion of Judah’s tribe, Who will return to sit upon the throne of His worldwide Kingdom to administer righteous rule and to show love and instruction to a rebellious planet.
As the prophets before Him, Jesus used language with provocative terms and illustrations to convey God’s sore displeasure with His people. In the beginning of His ministry, expounding the Kingdom manifesto on the Mount of Olives , Jesus makes His first reference to Gehenna.
“Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment (Gk.krisis- “decision”): and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council (Sanhedrin): but whosoever shall say, Thou foo l(Gk.moros, ie. “moron”), shall be in danger of hell (Gehenna) fire.” {Matt.5:21,22}
How many sincere people have strictly avoided speaking this phrase of contempt to another for fear of suffering Hell-fire forever! And yet, if just blurting out the words “You Fool!” were to endanger a person, then Jesus Himself would have been in danger! See what He said to the Pharisees:
“Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?” {Matt.23:17-19}
No, Jesus was not saying that an outburst of angry words would send a person to hell. This, like most of Jesus’ warnings, was directed to the self-righteous Pharisees. Their contempt for Jesus and His disciples was obvious, the Pharisees considered any adherent to Jesus’ teaching an utter fool, and we can be sure that they expressed those thoughts often in words.
Paul and his companions suffered this same abuse in preaching the Gospel of The Mystery (Secret), and told the Corinthian assembly:
Paul and his companions suffered this same abuse in preaching the Gospel of The Mystery (Secret), and told the Corinthian assembly:
“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 21Therefore let no man glory in men.” {I Cor. 3:18-21}
And again:
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.” {I Cor. 4:1,9,10}
Jesus was warning the rebellious of Israel not to dismiss His message out of hand. To call the messenger a fool, was to reject God’s message of repentance, thereby endangering themselves to imminent judgment (death) at the hands of the Roman army by means of the fire (God’s wrath) in the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna). Remember, the prophet Jeremiah had spoken in similar terms to Israel ,
“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.” {Jer.4:4}
Jesus continued with His admonitions about Gehenna:
“And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell (Gehenna). 30And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell (Gehenna).” {Matt. 5:29,30}
“And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell (Gehenna), into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell (Gehenna), into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell (Gehenna) fire: 48Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” {Mark 9:43-48}
Notice that Jesus equates the entrance into life with the ultimate entrance into the millenial kingdom. This was true for those listening to Jesus’ words, and will be the reward for the believer in Israel during the Great Tribulation, life in the Kingdom of (from) God. A refusal to act upon Jesus’ message of repentance would result in death to His listeners at the hands of the Romans, a pile of putrid human corpses in the valley of Hinnom, and future exclusion from any part of Christ’s reign.
This again takes us back to Isaiah’s prophecy:
“And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. 24And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” {Isa. 66:23,24}
Notice, these are corpses that are readily seen by those that journey to worship Christ in Jerusalem during His millennial reign on earth. Rotting flesh with feasting maggots amid the burning fires in the gorge of Gehenna outside the city gates is the scene of this judgment.
Is it any wonder that multitudes throughout the long centuries since these words were penned, have lived in dread fear of such a horrible place of ETERNAL punishment!
Is it any wonder that multitudes throughout the long centuries since these words were penned, have lived in dread fear of such a horrible place of ETERNAL punishment!
For those who make no distinction between the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and the Gospel of the Grace of God, Gehenna is a place to be feared by them, and avoided at all cost!
Yet how to avoid this place seems to them to be next to impossible! For who of us, if we are honest, has not been tempted and yielded to that temptation with our eyes, or feet, or hands? And not just once, but over and over again?
There have been those wracked with such fear of fiery damnation in Hell, that they have taken Jesus’ admonition to remove body parts, in order to escape such a dread place!
And where in all this conflagration, can one find the love and forgiveness of God? Could the One who taught His followers to love and forgive their enemies, fail to follow His own admonition to His own creation, made in His image?
Yet how to avoid this place seems to them to be next to impossible! For who of us, if we are honest, has not been tempted and yielded to that temptation with our eyes, or feet, or hands? And not just once, but over and over again?
There have been those wracked with such fear of fiery damnation in Hell, that they have taken Jesus’ admonition to remove body parts, in order to escape such a dread place!
And where in all this conflagration, can one find the love and forgiveness of God? Could the One who taught His followers to love and forgive their enemies, fail to follow His own admonition to His own creation, made in His image?
No, we needn’t fear never ending fiery torture. God is Love, and fear is not from Him. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” {2 Tim. 1:7}
We need to constantly remind ourselves to whom these ominous words of warning were spoken. Isaiah was a Jewish prophet, sent only to the nation of Israel . Hear the prophet:
“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 3The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. 4Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.” {Isa. 1:1-4}
Notice, in spite of Israel ’s treachery toward God, He still calls them His “children”, and “My people”. God will not dispose of His children in an eternal blaze, but after chastising them with His severe judgments, will restore them to His loving arms.
“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. 33And the carcasses of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.” {Jer. 7:32,33}
Jesus was warning the same sinful nation. Judgment had indeed come in Isaiah’s day by the instrument of the Assyrian army, and in Jeremiah’s time by way of the Babylonians. Similarly, judgment was to come to the Jews after Jesus’ ministry in 70 A.D. at the hands of the Romans.
In the Isaiah passage, it is stated that the dead bodies will be visible to those living on earth, having maggots feeding on them, having suffered from God’s unquenchable (unalterable) fire (judgment).
This picture must be changed to make the DEAD bodies, LIVING ones, having eternally feeding maggots, as well as eternally burning flames, and miraculously the body is never consumed by either!
This is the foolishly twisted scenario that religion would have us accept. Far from bringing glory to God, it paints our loving Father as more wicked and sadistic than Satan himself, roasting His creatures perpetually with no compassion or forgiveness toward them. May our eyes be open to this maligning of His Holy character!
This picture must be changed to make the DEAD bodies, LIVING ones, having eternally feeding maggots, as well as eternally burning flames, and miraculously the body is never consumed by either!
This is the foolishly twisted scenario that religion would have us accept. Far from bringing glory to God, it paints our loving Father as more wicked and sadistic than Satan himself, roasting His creatures perpetually with no compassion or forgiveness toward them. May our eyes be open to this maligning of His Holy character!
God’s fiery anger would once again result in putrid Jewish dead bodies being piled into the Hinnom valley to be eaten by worms, (maggots) the vultures, and four-footed scavengers.
Rabbi David Kimchi who lived from 1160 – 1235 AD., reportedly had this to say concerning the fires of Gehenna:
“And it was a despised place where they cast filth and corpses, and there was there perpetually a fire for the burning of the filth and the bones of the corpses.”
Gehenna supposedly became the garbage dump of Jerusalem , where even the unclaimed corpses of the condemned were thrown. One can easily see how any unburned bodies would quickly become home to voracious worms (maggots). I have strictly avoided quoting any testimony outside of the Scriptures, and I have no other verification of this quote attributed to this rabbi. I chose to include it for the reader’s consideration and personal investigation.
There awaits a day where the Jewish nation will receive the awful conclusion to the prophet’s words, before they receive their final restitution and reconciliation from Him, from whom they rebelled these many centuries. God’s judgment on the First Adam for his sin was Death, and inherited by all of his posterity.
But, Praise God!, The Last Adam took the first Adam’s sin and all his posterity’s sin, upon Himself, in order to bring them into His presence to live FOREVER, not to cast them out of His presence to be tortured FOREVER!
None of these warnings were spoken to us, nor were they intended for us. We are the beneficiaries of our Savior’s suffering. There is no fiery Hell for us to escape. Our Savior took all the fire of God’s wrath upon Himself. There is no penalty for us to pay, His blood letting upon the cross was sufficient for the Father’s demands. But, Praise God!, The Last Adam took the first Adam’s sin and all his posterity’s sin, upon Himself, in order to bring them into His presence to live FOREVER, not to cast them out of His presence to be tortured FOREVER!
His resurrection was the proof of our forgiveness! All sin has been paid for in full! Praise to Him forever!
“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” {Eph. 1:11,12}
Those of us that have received God’s deliverance from sin’s shackles by faith, have passed from death to life. We have become FIRST members of the Body of Christ. We are slated as such by God, because of our faith without sight, by our Father’s will, to be put on display to the universe of His creation, for the praise of His glorious Grace.
We are also referred to as having the FIRSTFRUITS of the Spirit. The first ripe grains were picked, taken into the tabernacle, and waved by the priest toward God. These were representative of the rest of the crop that was yet to be harvested, still in the fields.
The death of the crop through harvesting, brought life to the partakers of it, the grain also gaining life in a new form as it became part of the living body of those eating it. Death is not an obstacle to God’s salvation, rather it is the means to His salvation!
We experience our death to sin now when we believe Paul’s Gospel concerning the cross of Christ and have been made alive in Him, becoming “bone of His bone, and flesh of His flesh”.
The rest of humanity will be harvested after the second death has done its work and they are made alive to serve Him as part of His new creation with love and gratitude for their Father’s mercy. God’s Spirit will ultimately reside in all of His creation when He becomes All in all.
But why must Israel suffer so? Isn’t all humanity guilty before God? Yes, but Israel was much more so. Paul enumerates Israel ’s preferred status with God:
“I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” { Rom. 9:1-5}
Israel had it all! But with such great privileges came great responsibility. God held them to a higher standard. Jesus gives this principle in the parable of The Household Steward;
“And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 49I am come to send fire (Judgment) on the earth (land); and what will I, if it be already kindled?” {Luke 12:47-49}
Israel’s leaders were the household stewards. They had access to the scrolls, God’s Word. The common Israelite had no such access. Christ was very gentle with the “sinners” among the people. The crooked tax collectors and prostitutes were among the ones that repented at the proclamation of the Kingdom gospel. And notice in the text, both servants receive lashes for disobedience. What purpose would the lashes serve? They serve to chastise and reform through public humiliation for their disobedience.
Do the lashings go on FOREVER? Are they UNLIMITED? The text gives us the answer; MANY and FEW. God is not vindictive in His correction of His creatures in Whose image they were created, HE IS FAIR, nor does He punish infinitely for a finite amount of sins.
Do the lashings go on FOREVER? Are they UNLIMITED? The text gives us the answer; MANY and FEW. God is not vindictive in His correction of His creatures in Whose image they were created, HE IS FAIR, nor does He punish infinitely for a finite amount of sins.
The Gentiles had no such access to God, except through Israel ! God chose Israel in order that they would radiate God’s Love and Light to the nations in darkness around them. It was His plan to make them a kingdom of priests to be mediators and dispensers of God’s truth. Their miserable failure opened the door for God’s SECRET to be revealed by the risen, exalted Christ through the Apostle Paul.
“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes (before) were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” {Eph. 2:11-13}
Israel’s failure should have ended any hope the Gentiles might have had for access to God’s presence. But instead, the WORST that Israel could perpetrate upon the Son of God, even their Messiah, became the BEST that the Gentiles could receive, when Jesus burst forth from the tomb, the world received PEACE with God!
Let’s continue with Paul’s exposition…
Let’s continue with Paul’s exposition…
“For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished (rendered inoperative) in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off (Gentiles), and to them that were nigh (Israel). 18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” {Eph. 2:14-19}
God appointed Paul the Apostle for the Gentiles. Paul was given a new revelation of God’s dealings with the nations. He informs us that God has temporarily set aside His favored nation Israel , in order to deal graciously with all mankind without distinction.
When He set aside His nation, He also set aside His special punishments associated with that nation. How many times do you suppose Paul threatens the Gentiles with Hell in all of his letters? I mean any Hell, either Hades, or Gehenna, or even Tartarus? A dozen? A half dozen?
ZERO!!
Since Paul was given the responsibility of providing God’s message to the Gentiles, and he doesn’t even mention Hell, either Paul failed to give us this information and warn us of impending perpetual suffering, or God deliberately left Hell out of the Gentile’s gospel. And remember, Paul specifically stated that his message had fulfilled the Word of God.
When He set aside His nation, He also set aside His special punishments associated with that nation. How many times do you suppose Paul threatens the Gentiles with Hell in all of his letters? I mean any Hell, either Hades, or Gehenna, or even Tartarus? A dozen? A half dozen?
ZERO!!
Since Paul was given the responsibility of providing God’s message to the Gentiles, and he doesn’t even mention Hell, either Paul failed to give us this information and warn us of impending perpetual suffering, or God deliberately left Hell out of the Gentile’s gospel. And remember, Paul specifically stated that his message had fulfilled the Word of God.
“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation (Gk. oikonomian ie. “stewardship”) of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.” {Col. 1:25}
Paul was given the responsibility of proclaiming the “secrets” that God had kept to Himself up to that time. Through the Apostle Paul, and his writings only, do we have the whole counsel of God’s truth for us today.
But not to be deterred, most preachers march right into those books of the Bible addressed to the Jewish nation, pilfer Israel ’s promises, as well as their threats from God, and use all of it to keep their congregations GUILTY and FEARFUL. What a travesty!
The professing Church has lost sight of Paul’s heaven appointed position as THE Apostle of the Gentiles, with a new, glorious revelation of peace with God through the cross of Christ.
The professing Church has lost sight of Paul’s heaven appointed position as THE Apostle of the Gentiles, with a new, glorious revelation of peace with God through the cross of Christ.
Jesus continues His exposition concerning Israel ’s Gehenna :
“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? 26Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 27What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).” {Matt. 10:24-28}
“Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 4And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell (Gehenna); yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” 6Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. {Luke 12:1-7}
Jesus is speaking directly to His Jewish disciples in these passages. He is warning them to be true to Him to the end of their lives. The reference to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees stood as a stark reminder of the fate of the pretenders in Israel .
Kingdom entrance vs. Kingdom exclusion is the subject here. The “religious” Pharisees appeared to most in Israel to be those that would inherit the promised Kingdom. But Jesus reveals that they would, in fact, suffer the fate of Gehenna. Let’s remember, Kingdom “life” depended upon remaining faithful to Jesus until death by martyrdom, but in doing so, life in the Kingdom was secured.
Kingdom entrance vs. Kingdom exclusion is the subject here. The “religious” Pharisees appeared to most in Israel to be those that would inherit the promised Kingdom. But Jesus reveals that they would, in fact, suffer the fate of Gehenna. Let’s remember, Kingdom “life” depended upon remaining faithful to Jesus until death by martyrdom, but in doing so, life in the Kingdom was secured.
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom”. {Luke 12:,32 }
“But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10And the (Kingdom) gospel must first be published among all nations. 11But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 12Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 13And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end (of their lives), the same shall be saved.” {Mark 13:9-13}
“And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kins folks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 18But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19In your patience possess ye your souls.” {Luke 21:16-19}
Jesus is making it abundantly clear to His Jewish followers that if they will remain faithful to the end of their lives, they would gain Kingdom life at their resurrection, they would “possess their souls”. They needed only to fear God more than what unbelieving men could do to them.
However, hypocrites would lose not only their earthly, physical life, but would forfeit Millennial life (their souls) with Christ, and would instead be thrust into outer darkness (outside the Kingdom). Jesus made it clear to the religious leaders what awaited them:
However, hypocrites would lose not only their earthly, physical life, but would forfeit Millennial life (their souls) with Christ, and would instead be thrust into outer darkness (outside the Kingdom). Jesus made it clear to the religious leaders what awaited them:
“And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (anger)” {Matt. 8:11,12}
“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” {Matt. 25:29,30}
If the reader desires to know the true meaning of “gnashing of teeth”, a simple tracing of this phrase through any concordance will reveal that it has to do with ANGER and not physical PAIN!
Take just one example from the book of Acts where the Kingdom is still being proclaimed to Israel , and the leaders are once again being confronted for their unbelief, this time by the deacon Stephen:
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. 54When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” {Acts 7:51-60}Take just one example from the book of Acts where the Kingdom is still being proclaimed to Israel , and the leaders are once again being confronted for their unbelief, this time by the deacon Stephen:
Notice that Stephen committed his spirit to God, then his soul fell asleep. This is in accord with Solomon’s testimony:
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” {Eccl. 12:7}
Let’s return to Jesus’ dissertation on Gehenna, reserved for the wicked reprobates of His chosen people;
“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer (allow) ye them that are entering to go in. 14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.(judgment) 15Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell (Gehenna) than yourselves. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33Ye serpents, ye generation (offspring) of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (judgment of Gehenna) 34Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” {Matt. 23:13-15, 31-36}
The Pharisees and their converts are said to be “children of Gehenna”. It was not that Gehenna had given birth to them, any more than vipers had, but by their hard-hearted, self righteousness, they had associated themselves with the coming judgment on the disobedient of that nation. This same concept can be seen in {John 8:43,44}:
“Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Satan had not sired these rebellious sons of Abraham. God is the sole source of all humanity. We all carry Adam’s DNA, who was made in the Creator’s image. But the scribes and Pharisees had fully embraced Satan’s falsehood, and by doing so, had distanced themselves from God’s truth, and related themselves to Satan’s lies. Therefore, because of their lack of repentance and pride, it was necessary that God purge them by His fiery judgment.
Once again, to the Jewish believer in Jesus, to receive eternal (Gk. Aionion) life, meant entering into the earthly Kingdom of Messiah . The apostles hoped that it was imminent before the Savior went to The Cross, and even immediately after Jesus’ resurrection, they looked for the Kingdom to be inaugurated:
“To whom also he shewed Himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel ?” {Acts 1:3-6}
Jesus had promised His 12 apostles that they would share in His exaltation to the throne.
“Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel .” {Matt.19:27,28}
“Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. 29And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; 30That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” {Luke 22:28-30}
The postponement of the Jewish millennial Kingdom is the subject of the secret revealed to the Apostle of the Gentiles, Paul. Many Bible teachers today strip Israel of her promises, and hand them to the Body of Christ. But Paul is given the answer to God’s seeming repudiation of His covenant people;
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery (secret), lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” { Rom. 11:25-29}
No, God has not changed His mind concerning Israel ’s ultimate salvation, nor has He substituted Jerusalem ’s Gehenna for a universal “Hell” for all mankind.
His universal love and forgiveness is currently on display for His whole universe to gaze upon, The Cross at Golgotha. Israel is a microcosm for all of humanity. God never chooses out individuals or a nation to save just them. It is to use them as instruments of grace to reach the rest of humanity.
His universal love and forgiveness is currently on display for His whole universe to gaze upon, The Cross at Golgotha. Israel is a microcosm for all of humanity. God never chooses out individuals or a nation to save just them. It is to use them as instruments of grace to reach the rest of humanity.
This was the serious error that Israel made. They forgot that God called them to be “a kingdom of priests”, to be the means of salvation for the Gentiles.
Instead, they not only failed in God’s calling to be a light to the nations, but they became a hindrance to any seeking truth. The teachers in Israel were making any Gentile proselyte “a twofold son of Gehenna” by their perversion of God’s truth.
Instead, they not only failed in God’s calling to be a light to the nations, but they became a hindrance to any seeking truth. The teachers in Israel were making any Gentile proselyte “a twofold son of Gehenna” by their perversion of God’s truth.
Before we condemn Israel , we need to take a hard look at how Christendom has handled God’s revealed truth.
Paul has been relegated to just another one of the apostles. His special revelations from the resurrected Christ have been lumped in with Kingdom teaching from the rest of the “N.T.”, and Paul has been called arrogant for referring to the gospel of the Grace of God as “my gospel”.
Let us be diligent in our study and proper division of God’s messages to the appropriate recipients in order that we may receive the approval of our wonderful Lord at the Judgment (Gk.”Bema”) Seat of Christ.
Paul has been relegated to just another one of the apostles. His special revelations from the resurrected Christ have been lumped in with Kingdom teaching from the rest of the “N.T.”, and Paul has been called arrogant for referring to the gospel of the Grace of God as “my gospel”.
Let us be diligent in our study and proper division of God’s messages to the appropriate recipients in order that we may receive the approval of our wonderful Lord at the Judgment (Gk.”Bema”) Seat of Christ.
We have covered all scripture passages where Gehenna is used except one. It is found in the book of James, and is the only time the word is not used by Jesus. It is believed by many scholars that this James was reared in the same house with Jesus, being a natural son of Joseph and Mary, making him the half brother of our Lord. We quote James’ words:
“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (Gehenna). 7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” {James 3:5-8}
Here is the only passage where Gehenna is not used by Jesus, and where we must understand it figuratively ONLY. Gehenna had become synonymous with the dire judgment of God on His nation of rebels, and here it is no different. Who was James addressing? Let’s see.
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” {James 1:1}
James is writing to the 12 tribes of Israel that were living outside the borders of Israel ever since the Diaspora, (scattering), into the surrounding nations by the Babylonians, over 500 years earlier. The recipients of James’ letter may not have been personally acquainted with the Valley of Hinnom in Jerusalem , but would have been aware of the significance of this place of evil, from their Jewish history and O.T. scriptures. The child sacrifice practiced there was the very reason their ancestors had been strewn among the nations, where these readers of James’ letter found themselves!
“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (Gehenna).” {James 3:5,6}
James likens the undisciplined tongue to a raging fire, burning up everything in it’s path. Now a literal tongue is no more a literal fire than it is a “world” (Gk. Kosmos), or a dispenser of literal “deadly poison”. It is the universal, destructive effect that it has on all those around it, resulting in death.
But even the literal, physical tongue is not the evil being addressed, rather it is the soul (person), attached to the tongue that is being addressed by James, the person alone is capable of being “defiled” by it.
But even the literal, physical tongue is not the evil being addressed, rather it is the soul (person), attached to the tongue that is being addressed by James, the person alone is capable of being “defiled” by it.
So it becomes clear why James says that Gehenna is the source of the tongue’s “fire”. The evil fires of rebellion that burned in Gehenna’s shameful child sacrifice is said to be the ignition source of those defiling themselves by their carnal speech.
God countered those idolatrous cremations in Hinnom’s valley with His own fiery judgment. There is no more a literal “hell” being addressed here than there is a literal tongue.
We use figures of speech to paint pictures in the minds of those that hear, to vividly convey the subject at hand. God has chosen this same method to reveal His truth. Jesus called the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs” and “snakes” and referred to them as dirty “cups and plates”.
God countered those idolatrous cremations in Hinnom’s valley with His own fiery judgment. There is no more a literal “hell” being addressed here than there is a literal tongue.
We use figures of speech to paint pictures in the minds of those that hear, to vividly convey the subject at hand. God has chosen this same method to reveal His truth. Jesus called the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs” and “snakes” and referred to them as dirty “cups and plates”.
Untold harm and confusion has been perpetrated on believers today by the “spiritualizing” of literal truth and “literalizing” figurative truth. They compound their error by taking Scripture concerning Israel , and applying all of it to the Church, the Body of Christ! The safest way to avoid error in this matter is to scrupulously compare scripture with scripture, following the Spirit’s use of related words and phrases, and asking ourselves: Who?, What?, Where?, Why? When?, and How? We have shown by the Scriptures, that neither Hades, nor Gehenna, hold any fear for us. Now we will investigate the last of the Greek words translated “Hell” by the KJV translators.
TARTARUS
The last word translated “HELL” in the scriptures is the Greek word “Tartaroo” It’s meaning is “cast to Tartarus” and is referred to by name only one time.
Where Hades is associated with ALL the dead bodies and souls of men, and Gehenna with the judgment of Israel’s rebellious people, body & soul, Tartarus is related to the rebellious spirits, (angelic order) and is not connected to mankind at all.
Because we do not have any other passages where Tartaroo is used, we will limit our speculation on this place of confinement for rebellious angels.
The last word translated “HELL” in the scriptures is the Greek word “Tartaroo” It’s meaning is “cast to Tartarus” and is referred to by name only one time.
Where Hades is associated with ALL the dead bodies and souls of men, and Gehenna with the judgment of Israel’s rebellious people, body & soul, Tartarus is related to the rebellious spirits, (angelic order) and is not connected to mankind at all.
Because we do not have any other passages where Tartaroo is used, we will limit our speculation on this place of confinement for rebellious angels.
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable (ruinous) heresies (sects), even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction (ruin). 2And many shall follow their pernicious (ruinous) ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation (ruin) slumbereth not.
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell( Tartaroo), and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto (into) judgment; 5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations (trials), and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished (Gk. Kolazo – “chastised”).” {2Pet. 2:1-9}
It is hard to find in all of Scripture, a passage that is more loaded with more misleading words and phrases.
We read in v.1 that the false teachers bring “damnable heresies”, this brings upon them “swift destruction”, In v.2 they have “pernicious ways”, and in v.3 of “their damnation”.
No wonder the average reader of the KJV is full of superstitious theology! Without a concordance, the reader would conclude that these are 4 different Greek words that the KJV translators so expertly distinguished for the English reader.
In fact it is the same Greek word arbitrarily translated differently 4 times that serves only to confuse and mislead the reader with apprehensive phrases of dire sounding words. The result of the action of these false Jewish teachers will be ruin and regret, however the text says that the Lord bought them!
They have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ and He will take His purchased possession to Himself after they have experienced the utter ruin of their false ways.
Ruin is not the end, Restoration is. Alienation is first, but Reconciliation is the final result!
We read in v.1 that the false teachers bring “damnable heresies”, this brings upon them “swift destruction”, In v.2 they have “pernicious ways”, and in v.3 of “their damnation”.
No wonder the average reader of the KJV is full of superstitious theology! Without a concordance, the reader would conclude that these are 4 different Greek words that the KJV translators so expertly distinguished for the English reader.
In fact it is the same Greek word arbitrarily translated differently 4 times that serves only to confuse and mislead the reader with apprehensive phrases of dire sounding words. The result of the action of these false Jewish teachers will be ruin and regret, however the text says that the Lord bought them!
They have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ and He will take His purchased possession to Himself after they have experienced the utter ruin of their false ways.
Ruin is not the end, Restoration is. Alienation is first, but Reconciliation is the final result!
There is a parallel passage in Jude which may shed further light.
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance (Gk. Dike – (“justice”) of eternal (Gk. Aionion “age pertaining”) fire.” {Jude 1:4-7}
The subject of both Peter and Jude, are the false teachers among the true believers. Their conclusion is the same, God will preserve the believers and punish the transgressors for their unbelief and wicked deeds. Combining the examples from both authors, we have the examples in chronological order:
1) The Sinning Angels – Holy Angels (understood)
2) The Wicked People of Noah’s Day – Righteous Noah & Family
3) Wicked Sodom & Gomorrah – Righteous Lot
4) Unbelieving Jews From Egypt – Believing Jews (understood)
It is interesting that the only one of these examples that are said to be in “Hell”, are the sinning angels. They are not said to be suffering, but being detained with “chains of darkness” and “everlasting (Gk.aidios) chains under darkness”. They are said to be awaiting judgment.
What was true for Israel , is infinitely more so for the angelic order. They were “given much” and therefore God demands much. To dwell in the very presence of their Creator, and to gaze into His face was a privilege far greater than any man was given.
But sinful self gratification was their error as well as Adam. It seems that these may be the angels that rebelled in a sexual tryst with human women that Moses records in Genesis 6.
What was true for Israel , is infinitely more so for the angelic order. They were “given much” and therefore God demands much. To dwell in the very presence of their Creator, and to gaze into His face was a privilege far greater than any man was given.
But sinful self gratification was their error as well as Adam. It seems that these may be the angels that rebelled in a sexual tryst with human women that Moses records in Genesis 6.
“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God (angels) came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” {Gen. 6:1-4}
Such deviance from their God appointed roles, demanded their arrest, so that the whole of the human race was not contaminated. They are said to be in “everlasting” chains, but the phrase “unto judgment” makes the chains temporary.
Jude relates them to Sodom & Gomorrah when he states “In like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange (Gk. Heteros – “different”) flesh.”
But they are NOT said to be tormented or tortured in their prison. It is also worth noting that the angelic realm are called “sons of God”, with even Satan being included according to Job:
Jude relates them to Sodom & Gomorrah when he states “In like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange (Gk. Heteros – “different”) flesh.”
But they are NOT said to be tormented or tortured in their prison. It is also worth noting that the angelic realm are called “sons of God”, with even Satan being included according to Job:
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.” {Job 1:6}
According to the Apostle Paul, ALL of God’s created beings will ultimately be reconciled to Him.
“Having made known unto us the mystery (secret) of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:10That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one ALL things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” {Eph. 1:9,10}
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were ALL things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created BY him, and FOR Him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 19For it pleased the Father that in Him Christ) should all fullness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile ALL things unto Himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” {Col. 1:14-17,19-20}
Jude tells us that Sodom & Gomorrah are set before all as an example of God’s just dealing with His sinful creatures. They suffered “eternal” (Gk. Aionion) fire (judgment).
Now if the Greek word aionion means eternal, then Sodom & Gomorrah would have had to be burning in eternity past as well as eternity future! The fact that they are not now burning, is evidence that Aionion cannot mean perpetual! Besides, the Scripture plainly states that Sodom & Gomorrah will one day be RESTORED!
Now if the Greek word aionion means eternal, then Sodom & Gomorrah would have had to be burning in eternity past as well as eternity future! The fact that they are not now burning, is evidence that Aionion cannot mean perpetual! Besides, the Scripture plainly states that Sodom & Gomorrah will one day be RESTORED!
“When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them: 54That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them. 55When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate. 56For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride.” {Eze. 16:53-56}
God is speaking to His people in Jerusalem , shaming them for their spiritual infidelity. Although Sodom & Gomorrah had been totally destroyed by God’s brimstone fire two millennia before this prophecy, it is stated categorically that they would be restored in the future. If we have the statement from God concerning their restoration, and they are given as an example by Jude of an example of “eternal fire”, then we can clearly see that “eternal” (aionion) does not mean “never ending”.
God was not taken by surprise when His creation rebelled against Him. It is all unfolding according to His supreme plan. If it did not, then He is not to be relied upon for His future plans concerning His creation. God is revealing the brightness of His glory, by contrasting it with the utter blackness of sin’s woe, the starry night sky serving as an example, that in the future ages when sin is discarded, His creation will give Him the praise due Him.
His chastisements of His beloved creatures is not to “get even”, nor does it last perpetually, for what purpose would that serve? He is Love. Therefore all His dealings with His creatures is done in love, in order that His love may return to Him through His creatures, after they have been reformed. Love conquers ALL!
After he has purged rebellion from all creation, He will be ALL in ALL!
After he has purged rebellion from all creation, He will be ALL in ALL!
“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.” {I Cor. 15:28}
Now it is of great interest that the words “subdued” and “subject” in the passage above are the same Greek word! It is the same word used to describe the young child Jesus being subject to His parents. Now for those that believe that “every knee will bow at the name of Jesus” because they are forced to do so by subjection, having been subdued by Christ, then the same would have to be true of the Son’s subjection to the Father!
No, all adoration for the Son of God will come from humbled, grateful hearts that will finally respond to God’s marvelous grace and love.
No, all adoration for the Son of God will come from humbled, grateful hearts that will finally respond to God’s marvelous grace and love.
Then will come to pass that great universal scene in Philippians:
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” {Phil. 2:9-11}
Paul is not saying that there are things “under the earth” at the future time of this great confession, but is simply showing the universality of praise from ALL His creation as it stands now.
When did God ever receive glory for Himself through a FORCED confession?
Paul assures us that to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, is evidence of salvation:
When did God ever receive glory for Himself through a FORCED confession?
Paul assures us that to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, is evidence of salvation:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” { Rom. 10:9,10}
This side of the grave, salvation comes by FAITH and brings great glory to God’s revealed grace. Those that believe after their death, will be restored by SIGHT.
Hell, as taught by religion, is not in the Bible! This church doctrine is the most destructive, wicked teaching that could ever be perpetrated on mankind! It maligns the Almighty name of God by turning His Love into Hate, His Compassion into Indifference, and His Forgiveness into Eternal Vengeance.
To say that God has brought untold BILLIONS of men and women into the world, only to torture them for all eternity, is beyond sane comprehension. If this were the case, then abortion and infanticide would be supreme acts of love and mercy, to spare infants the possible horrors of a loveless, hopeless, and agonizing eternity.
Those that perpetuate this hellish lie, do so in violation and misappropriation of the scriptures. The all-wise Judge will mete out just judgment to every one of His creatures, but to endlessly inflict them with pain and torment is not at all consistent with the just and loving character of God.
If there would be just one of His creatures that will remain outside of His redemptive love, then God’s purpose will have failed.
It all comes down to the question, How successful was the cross of Jesus Christ? Paul tells us:
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” { Rom. 5:6-10}Hell, as taught by religion, is not in the Bible! This church doctrine is the most destructive, wicked teaching that could ever be perpetrated on mankind! It maligns the Almighty name of God by turning His Love into Hate, His Compassion into Indifference, and His Forgiveness into Eternal Vengeance.
To say that God has brought untold BILLIONS of men and women into the world, only to torture them for all eternity, is beyond sane comprehension. If this were the case, then abortion and infanticide would be supreme acts of love and mercy, to spare infants the possible horrors of a loveless, hopeless, and agonizing eternity.
Those that perpetuate this hellish lie, do so in violation and misappropriation of the scriptures. The all-wise Judge will mete out just judgment to every one of His creatures, but to endlessly inflict them with pain and torment is not at all consistent with the just and loving character of God.
If there would be just one of His creatures that will remain outside of His redemptive love, then God’s purpose will have failed.
It all comes down to the question, How successful was the cross of Jesus Christ? Paul tells us:
“That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one ALL things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” {Eph. 1:10}
THE LAKE OF FIRE
Perhaps the reader has found through this study, that he is in agreement in part, or in whole, with the author concerning Scripture’s teaching of “Hell”. And yet, there seems to be irrefutable language in the book of Revelation, that an even more fearful place awaits the unbeliever in the Lake of Fire !
It is more difficult to do a word study on this inferno due to the fact that it is not mentioned by name outside the last book of the Bible. Our understanding of it must then be limited to it’s references there and inferences to it in a few others.
It is more difficult to do a word study on this inferno due to the fact that it is not mentioned by name outside the last book of the Bible. Our understanding of it must then be limited to it’s references there and inferences to it in a few others.
We have an apparent mention of it by Jesus in {Matt. 25:41-46}
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting (aionion) fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting (aionion) punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (aionion)The time frame for this judgment is given to us in vs. 31: “when the Son of man comes in His glory”. This then occurs at the end of Israel ’s 7 year tribulation, when Jesus as “Son of man” returns to earth to inaugurate His Kingdom, centered in Jerusalem . We know that Jesus will destroy those armies from various nations that have gathered at Armageddon to fight against Israel .
When we look more closely at this passage, we find that those admitted to the Kingdom are allowed entrance, not due to their faith in Christ, or steadfastness under persecution, but for ministering to the hungry, thirsty, ill-clothed, sick and imprisoned disciples of Christ.
Similarly, those condemned to “everlasting (aionion) fire”, received their sentence, not because of wicked living, or persecution of followers of Christ, but because of neglecting to do acts of kindness for them!
Now if the failure to live up to this criteria sends people into eternal fire, to suffer forever, then Christ would be the most unloving, unkind, unfair, and unreasonable Sovereign of any that ever lived!
It is only when we throw off the shackles of blinding tradition, that we can see God’s dealing with His creatures according to His LOVE for them. The fire of this passage is not referring to a “Place” of fire, but, remembering the Scripture’s use of the word “Fire”, we can see that it refers to a judicial punishment, that will result in the refining of the ones subjected to the fire. We refer to those that have had “trials of fire”, and “baptism by fire”, and no one interprets those expressions to be literal fire.
The aeonian, or age-related fire, will be the lot of those nations that neglect the Jewish believers in Jesus during the Tribulation days. They are said to go into “everlasting punishment”.
Now this seems very final indeed, until we look at the original Greek words, which tell us another thing altogether. The words are “aionion kolasis”, which means “age-related chastening” and nothing more! There is nothing eternal about God’s correction, just as we do not punish our children perpetually. Those of the Gentile nations that are given Kingdom entrance, are those that sympathized with the Jewish believers in Jesus.
“Aha!”, you say, “but if aionion punishment is not eternal, then neither is the aionion life, eternal!” To this, I reply, that simply because it is aionion (age-related) life in the Kingdom that is granted to the benefactors of Christ’s brothers, it is not limited to that thousand year reign.
It does not mean that their life will end when the Millenium ends, but their aionion kingdom life with Christ will come to an end at the conclusion of Christ’s earthly reign.
At that time, Christ will abdicate the earthly throne to His Father, who will then “dwell with men”, and they will “see His face” upon the throne of the “new earth”. These having aionion life in the earthly Kingdom, will have their immortal life continue in the following age of the Kingdom of the Father.
These experiencing aionion life are being contrasted to those being subjected to aionion chastisement outside the Kingdom. The fact that Christ’s kingdom reign will end is overlooked by almost all Bible students, but is clearly stated by Paul.
“For he (Christ) must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.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.” {I Cor. 15:25-28}
Our Lord will reign over all creation until every creature in heaven and earth has been subjected under His loving, righteous rule. His grace and mercy will bring all to humble repentance in a self-loathing repudiation of their rebellion against their loving Creator.
After all creation has been brought back to the perfect harmony of its beginning, then the ever humble, beloved Son will abdicate His universal throne to His Father, and after delivering a perfect universe to Him, subject Himself to the Father’s authority in His perpetual kingdom of love.
But the passage in Matt. 25 also gives us more information. If these neglectful people are sent away from Christ for temporary chastening into God’s fire of correction, then that is the same fate that awaits the Devil and his angels for whom the fire was prepared!
To be sure, that “fire” is adjusted to accord with the offence, which in Satan’s case as well as the “beast” and the “false prophet”, is most serious and will last for the final eons {Rev. 20:10}, but it does not change the fact that all will ultimately be reconciled to their Creator and Father.
Does anyone balk at this description of God as Satan’s Father? Listen to the divine record:
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.” {Job 1:6}
As we can see, this was not Lucifer (“Light Bearer”), the crowning jewel of the Son’s creation, that presented himself before God, but Satan (“Opposer”).
Because of his sin of pride, etc., he is now in opposition to his Father, but he is still God’s created son, that will eventually be restored to the Father’s presence! This passage reveals plainly that God considers ALL angels, even the rebellious fallen angels, His sons.
It is strange to our ears to hear such words, but if we diligently seek truth, and not “ear tickling” fables, God will open our ears and eyes to see His marvelous grace that reaches every one of His creatures, made possible by the “secret of the Cross”.
There are none that are outside of His redemption, revealed by Paul, to be the outcome of the cross work of the Son of His infinite love! Read carefully this great truth:
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” {Col. 1:14-20}
The passage in Matthew 25 does not refer to eternal torment. It is merely setting forth the reward of the tribulational helpers of Israel ’s oppressed followers of Jesus, and the punishment of all those who refuse to endanger themselves by extending help to the same. Remember what Jesus had warned His hearers:
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” {Luke 9:24}
We now turn to the book of Revelation to determine the meaning of the term “ Lake of Fire ”. The first thing that must be established is to whom this book is addressed.
“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” {Rev. 1:4-6}
Now to the casual reader of the KJV of Scripture, it may not be obvious that wherever the word “church” is used, it does not necessarily refer to the Church, the Body of Christ. The Greek word for church is ecclesia, which simply means “ out-calling”. The word is used to denote any assembly that has been “called out” as a distinct, separate group. It never refers to a physical structure of any kind. By far, it is used most often by Paul to denote the Body of Christ. However, it is also used to describe a raucous mob of idol worshippers in Ephesus :
“And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. 29And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. 30And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. 31And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre. 32Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly (Gk. ecclesia) was confused: and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.” {Acts 19:28-32}So, the word “church” in Scripture does not mean that the believer today should necessarily insert himself into the passage, or even take for granted that those in the group being addressed, are saved.
The word is used once again to describe the Jewish called out assembly from Egypt , of which the vast majority were denied entrance into the promised land, and died in the desert because of unbelief.
“This is he, that was in the church (Gk. ecclesia) in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:” {Acts 7:38}
The seven churches of Revelation are Jewish assemblies of both saved and unsaved Israelites that will be experiencing the Great Tribulation of the future. The very fact that they are said to be made “kings and priests” should remind us of God’s promise to the Jewish nation:
“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel .” {Ex. 19:5,6}These future Jewish churches are on the verge of entering into the promised earthly Kingdom of Messiah . Their reign with Jesus is dependant wholly on their faithfulness to the end of their lives. If they seek to save their lives by receiving the emblem of Antichrist on their hand or forehead, they will forfeit aionion life.
All within the seven assemblies are encouraged to remain faithful to the end, and given dire warnings of judgment if they are not. The first reference to the second death is given in a charge to the Smyrna assembly. The Spirit of God says this:
“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” {Rev. 2:10,11}
Now we are told in chapter 20 that “the lake of fire is the second death.” The two terms are made synonymous, so if we can determine what is indicated by the second death, we will then know what the lake of fire is, and who will be subjected to it.
It is stated that the “overcomers” of Smyrna ’s Jewish church are to be spared the second death. This would imply that those who are not “overcomers” within the assembly, will not escape the fate of the second death.
These are the promises given to the “overcomers” of all seven future Jewish assemblies:
1) The right to eat of the “Tree of Life” in the Paradise of God
2) Will not be hurt of the “Second Death”
3) Will be given the “Hidden Manna” to eat
4) Will be given a “White Stone” with a new name written on it
5) Will be given The “Morning Star”
6) Will be clothed with “White Robes”
7) Will not have his name erased from the “Book of Life”
8) Will have his name confessed before The Father and His angels
9) Will be made a Pillar in God’s Temple and go out no more
10) Will have God’s Name written on him
11) Will have the name of the New Jerusalem written on him
12) Will have Jesus’ new Name written on him
13) Will sit with Jesus on His Throne
These promises are Jewish in nature. I have underlined clear references and phrases that connect these churches with Israel ’s program. We can see from these promises of reward, that there will be Jewish believers living during the Tribulation that will be faithful unto death, and will thereby inherit eonion life with Messiah Jesus.There will also be those in the same assemblies, that will forfeit their right to the eonion life in the Kingdom of Christ , by receiving the emblem of Antichrist.
All the promises to the faithful “overcomers”, will not apply to the unfaithful in these assemblies. Therefore we can say that unfaithful Jews in these future Jewish assemblies, will be subject to the second death.
Jude warned of these very same false brothers in his letter:
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. 12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever (Gk. the aion).” {Jude 1:4, 11-13}
Now, to say that an individual is “twice dead” and has only the “blackness of darkness for the eon, is another way to say that he will experience the first death during the Kingdom age and ultimately the judgment of the “second death”.
He will not have part in, and not enjoy the “second life” of the Kingdom age, which will be the reward of the “overcomers”. He will be “baptized with fire” in God’s lake of fire judgment after his resurrection, at the end of the Kingdom age.
Remember John the Baptizer’s words as he warned the Jewish nation:
“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” {Matt. 3:10-12}
John is prophesying to Israel with the Kingdom of Heaven “at hand”. Let’s remember that God’s judgments are for the correction of those subjected to them, and “unquenchable fire” is not perpetual, but unable to be extinguished until it accomplishes God’s purpose. Hear how Jesus instructs the Laodicean church:
“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire (suffering for Jesus), that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” {Rev. 3:16-19}
God threatens these children of Israel with judgments unless they repent. Just to confirm in our minds that these are Jews that are being addressed in these 7 churches, a list of O.T. reminders and warnings of the impending tribulation from Jesus to them is provided, with Jewish references highlighted:
1) “Repent, or I will come to you and remove your lampstand
2) The First and the Last
3) The blasphemy of those that say they are Jews, but are not
4) They are of the synagogue of Satan
5) You shall have tribulation ten days
6) He that has the sharp, double-edge sword
7) You live where Satan has his throne
8) You have those that hold to the doctrine of Balaam
9) Cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel
10) To eat food sacrificed to idols
11) I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth
12) The Son of God with eyes like a flame of fire
13) The Son of God with feet like burnished brass
14) You tolerate that woman Jezebel
15) Those that commit adultery…into great tribulation
16) I will kill (Jezebel’s) children with death
17) The churches will know.. I repay all according to their deeds
18) Repent, If you do not watch, I will come on you like a thief
19) I am he who holds the key of David
20) I will make (the liars) fall down at your feet
21) You have kept my command to endure patiently
22) Buy.. white robes that you may cover your nakedness
All of these phrases have great significance to the nation of Israel . Repentance was the repeated call from all her prophets, and was Jesus’ call to her during His earthly ministry. But if no repentance occurs, there will be painful, lasting consequences.Why does God chasten his children? It is because He loves them, not because He wants to destroy them! He will purge them with His fire and refine them that they emerge as pure gold. The faithful receive their refining in this life, and the unfaithful after physical death. Paul reveals the secret of God’s discipline of Israel :
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, (SECRET) lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (change of mind).” { Rom. 11:25-29}
Paul, our Apostle, was given many secrets. These were truths that God had hidden from all His creation, known only to Himself. God threatened His beloved people with horrific judgments through all of His prophets. Their idol worship, murders, and perversion of all God’s truth given to them through the Law, deserved the full force of His wrath.
From many passages, it appeared that God would annihilate the willful sinners among His own, obliterating them from existence! Tens of millions of Jews suffered death at the hands of enemy nations over the millennia, and millions more will face the same fate in the future tribulation.
Is that it? Is “The Savior of Israel” an appropriate title for one who is only to save a small percentage of Israel ? God has blinded Israel from His truth. To be sure, it was a result of their disobedience, but when God removes revelation of Himself from anyone, they are blinded!
But this blindness among Israel ’s sons and daughters is not permanent, as Paul reveals in the passage above. It is only UNTIL God completes His dealing with the Gentiles in this Age of Grace, bringing them into the Body of Christ.
Yes, God will save every last child of Abraham in the end. “All Israel will be saved”, God will remove the sins of His people according to the New Covenant.
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” {Jer. 31:33,34}
Israel is the firstfruit nation of all the nations. God saves individuals, and groups of people, in order to effect His blessings on others. Israel was to be, and will ultimately be, the light of the world.
God elects some ahead of time, in this present life, for the praise of His glorious grace. The rest will be harvested to Himself after they have been humbled by His eonion chastisement and their redemption by means of the second death, that they may emerge in His life and will be to the praise of His glory and mercy. What is true for Israel , will be true for all of mankind.
“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever (ages of ages).” {Rev. 5:13}
In order to know what the second death is, we must determine what the first death is. All would agree that Adam’s disobedience set the law of “first death” judgment in motion, resulting eventually in physical/soul destruction. Adam did not die immediately, nor does the text demand it. The KJV translators made a major error here. The text reads:
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” {Gen. 2:17}
The text properly translated says: “…for in the day of thine eating of it -- dying thou dost die.”. (Young’s Literal Translation)
A dying process was set in motion immediately upon Adam’s disobedience, which resulted in his death 930 years later. All of humanity is born into this world with Adam’s “death process” at work in them, which results in their eventual body/soul death.
From this MIS-translation of the KJV, has come the fanciful doctrine of “Spiritual death”. Theologians tell us that “Adam died spiritually” when he ate the fruit, when in fact, his spiritual awareness was heightened in his knowledge of good and evil.
This was a knowledge that God Himself had, but Adam had arrived at through disobedience, wherein lay the problem. The vast gulf between God’s holiness and his sinfulness became painfully aware to him. His conscience, that lay dormant within him, sprang to life, as he covered himself and ran to hide from God’s presence.
The Scriptures never refer to a “spiritual death”! The spirit of man is imparted to man from his Creator, and returns to God upon his physical death. Would God take back a dead spirit to Himself?
“Then (upon death) shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” {Ecc. 12:7}
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” { James 2:26}
A “dead spirit” is an oxymoron. The spirit of man was imparted to him by God’s breath and is therefore not capable of death. The spirit of man is said: “to err”, to be “haughty”, etc., but nowhere is man’s spirit said to be dead.
No, man’s spirit did not die. It was, to be sure, tainted by sin, just as the body and soul were corrupted by it, but Adam’s death was countered by Jesus’ death.
Did Jesus die spiritually or physically/soulishly to remedy Adam’s death?
“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” {I Cor. 15:16-20}
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” {Rom. 5:12,17}
Scripture informs us that God has imparted spirit to all living persons from Adam on. He would not impart a dead spirit to anyone!
“Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:” {Isa. 42:5}
“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel , saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.” {Zech. 12:1}
Through Adam’s disobedience, the first death entered humanity. If Adam died in spirit when he sinned, that would have been his first death; then his second death would have come when he breathed his last breath upon earth.
When we begin with any false premise, we end up with false conclusions. Let us be diligent to scrupulously study the Scriptures without “reading into” them our foregone conclusions.
If we allow God’s pure Word to guide us, much of Christendom’s errors will be made apparent. We all make mistakes in our interpretation of Scripture, but let those errors come from honest due diligence in study, and not from blindly accepting doctrines of men as facts.
All sinners in the old Adam are said to have died with Christ. The sin-tainted humanity of the first Adam was placed by God into His Son, The Last Adam. From Him emerged God’s new creation! The New Humanity is headed up in the resurrected, immortal, Last Adam.
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead (all died): 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is (there is) a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” { 2 Cor. 5:14-18}
“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” {I Cor. 15:21,22}
Religion likes to read this verse thus:
“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall some be made alive.”
Just as all of humanity was alienated from God in Adam’s transgression, so all of humanity is restored to God’s favor in the obedience of the Last Adam. Just as God saw everyone in Adam, even before their birth, so He sees everyone in Christ although they have not yet been born or have yet to believe.
Our Almighty God and Savior will accomplish all that He has set out to do.
He has opened the eyes of some ahead of time, to be the instruments of His truth to the rest, and put these pre-believers on display for the glory of His Grace.
“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” {Eph. 1:11,12}
The words “first trusted” in the above passage come from the Greek word “proelpizo”. “Pro” meaning “before”, and “elpizo” meaning “hope”. We that believe the gospel of God’s Grace today, have “pre-hoped” in Christ.
Belief in the unseen is richly rewarded by Father God, and positions of authority in His Kingdom is faith’s reward, but all will believe by sight in due course, and will in humility, despise themselves, when they are subjected to His glorious presence. Sin is not the Victor, God will reclaim His lost possession!
We could say that believers in Jesus Christ today, have already been subjected to their second death, and that, BEFORE their first death!
Although God sees all as having already died and raised again in Christ, only a small percentage of humanity have experienced it by faith.
It was God’s fiery judgment that The Son was subjected to at the Cross, and the believer in Him is joined to that death now. But just as God did not leave His Son in the grave, so we have been raised with Him now! We have been crucified with Him and raised to newness of life EXPERIENCIALLY, ahead of the rest, through faith.
“Now if we be dead (died) with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” { Rom. 6: 8-11}
“Reckon” is an accounting term. We are to put into the ledger of fact, that we have died with Christ and been taken out of the first Adam. So, now that we have our new identity, in being placed into The Last Adam, Christ, and because He was raised to life by His Father to immortality, we also have the experience of resurrected life vicariously through His Spirit! As we meditate on His reality, we are changed into His likeness!
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead (died), and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”{Col. 3:1-4}
When Jesus had accomplished the work of redemption for all mankind, He entrusted His spirit to the Father, even as his soul died and was given to the clutches of the grave (Hades).“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (spirit).” {Luke 23:46}
“Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (Gk. Hades), neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” {Acts 2:26,27}
Stephen submitted his spirit to Jesus at his death:
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” {Acts 7:59,60}
This is true for all humanity. Upon physical/soul death, all of men’s spirits return to God’s care.
“Then (upon death) shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” {Ecc. 12:7}
In the resurrection, the spirit will be reunited with the vivified body which will be immortal, like our Lord’s. There will yet be pain for the believer though, even after he has experienced his physical resurrection, for he must appear before Christ’s judgment seat to receive the proceeds from his deeds.
Even though this is a determination of reward and rank in His heavenly Kingdom, there will be agony for all, especially teachers of Body doctrine,(or lack thereof), as we see worthless teaching consumed by the flames of His searching judgment. Again, the principle applies; “To whom much is given, much will be demanded again.”
“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” { Rom. 14:8-12}
It will be likewise for those that enter the second death in the lake of fire. This will be first and most severe for the rebels of Israel . Their sore punishment and purification by the fire of God’s judgment, will be according to their deeds.
Apparently, all unbelieving humanity will endure this judgment, but the intensity of this “fire” will be adjusted according to the light revealed to the condemned.
This condemnation will bring the creature into the experience of Christ’s death and will ultimately result in his resurrection to life.
We usually think of life ending in death. However, God has shown in His Word that death results in life to the believer! Standing before their Creator, the very One who has called them from the grave to face Him, there will be no more atheists or agnostics in the universe. All will believe! Knowing that they deserve to be banished from His holy presence will be a humbling experience for even the most arrogant of humanity.
Billions of men and women who have never heard or acted upon the glorious good news of Christ’s sacrifice of Himself for them, will enter the second death after judgment in order that they may ultimately be raised in newness of life!
Believers have received their new life ahead of time by faith. At the consummation all will enter into the life of God.
“For I through the law am dead (died) to the law, that I might live unto God.20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” {Gal. 2:19,20}
“If (Since) ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.3 For ye are dead (died), and your life is hid with Christ in God.4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” {Col. 3:1-4}
The Lake of Fire will be the most fearsome of all of His past judgments on His apostate nation, due to the high-handed repudiation of their Messiah. Remember from our study of Gehenna, that the graphic hyperbole used in dire threats to Israel , often sound much worse than the actual meaning of the text, and the same is true with the language concerning the lake of fire. Although it is God’s last and most severe judgment, we must be reminded that all of His punishments are for the betterment of His creatures!
We have an apparent reference to this lake of fire judgment in the book of Daniel:
“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.” {Dan. 7:9-11}
In Daniel 7, we are given a view of history’s worldwide kingdoms (“beasts”) from Daniel’s day forward, and the destruction of the last of these kingdoms by the “burning flame”. The “fiery stream” is seen as flowing from God’s throne. Wherever this “stream” would have it’s terminus, it would accumulate and become a “lake”.
Thus, the source of this “lake of fire”, is the seat of God’s rule and judgment. God’s dealing in any judgment, whether Israel ’s, or the surrounding nations’, is pictured by fire. Even God Himself is referred to as fire.
“Wherefore we ( Israel ) receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29For our God is a consuming fire.” {Heb.12:28,29}
God was often pictured as having a “fiery” appearance to Israel . This is associated most often where His Law is concerned. When Moses received the Commandments on Mt. Sinai , the whole mountain appeared to be ablaze.
“And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.” {Ex. 19:18-20}
Now from both of these passages, we see that whatever this “fire” is, it is indicative of God’s holiness. In Daniel’s account, a “stream of fire” is flowing from God’s throne, and yet thousands are standing in His presence. In the other account, Mt. Sinai appears to be ablaze, and yet Moses ascends to the top of the mountain to be in God’s presence.
In neither account are any “burned” by this fire. Fire depicts God’s HOLINESS, and as such, is seen to consume things or people that are UNHOLY. Now, we know for a fact, that Moses was not sinless, but he was holy. Holy simply means “set apart”.
God had instructed all Israelites to “sanctify (lit. “holify”) themselves” and wash their clothes, in order that they could approach the mountain to see God’s fire. Aaron and his sons were able to approach God’s presence in the “holy places”, because they had “sanctified” themselves by following God’s exact instructions in their clothing, sacrifices, and manner of approach.
Literal fire is the only thing that we know of, that can completely cleanse any nonburnable substance on earth, bringing it into its most pure form. It is also the only thing that can completely consume all flammable substances, and utterly eliminate them.
The point is this: Since God is a consuming Fire, what will He consume? When God consumes someone, are they annihilated from existence? Some in Israel experienced God’s consumption:
“And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. 2And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.” {Num. 11:1,2}
God’s fire (judgment) was aimed at their sin of complaint. The judgment fell on those in the outer fringes of the encampment. Was it only those people that were consumed that were doing the complaining? No, most, if not all, were guilty of this complaining spirit.
Those killed were “sanctified” (set apart) by God to death, and Moses’ prayer “sanctified” the rest to safety from the flames.
All may have been equally guilty, and deserving of the fire of God, but God chose only certain ones to impose the death sentence upon. We are repulsed at the seeming unfair dealings of God.
Why were they not given warning of the impending judgment? God seems heavy-handed and arbitrary in His judgments. If God will never again give these complaining Israelites an opportunity for repentance for their rebellion, then how can He be known as The longsuffering, merciful, gracious God?
But God DID accept payment for their sin by the blood of His Son. They will be restored to Him in the end. The fire of God’s wrath does not destroy His creation, only their impurities, so they can stand in His holy presence.
Israel is a microcosm of all humanity. All are guilty, some more, some to a lesser degree; all deserve the fire of God’s holy anger. His Law revealed that all are doomed. There is no one that is guiltless. The Law cannot save, it can only condemn all. All will receive fair judgment for their deeds, according to their illumination of God’s truth.
All were in Adam, and as such, were condemned. The Law cannot show God’s Compassion and Love, it can only condemn. Only the Cross of Christ could release the full Love of God. His fiery judgment upon His Son for all of guilty mankind, fulfilled His judicial transfer of the composite sin of all, borne by The Son of His love.
All of Adam’s posterity died with Christ, and all were made alive by His resurrection. It was a completed transaction in God’s sight. If only those that have faith before they die are saved from God’s wrath, then only a small part of Adam’s posterity was placed into Christ on the Cross.
Then, He did not die for the sins of all mankind. He only paid for the sins of a few, the rest will have to pay for their sins themselves.
And will God accept the suffering of sinners as payment for their sin?
No, that is why Christendom requires PERPETUAL suffering in “Hell”. Religion’s god is never satisfied, but demands torment without end.
The Cross made certain the eventual reconciliation of all, because God is satisfied with His Son’s sacrifice.
“For the love of Christ constraineth (arrests) us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead (all died): 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. To wit (how), that God was in Christ, reconciling (conciliating) the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (conciliation). 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled (conciliated) to God. 21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” {2 Cor. 5:14-15, 20-21}
What a glorious message is this! God is not now angry with the sinner! He is at peace with all men today. God is conciliated to all men today, because of His Son’s death and resurrection. This paid man’s sin debt in full. “It is finished!” was the triumphant shout of our Savior from the cross.
Our message to all men today is: “Be conciliated to God”. The KJV translators again missed the mark with this word “reconciliation”. The word in this passage is the Greek word “katalasso” which is a one-sided event.
God is “conciliated” to mankind, even though most men are not “conciliated” to God through faith. It is only when both parties are conciliated to one another that “reconciliation” (Gk. “apokatalasso”) occurs.
Because we see things in time and space, this truth is not yet apparent to us. But God, who is outside of time and space sees it as an accomplished fact!
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile (Gk. Apokatalasso) all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” {Col. 1:20}
This is possible today only through faith. This is what the believer now has with God, and what all creation will one day have. This is the means God requires today to enter into peace with Him, faith in Christ and His sacrifice alone.
This is man’s means of escape from the lake of fire judgment. The second death will be the unbeliever’s only path to life with God. The lake of fire is God’s merciful dealing with those He intends to cure.
We have many word pictures given to us in the Bible to express a particular truth from God. The prophets used threats with the most violent forces of nature and most vivid expressions of destruction available. To the Jewish listener’s mind, these expressions of God’s sore displeasure with the rebellious among His people, served to install a healthy fear to turn them from their evil ways.
Dire threats are used when every other means has been exhausted. Because God would leave out His plan for Israel’s ultimate restoration in most passages, the destruction pictures appear to be final, with no hope of renewal. The judgments appear to be harsh, unloving, and irreversible.
Through His chosen prophets,God would first instruct them in the correct path, then He would give them warning of the failure to follow that way, and the self-inflicted sorrows wrong choices would bring. If they ignored these warnings, God would “raise His voice” to His children, giving them the opportunity to repent. If there was still no response or repentance, God would “shout at them” with the most graphic threats yet as a last chance warning before His judgment fell upon them.
The seven assemblies in Revelation are representative of the Jewish nation in dispersion among the Gentile nations. They are outside of Israel because of their rejection of the Kingdom gospel and crucifixion of Christ. The nation, spurred by her leaders, stood by their heinous murder of their Savior. The Pentecostal message calling for national repentance, delivered by Peter, was rejected forcefully, as they also murdered most of the twelve apostles, one by one.
The Roman army was God’s rod for the backs of His beloved rebels. Their dispersion among the nations continues to this day, with a contingent returning to Israel to establish a government, beginning in 1948, setting the stage for God’s final act of His drama. There needs to be an established nation in the land, so that Antichrist can enter the scene to make a covenant with them and proclaim his false divinity.
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” {2 Thes. 2:3,4}
The Antichrist will be born of a Jewess. He will have to be able to convince his fellow Jews in the land of Israel that he has a right to the throne of the tribe of Judah . As the false Messiah, he will claim divinity. He will probably be the son of Satan, a super-human being like the half breeds of Noah’s era, when the angels cohabited with human women.
The False Prophet may be a Jew from the dispersion out of one of the Gentile nations. Both are empowered by Satan. They will accept the authority from Satan that Jesus refused. Such defiance and blasphemy will gain for both the lake of fire judgment, along with Satan, their master.
“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 for ever and ever (aions of aions).” {Rev. 20:10}
If we remember the principle of increased responsibility for greater access to God’s truth, we will be greatly helped in our understanding of the lake of fire judgment. It is obviously not fire as we know it, for Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet are tormented by it for two eons.
It is also significant that it is not referred to as the “second death” for these three, having never experienced the first death. Remember, the “Beast” and “False Prophet” are captured and thrown alive into the Lake of Fire, Satan joins them after his 1000 year imprisonment in the abyss. The same Greek word for “torment” in the above passage, is found in reference to the two faithful Jewish witnesses:
“And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt , where also our Lord was crucified ( Jerusalem ). 9And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 10And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.” {Rev. 11:7-10}
These prophets will “torment” their hearers by the message they speak in Israel . They are God’s ambassadors to the nation to warn of God’s coming judgment. They will suffer the same fate as all other prophets of God, and that of their Lord, murder by their brethren. It is equally probable that the unholy three will be tormented by the same thing, God’s Word. God’s truth burned in the prophet Jeremiah’s inmost being:
“Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” {Jer. 20:9}
And when he did speak, that Word of fire was released:
“The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. 29Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” {Jer. 23:28,29}
The reader will recall that John the Baptizer used the same comparison of “wheat” vs. “chaff”.
“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” {Matt. 3:12}
Similarly, those that receive the emblem of the Antichrist during his reign of power will partake of the fire baptism. Those that worship the Beast will receive the same sentence.
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever (aions of aions): and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” {Rev. 14:9-11}
Once again, if we remember that the book of Revelation is written as a warning primarily to those of the seven Jewish churches (Israel), then we will read this particular warning with a view of a limited group of people of all those that will be exposed to the lake of fire judgment. This passage addresses all who are worshippers of the false messiah and have received his emblem of allegiance.
This is a purification “fire” that is reserved for the apostates of Israel , that reject the gospel of the two witnesses in the land of Israel , and the 144,000 sealed witnesses’ proclamation of God’s truth among the nations. Their message has been rejected by these reprobates, and therefore they will be beaten with “many stripes”.
I do not deny that this is threatening language, and seems to portray literal, fiery torment for the vast majority of mankind. However, it must be taken together with all of God’s revealed truth in His Word. These that receive the emblem of Antichrist will suffer God’s chastisement more intensely due to their greater rebellion against God.
We must not formulate our doctrines from language intended for Israel and the nations during “Jacob’s time of trouble”. There are many enigmas in Scripture which we must seek to solve with other Scripture. If we understand that most of the book of Revelation presents graphic figures to represent the reality, then we can see beyond the judgment to what lies beyond.
Jesus said this:
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” {Matt. 26:26-28}
When our Lord said that the bread “is my body”, and the wine “is my blood”, He was speaking of what they signified or represented in a figure.
Rome and her followers have made the grave error of literalizing Jesus words, which has led to a superstitious ceremony.
It is the same with people’s conception of the lake of fire. “The lake of fire is the second death”, simply means, “the lake of fire represents or signifies the second death for humanity.” It is no more a literal burning lake than the bread and wine were Jesus’ literal body and blood.
“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell (Hades) followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” {Rev. 6:7,8}
The fourth rider on the pale horse was “Death”, and “Hades” followed close behind “him”. Would anyone insist that Death and Hades are LIVING horsemen? They are pictured to be alive, because they have a figurative prominent role to play in John’s vision. They will claim one quarter of those in view during that awful time of tribulation. We see these same two horsemen at the end of the vision:
“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (hades, “grave”) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell (hades)were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” {Rev. 20:13,14}
Here is the unbeliever’s resurrection to judgment. The first resurrection involves only believers. They will have already received their resurrection to immortality at the return of Jesus Christ.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. {Rev. 20:4-6}
Death and Hades remained the depository of all unbelievers since Cain. But this resurrection is not one of immortality. Those that are raised here have not yet come into new life EXPERIENTIALLY.
They must experience the second death in order to be brought into new life! This is always God’s way, death precedes life. Hear Paul on this subject:
“But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? 36Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 37And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: …So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” {I Cor. 15:35-37, 42-44}
Paul is here referring to the believer’s bodily resurrection, however the same truth applies for ALL death. Is that which is true in the natural world not just as true in the world to come? These resurrected unbelievers are in desperate need of DEATH ! It is their only hope for LIFE. And God will not disappoint! His goal for His wayward universe will yet be fulfilled.
We have the view of this great truth immediately following the second death scene:
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” {Rev. 21:3-5}
If God says that there will be no more DEATH, I believe that will include the SECOND DEATH! Any death remaining would still be death. If any death remains for any of God’s creatures, then all things would not be made new. The same old order of things would remain. The victory bells of Life for some, would toll in a minor key, and indeed ring hollow, as long as any death remained. And Christendom would have us believe that death will reign unhindered perpetually for the vast majority of humanity in the lake of fire!
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” {Rev.20:11-15}
These are judged according to their works, they are to receive the recompense of their deeds, whether beneficial or harmful. The books they are judged from will contain both. God does not only record man’s evil works, but his good as well, according to the light he has received. These will not justify him, but will be mitigating factors in his sentencing. This is so in our judicial system, how much more in God’s court! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?
The text does not say they will receive punishment “for their sins”, these were paid for by The Last Adam. However, their deeds will determine what degree of God’s searching fire is needed for their soul to be humbled before their Creator.
Their faith will come by sight, as they stand before Him. His Spirit will work upon each one to bring them into the illumination of who He is through His searching fire, and in due course, worship Him for His marvelous mercy and grace. Their death will give way to life, their blindness, to sight. If this is not the case, then Death must reign victorious, and God must concede His inability to overcome evil with good.
Then will be brought to pass that universal scene of worship:
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” {Phil. 2:9-11}
The Creator made Adam in His image. There was sweet fellowship between Creator and creature. Adam’s offence broke that fellowship, and put Adam, and all of his posterity, under Death’s reign.
Death set his throne within each of Adam’s children, causing all to sin. All were born, without choice, under Death’s control. Death controlled their behavior, turning innocent children into murderous adults. All lived their entire lives blemished by sin’s desires.
The Last Adam willingly came into Death’s realm. He entered through humanity, but not through the first Adam’s seed, He was Adam’s Creator, He was Life Itself! He came with the sole purpose to release humanity from sin’s sentence, Death!
He was not infected with sin and He carried the antidote for all of sin-cursed humanity. But the antidote was His blood, the only untainted blood!
It could only be effective for humanity by having it flow forth, by means of cruel torture from those He came to save. He relinquished His immortality in order to secure it again for Adam and his children. Not understanding, and because of their intense hatred for Him and His Father, they gleefully tortured Him. Even this, He submitted to willingly.
Although He had all of His celestial warriors at His disposal, He did not release Himself from their savage murder, because of His great love for His creation.
Man’s hatred was returned for His love, cruelty for His gentleness. He had all of humanity’s restoration in view. He suffered that they would no longer suffer.
His Father saw the anguish of His soul, and turned away from Him. Even His Father had forsaken Him, and pronounced His sentence on Him, “Accursed One!, Death to You!” The Father’s arrows joined man’s, to pierce His agonizing soul. He bore Sin’s sentence for all.
Now Death will no longer be master over humanity.” Man is released from Death and is now under the Lordship of their Creator once again! The Father has resurrected the once accursed Son, and granted Him immortality along with Adam and all his posterity. He has conquered Death and the Grave!
He will have the praise of all His vast creation that He has rescued for all ages and eternally! Although only a small portion of Adam’s race know of His sacrifice, and believe what His death accomplished for them, one day all will know. Then all will bow before the Son, and worship Him who gave His all for all.
It has always been God’s purpose to return His lost creation to Himself. He made that goal not only a possibility, but an inevitability, through the loving sacrifice of Christ Jesus. He planned that ALL those under the sentence of death will ultimately be brought into His life. His resurrection was the death knell for Death!
“For as in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall ALL be made alive.” {I Co. 15:22}
The “even so” in the above passage speaks volumes to all who are willing to hear Paul’s truth. As all mankind die in Adam, because all are of Adam’s genes, “even so”, or in the same manner, all mankind will be made alive in Christ. God has taken death-cursed Adam and placed him into the life of Christ Himself!
There is now a new creation, a new order of humanity. What man could not escape himself, Jesus entered into, Adam’s DEATH. He took all of Adam’s posterity with Him upon the cross and into the tomb, and when He burst forth from Death’s gates, He emerged with the purchased possession in His resurrected Body, His genes!
All died in Him, and All will be given their new, sinless life in Him, each man in his own resurrected order ! (succession).
There is now a new creation, a new order of humanity. What man could not escape himself, Jesus entered into, Adam’s DEATH. He took all of Adam’s posterity with Him upon the cross and into the tomb, and when He burst forth from Death’s gates, He emerged with the purchased possession in His resurrected Body, His genes!
All died in Him, and All will be given their new, sinless life in Him, each man in his own resurrected order ! (succession).
I call upon all believers, especially Church leaders, to re-examine their scriptural evidence for their teaching of eternal punishment in “Hell” and the Lake of Fire . And to search their hearts to see if such fearful teaching could be from the heart of our God of Love and Compassion.
I am not advocating “universalism” in the respect that God will save all simply because He is Love. Nor am I saying that He will abandon His righteous standard of complete holiness in order for any to enter His presence. No, He will not bend the rules or change His mind concerning sin. He has exacted all His demands for the payment of the sin of the universe upon His Son. The debt for sin has been paid in full!
I am not advocating “universalism” in the respect that God will save all simply because He is Love. Nor am I saying that He will abandon His righteous standard of complete holiness in order for any to enter His presence. No, He will not bend the rules or change His mind concerning sin. He has exacted all His demands for the payment of the sin of the universe upon His Son. The debt for sin has been paid in full!
Let’s believe Paul’s testimony that he is “THE Apostle for the Gentiles”, and as such, recall that he does not teach Hell, or the Lake of Fire , nor does he even mention it.
Surely, if the horrors of an eternal torment awaited the vast majority of humanity, Paul’s letters to us would be filled with admonitions to shout these warnings night and day to all who would hear.
Surely, if the horrors of an eternal torment awaited the vast majority of humanity, Paul’s letters to us would be filled with admonitions to shout these warnings night and day to all who would hear.
I know that I do not see all things clearly, and will not until the shroud is lifted at our Lord’s coming. Then we will all see clearly, and know as we are known. I am sure that this study falls short in many ways, and is not free from error, but let the reader be assured that I have not sought to mislead in any way, nor to minimize the penalty for sin.
If this study has only served to motivate the reader to seek God’s mind on these matters, I rejoice! And for all of us in the body of Christ, let us be diligent in our study, to be like the Bereans, and “search the scriptures to see whether these teachings are so.”
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. 20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end (of the aion of the aions). Amen.” {Eph. 3:14-21}If this study has only served to motivate the reader to seek God’s mind on these matters, I rejoice! And for all of us in the body of Christ, let us be diligent in our study, to be like the Bereans, and “search the scriptures to see whether these teachings are so.”
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