THE ISSUES OF DEATH AND ETERNAL JUDGEMENT.
I apologise to God and to the readers of my earlier studies on Revelation,
for not previously examining the subject of eternal judgement in sufficient
depth, and with the necessary clarity. I hope and pray that this study
will rectify this in some measure.
1. WHAT IS A SOUL? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON DIES?
What is a person's soul? The Scriptures often refer to a person
as a "soul," however, they are not just a soul, for in 1Thes.5v23.,
they are said to be a tripartite being composed of body, soul and spirit.
A person's soul is certainly differentiated from their body and spirit
in many places in the Scriptures. Is.57v15,16. Eccles.12v7. Numb.16v30,33.
Lk.12v5. Mt.10v28. 1Kings.17v21. 1Cor.2v10,11. In Heb.4v12., we read that
there is a division between soul and spirit. People are called "souls,"
because it describes their essential being and personality. When a farmer
says that he has 200 head of sheep, we do not think that his sheep consist
only of heads. When a captain says that he has 50 hands on board, we do
not think that 50 hands float about his ship doing the work. In the same
way, when we describe people as "souls," we do not mean that
they have no body or spirit, we are just speaking of their essential being
and personality. Our body enables us to contact earth; our spirit enables
us to contact and communicate with God, Heaven, and spiritual realities;
it is the organ of spiritual perception and spiritual activity. 1Cor.1v10,11.
14v1,2,14-16. Paul declares in Rom.1v9., that he served God with his spirit.
The Hebrew word for "soul," "nephesh," means "a
breathing creature, a living organism," it is used over 770 times
in the Old Testament, but it is never said to be put into a "qeber,"
a grave. Its Greek equivalent, "psyche," occurs 105 times
in the New Testament. Both words are used to speak of a person's essential
personality, self and being, and also of the life of the lower animals.
What happens when a person dies? When a person
dies their body goes to the grave, whether they are a Christian or an
unbeliever. At death the soul of the unbeliever goes to Hades, and his
spirit goes back to God who gave it. Eccles.12v7. Whereas, when a Christian
dies they do not lose their spirit, their soul and spirit are not separated,
and they go to God together. The Old Testament teaches that before Jesus
died for us, the souls of all mankind went down to "Sheol,"
the Hebrew name for the New Testament "Hades." However, at the
coming of Jesus things were greatly altered, Christ brought life and immortality
to light through the Gospel, He said that those who believed in Him would
never die, and the gates of Hades would not prevail against His Church.
2Tim.1v10. Mt.16v18. At death, believers in Jesus go right into the bliss
of Heaven. Lk.23v43. Jn.6v39,40,44,54. with 8v50-52. 11v21-26. Acts.7v55-60.
Heb.12v22-24. Rev.6v9-11. 14v13. 16v7. Paul writes in Phil.1v21-23., that
he was joyfully anticipating being present with the Lord, which he said
is far, far, far better {Lightfoot says it is a triple far in the Greek}.
See 2Cor.5v6-8. So we can see the death and atonement of Christ, and His
descent into Hades, completely transformed the function of Hades, from
a place where both unbelievers and believers went to at death, to a place
only for unbelievers.
The Old Testament speaks of people "giving up
the spirit," at death. Gen.25v8,17. 35v29. 49v33. Job.14v10. Eccl.12v7.
Jesus gave His spirit back to the Father, His body went into the tomb,
and His soul was made an offering for our sin, and endured the pains
of Hades for us. Mt.27v50. Lk.23v46,50-53. Acts.2v23-31. Is.53v10. Jesus
took the judgement of our sins upon Himself. Ananias and Sapphira, and
Herod, in sharp contrast, gave up their spirits through an act of divine
judgement. Acts.5v5,10.12v23. Eccles.3v21. 8v8. The spirit of the wicked
is dead to God while they are still alive. Lk.15v32. 1Tim.5v6. Heb.6v1.
9v14. Rev.3v1.
The Old Testament also uses the phrase "he slept with his fathers,"
to speak of the death of the body.
See Deut.31v16. 2Sam.7v12. 1King.1v21. 2v10. 11v43. 14v20,31. 15v8,24.
16v6,28. 22v40,50. 2Kings.8v24. 10v35. 13v9,13. etc. The New Testament
also speaks of people "falling asleep," though the expression
is only used of believers, this sleeping is clearly seen to be referring
to bodies and not souls. Jn.11v11-14. Acts.7v60. 13v36. 1Cor.11v30.
15v6,18,20,51. 1Thes.4v13-17. 2Pet.3v4. We read in Mt.27v50-52., that
many bodies of the saints which slept arose and after Christ's resurrection
and went into Jerusalem and appeared to many. In 1Thes.4v13-17., Paul
informs us that the souls of Christians who die are with Christ when
their bodies are asleep in the grave. The word "slept" clearly
only applies to the body, this is why we still call burial grounds,
"cemeteries," which means "sleeping places."
The Old Testament uses the phrase "gathered to his people" of
the death of the righteous.
It is used of Abraham, Gen.25v8.; of Ishmael, Gen.25v17.; of Isaac,
Gen.35v29.; of Jacob, Gen.49v29,33.; of Aaron, Numb.20v24,26.; of Moses,
Numb.27v13. 31v2. Deut.32v50.. This shows that even under the old covenant
the righteous dead were gathered to their godly relatives; a lovely
and thoughtful divine decree from a loving God. His thoughts have always
been kind to His children, even before our redemption was accomplished
in Christ Jesus.
IS "SHEOL-HADES" THE GRAVE?
In the Old Testament all who died went to the place which is called in
the Hebrew, "Sheol," and in the Greek "Hades." However,
now only unbelievers go to "Hades," its gates have no power
over Christians, they are with their Lord in Heaven. Mt.16v18. Rev.1v18.
2Cor.5v1,6-8. Phil.1v21-23. That the dead consciously exist is seen in
many of the Scriptures we have already quoted, and by the following Scriptures.
Is.14v9-11. Ez.32vv21. Ps.16v10. Lk.16v22-25.
"Hades" occurs more than 100 times in the Septuagint Greek
Old Testament, nearly always to translate the Hebrew "Sheol."
"Hades" occurs 11 times in the New Testament, Mt.11v23. 16v18.
Lk.10v15. 16v23. Acts.2v27,31. Rev.1v18. 6v8. 20v13,14. In 1Cor.15v55.,
the Critical Texts read "thanatos," "death," instead
of the Majority Text "Hades," which the Authorised Version
wrongly translates as "grave."
The English word "Hell," comes from the Saxon "helan,"
to cover; it originally meant, "a covered or invisible place."
However, in many people's eyes, the word "Hell," has come
to mean, "the place of the future eternal punishment of the wicked."
It no longer conveys the idea of "Sheol" or "Hades."
It is, therefore, unfortunate that "Sheol," "Hades,"
"Gehenna," and "Tartarus" are all translated by
the word "Hell" in the Authorised Version of the Bible. {Tartarus,"
is the place in the Abyss where evil angels are confined. 2Pet.2v4.}.
That the Jews were confused and unscriptural in some of their theology
about "Sheol," can be seen from the comment on "Hades"
in Edward Robinson's, "Greek and English Lexicon." "According
to the notions of the Hebrews, 'Hades' was a vast subterranean receptacle,
where the souls of the dead existed in a separate state until the resurrection
of their bodies. The region of the blessed during this interval, or
the inferior Paradise, they supposed to be in the upper part of this
receptacle; while beneath was the Abyss or Gehenna, Tartarus, in which
the souls of the wicked were subjected to punishment." End of quote.
If Robinson's synopsis of the beliefs of the Jews about Hades is correct,
the Jews were certainly unscriptural in their ideas about life after
death. It is certainly true to say that Hades is a vast subterranean
receptacle, which was divided into two separate parts for the wicked
and righteous. However, to say that Gehenna is part of Hades is definitely
wrong; Gehenna is the lake of fire, the place of eternal punishment,
into which Hades is cast after the millennium. Rev.20v14. No one is
cast into the lake of fire until the return of Christ. Mt.25v41.
It is also very strange and unscriptural to call Sheol-Hades by the
name of "the inferior Paradise," for "paradeisos,"
speaks of a park or garden, and of the ultimate in blessedness. The
Septuagint translators use "paradeisos," when speaking of
the garden of Eden in Gen.2v8. and Ezek.31v8,9.. "Paradeisos,"
is used in 2Cor.12v1-4. and Rev.2v7., to speak of God's incredibly beautiful
garden in Heaven. In Lk.16v23-25., Jesus tells us that the Old Testament
saints did receive comfort from God, but they were anticipating anything
but Paradise. Gesenius says "Sheol" is, "a subterranean
place full of thick darkness. Job.10v21,22." Godly Job said that
when he died, he was going to "a place where the light is as darkness."
Job.10v20-22. Hades was a dark and awful place, even for godly saints,
and was certainly no Paradise, and they were in bondage all their lives
through fear of death and going to Hades. Heb.2v15.
The translation of Lk.23v43. should be, "I say unto thee today,
thou shalt be with me in paradise." Jesus told the thief that his
faith had saved him THAT DAY, and that he need not wait until His kingdom
was established to be assured of a place in it. Jesus did not go to
Paradise that day, He went to "Hades," and to the bad side
where the wicked were, for He died in the sinners place. 2Cor.5v21.
When Jesus told the parable of Lk.16v19-31., He knew that to redeem
us He would have to go and be imprisoned in the bad part of Hades like
the selfish, greedy and evil rich man in the parable.
"Hades" and "Sheol" are both speaking
of the same place, and Ps.16v10. and Acts.2v27., confirm this.
They refer to the unseen subterranean place of departed souls and are
quite distinct from the Hebrew "qeber," and the Greek "mnaymion,"
which are translated as grave, sepulchre, or tomb. The Authorised Version
never translates "qeber" and "mnaymion" as "Hell,"
however, it incorrectly translates "Sheol" as "grave"
31 times out of the 65 which it occurs in the Old Testament, probably
because the translators have avoided the use of "Hell" when
the reference was to godly people, obviously feeling that there was
some slight in using "Hell" in connection with them. Gen.37v35.
42v38. 44v29-31. 1Sam.2v6. 1Kings.2v6-9. Job.7v9. 14v13. 17v13. 21v13.
24v19. Ps.6v5. 30v3. 31v17. 49v14,15. 88v3. 141v7. Prov.1v12.30v16.
Eccles.9v10. Song.8v6. Is.14v11. 38v10,18. Ezek.31v15. Hosea.13v14.
In the Authorised Version "Sheol" is translated as "pit"
3 times, in Num.16v30,33. Job.17v16.; and as "Hell" 32 times,
in Deut.32v22. 2Sam.22v6. Job.11v8. 26v6. Ps.9v17. 16v10. 18v5. 55v15.
86v13. 116v3. 139v8. Prov.5v5. 7v27. 9v18. 15v11. 23v14. 27v20. Is.5v14.
14v9. 15v28. 15v18. 57v9. Ezek.31v16,17. 32v21,17. Amos.9v2. Jonah.2v2.
Hab.2v5. "Abyss," "abussos," meaning unfathomable
depth, is translated as "bottomless pit" and "deep"
in the Authorised Version, it is the lowest part of "Hades"
to which Christ went to pay the penalty of our sin. Rev.9v1,2,11. 11v7.
17v8. Lk.8v31. Rom.10v9.
"Sheol" and "Hades" are quite distinct
from "qeber" and "mnaymion," a burying place, grave,
tomb, or sepulchre.
This is clearly seen from the following facts. "Sheol" is
never used in the plural, whereas both singular and plural are used
with "qeber" and "mnaymion." The Hebrew "nephesh,"
soul, occurs over 770 times in the Old Testament, but is never said
to be put into a "qeber," a grave. No corpse is ever taken
to "Sheol," whereas many bodies are taken to "qebers."
In Numb.16v30,33., the casting of people directly into "Sheol"
was looked upon as "a new thing," and quite abnormal. Nobody
is said to have seen or touched a "sheol" on earth, whereas
many "qebers" have been seen and touched. No animal is ever
said to go to "Sheol" at death, the comparison of Ps.49v14.,
is between men who are dying and going to "Sheol" as fast
as sheep are slaughtered for eating, even though in their pride men
think that it will never come; compare v15, the Psalmists hope. The
Scriptures constantly affirm that men go down into "Sheol,"
and that "Sheol" is in the lower parts of the earth, and is
so deep that it is below the mountains and seas, and it cannot be dug
into. Num.16v30,33. Deut.32v22. Ps.63v9. 68v18. with Eph.4v8-10. Ez.31v14-18.
32v18-31. Jonah.2v2-6. Job.11v8. Amos.9v2. {The task of digging into
"Sheol" is looked upon as being as impossible as climbing
into Heaven.} Mt.12v40. Phil.2v10. On 5 occasions in the Scriptures,
"Sheol" is used for comparison with the height of Heaven,
being put as the extreme opposite in depth. Job.11v7,8. Ps.139v8. Jonah.2v2,6.
Mt.11v23. All this in sharp contrast to a grave, sepulchre and tomb,
which men dig, make, hew and are laid in. The Septuagint of "Sheol"
is never called grave.
"Sheol" is certainly not a place where people are unconscious.
The wicked are in Hades "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness
unto the judgement of the great day."Jude.v6,13. 2Pet.2v17. See
Is.14v9-15. Ez.32v27-31. Ps.18v5. 116v3. Lk.16v19-31. Lk.20v38. Mk.12v26,27.
As Jesus said, the rich man died, but in "Hades" he was tormented
in soul, only wilful blindness can ignore such plain statements. Jesus
was imprisoned in the Abyss to atone for our sins, while His body was
in the grave, "qeber." Is.53v9. Ps.16v10. Acts.2v24,27. He
preached to the dead who were imprisoned there. 1Pet3v18-22. 4v6. 2Pet.2v4.
The Old Testament saints were among "the multitude of captives,"
that Jesus led out of Hades. Eph.4v8. Rev.1v18.
Hades has two parts between which a great gulf is fixed,
which is impassable. Lk.16v26.
Before Jesus came all souls went to one side or the other, but the good
side was not in God's presence, and though the Old Testament saints had
the comfort of their faith in the resurrection, they lost their spirit
at death, and none of them liked to die, they lived their lives in fear
of death. Eccles.12v7. Is.38v1-3. Heb.2v15. Job.10v20-22. 19v25-27. Christians,
unlike the Old Testament saint, we do not lose our spirits at death, and
go to Hades, we go into the presence of God in paradise in Heaven. Mt.16v18.
Jn.8v35. 11v24-26. 2Cor.5v1,6-8. 12v2-4. with Rev.2v7. 21v10. 22v2. Phil.1v21-23.
Heb.12v22-24.
GEHENNA AND THE LAKE OF FIRE.
The name "Gehenna" is derived from a place in the valley of
Hinnom where refuse and the dead bodies of animals and criminals were
burned. Jesus uses it to describe the place to which evil souls and
spirits will be sent, who are too dangerous be allowed to live and roam
free, because they are given over to unrestrained selfishness and evil.
They see and hate God and righteousness, and only find pleasure by causing
suffering and pain. Jn.15v22-25. 1Pet.5v8. No one has, as yet, been
cast into the lake of fire, Antichrist and his followers are the first
people to be cast into Hell, and this occurs at Christ's second coming.
In the New Testament "Gehenna" is used 12 times. Mt.5v22,29,30.
10v9. 23v15,33. Mk.9v43,45,47. Lk.12v5. James.3v6. However, it is also
called the lake of fire in Rev.19v20. 20v10-15. 21v8.. Fire is associated
with the judgement of the wicked in many places. Mt.7v19. 13v40,42,50.
18v8. 25v41. Mk.9v44,46,48. Is.30v33. Lk.16v24. Jn.15v6. 2Thes.1v8.
Heb.10v27. Jude.v7. Rev.14v10. Deut.32v21,22. These Scriptures should
be treated with the utmost gravity, it is no wonder that Paul said "work
out your salvation with fear and trembling." Phil.2v12. Hell was
prepared for Satan and his angels, it destroys angelic as well as human
bodies. Mt.25v41. It is called "the second death," because
It destroys the bodies of wicked people for the second time. Rev.2v11.
20v14.
In Lk.16v14,19-31., Jesus warned the covetous Pharisees with two very
striking metaphors, unquenchable flame and unquenchable thirst, that
the consequences of their greed, would be confinement in Hades, and
a fearful anticipation of judgement to come. Heb.10v27. There are flames
in "Gehenna," "the Lake of fire," but no flames
in Hades, the Bible states it is a dark prison, where the wicked are
"reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgement
of the great day."Jude.v6,13. 2Pet.2v17. 1Sam.2v9. Christ's parable
reveals how mentally painful confinement in Hades can be if you have
lived a selfish evil life. All who are in "Hades" will come
out for the Great White Throne judgement, but no one is said to come
out of "Gehenna." Rev.20v11-15. "Hades" is the temporary
abode of the dead, "Gehenna" is the God's prison for unrepentant
evil people and unclean angels. We read in Rev.20v14., that "Hades"
is cast into "Gehenna," the lake of fire, after the Great
White Throne judgement.
The feet of Asaph nearly slipped when he was overwhelmed with numerous
difficulties and trials, and compared his situation with the prosperity
of the wicked, they arrogantly rejected God, and mockingly cried, "How
doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?" Ps.73v11.
Then Asaph saw their end. Psalm.73v16-20. The righteous have often cried
out in great distress, "Yahweh, how long shall the wicked triumph?"
Ps.94v3. Our Lord gives the answer, He said, "The Son of man shall
come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render
unto every man according to his deeds." Mt.16v27. When Jesus returns
He "will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and
make manifest the counsels of the hearts." 1Cor.4v5. Eccles.12v13.
In Rom.2v5,6., we again read of the day of wrath and the revelation
of the righteous judgement of God, "who will render to everyone
according to their works." See Rom.1v18-22.
God longs to save people, He has no pleasure in the death
of the wicked. Ezek.18v,23,32. 33v11. Lk.15v20-32.
Jesus extolled the longsuffering kindness and mercy of God. He said
in Luke. 6v35,36. "But love your enemies, do good to them, and
lend to them without expecting to get anything back; and your reward
will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is
kind to the ungrateful and evil. v36. Therefore be merciful, just as
your Father is merciful." Jesus repeats this thought in Mt.5v44,45.,
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you,
do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use
you and persecute you, v45. that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;
for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain
on the just and on the unjust." In. Acts.14v15-17., Paul states
how good God had been to Heathen idol worshippers.
Divine anger is mixed with grief. Mk.3v1-7. Mt.9v9-15.
Papias informs us that Mark's Gospel is Peter's recollections of Christ's
ministry. In Mk.3v5., Peter vividly retells how Jesus was angry with
the hypocritical Pharisees, and "looked round about on them with
anger ("orge")." (See Lk.6v10. Mk.3v5,34. 5v38. 10v23.
11v11.) Jesus was not angry because of the murder that was in their
hearts towards Him, and it was truly there, for after this miracle the
Pharisees went out and plotted together with their hated enemies, the
Herodians, how they might destroy ("apolesosin"), that is,
kill Jesus. Mt.12v14. Mk.3v6. Lk.6v11. Jesus was angry at their ruthless
hardness of heart, that denied mercy and healing for the sick and needy.
However, our Lord's anger was mixed with grief at the Pharisees hardness
of heart. "Grieved is "sullupoumenos," the present middle
participle of "sullupeo," 4818, from "sun," with,
and "lupeo," to make sorrowful, to cause grief, in the passive
voice, "to be grieved together with," or "to sorrow on
account of someone." Here, as in His broken-hearted weeping over
Jerusalem in Lk.19v41-44., Jesus was grieved over the self-injury and
spiritual suicide of the Pharisees, who criticised His healing of the
man with the withered arm on the Sabbath day. That the anger of Jesus
was momentary is shown by the use of the aorist participle "orges,"
His continuous state of grief and heart-pain over the hardness of heart
of the Pharisees is revealed by the use of the present participle "sullupoumenos."
They had seared their consciences and hardened their hearts until they
always resisted God and His truth. Acts.7v51-60. Their impurity, false
traditions, pride, prejudice, and bigotry had imprisoned them in a fortress
of lies, from which even God's mighty works and truth could not release
them. "Hardness," is the noun "porosis;" 4457, from
"poros," a kind of marble, or a callus on hardened hands or
feet, or the callus that forms to heal fractured bones. "Porosis,"
speaks of a dulled spiritual perception, stupidity, and hardening of
the heart, it occurs in Mk.3v5. Rom.11v25. and Eph.4v18. The verb "poroo,"
4455, to petrify, to make hard, to thicken the skin, to render stupid,
to become dull of understanding, is used of the apostles in Mk.6v52.
and 8v17., and the Israelites in Jn.12v40. Rom.11v7. and 2Cor.11v7.
There is coming a time in world history when God's amazing longsuffering
and mercy are going to be replaced by "thumos" anger. However,
we read in Is.28v21., that God's angry judgements at Christ's return,
are God's strange {"zuwr," to be strange} work, and His strange
{"nokriy," foreign, alien} act. Such judgements are difficult
and foreign acts to a God of love. God longs to embrace sinners, not
judge and condemn them, as Jesus made clear in Lk.15v20., "When
he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion,
and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." In 1Tim.2v3,4.,
Paul proclaims that, "God our Saviour, -- desires all men to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." And in 2Pet.3v9.,
Peter declares, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,
as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing
that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
2. THE MAJOR SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ABOUT ETERNAL JUDGEMENT.
Eternal judgement and Divine retribution is an undeniable fact of Scripture.
Almost all schools of thought on eternal punishment believe that there
will be some retribution on the wicked, it is the extent of that retribution
that is the main area of controversy. We are now in the age of grace
so the principal theme of the Gospel is one of mercy and forgiveness,
nevertheless, the Scriptures also give the revelation of the wrath and
righteous judgement of God, "who will render to each one according
to his deeds." Rom.2v6. The solemn warning of Peter in 1Pet.4.17-19.,
cannot be watered down, "For the time has come for judgement to
begin at the house of God: and if it first begins with us, what shall
the end be of those who do not obey the gospel of God? v18. And if it
is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of
the ungodly and the sinner? v19. Therefore let those who suffer according
to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well
doing, as unto a faithful Creator."
Our God is a faithful Creator, He loves His creation with all His being,
we can completely trust His love and judgements. When Israel came under
judgement from God, David chose to fall into the hands of God rather
than the hands of men, we read in 2Sam.24v14., "And David said
to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand
of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into
the hand of man." Abraham knew that the Judge of the whole earth
always executes merciful, true, and righteous judgement. Gen.18v25.
Rev.6v10. 15v3. 19v2. Repentant souls will always find that God's mercies
are great, even when judgement is deserved, and Calvary supremely confirms
this fact. When 1Pet.4v18., states that, "it is with difficulty
that the righteous is saved;" it is because the human will frustrates
God's efforts to save, not from any failure in the Divine desire and
will to save. Lk.19v41-44. 2Pet.3v9.
Jesus warned us of the reality of eternal judgement and Hell, and we
need to treat His words on this subject very seriously, and not to dismiss
it as a theme just propounded by fanatics. Eleven of the twelve references
to "Gehenna" in the New Testament are directly from the mouth
and teaching of our Lord, Mt.5v22,29,30. 10v28 18v9. 23v15,33. Mk.9v43,45,47.
Lk.12v5., the other is in James.3v6.. The subject of eternal punishment
is so important, that in Heb.6v1-3.,it is listed as a foundation truth
of the Church. Our feelings about God's character and justice are greatly
effected by what we believe about eternal judgement, so it is vitally
important to interpret this doctrine correctly.
All the viewpoints here stated on eternal punishment have been believed
by godly and sincere Christians, even the extreme and dark views of
Augustine and Calvin, however, there are other kinder and more thoughtful
views about eternal punishment, {even amongst those who would consider
themselves as followers of Augustine and Calvin}, which have received
acceptance by godly reformers and Christian leaders in Church history.
Peter wrote in 1Pet.1v18,19., that we need to be delivered from the
false and empty traditions handed down from our fathers or ancestors,
"patroparadotos." However, Church history has shown that many
church leaders have been unwilling to let the clear bright light of
Scripture shine on their cherished traditions and doctrines, and have
even used the most horrific persecution and murder to enforce them.
This contentious murderous spirit is from the Devil, it is certainly
not following Paul's instruction in 2Tim.2v25., to instruct and correct
in meekness, gentleness and humility those who oppose our views. Let
us remember the words of our Lord, "they that are for us, are not
against us;" Mk.9v38-41. Lk.9v49,50.; for we too can imitate the
apostles, and mistakenly think that a contentious unloving party spirit,
is zeal for truth, when we are in reality resisting and fighting God.
Ex.16v8. Acts.5v39. 7v51-60. 23v9. However, God has directed us to oppose
dangerous heresy, and He has even executed those who were a danger to
His Church. Acts.5v1-12. 12v18-25. 1Tim.1v18-20. 2Tim.2v16-19. 2Pet.2v1-3.
Nevertheless, God also commands us not bite and devour good Christians.
Gal5v13-15. In his earlier years Spurgeon strongly opposed the view
of Conditional Immortality, but in his later years, he took a more charitable
view, for Spurgeon is quoted as saying, "I have no quarrel with
the Conditional Immortality doctrine." Let us imitate his magnanimous
spirit.
Most Christians would agree that no being can exist for ever without
the help of God, and also state that the God who created us can, if
He so desires, withhold His sustaining power and so bring about our
extinction. All agree that God can also cause the wicked to exist forever,
if He chooses to do so. The question is whether the Scriptures teach
that God will, or will not, sustain the wicked in everlasting punishment
and painful existence, and if so, why? The following viewpoints have
been held by Christians in many diverse denominations.
1. The Traditional Western viewpoints.
There no such thing as a uniform Traditional orthodoxy, there is a wide
divergence of view within the Traditional Western viewpoint of eternal
punishment. Some followers of Augustine and Calvin have said that the
atonement of Jesus extends to infants, others have taught the doctrines
of their leaders, and have stated that all the heathen who have not
even heard the Gospel, and all unbaptised babies will go to Hell for
ever. Farrar and others state that such theology attacks the character
of God, and has put a dark cloud over the Church, and has caused Christians
to question in their minds, if not openly, the love and justice of God.
Unbelievers also have attacked the double-minded inconsistency, that
a God of love could descend to such levels of cruelty and injustice.
It is certainly very difficult to understand, worship, and love a God
who condemns all the heathen, and all unbaptised babies, to Hell for
ever without any opportunity of salvation. Thank God, this awful doctrine
is not true, children are especially precious to our God of Love, Jesus
stated that "of such is the kingdom of Heaven," and any doctrine
that denies this is to be rejected as unscriptural and untrue. Mt.18v1-10.
19v13-15. Mk.10v13,14. Lk.18v15-17.
Some who believe in many of the doctrines preached by Augustine and
Calvin have rejected their extreme views on eternal punishment, that
all unbaptised babies, and the heathen will go to Hell for ever, and
"that doom passes irreversibly at the moment of death on all who
die in a state of sin." Like E. B. Pusey, in his work, "What
is of Faith as to Everlasting Punishment?" (1880), they believe
in "endless conscious existence for a relatively small number of
the lost," and state that the atonement of Jesus extends to infants.
They also say that the pain of Hell is not physical, but "a bare
minimum of pain, caused perhaps only from being deprived of all good
rather than by being inflicted from an external source." Other
Traditionalists also support the viewpoint that eternal punishment does
not necessarily consist of physical sufferings, or is not necessarily
due to inflictions from God, but that their suffering may be due to
a person's sense of loss, or accusing conscience. This is a far more
compassionate and thoughtful view on eternal punishment than the dark
theology of Augustine, however, those who believe in Conditional Immortality
believe that this does not go far enough.
Some Traditionalists have stated that because we are made in the image
of God our souls must be immortal, but this cannot be correct for our
bodies die, and these are made in God's image too. Historians have stated,
and it appears correctly, that the doctrine of immortality of the soul
is a product of the Greek thought of Plato and Aristotle, who taught
that the soul did not have a beginning because it was part of a pantheistic
god. Some early Church fathers thought that some ideas of Plato on immortality
of the soul would help to clarify Scripture truth, however, they rejected
the idea that the soul was pre-existent, and said that it only came
into existence at birth. Most of the expositors from the Reformation
onwards, including Calvin, have said that immortality is a continual
gift of God, and that God chooses to sustain for ever the existence
of all beings, not only the righteous, but also the lost. T. F. Torrance
writes on page 26f, of his book "Calvin's Doctrine of man,"
that Calvin taught that the "soul survives the death of the body
only at the mercy of God, and has no durability in itself."
2. The Annihilationist viewpoint of Conditional Immortality states the
wicked will be destroyed.
The Annihilationist school of thought is also known as the name of Conditional
Immortality. These believe that God will not eternally punish the wicked,
but will instead destroy them. The distinguished evangelical biblical
scholar John Stott wrote in 1988, on pages 320f, in the book "Essentials,"
{which he co-authored with D. Edwards}, that the ultimate annihilation
of the wicked should at least be accepted as a legitimate, biblically
founded alternative to their eternal conscious torment." Other
notable evangelical scholars have also supported this viewpoint. John
W. Wenham in, "The Goodness of God," published in 1974, and
in "Universalism and the doctrine of Hell," published in 1993,
also states that he believes that Conditional Immortality is a biblical
doctrine. Isaac Watts the famous hymn writer, wrote a book which strongly
supported the viewpoint that the wicked would endure conscious eternal
torment, then later wrote another book which stated why he had become
an Annihilationist. Harold Ernest Guillebaud, who went as a missionary
to Africa in 1925, took for granted that the Traditional viewpoint of
eternal punishment was correct. When the Inter Varsity Fellowship asked
Guillebaud to write a book on "Moral Difficulties of the Bible,"
a chapter on everlasting punishment was omitted from the book when it
was published in 1941, because he felt he had not answered the problems
to his own satisfaction. However after intensive study he changed his
viewpoint and wrote a book called "The Righteous Judge," which
was published in 1964 after his death, in this he set out the arguments
for Conditional Immortality. He wrote that every soul survives the death
of the body, but that both the bodies and souls of the wicked will finally
perish at the second death.
In 2Thes.1v9., Paul writes that the wicked, "shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of his power. In Luke.2v4,5., Jesus said, "And 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. v5. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear:
Fear him, which after {"meta"} he hath killed hath power to
cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." In Matt.10v28., Jesus
gives a similar very strong warning, "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." Here
Jesus speaks of the soul being destroyed in Hell by God. What does He
mean? Traditionalists say it means ruin of prospects rather than the annihilation
and destruction of the soul, Conditionalists say it means destruction
and annihilation of soul. If this destruction of soul does occur, and
we know that it does not immediately take place when the wicked are cast
into Hell, for we read in Rev.20v10., that Antichrist and the False Prophet
are still in the lake of fire 1,000 years after being cast in there. This
definitely proves that they exist and are conscious after they are put
in the lake of fire. That some do suffer conscious confinement in Hell
for a period of time is also confirmed by Rev.14v9,10., here we read that
Jesus and the holy angels examine the souls of the followers of Antichrist
after they have been cast into the lake of fire. Conditionalists would
say that the soul would cease to exist after a period of time.
All the facts about Hell have not been revealed, as Paul, even with
his unique apostolic revelation of New Testament truth, acknowledges
in 1Cor.13v12., "Now we see but a dim and blurred reflection in
a mirror, as in a riddle or enigma ("en ainigmata"), but then
face to face ("prosopon pros prosopon"). Now my knowledge
is partial and incomplete, but then I shall fully know, even as I am
fully known." We will not have full knowledge about eternal punishment
until God's kingdom comes, so we need humility of mind, not dogmatism.
N. B. The soul sleep viewpoint.
These teach that those who die are not conscious and do not exist until
the resurrection, and if this were true, depriving a person of their
body would be in fact annihilation. However, the dead are certainly
not unconscious, they all live to God, as Jesus pointed out to the Sadducees,
who believed in soul-sleep, and also in His parable of the rich man
and Lazarus. Mk.12v26,27. Lk.16v19-31. 20v38. The doctrine of soul sleep
is believed by Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses, however,
great Christian reformers and leaders like William Tyndale and Martin
Luther, have believed this doctrine, as well as other good orthodox
Christians. When Luther's teaching of soul sleep was attacked by Sir
Thomas More, William Tyndale defended Luther's theology, he wrote, "The
true faith putteth the resurrection, which we be warned to look for
every hour. The heathen philosophers, denying that, did put that the
souls did ever live. And the Pope joineth the spiritual doctrine of
the Christ and the fleshly doctrine of philosophers together, things
so contrary that they cannot agree, no more than the Spirit and the
flesh do in a Christian man. And because the fleshly minded Pope consenteth
unto heathen doctrine, therefore he corrupteth the Scripture to establish
it."
Some Conditionalists have stated that Conditional Immortality was believed
and preached by Clement of Rome, died 100 A.D.; Ignatius, died 110-115
A.D.; Polycarp, died 156 A.D. {or 166 A.D. Eusebius}; and Irenaeus,
died 202 A.D. However, others dispute this and say that Conditionalists
have overstated their case by claiming that these early Christian writers
support them. Dean Plumptre feels that Irenaeus agrees with the Conditional
Immortality viewpoint, on page 133 and 134 of his book, "The Spirits
In Prison, he quotes Irenaeus, "And he who shall reject life and
prove himself ungrateful to his Maker deprives himself of continuance
for ever." 2. 34. 3. And again in 5. 27. 2. " Good things
are eternal, and without end in God, and therefore the loss of them
is eternal and never ending." 5. 27. 2.
The Liberal or Modernistic, "No after life,"
viewpoint.
Many of these, like the Sadducees, do not believe in an after life or
resurrection, they believe death is annihilation. Like the unbeliever,
which they really are, they believe the eternal realities of Heaven
and Hell do not exist, and that death is the end.
3. The universal ultimate reconciliation viewpoint.
These, like Origen, Gregory Thaumaturgus, Eusebius, and other Eastern
early Church leaders, and some in more modern times, state that God
would finally reconcile all the lost and allow them into the kingdom.
Some, like Maurice, in his "Theological Essays," and Farrar,
in his books, "Eternal Hope," and "Mercy and Judgement,"
look upon ultimate reconciliation, not as a theological certainty, but
only as a "hope," and admit that human beings may continue
to resist God's efforts for ever. Some use the phrase, "the restoration
of all things," to justify the doctrine of ultimate reconciliation.
However, it must be noted that in Mt.19v28., Jesus states that "the
restoration of all things," "palingenesia," will occur
at His second coming, in the context of this verse He also points out
that it is extremely difficult for rich men to enter the kingdom of
God. At this "restoration," our Lord is forced to send the
goats of Mt.25v31-46., into everlasting punishment in order to preserve
the happiness of the new earth, so "restoration" here, certainly
does not mean ultimate reconciliation. When Peter speaks in Acts.3v21.,
of "the restitution of all things," he uses "apokatastasis,"
which means "reconstitution," this "reconstitution"
is the remaking of a new Heaven and earth that takes place at the second
coming of Christ. Is.65v17-25. The last judgement , which decides the
eternal destinies of all created beings, does not occur until a thousand
years after our Lord's second coming. We read in Revelation 21 and 22,
that another "reconstitution" of Heaven and earth occurs after
the last judgement.
4. The second probation viewpoint.
These believe in a second probation after death, at which God gives
the full light of the truth to all mankind, and that only those who
are irreconcilable will go to Hell. They state that the Scriptures teach
that Jesus has already preached to all the dead. The refusal of the
wicked to repent of their evil ways makes eternal judgement inevitable.
This second probation viewpoint is certainly not ultimate reconciliation,
it recognises that the God of love is forced to send some of His creatures
into eternal punishment, because their determination to commit eternal
sin would forever ruin the happiness of His creation, if they were at
liberty to put their desires into action. We read in Is.32v1,17., that
righteousness is the means of producing and preserving eternal happiness.
God takes away the bodies of angels and men so that they cannot injure
anyone any more. Mankind's first death occurs primarily because of the
loss of the tree of life, the second death occurs because of Divine
judgement. Gen.3v22. Rev.22v2. 21v8. We will consider this at greater
length later on.
5. There are those who say we cannot definitely know
the final outcome of eternal judgement.
Some outstanding theologians have not committed themselves to any definite
conclusion on the subject of eternal punishment. Professor F.F. Bruce,
in his introduction to E. W. Fudge's book, "The Fire That Consumes,"
has written concerning the choice between the viewpoints of eternal
conscious torment, or annihilation after a period of suffering, that
he would not be regarded as a Traditionalist nor a Conditionalist, and
that his thoughts on these issues, would be very much in line with that
of C. S. Lewis; for just as Lewis did not systematise his thoughts on
the subject, he had not done so either. F. F. Bruce probably has some
definite opinions on eternal judgement, but has possibly refused to
disclose them because he does not want to give ammunition to unloving,
critical and judgmental theologians, who use truth to shoot people down
and divide up the body of Christ, rather than build it up in love and
faith.
Billy Graham, is quoted as saying in Time 74, November 15th. 1993,
"The only thing I could say for sure is that hell means separation
from God....When it comes to a literal fire, I don't preach it because
I'm not sure about it." End of quote. I believe the fire is real,
but the nature of that fire is not fully revealed to us, for it is a
fire that consumes the bodies of angels as well as the bodies of men,
and acts as a prison.
It is certainly true that all the details about eternal punishment
are not known to us, as Paul states in 1Cor.13v12., "For now we
see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but
then I shall fully know even as also I am fully known." Our knowledge
of eternal realities is only partial, and we should acknowledge it;
there are facts about eternal punishment, "which are secret and
belong to the Lord." Deut.29v29. We should avoid aggressive dogmatism
for we do not know all the facts. 2Tim.2v25.
God often speaks in ambiguous puzzles, and even the finest prophets
were at times extremely troubled, because they had great difficulty
in understanding and interpreting WHAT God had told to them, and WHEN
the events they prophesied about would take place, and they had to spend
a considerable time in intense prolonged prayer and earnest waiting
upon God to obtain the correct interpretation of their revelations,
it was not a purely intellectual exercise. See Numb.12v6-8. Dan.7v15,28.
8v15-27. 9v21-0-27. 10v21. 1Pet.1v10-12. Even the peerless prophet Daniel
had to be instructed by angels to understand God's purposes and revelation
to him, and at times even he did not understand what was told to him.
Some prophecies have been sealed until an appointed time. Dan12v4. Rev.10v4.
God's prophetic words have puzzled and tested the greatest of the prophets,
and God's revelations about eternal punishment certainly sift, test,
and expose our characters, love, and theology. We can be quite sure
that eternal punishment should never be confused with eternal punishing,
for God certainly does not eternally inflict pain on the wicked, our
God of love is definitely not a sadist. We read in Hos.11v8., "How
can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can
I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboim? My heart churns
and is turned over within Me; all My repentings and compassions are
kindled together."
World history has abundantly demonstrated the misery and carnage that
is produced in the world by power hungry worldly and religious leaders
who have acted out Satan's cruel, evil and selfish plans, and soon the
world will experience the greatest blood-bath it has ever known through
following Satan's evil plans. The choice is either war and misery without
end, or a Divine judgement on evil, and the rule of love and righteousness
that produces peace. Is.32v12,17. After the judgement of the Great White
Throne, God will make sure that there will be no more sorrow through
sin, or any kind of sorrow at all, God will sadly and reluctantly commit
to eternal judgement those whose desire to sin forever makes them a
positive menace to the peace and happiness of His kingdom. Then He will
place before His children those treasures which will forever satisfy
and rejoice our hearts; endless variation, expansion, "creations
beyond imagination", and above all the revelation and all-pervading
presence of God our Father and our Saviour. Our eternal joy and delight
will be in our God and Saviour. Will you be in that kingdom of light
and love? Repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your Saviour, and
enjoy life for ever more.
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