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Hell
Everlasting Punishment These shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.—Matthew 25:46 Robert Whittaker This above text in Matthew is the only one in the King James Bible that contains the phrase “everlasting punishment.” It comes at the end of the parable of the sheep and goats which starts in verse 31. Our Lord comes with all his holy angels and sits on the throne of his glory. Then all the peoples are gathered before him and he proceeds to separate sheep from goats. The sheep are the favored lot and the goats receive eternal punishment. Note that the latter are not said to receive eternal torture. In fact, the sheep are given eternal life in contrast to the goats who receive eternal punishment. The opposite of eternal life is eternal death. We would expect then that all who remain goats will die the second death because resurrection opportunities will then be past. We do not disagree with mainstream Christianity on the length of the final punishment (it is for eternity), but we do disagree on the nature of that punishment. Paul contrasts the wages of sin (death), with the gift of God (eternal life) in Romans 6:23. The Scriptures consistently teach that death is the punishment for sin. “In the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die” is the statement God made to Adam regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17, NKJV). Throughout the Bible life is held out as the reward for obedience to God’s commands and death for the incorrigibly disobedient. Consider these words of Jesus: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God; and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself: and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:24-29, ASV) As we read these words we see initially that one who hears Jesus’ words—who hears in an obedient sense and not just literally—and who believes God (“But without faith it is impossible to please him,” Hebrews 11:6), such a one has everlasting life. He has passed from death in Adam to life in Christ. This is the hour that now is for some to hear. For most, the hour is still coming for them to hear the voice of the son of God. The son has the right to give life. He received this power from the Father. And he has the authority to execute judgment. Those who hear now are a relatively small number compared to those who will hear when they are awakened from the dead. Those who have passed the judgment come forth in the resurrection to life, but the majority come forth in the resurrection to further judgment. Those who hear the voice of the son of God will live; the inference is that those who do not “hear” this voice will die. If everlasting life is the reward for obedience, then everlasting death must be the punishment for continued disobedience. “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18). The contrast is between Adam and Jesus. In Adam all humanity came under the penalty of sin—death condemnation. In Jesus all men came unto justification of life. The contrast is between real life and real death, not an eternal life and some eternal punishment. The opportunity is either now if we hear, or in the future under the judgments of the millennial kingdom. A Much Sorer Punishment “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of 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? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:26-31) These words apply only to those who hear now and come into a covenant relationship with God through our Lord Jesus. These are the ones who are experiencing judgment day now. True Christians may be sinning ignorantly, but they will not be sinning willfully. They will not repudiate the Lord and return to a habitual life of sin. Those in covenant relationship under Moses’ law were put to death for rebellion, but it was not an everlasting death since they will have part in the ransom for all. The rebellion of a footstep follower of Jesus would be serious indeed, since each has received Christ’s merit. The punishment of these would be “much sorer,” since it would be everlasting death. The Plain Truth Consider these well-known words from Jesus: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Life that continues forever is a life without death. To suffer an enduring punishment that has consciousness, one must have everlasting life. Yet such is only promised to those who believe in him. All the rest will perish. Life is promised to the faithful; non-life is promised to the unfaithful. “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear” (Matthew 13:16). “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). This is not the time for the conversion of everyone (Mark 4:11,12). Now is a day of salvation (Isaiah 49:8). In the millennial kingdom the light will shine for all (John 1:9). Satan will be bound to deceive the nations no more (Revelation 20:3). Most will then hear and seek the right path to come unto the obedience required to have life everlasting (Revelation 22:17). All the incorrigible will be destroyed everlastingly (Revelation 20:15). The plan that God has made is really beyond human contrivance (1 Corinthians 2:9,10). No one could think up such an arrangement for the making of a human race that would come to the determined conclusion to worship God freely and willingly out of free will (Romans 11:34). Consider God’s wondrous character. He is the most powerful being there is. Whatever his character, that is what we can expect in his actions. If he were vindictive, cruel, and vengeful he could and probably would create a human race that was vindictive, cruel, and vengeful. But then why reward goodness, righteousness, justice, love, and mercy? Would not the opposite be the case? Hatred, murder, slander, thievery, greed, and covetousness would be the standard. The wicked would have everlasting life and enjoy their selfish rule as they put down any leanings toward righteousness. It is absurd to think that God is holding out the prospect of everlasting torment for incorrigible sinners. The assumption is that this keeps people in line from fear of future corporeal punishment. But this cannot be God’s character. When the apostle John tells us that God is love, he isn’t exaggerating (1 John 4:7,8). Matthew quotes Jesus saying, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”Jesus is reflecting his Father’s words to him. He continues by saying that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:44,45; John 14:10). We have a truly amazing God, so perfect in all his attributes. What made Him that way? This is a question beyond our comprehension, like an infinity that goes on forever into the future and has been forever in the past. However, the Bible does reveal who He is. The fact that we are in His image gives us an awareness of what is good and what is evil; we can test His word for justice and love. God defines what justice and love is and we have been given the mental and moral capacity to recognize it. God, a Rewarder of Faith Now we walk entirely by faith. Our arch enemy Satan is attacking our faith. He is spoken of as the god of this world and is actively seeking to destroy the spiritual temple of God. It may even appear that he is winning. The moral standards of the Bible are not upheld. We are in a corrupt and dying world order. The apostle wrote: “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). We are of those who believe that he is and are diligently seeking him. Such seeking means living a life in accord with the moral and fundamental body of teachings held out in Scripture. One of these fundamental teachings, so clearly taught both by text and reason, is the right understanding of how the incorrigible are going to be everlastingly punished. We recognize it to be everlasting death, real death, not a continuance of life in eternal misery. Others, whose eyes are not yet open to this enlightening doctrine, either ignore it, silently repudiate it, or actively preach from texts of Scripture which to their minds teach a punishment of eternal woe. It is not for us to make judgments on the standing another has by his faith. God knows the motivation. Perhaps these, as Saul before his conversion, are persecuting Christians in good conscience. But to those who can see the divine plan of the ages, how beautiful are the doctrines of everlasting life and everlasting death. Let us seek life that we may live. God through the prophet tells us: “Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:24). Our understanding and knowledge of God must recognize that his character (and consequent dealings with mankind) are founded on lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness. He delights in our recognition of these qualities. Therefore, to credit him with vindictiveness, wrath, and unrighteousness, such as is taught in the eternal torment of sinners theory, is a blight on his character and must be repudiated by all who love him in sincerity and truth. The Scriptural presentation of eternal punishment is so loving, so just, and so reasonable that we proclaim it is just what we expect from a loving God. The whole plan of God is to bring his intelligent creation to a higher plane of understanding him (John 17:3). He does not want to coerce men or angels into obedience by threats of torture. He wants them to live by obedience from the heart. He has no intention of keeping the disobedient alive forever. Eventually they will be cut off in everlasting death—eternal punishment. Satan himself is to receive that punishment as are the unrepentant angels which kept not their first estate (Matthew 25:41). These will all go into the symbolic lake of fire, which is the second death, from which there will be no resurrection (Revelation 20:14,15). Then the universe will be free of all rebellion against God’s righteous will. Then will be the realization of that joyous anthem sung by the angels at the birth of Christ: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good-will to men” (Luke 2:14). |