What is the nature of hell, and of the God who sends people there? Is it a separation to which God reluctantly--even tearfully--casts the hopelessly unrepentant? Or has He made the wicked for this very day as "vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?" (Romans 9:22). That depends on who you ask. Shirley Guthrie sees God as a relucant avenger: "...even if you 'make your bed in hell' God will still be there--the God who is for and not against you. You will never be able to escape the relentless love of God in Jesus Christ that is for hell-bent people just like you." Jonathan Edwards had a slightly different tack, warning "God will be so far from pitying you when you cry to Him, that He will only laugh at you."
Whereas hell can be conceived in any number of ways, there seems to be general consensus that hell is the absence of God. This verse finds Biblical support from 2 Thessalonians 1:9, which states "who shall be punished with everlasting fire from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power." This verse can be understood in two ways: 1) as fire that issues from God's presence, and destroys His enemies, or 2) as a fire tormenting the wicked as they are consigned to eternal separation from God.
It is only the second interpretation that will be treated here, as it poses certain logical inconsistencies. In this interpretation, the wicked will exist forever away from God and the "glory of His power." Here's where the problem comes in: Isn't the glory of God's power always in view when He's dispensing His wrath? Who is more subject to the glory of God's power than one who is being continually crushed by it? Doesn't the Bible describe the wicked as "vessels of wrath"? (Romans 9:22) Look at Exodus 24:17: "And the sight of the glory of God was like devouring fire on top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel." This verse states that the glory of God is like a devouring fire--the very fire Rev. 20:10 says will torment the wicked. If this is true, then how can the wicked be away from this aspect of God? We cannot say that the wicked, while enduring the wrath of God for breaking the law of God are away from the very glory pictured as fire and depicting the wrath that comes with His law. Moreover, Rev. 14:7 states: "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." This verse is actually announcing the judgment described in verse 10, which clearly takes place in the presence of God and is to His glory. This theme is also found in Psalm 77:10: "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee."
The outpouring of God's wrath demonstrates His glory. Look at Gen. 8:22: "For the scripture saith unto Pharoah, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth."
Given all of these facts it should be evident that this interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 1:9 as a place where the wicked are held in torment away from God's presence simply does not stand up to thorough scrutiny.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
REVELATION 14:11-12
Rev. 14:11-12 states: "The 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: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receiveth the mark of his name."
This passage is often cited as a proof text for the traditional view of hell. That's easy to understand, as it contains a myriad of phrases and images that one can easily employ to convey eternal torment: "fire and brimstone", "torment," smoke which "ascendeth up forever and ever", and "no rest day nor night." It's not hard to see why this verse is one of the favorites for traditionalists to cite in support of their position.
There are at least four factors, however, that argue against the traditional teaching.
1) The wicked are cast out of God's presence, not tormented in it.
2) The image of smoke going up forever is one of completed desolation (Gen. 19:28, Isaiah 43:10), not ongoing torment.
3) Rev. 9 actually depicts man being tormented and killed on earth by fire and brimstone.
4) Rev 14:10-11 is actually an announcement by an angel of the wrath to be dispensed in the rest of the chapter--a great slaughter which ends in extinction.
This passage is often cited as a proof text for the traditional view of hell. That's easy to understand, as it contains a myriad of phrases and images that one can easily employ to convey eternal torment: "fire and brimstone", "torment," smoke which "ascendeth up forever and ever", and "no rest day nor night." It's not hard to see why this verse is one of the favorites for traditionalists to cite in support of their position.
There are at least four factors, however, that argue against the traditional teaching.
1) The wicked are cast out of God's presence, not tormented in it.
2) The image of smoke going up forever is one of completed desolation (Gen. 19:28, Isaiah 43:10), not ongoing torment.
3) Rev. 9 actually depicts man being tormented and killed on earth by fire and brimstone.
4) Rev 14:10-11 is actually an announcement by an angel of the wrath to be dispensed in the rest of the chapter--a great slaughter which ends in extinction.
Monday, January 17, 2011
IMAGES OF TORMENT--DARKNESS
At least three New Testament verses mention Outer darkness.
Matt. 8:11-12: "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. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness; there sahll be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
This verse should be compared with its sister verse in Luke for a better understanding. Luke 13:25-28 reads "When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know not whence you are: then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence you are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There 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."
Notice it's at the thrusting out--or separation phase--when there's weeping; it says nothing of the duration of the weeping. There's no indication that the weeping occurs after the banishment; in Matt. 25 it occurs before the banishment, and there's no reason to think it's any different here.
Matt. 22:13 "Then the king said to his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
It's important to note that the same passage in Rev. 9 that discusses the furnace of fire also says the earth is "darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit." It's discussing fire and darkness on earth, not the lake of fire.
Matt. 8:11-12: "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. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness; there sahll be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
This verse should be compared with its sister verse in Luke for a better understanding. Luke 13:25-28 reads "When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know not whence you are: then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence you are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There 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."
Notice it's at the thrusting out--or separation phase--when there's weeping; it says nothing of the duration of the weeping. There's no indication that the weeping occurs after the banishment; in Matt. 25 it occurs before the banishment, and there's no reason to think it's any different here.
Matt. 22:13 "Then the king said to his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
It's important to note that the same passage in Rev. 9 that discusses the furnace of fire also says the earth is "darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit." It's discussing fire and darkness on earth, not the lake of fire.
IMAGES OF JUDGMENT--THE FURNACE OF FIRE
Matthew 13:38-42 states "The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one. The enemy that soweth them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire; so shall it be at the end of the world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
The furnace of fire is usually taken to mean hell or the lake of fire, but this appears to ignore Rev. 9, which pictures the wicked in a furnace of fire: "And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit." The ensuing verses describe the torment; verse 18 has them killed by fire and brimstone. The torment described here corresponds to that described in Rev. 14:10, which is earthly torment, as evidenced by the fact that it occurs in the presence of the Lamb, whereas hell is described as a place outside of God's presence (Matt. 25:41). The fact that the angels do the separating or "gathering" also corresponds more closely to Rev. 9 than Matt. 25:32, where God does the separating, or Rev. 20:15.
The furnace of fire is usually taken to mean hell or the lake of fire, but this appears to ignore Rev. 9, which pictures the wicked in a furnace of fire: "And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit." The ensuing verses describe the torment; verse 18 has them killed by fire and brimstone. The torment described here corresponds to that described in Rev. 14:10, which is earthly torment, as evidenced by the fact that it occurs in the presence of the Lamb, whereas hell is described as a place outside of God's presence (Matt. 25:41). The fact that the angels do the separating or "gathering" also corresponds more closely to Rev. 9 than Matt. 25:32, where God does the separating, or Rev. 20:15.
NO WEEPING AND GNASHING
It's interesting to note that hell and the lake of fire is never once mentioned in connection with weeping and gnashing of teeth. Likewise, when weeping is mentioned, hell is not. This is true despite the fact that the Bible contains about two dozen verses which either record conscious torment or mention hell or the lake of fire, or allude to it with references to incineration. Yet they never, ever intersect. Eleven references to hell are listed below. All of them share one thing in common: they record no conscious response by the wicked.
Matt. 3:12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Matt. 25:46 "And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
Mark 9:43-44 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two good hands to go into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched: where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Matt. 5:29 "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."
Matt. 10:28 "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 body and soul in hell."
Matt. 7:22-23 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And I will profess unto them, I never knew you: Depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Matt. 18:8 "Wherefore if thy hand or foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire."
Matt. 13:30 "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
Rev. 22:15 "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolators, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."
2 Peter 3:10 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervants heat, and the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up."
Rev. 20:14 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire; this is the second death."
Matt. 3:12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Matt. 25:46 "And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
Mark 9:43-44 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two good hands to go into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched: where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Matt. 5:29 "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."
Matt. 10:28 "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 body and soul in hell."
Matt. 7:22-23 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And I will profess unto them, I never knew you: Depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Matt. 18:8 "Wherefore if thy hand or foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire."
Matt. 13:30 "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
Rev. 22:15 "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolators, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."
2 Peter 3:10 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervants heat, and the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up."
Rev. 20:14 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire; this is the second death."
Sunday, January 16, 2011
CREED ABOVE ALL ELSE
In their book Two Views of Hell, conditionalist Edward Fudge says of his opponent, traditionalist Robert Peterson "Peterson belongs to and teaches for a denomination that requires him to defend a particular historical creed--the Westminster Confession of Faith...If someone raises a theological question, Peterson believes that the correct answer is found in a creed."
Peterson confirms Fudge's point in the very first paragraph of his response to Fudge's argument. He writes:
"In the spring of 1992 I taught for the first time what has become a favorite elective: Systematic Theology 658, Eternal Destinies. I will never forget the effect that reading the first edition of Edward Fudge's The Fire That Consumes had on my small group of students...As they began to read his book and consider his case for annihilationism, they came to class complaining of physical symptoms including headaches and churning stomachs. I gave them credit for not being dismissive but for earnestly considering Fudge's arguments."
Wow! Think for moment about that statement. It says two things about his students: 1) They were so attached to the orthodoxies they had been taught that a challenge to one of them made them physically ill. Mind you this was not a challenge that affected their own eternal destinies in any way, but merely argued that the future of the unsaved might be different than they believed. 2) They were upset to the point of illness at the thought of the vast majority of mankind not suffering unimaginable agony forever.
This admission is so incredible as to hardly require commentary--it says every bad thing that could possibly be said about the mindset of traditionalists all by itself. Fudge noted in his statement about Peterson's allegiance to his creed that "I am not suggesting that Peterson is engaged in any sort of duplicity or that his opinions arise out of any impure motives." Fudge was too kind. If Peterson's anything at all like his students--surely he started out as a young Bible student, too--then he too must have placed orthodoxy above all else. You would think someone would be glad to be proven wrong about a belief in an eternal torment, but you would be wrong. If it goes against their creeds, then even the horrible notion of people not burning in hell is something to be resisted at all costs. Clarity and comfort in one's position becomes more important than anything else. When it's threatened, fear takes over, the defenses go up, and the status quo must be defended--the teacher must come to the rescue to assure the students that their God--um, creed--was right all along.
Peterson confirms Fudge's point in the very first paragraph of his response to Fudge's argument. He writes:
"In the spring of 1992 I taught for the first time what has become a favorite elective: Systematic Theology 658, Eternal Destinies. I will never forget the effect that reading the first edition of Edward Fudge's The Fire That Consumes had on my small group of students...As they began to read his book and consider his case for annihilationism, they came to class complaining of physical symptoms including headaches and churning stomachs. I gave them credit for not being dismissive but for earnestly considering Fudge's arguments."
Wow! Think for moment about that statement. It says two things about his students: 1) They were so attached to the orthodoxies they had been taught that a challenge to one of them made them physically ill. Mind you this was not a challenge that affected their own eternal destinies in any way, but merely argued that the future of the unsaved might be different than they believed. 2) They were upset to the point of illness at the thought of the vast majority of mankind not suffering unimaginable agony forever.
This admission is so incredible as to hardly require commentary--it says every bad thing that could possibly be said about the mindset of traditionalists all by itself. Fudge noted in his statement about Peterson's allegiance to his creed that "I am not suggesting that Peterson is engaged in any sort of duplicity or that his opinions arise out of any impure motives." Fudge was too kind. If Peterson's anything at all like his students--surely he started out as a young Bible student, too--then he too must have placed orthodoxy above all else. You would think someone would be glad to be proven wrong about a belief in an eternal torment, but you would be wrong. If it goes against their creeds, then even the horrible notion of people not burning in hell is something to be resisted at all costs. Clarity and comfort in one's position becomes more important than anything else. When it's threatened, fear takes over, the defenses go up, and the status quo must be defended--the teacher must come to the rescue to assure the students that their God--um, creed--was right all along.
RESURRECTION OF BONES?
Traditional church teaching holds that on judgment day God will resurrect both the just and the wicked to stand for judgment. Some theologians believe only the just will be resurrected. This is even one of the tenets of the Jehovah's Witness faith. Controversial radio preacher Harold Camping has put forth an intriguing twist on this issue. He contends that there will indeed be a resurrection of the wicked, but it will not be a resurrection to conscious existence. Instead it will consist of a scattering of their bones upon the earth, thereby making them a spectacle of shame and contempt to those on the earth. This is the resurrection "unto shame and contempt" spoken of in Daniel 12:2, and it will occur when a great earthquake shakes the bones of the dead out of their graves. It's a radical suggestion, and one squarely at odds with traditional church doctrine. But is it Biblical? It does seem to have a leg to stand on. Let's look at four reasons why.
1) It's true that several passages of the New Testament seem to teach a universal resurrection (Rev 20:12, 1 Cor 5:10, John 5:28, Acts 24:15). But there are also New Testament verses that seem to reserve the resurrection for the just alone (John 6:54, Luke 20:35), and at least two Old Testament verses (Jer. 25:27, 51:57) that suggest the wicked will never live again.
2) Daniel 12:2 says: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and contempt."
3) Shame and contempt is frequently associated with not having a decent burial (Ecc. 6:3).
4) Isaiah 26:14 says "the earth shall cast out the dead" and describes some coming forth to life (19) and some to shame and contempt (21).
It's worth noting that the term "casting out of the grave" can also mean to be denied a burial (Isaiah 14:19). In this verse, however, one could make the case that the wicked are literally cast out of their graves even as the just are cast out of theirs (thus fulfilling Daniel 12:2).
Mr. Camping points to Jer. 7:33-8:2 as evidence: "And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away...At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of their graves: And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved and whom they have served...they shall not be...buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth."
One might object that this verse refers to Psalm 79, in which it finds literal fullfillment in the history of the Jewish nation when the heathen root through the bones of the Jews. But they will not be rooting through their graves on the Day of the Lord, which is what this verse seems to have in view. Simply compare the scene it describes with that portrayed in Jer 25: 33, which appears to be discussing the Day of the Lord: "And the slain of the Lord shall be on that day from one end of the earth unto the other...they shall not be...buried; they shall be dung upon the ground." Verse 10 of this chapter quotes Jer. 7:34, making clear that the same event is in view: "Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate."
Isaiah 66:24 describes the same scene, as does Rev 19:19-21, which uses the same phrase found in Jer. 7:33: "...and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." Zephaniah 1:8, which is undoubtebly discussing the Day of thee Lord, says the Lord will "punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel." Compare this verse with Jer. 8:1: "At that time, saith the Lord, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests..." Zephaniah goes on to say in 1:17: "their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung."
A statement by Edward Fudge, who supports the traditional view of the resurrection, nevertheless provides some information that helps to lend credence to Mr Camping's interpretation: "Daniel 12:1-2 provides one of the few explicit Old Testament references to the resurrection of both the good and the evil. The prophecy clearly states that "multitudes" will awake from the dust of the earth, but that they will be raised in two forms: "some to everlasting life" and "others to everlasting shame and contempt" (Dan 12:2). The Hebrew word translated contempt here is the same word translated "loathsome" in Isaiah 66:24 where it describes unburied corpses." In other words, the contempt of the "resurrected" dead is closely identified with the contempt of the unburied corpses at the end of the world. The connection between scattered bones and shame is also found in Psalm 53:5: "...God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them."
Isaiah 26:19 says "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead..." We know that this casting out will include the just and the wicked; Daniel 12:2 says: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt." Remember, the word translated contempt here is the same word used to describe the corpses of Isaiah 66:24. And we know from Jer. 7:33-8:2 that the bones of the wicked will literally be cast out of their graves on the Day of the Lord, the same day in view in Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:2. We can know therefore, that the event being described is a scattering of the bones of the wicked like dung all over the ground. Isaiah 26:21 says: "For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain."
Some might object that to have one's bones scattered is not much of a punishment. One must consider, however, that the Jewish mindset of that time was different than ours. To us a great life and a bad burial is a pretty good trade-off, but not to the ancient Jews (Ecc.6:3). A Jew of that day placed as much importance on how they were buried and remembered as on the quality of their lives on this earth. Solomon's despair in Ecclesiastes related almost exclusively to how things would go after he was gone--something we don't particularly care about these days. To us it's all about our conscious existence in the here and now; to the Jews it was all about legacy and posterity and future generations. The Jews valued the meaning of their lives, which could be measured by the kind of burial they received. To the Jews, reward and punishment could occur after death with no regard to conscious experience.
1) It's true that several passages of the New Testament seem to teach a universal resurrection (Rev 20:12, 1 Cor 5:10, John 5:28, Acts 24:15). But there are also New Testament verses that seem to reserve the resurrection for the just alone (John 6:54, Luke 20:35), and at least two Old Testament verses (Jer. 25:27, 51:57) that suggest the wicked will never live again.
2) Daniel 12:2 says: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and contempt."
3) Shame and contempt is frequently associated with not having a decent burial (Ecc. 6:3).
4) Isaiah 26:14 says "the earth shall cast out the dead" and describes some coming forth to life (19) and some to shame and contempt (21).
It's worth noting that the term "casting out of the grave" can also mean to be denied a burial (Isaiah 14:19). In this verse, however, one could make the case that the wicked are literally cast out of their graves even as the just are cast out of theirs (thus fulfilling Daniel 12:2).
Mr. Camping points to Jer. 7:33-8:2 as evidence: "And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away...At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of their graves: And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved and whom they have served...they shall not be...buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth."
One might object that this verse refers to Psalm 79, in which it finds literal fullfillment in the history of the Jewish nation when the heathen root through the bones of the Jews. But they will not be rooting through their graves on the Day of the Lord, which is what this verse seems to have in view. Simply compare the scene it describes with that portrayed in Jer 25: 33, which appears to be discussing the Day of the Lord: "And the slain of the Lord shall be on that day from one end of the earth unto the other...they shall not be...buried; they shall be dung upon the ground." Verse 10 of this chapter quotes Jer. 7:34, making clear that the same event is in view: "Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate."
Isaiah 66:24 describes the same scene, as does Rev 19:19-21, which uses the same phrase found in Jer. 7:33: "...and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." Zephaniah 1:8, which is undoubtebly discussing the Day of thee Lord, says the Lord will "punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel." Compare this verse with Jer. 8:1: "At that time, saith the Lord, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests..." Zephaniah goes on to say in 1:17: "their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung."
A statement by Edward Fudge, who supports the traditional view of the resurrection, nevertheless provides some information that helps to lend credence to Mr Camping's interpretation: "Daniel 12:1-2 provides one of the few explicit Old Testament references to the resurrection of both the good and the evil. The prophecy clearly states that "multitudes" will awake from the dust of the earth, but that they will be raised in two forms: "some to everlasting life" and "others to everlasting shame and contempt" (Dan 12:2). The Hebrew word translated contempt here is the same word translated "loathsome" in Isaiah 66:24 where it describes unburied corpses." In other words, the contempt of the "resurrected" dead is closely identified with the contempt of the unburied corpses at the end of the world. The connection between scattered bones and shame is also found in Psalm 53:5: "...God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them."
Isaiah 26:19 says "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead..." We know that this casting out will include the just and the wicked; Daniel 12:2 says: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt." Remember, the word translated contempt here is the same word used to describe the corpses of Isaiah 66:24. And we know from Jer. 7:33-8:2 that the bones of the wicked will literally be cast out of their graves on the Day of the Lord, the same day in view in Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:2. We can know therefore, that the event being described is a scattering of the bones of the wicked like dung all over the ground. Isaiah 26:21 says: "For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain."
Some might object that to have one's bones scattered is not much of a punishment. One must consider, however, that the Jewish mindset of that time was different than ours. To us a great life and a bad burial is a pretty good trade-off, but not to the ancient Jews (Ecc.6:3). A Jew of that day placed as much importance on how they were buried and remembered as on the quality of their lives on this earth. Solomon's despair in Ecclesiastes related almost exclusively to how things would go after he was gone--something we don't particularly care about these days. To us it's all about our conscious existence in the here and now; to the Jews it was all about legacy and posterity and future generations. The Jews valued the meaning of their lives, which could be measured by the kind of burial they received. To the Jews, reward and punishment could occur after death with no regard to conscious experience.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
INFINITE PUNISHMENT
Perhaps the most nagging question arising out of the debate about eternal torment is this: Why the need for it? Why would God have to punish people forever? No remotely logical answer has ever been given. The closest anyone comes is to say that sin against an infinite God requires infinite punishment. One argument for hell is the belief that the Bible teaches degrees of punishment in the after-life. Everlasting death cannot accomplish this purpose; therefore hell must be eternal torment. Do you see the contradiction here? Hell must be infinite to satisfy an infinite God, yet it will vary in intensity from person to person according to their deeds. These two ideas stand in stark contradiction to each other. If God must send people to hell because He's an infinite God, and therefore infinitely offended by all sin, then every sin must by definition require infinite punishment. A child's white lie must offend Him infinitely, thereby demanding the exact same punishment as a mass murder. There's no getting around this by noting that hell is indeed infinite in duration for all who go there even though the intensity may vary. This is no answer to the problem; if God is offended infinitely, then He must punish each sin to the utmost degree possible, which would mean infinite duration and intensity. That means nothing less than to insist that every soul in hell--yes, chidren, too--must endure the most intense agony conceivable for all eternity; they must be cast into the hottest flame, where they will remain, screaming at the top of their lungs, without pause, forever and ever.
No sane person would propose to measure sin without considering the nature of the sinner as well as the one sinned against. Nor does the Bible insist we do so. The Bible indicates that God is mindful of "our frame, that we are but dust," (Psalm 103:14, and that he "remembereth that they were but flesh..." (Psalm 78:39). Moreover, God equates sin against man with sin against Himself. In the book Two Views of Hell, Edward Fudge observes "God demanded that the Jews provide the same justice for every person, regardless of the person's rank or standing in society (Ex 23:3; Lev. 19:15; Deut 1:17). This principle of a single standard applicable to all classes of people found clear expression in the law known as lex talionis--an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Lev. 24:19-22)...Furthermore, Israel's laws were meant to elicit praise for the justice of God himself (Deut 4:5-8)."
By proposing degrees of punishment in hell, traditionalists implicitly, if not explicitly, concede that God does in fact consider our frame in accessing the penalty for sin, thereby undercutting their own argument that sin requires infinite punishment based on the fact that it's committed against an infinite God. The fact that an infinite God sets a perfect, inflexible standard does not dictate infinite offense at the failure of finite beings to meet that standard. A father's standard is the same for all his children; his offense at the transgression of that standard varies according to the age and capacities of the child.
God demonstrates His mindfulness of our frame--that we "are but dust"--in decreeing death as the punishment for sin. Man comes from the dust and to dust he returns. The only just punishment for the continued misuse of something--inclusing life--is the revocation of the thing being misused. If a child is misusing a toy, we take it from her; we don't torture her. Other punishments may be necessary, but only to the extent that we don't wish to revoke the toy.
The implications of the infinite-God-requires-infinite-punishment argument are twofold: 1) there cannot be degrees of punishment in hell, and 2) hell must be complete immersion in the hottest flame for all time for all who go there, including children (please, no age of accountability nonsense; that's a bigger crock than purgatory). If the traditionalist can accept this, fine: we may proceed with the debate on other grounds. If not, they must either rethink their rationale for the need for hell, or perhaps consider giving it up entirely.
No sane person would propose to measure sin without considering the nature of the sinner as well as the one sinned against. Nor does the Bible insist we do so. The Bible indicates that God is mindful of "our frame, that we are but dust," (Psalm 103:14, and that he "remembereth that they were but flesh..." (Psalm 78:39). Moreover, God equates sin against man with sin against Himself. In the book Two Views of Hell, Edward Fudge observes "God demanded that the Jews provide the same justice for every person, regardless of the person's rank or standing in society (Ex 23:3; Lev. 19:15; Deut 1:17). This principle of a single standard applicable to all classes of people found clear expression in the law known as lex talionis--an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Lev. 24:19-22)...Furthermore, Israel's laws were meant to elicit praise for the justice of God himself (Deut 4:5-8)."
By proposing degrees of punishment in hell, traditionalists implicitly, if not explicitly, concede that God does in fact consider our frame in accessing the penalty for sin, thereby undercutting their own argument that sin requires infinite punishment based on the fact that it's committed against an infinite God. The fact that an infinite God sets a perfect, inflexible standard does not dictate infinite offense at the failure of finite beings to meet that standard. A father's standard is the same for all his children; his offense at the transgression of that standard varies according to the age and capacities of the child.
God demonstrates His mindfulness of our frame--that we "are but dust"--in decreeing death as the punishment for sin. Man comes from the dust and to dust he returns. The only just punishment for the continued misuse of something--inclusing life--is the revocation of the thing being misused. If a child is misusing a toy, we take it from her; we don't torture her. Other punishments may be necessary, but only to the extent that we don't wish to revoke the toy.
The implications of the infinite-God-requires-infinite-punishment argument are twofold: 1) there cannot be degrees of punishment in hell, and 2) hell must be complete immersion in the hottest flame for all time for all who go there, including children (please, no age of accountability nonsense; that's a bigger crock than purgatory). If the traditionalist can accept this, fine: we may proceed with the debate on other grounds. If not, they must either rethink their rationale for the need for hell, or perhaps consider giving it up entirely.
Monday, January 10, 2011
JUDAS
Traditionalists often cite Matthew 26:24 as a proof text: "...woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed: it had been good for that man if he had not been born." Surely this verse is suggesting eternal torment, right? Well...maybe yes and maybe no. What if this verse could be interpreted in a way that's more consistent with extinction? Matthew 27:5-8 reads:
"And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The Field of Blood, unto this day."
Now, let's look at Ecclesiastes 6:3: "If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years...and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he." Judas had a burial, but a disgraceful one. The disgrace is emphasized in Acts 1:18-20:
"Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity...And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take."
Let his habitation be desolate! No fate could be worse for a Jew of that day! Genesis 49:29-33 underscores how important it was for the Jews of that time to have a decent burial with their own people:
"And he (Jacob) charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite...There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebecca his wife; and there I buried Leah...And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people."
As if that weren't enough, there's another reason why it would have been better for Judas if he had never been born--a bad name! Proverbs 22:1 states: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." Ecc. 7:1 declares "A good name is better than precious ointment."
Judas has quite possibly the worse name in all of history.
But even having said all that, there's another way to look at the issue, and that way also squares better with extinction. If Judas's fate was eternal torment, then it didn't differ from the vast majority of mankind. It would be better for any unsaved person to never be born than to go to hell. Why single Judas out?
But suppose that there is no burning hell of conscious torment, just the grave. In that case it makes sense to single Judas out. What if all that unsaved man had was this life? Whose life would be a greater tragedy--that of ordinary John Q. Sinner, who by all appearances seemed like a pretty good fellow, who lived and died in the usual way, and was properly eulogized and fondly remembered by friends and family, or Judas Iscariot, who lived torn between good and evil, vacillating, double-minded, then finally was swayed by Satan into betraying his master, then felt so crushed by guilt that he changed his mind--again--returned the money, and hanged himself. And then is forever remembered as a traitor whose very name is a slur? How many of us leave behind a legacy like that? When we look at the story of Judas Iscariot, his fate, as described by Christ, seems to stand out as a prime example for the extinction of the wicked.
"And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The Field of Blood, unto this day."
Now, let's look at Ecclesiastes 6:3: "If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years...and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he." Judas had a burial, but a disgraceful one. The disgrace is emphasized in Acts 1:18-20:
"Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity...And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take."
Let his habitation be desolate! No fate could be worse for a Jew of that day! Genesis 49:29-33 underscores how important it was for the Jews of that time to have a decent burial with their own people:
"And he (Jacob) charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite...There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebecca his wife; and there I buried Leah...And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people."
As if that weren't enough, there's another reason why it would have been better for Judas if he had never been born--a bad name! Proverbs 22:1 states: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." Ecc. 7:1 declares "A good name is better than precious ointment."
Judas has quite possibly the worse name in all of history.
But even having said all that, there's another way to look at the issue, and that way also squares better with extinction. If Judas's fate was eternal torment, then it didn't differ from the vast majority of mankind. It would be better for any unsaved person to never be born than to go to hell. Why single Judas out?
But suppose that there is no burning hell of conscious torment, just the grave. In that case it makes sense to single Judas out. What if all that unsaved man had was this life? Whose life would be a greater tragedy--that of ordinary John Q. Sinner, who by all appearances seemed like a pretty good fellow, who lived and died in the usual way, and was properly eulogized and fondly remembered by friends and family, or Judas Iscariot, who lived torn between good and evil, vacillating, double-minded, then finally was swayed by Satan into betraying his master, then felt so crushed by guilt that he changed his mind--again--returned the money, and hanged himself. And then is forever remembered as a traitor whose very name is a slur? How many of us leave behind a legacy like that? When we look at the story of Judas Iscariot, his fate, as described by Christ, seems to stand out as a prime example for the extinction of the wicked.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
CHRIST'S DEATH
If the wages of sin are hell rather than death, we should expect to find the most vivid demonstration of this in the person who came to pay that wage. It is at the cross, however, that we find the least evidence for hell. Here--where "hell" is encountered head-on--is precisely where all of the language of hell falls silent. That silence is pierced by a thunderous cacophony consisting solely of the language of death. In his book The Fire That Consumes, Edward Fudge observes:
"The Bible exhausts the vocabulary of dying in speaking of what happened to Jesus. He "died for our sins" (1 Cor. 15:3). He laid down his "life" (John 10:15). He was destroyed (Matthew 27:20) or killed (Acts 3:15). Jesus compared his own death to the dissolution of a kernel of wheat in the same passage that means losing one's life rather than loving it in order to find life eternal (John 12:23-26). Jesus "poured out His life unto death..."
This blog is called ETERNAL FIRE: The Beginning or the End? By every indication if Christ didn't rise from the dead, it would have been the end of Him and of those who died in Him. 1 Cor. 15:13 states "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished."
Of course it is impossible to completely disentangle the language of death from the language of torment, precisely because death is a torturous thing. We see this reflected in a messianic verse like Jonah 2:1-6:
"Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me: out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the bottom of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever, yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God."
In Jonah, the language of extinction and torment collide. Which one is correct? And what about Acts 2:27, which talks about Christ in "hell"? What does that mean? This is why we compare scriipture with scripture. By doing so here we can discover four things that help put the matter in perspective: 1) Hell is the grave; that was its common usage. 2) Death and the grave (hell) is depicted as a violent force whose end is extinction. 3) The sea is a metaphor for hell (the grave). 4) The sea will be no more.
1)Hell is the grave "Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell." (Psalm 55:15) Effectively, this verse is saying "Let them die and go to the grave." Words like hell, the deep, the pit, and the grave were used interchangeably in the Old Testament. Christ did not go to a hell of eternal torment. He went into the grave (Acts 2:27).
2) The language of torment and death are interwoven; death is a violent force whose end is extinction. "Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them...and their beauty shall consume in the grave..." (Psalm 49:14) "Let them be confounded and troubled forever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish." (Psalm 83:17)
"Consume them in thy wrath, consume them, that they may not be." (Psalm 59:13)
3) The sea is a metaphor for hell (the grave), and it hungrily swallows up its victims:
"All thy waves and billows are gone over me" (Psalm 42:7)
"Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered...out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me." (Psalm 69:14-16)
"I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hast no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou remembers no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with thy waves." (Psalm 88:4-7)
The description of Jonah (Christ) swallowed by the sea does not imply eternal torment. The Bible is simply employing for Christ the same language it employs elsewhere. The last verse makes clear what's really in view is not torment, but death: "thou brought up my life from corruption..." The language of torment precedes what's really in view--death, as in Psalm 83:17: "Let them be troubled forever, yea, let them perish." Perish. It is what the Bible says would have happened to those fallen asleep in Christ had he not been raised (1 Cor. 15:13).
4) The sea (hell) will be no more. "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." (Rev. 20:14) "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." (Rev. 21:1)
If Christ endured an eternity in hell, then His experience could never be shared by another, much less by a believer. But Matt. 20:23 indicates just the opposite: "Ye shall indeed drink of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptised with..." This cup refers to the cross: "...the cup which the father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18:11).
In closing, it is worthwile noting that Old Testament sacrifices were not tormented; they were killed. By every indication this is what happened to Christ on the cross. He became a curse for us (Gal. 13:13), and then shed His blood for us (Heb. 9:14). In Christ--the revelation of God's wrath--we find the language of death (Romans 6:23), resurrection (1 Cor. 15:42), reconciliation (Romans 5:10), washing, sanctification, and justification (1 Cor. 6:11), intercession (Heb. 9:15), blood (1 Cor. 11:25), redemption (Heb. 9:12), purification (Heb. 9:23), and ultimate union with God (1 Thess. 4:17), but nothing whatsoever of weeping and gnashing of teeth, fire and brimstone, or worms and maggots. In God's clearest, dearest, most intimate revelation of Himself and His wrath, we find only the language of the two polar opposites that God set before us from the beginning--life and death. The pronouncement in Romans 6:23--"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord"--seems to be God's final word on the subject of His wrath as revealed in Jesus Christ.
"The Bible exhausts the vocabulary of dying in speaking of what happened to Jesus. He "died for our sins" (1 Cor. 15:3). He laid down his "life" (John 10:15). He was destroyed (Matthew 27:20) or killed (Acts 3:15). Jesus compared his own death to the dissolution of a kernel of wheat in the same passage that means losing one's life rather than loving it in order to find life eternal (John 12:23-26). Jesus "poured out His life unto death..."
This blog is called ETERNAL FIRE: The Beginning or the End? By every indication if Christ didn't rise from the dead, it would have been the end of Him and of those who died in Him. 1 Cor. 15:13 states "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished."
Of course it is impossible to completely disentangle the language of death from the language of torment, precisely because death is a torturous thing. We see this reflected in a messianic verse like Jonah 2:1-6:
"Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me: out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the bottom of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever, yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God."
In Jonah, the language of extinction and torment collide. Which one is correct? And what about Acts 2:27, which talks about Christ in "hell"? What does that mean? This is why we compare scriipture with scripture. By doing so here we can discover four things that help put the matter in perspective: 1) Hell is the grave; that was its common usage. 2) Death and the grave (hell) is depicted as a violent force whose end is extinction. 3) The sea is a metaphor for hell (the grave). 4) The sea will be no more.
1)Hell is the grave "Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell." (Psalm 55:15) Effectively, this verse is saying "Let them die and go to the grave." Words like hell, the deep, the pit, and the grave were used interchangeably in the Old Testament. Christ did not go to a hell of eternal torment. He went into the grave (Acts 2:27).
2) The language of torment and death are interwoven; death is a violent force whose end is extinction. "Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them...and their beauty shall consume in the grave..." (Psalm 49:14) "Let them be confounded and troubled forever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish." (Psalm 83:17)
"Consume them in thy wrath, consume them, that they may not be." (Psalm 59:13)
3) The sea is a metaphor for hell (the grave), and it hungrily swallows up its victims:
"All thy waves and billows are gone over me" (Psalm 42:7)
"Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered...out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me." (Psalm 69:14-16)
"I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hast no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou remembers no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with thy waves." (Psalm 88:4-7)
The description of Jonah (Christ) swallowed by the sea does not imply eternal torment. The Bible is simply employing for Christ the same language it employs elsewhere. The last verse makes clear what's really in view is not torment, but death: "thou brought up my life from corruption..." The language of torment precedes what's really in view--death, as in Psalm 83:17: "Let them be troubled forever, yea, let them perish." Perish. It is what the Bible says would have happened to those fallen asleep in Christ had he not been raised (1 Cor. 15:13).
4) The sea (hell) will be no more. "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." (Rev. 20:14) "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." (Rev. 21:1)
If Christ endured an eternity in hell, then His experience could never be shared by another, much less by a believer. But Matt. 20:23 indicates just the opposite: "Ye shall indeed drink of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptised with..." This cup refers to the cross: "...the cup which the father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18:11).
In closing, it is worthwile noting that Old Testament sacrifices were not tormented; they were killed. By every indication this is what happened to Christ on the cross. He became a curse for us (Gal. 13:13), and then shed His blood for us (Heb. 9:14). In Christ--the revelation of God's wrath--we find the language of death (Romans 6:23), resurrection (1 Cor. 15:42), reconciliation (Romans 5:10), washing, sanctification, and justification (1 Cor. 6:11), intercession (Heb. 9:15), blood (1 Cor. 11:25), redemption (Heb. 9:12), purification (Heb. 9:23), and ultimate union with God (1 Thess. 4:17), but nothing whatsoever of weeping and gnashing of teeth, fire and brimstone, or worms and maggots. In God's clearest, dearest, most intimate revelation of Himself and His wrath, we find only the language of the two polar opposites that God set before us from the beginning--life and death. The pronouncement in Romans 6:23--"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord"--seems to be God's final word on the subject of His wrath as revealed in Jesus Christ.
Friday, January 7, 2011
WHAT ABOUT SATAN?
Perhaps the most popular proof text for the traditionalist view of hell is Rev. 20:10: "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." This verse, taken alone, certainly seems to teach eternal torment. There are, however, several reasons to believe that the ultimate fate for Satan is extinction. Three reasons stand out:
1) Other verses seem to contradict Rev. 20:10. The verse in Revelation must be compared with other verses that imply extinction. Let's look at those verses.
"How thou art fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cast down to the ground...Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (Isaiah 14:12-14)
"All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." (Ezekiel 28:19)
"And that Wicked shall be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." (2 Thess. 2:8)
2) Context of the word torment: In revelation 18 the word torment is used synonomously with destruction to describe the annihilation of Babylon (a representation, not a person).
3) The Bible intertwines the language of death and torment with a view toward death, as evidenced by Psalm 59:13 and 83:17: "Consume them in thy wrath, consume them, that they may not be." "Let them be confounded and troubled forever; yea, let them be put to shame and perish." Even as Satan is consumed in God's wrath, it is possible that his end is extinction.
But what if Satan is tormented forever? Does that mean man faces the same fate? Possibly. Certain facts, however, argue against it. Seven are offered here.
1) Man is mortal; angels are not (Luke 20:35-36).
2) Man's end in Revelation indicates extinction. Rev. 20:12-15 states "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." There's no mention of torment as there is in the verse about Satan being cast into the lake of fire.
3) John defines the lake of fire as the second death with regard to man. It is not called by this term with regard to Satan. In Rev. 20:14 John gives us the definition of the lake of fire: "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." John doesn't say that the second death is the lake of fire, but rather that the lake of fire is the second death. Here's the crucial difference: If John defined the second death as the lake of fire, we would have to take all of the language of the lake of fire--the smoke and burning and fire and brimstone--and apply that language to the second death; in other words we would have to conclude that the second death is not death as we know it, namely, the cessation of life, but rather something entirely different--the preservation of life under different circumstances.
But that's not what the verse says: it defines the lake of fire as the second death. Now we have a very different situation, one that compels us to conform the language of the lake of fire to death. In other words, if there's an apparant conflict, we are given an actual definition by which it may be resolved, namely that what's in view is death. To say death doesn't necessarily mean death is simply to leap back into the circle John endeavors to break by giving us the definition in the first place. Why define an ambiguous term with another ambiguous term? If the lake of fire is not literal death, then why introduce the term second death? If the term lake of fire is actually closer to what's really in view than the term second death, then why not leave it alone? If the lake of fire is...well...a lake of fire, then John has confused the matter by defining the clear by the unclear.
4) Torment is indicated in one of the mere handful of verses pertaining to the afterlife of Satan; volumes of verses pertain to the afterlife of man with no mention of eternal torment.
5) Jude 1:7 compares eternal fire as it applies to humans to the "eternal fire" which consumed Sodom and Gomorrah. This stresses annihilation.
6) The fact that the lake of fire extinguishes death and hell indicates it terminates that which is mortal.
7) Numerous verses throughout the Bible refer to man's ultimate incineration (Matt. 3:12) and everlasting death (John 3:16). It would seem that both of these events are brought to pass in the lake of fire (the second death).
1) Other verses seem to contradict Rev. 20:10. The verse in Revelation must be compared with other verses that imply extinction. Let's look at those verses.
"How thou art fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cast down to the ground...Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (Isaiah 14:12-14)
"All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." (Ezekiel 28:19)
"And that Wicked shall be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." (2 Thess. 2:8)
2) Context of the word torment: In revelation 18 the word torment is used synonomously with destruction to describe the annihilation of Babylon (a representation, not a person).
3) The Bible intertwines the language of death and torment with a view toward death, as evidenced by Psalm 59:13 and 83:17: "Consume them in thy wrath, consume them, that they may not be." "Let them be confounded and troubled forever; yea, let them be put to shame and perish." Even as Satan is consumed in God's wrath, it is possible that his end is extinction.
But what if Satan is tormented forever? Does that mean man faces the same fate? Possibly. Certain facts, however, argue against it. Seven are offered here.
1) Man is mortal; angels are not (Luke 20:35-36).
2) Man's end in Revelation indicates extinction. Rev. 20:12-15 states "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." There's no mention of torment as there is in the verse about Satan being cast into the lake of fire.
3) John defines the lake of fire as the second death with regard to man. It is not called by this term with regard to Satan. In Rev. 20:14 John gives us the definition of the lake of fire: "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." John doesn't say that the second death is the lake of fire, but rather that the lake of fire is the second death. Here's the crucial difference: If John defined the second death as the lake of fire, we would have to take all of the language of the lake of fire--the smoke and burning and fire and brimstone--and apply that language to the second death; in other words we would have to conclude that the second death is not death as we know it, namely, the cessation of life, but rather something entirely different--the preservation of life under different circumstances.
But that's not what the verse says: it defines the lake of fire as the second death. Now we have a very different situation, one that compels us to conform the language of the lake of fire to death. In other words, if there's an apparant conflict, we are given an actual definition by which it may be resolved, namely that what's in view is death. To say death doesn't necessarily mean death is simply to leap back into the circle John endeavors to break by giving us the definition in the first place. Why define an ambiguous term with another ambiguous term? If the lake of fire is not literal death, then why introduce the term second death? If the term lake of fire is actually closer to what's really in view than the term second death, then why not leave it alone? If the lake of fire is...well...a lake of fire, then John has confused the matter by defining the clear by the unclear.
4) Torment is indicated in one of the mere handful of verses pertaining to the afterlife of Satan; volumes of verses pertain to the afterlife of man with no mention of eternal torment.
5) Jude 1:7 compares eternal fire as it applies to humans to the "eternal fire" which consumed Sodom and Gomorrah. This stresses annihilation.
6) The fact that the lake of fire extinguishes death and hell indicates it terminates that which is mortal.
7) Numerous verses throughout the Bible refer to man's ultimate incineration (Matt. 3:12) and everlasting death (John 3:16). It would seem that both of these events are brought to pass in the lake of fire (the second death).
Sunday, January 2, 2011
DEGREES OF PUNISHMENT
One of the arguments for the need for hell is the that certain verses seem to teach degrees of punishment for the wicked. This would not be possible if the punishment were death. This position, however, does not follow from the language of the Bible as it pertains to judgment. Look at Psalm 69:27-28: "Add iniquity unto their iniquity; and let them not come into righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous." Here we see that although the punishment is clearly extinction, we still store up wrath for ourselves as we sin. We're not adding to the severity of the punishment--just the certainty of it. We're sealing our doom. Romans 2:5 presents the same principle: "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasureth up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of thee righteous judgment of God." This principle also applies to the righteous: "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Heaven is no better for Mother Teresa than for the thief on the cross, even though she spent her whole life laying up treasure in heaven, whereas the thief snagged it at the last possible moment. Likewise, hell is no worse for Hitler than for Ananias: hell is hell and heaven is heaven. We're told, however, to "strive to enter through the narrow gate" and to "make sure your election" (2 Peter 1:10), and to "lay up treasures in heaven" (Matt. 6:12), even as we are warned about "storing up wrath" and becoming "twice the child of hell" (Matt. 23:15) and receiving "the greater damnation" (Luke 20:47). Language like "the greater damnation" is paralleled by a statement like "whoesoever will be great among you, will be your minister" (Mark 10:43). It goes to the matter of certainty, not degrees.
DOUBLE DESTRUCTION
Jeremiah 16:18 states: "And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double..." This verse appears to be teaching retributive justice. Appearances, however, can be deceiving. Jeremiah 17:18 states: "Let them be confounded that persecute me...let them be dismayed...bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction." The destruction in view here is death (Jer. 25:33). God also uses the phrase double destruction in Rev. 18:6: "Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double her according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled to her double." The verse refers to Babylon (a representation, not a person), whose end is unquestionably extinction (Rev. 18:21). And yet the Bible says of her: "How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her" (Rev. 18:7). A precise, perfectly proportionate measure of retributive justice is being dispensed here, and the end is extinction. One cannot argue here, as traditionalists do regarding these types of verses, that this verse refers only to earthly punishment, whereas additional punishment remains to be dispensed; Babylon is not a person to be resurrected: her end is final. Thess. 2:16 also mentions the cup of God's wrath: "Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost." Here again we encounter the principle of storing up wrath. What is that wrath? Psalm 75:8-10 states "For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red...but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them...All the horns of the wicked will I cut off." Drinking the wrath of the Lord's cup, which brings double destruction and wrath to the uttermost--language which suggests degrees of punishment--ultimately results in being cut off. The phrase cut off means killed, as we see in Psalm 88:5: "Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand."
The theme of the doubling of punishment is also found in Isaiah 40:2: "Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." On this pattern, a person receives double for their sins, and then is released from any further payment. The wages of sin is death; God doubles that payment with a second death. After that death, the payment is finished.
As already noted, the Bible intertwines the language of death and torment with a view toward death (Psalm 59:13, 83:17). In the Bible retributive justice works for extinction, not against it. In our imagination, retributive justice requires hell; in the Bible the ultimate expression of retributive justice is extinction.
REJECTING CHRIST
But isn't rejecting Christ a sin that calls for greater punishment? What about Hebrews 10:29: "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be worthy, who has trodden underfoot the Son of God...?" The problem with this view is that it ignores the fact that all sin--past, present, and future--is against Christ. There's no other kind of sin! The following verses make that evident: 1 Peter 1:10-11: "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently...searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ..." 1 Cor. 10:1-4: "I would that ye be not ignorant, how that all our fathers...drank the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ." There's only one payment for sin. Christ is the "Lamb slain before the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8). He is the only way to the father (John 14:6). We know the salvation of a select few Old Testament figures came through Christ. What about the vast majority who were not saved? Who were they rejecting? If not Christ, then who?
But what about Hebrews 12:25: "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall we not escape, if we turn from him that speaketh from heaven." Doesn't this verse teach that rejecting Christ demands a greater penalty? Not when we compare it to a similiar verse from the Old Testament. Psalm 95 states: "Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work." Look at the similarities between the two statements: both warn the listener to take heed, both offer examples of punishment for past disobedience, and both point to the extra personal nature of God's care and revelation as reasons to obey. Psalm 95 notes that they "tempted me, proved me, and saw my work" (9). In other words, how much more could God have done? He lived with them, going "before them by day in a pillar of a cloud...and by night in a pillar of fire..." (Exodus 13:21). Just as Christ became Immanuel (God with us), so God dwelled with ancient Israel. Again, the question must be asked: what's the difference between rejecting Christ now and rejecting Him then? Is it in the act of resisting the Holy Spirit? That's hardly something unique to the New Testament, as evidenced by Acts 7:51-53: "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost; just as your fathers did, so do ye." The same Spirit worked through the same God (Christ), to bring the same warnings (1 Peter 1:10-11). There's no justification for using the idea of "rejecting Christ" as evidence that there must be a place called hell where people suffer varying degrees of punishment.
DIFFERING REWARDS
Another aspect of God's judgment that's easy to misunderstand is how He rewards the just. Certain verses seem to teach differing rewards in heaven. 1 Cor. 3:13-15 states "Every man's work shall...be revealed with fire...If any man's work abide...he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." 2 John 1:8: "Look to yourselves, that we lose not the things that we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward." Matt. 5:19: "Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments...shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven..." These verses certainly do seem to teach differing rewards. This idea, however, directly contradicts everything the Bible tells us about salvation in Christ. Salvation in Christ consists of two things: a sin debt that is completely erased (Jude 1:24, Hebrews 12:23, Isaiah 1:18) and the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to the believer (1 Cor. 1:30, Heb. 10:14, 2 Cor. 5:21). If this is the case, where can there exist any room for difference? Does the efficacy of Christ's payment for sin, by which God forgives, differ from one person to the next?
"Is Christ divided?" (1 Cor. 1:13). Then how could the rewards differ? They can't. But sometimes God, when talking about judgment, employs language that proves deceptive if not carefully scrutinized.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
THE FURNACE OF FIRE
All Bible verses that record responses of conscious torment have close parallels in other parts of the Bible describing earhly torment. Let's look at some examples.
Luke 13:25 has a shutting of a door. This has been interpreted as Christ shutting the door of heaven, thereby consigning those outside to hell. In Genesis 7:16, however, we also have a closing of a door. It's God shutting Noah in the ark, thereby shutting everyone else out. It's a reference to earthly torment of the tribulation.
Weeping and torment is found in Matt. 22:13, 24:50-51, 13:38-42, 8:11-12, 25:30, 18:34, and Luke 12:59. It's been interpreted to refer to the weeping of those in hell. Weeping, however, is also found in Old Testament prophecies pertaining to the Day of the Lord, which is a time of earthly torment. Amos 8:10 is one example.
Matthew 22:13, 8:11-12, and 25:30 depict outer darkness. This same darkness appears in Joel 2:2, Amos 5:20, Isaiah 13:10, and Zephaniah 1:5.
Matthew 13:38-42 mentions a furnace of fire. The same image is used in Rev. 9:2.
Rev. 14:11 describes smoke going up forever and ever; the same phrase appears in Isaiah 34:10.
What exactly does this tell us? It is the contention here that the Bible gives us two types of verses about judgment: one pertains to final judgment and records no response of conscious torment; the other pertains to earthly torment, and does record responses of conscious torment. When Matthew 22:13 describes the wicked cast into outer darkness to weep and gnash their teeth, we can do one of two things: we can automatically assume it's a reference to hell, or we can actually look at the images being presented and evaluate them in light of other scripture verses that offer identical images. For those who prefer the latter method, we offer Joel 2:2 and Amos 5:20.
Let's look at some of the other images. The shutting of a door appears in both the Old and the New Testament. God told Noah that judgment was about to come. Noah collected his family and went into the ark. The Lord shut the door of the ark (Gen. 7:16). In shutting Noah in, He also shut everyone else out. God also shuts a door in Luke 13:25: "When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know not whence you are..." Is this a picture of God shutting the door on the wicked? In a very real way, yes. The wicked are shut out of any chance for salvation as God pours His wrath out upon the earth. They are damned--not to eternal torment, but to a finite period of earthly torment that ends in extinction.
Matthew 13:38-42 has the wicked cast into a furnace of fire where there's weeping and gnashing of the teeth. This verse is used to teach eternal torment; the furnace of fire is identified as the lake of fire. The problem with that is that Rev. 9 actually describes man being tormented on earth by "fire and brimstone" (18), which is as "the smoke of a great furnace" (2). Moreover, the "sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit" (2). Here we have two images--darkness (Joel 2:2, Amos 5:20), and a furnace of fire--that correspond to verses describing earthly torment.
Luke 13:25 has a shutting of a door. This has been interpreted as Christ shutting the door of heaven, thereby consigning those outside to hell. In Genesis 7:16, however, we also have a closing of a door. It's God shutting Noah in the ark, thereby shutting everyone else out. It's a reference to earthly torment of the tribulation.
Weeping and torment is found in Matt. 22:13, 24:50-51, 13:38-42, 8:11-12, 25:30, 18:34, and Luke 12:59. It's been interpreted to refer to the weeping of those in hell. Weeping, however, is also found in Old Testament prophecies pertaining to the Day of the Lord, which is a time of earthly torment. Amos 8:10 is one example.
Matthew 22:13, 8:11-12, and 25:30 depict outer darkness. This same darkness appears in Joel 2:2, Amos 5:20, Isaiah 13:10, and Zephaniah 1:5.
Matthew 13:38-42 mentions a furnace of fire. The same image is used in Rev. 9:2.
Rev. 14:11 describes smoke going up forever and ever; the same phrase appears in Isaiah 34:10.
What exactly does this tell us? It is the contention here that the Bible gives us two types of verses about judgment: one pertains to final judgment and records no response of conscious torment; the other pertains to earthly torment, and does record responses of conscious torment. When Matthew 22:13 describes the wicked cast into outer darkness to weep and gnash their teeth, we can do one of two things: we can automatically assume it's a reference to hell, or we can actually look at the images being presented and evaluate them in light of other scripture verses that offer identical images. For those who prefer the latter method, we offer Joel 2:2 and Amos 5:20.
Let's look at some of the other images. The shutting of a door appears in both the Old and the New Testament. God told Noah that judgment was about to come. Noah collected his family and went into the ark. The Lord shut the door of the ark (Gen. 7:16). In shutting Noah in, He also shut everyone else out. God also shuts a door in Luke 13:25: "When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know not whence you are..." Is this a picture of God shutting the door on the wicked? In a very real way, yes. The wicked are shut out of any chance for salvation as God pours His wrath out upon the earth. They are damned--not to eternal torment, but to a finite period of earthly torment that ends in extinction.
Matthew 13:38-42 has the wicked cast into a furnace of fire where there's weeping and gnashing of the teeth. This verse is used to teach eternal torment; the furnace of fire is identified as the lake of fire. The problem with that is that Rev. 9 actually describes man being tormented on earth by "fire and brimstone" (18), which is as "the smoke of a great furnace" (2). Moreover, the "sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit" (2). Here we have two images--darkness (Joel 2:2, Amos 5:20), and a furnace of fire--that correspond to verses describing earthly torment.
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