© Copyright 2006 Richard Wayne Garganta All RIGHTS RESERVED
This document, originally written in the 1800's by J.W. Hanson and now in public domain, has been rewritten by Richard Wayne Garganta to add material and make the language and material better understood. Anyone wishing to read Hanson's original work can find it in the E-Book "Hanson's Four Works" Recognition and thanks go out to J.W. Hanson for the quotes in this document that are too numerous to mention.
Go to Understanding Universal Salvation Part One, Part Three or Universal Salvation University
| Universal Reconciliation, the restitution of all and universal salvation are all synonymous. |
Always make sure you have the latest version - last edited on 12-21-2006
See - Oh my God! Is this Universalism or are you a Universalist?
Because this is a lengthy and intense study - consider taking it one section at a time over a few months.
Universal Salvation is the doctrine that states the sacrifice of Christ was adequate to destroy ALL the works of sin and evil in whatever form. Everyone will be saved eventually. All judgments and punishments of God are remedial, corrective, cleansing and purgative and only last long enough to accomplish that end. This document will help you understand the Bible on the subjects of threats, punishments and other pertinent issues. If this teaching is studied with an open mind it is my belief that, even if one chooses not to accept it, they will have to admit that this teaching certainly has a strong scriptural and historical basis and, for those reasons, should not be considered heretical. - Richard Wayne Garganta
I believe that all men need to be saved and the only way to salvation is through the truth which is Christ. In order to be saved, every man must repent and acknowledge the truth which is Christ. I do NOT teach that one can 'sin their way into heaven' nor do I teach one can live anyway they please without experiencing judgment. The judgments of God are sure, just and to be respected. All those shocked that I believe God and His Christ are more effective than evil and sin need to study this course. A most curious argument that I routinely get is, "Do you mean Hitler will be saved?" These same people have no problem believing that Adam is saved, yet Adam is responsible for every depraved human being that ever lived - including Hitler.
Recently the United States Government, responding to treatment of prisoners of war, stated, "We now know enough about human behavior to win everybody over without the use of torture, given enough time." Why do men have no problem believing that man can win everyone over while God and His Christ cannot? It is because most of us were raised to believe in the sovereignty of man's will. You speak of the sovereignty of God's will, but you don't really believe it. Study this course and unlearn the fallacy of the sovereignty of man's will!
INDEX OF TOPICS
BIBLE THREATS EXPLAINED
ENDLESS
PUNISHMENT OF NON-CHRISTIAN, NON-JEWISH ORIGIN
ADAM'S
PUNISHMENT
TESTIMONY
OF VARIOUS SCHOLARS
OLD
TESTAMENT PUNISHMENTS
THE
STRAIT GATE
THE
BAD CAST AWAY
YE
SHALL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH
IMPOSSIBLE
TO RENEW THEM
THE
SIN UNTO DEATH
THE
HYPOCRITE'S HOPE
AGREE
WITH THINE ADVERSARY
THE
WICKED DRIVEN AWAY
IT IS FEARFUL TO FALL INTO HANDS OF
LIVING GOD
GOD
LAUGHS AT MAN'S CALAMITY
YE
SHALL NOT FIND ME
NOT
INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD
THE
BARREN FIG TREE
GOD
ANGRY EVERY DAY
THE
BLASPHEMY OF THE HOLY GHOST
THE
WRATH OF GOD
THE
WRATH TO COME
THE
SPIRITS IN PRISON
"I
PRAY NOT FOR THE WORLD"
THE
RIGHTEOUS SCARCELY SAVED
WRESTING
THE SCRIPTURES TO DESTRUCTION
NO
MURDERER HATH ETERNAL LIFE
LET
HIM BE ACCURSED
THE
SECOND DEATH AND LAKE OF FIRE
GOD AS "LIQUID FIRE" IN SCRIPTURE
THE
FIRST RESURRECTION
LET
HIM BE UNJUST STILL
ATTAIN
UNTO THE RESURRECTION
SHALL
NOT SEE LIFE
"AS
THE TREE FALLS SO IT LIES"
THE
DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST
THE
HARVEST PAST AND WE NOT SAVED
"OUR
GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE"
HE
IS A "REFINER'S FIRE"
GOD'S
JUDGMENTS LIKE FIRE
UNQUENCHABLE
FIRE
FURNACE
OF FIRE
ETERNAL
FIRE
"WHEAT
AND CHAFF," "AXE," ETC.
FIRE
AND BRIMSTONE
JUDGMENT
JUDGMENT
TO COME
THE
JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
THE
DAY OF JUDGMENT
CHRIST,
THE JUDGE OF THE WORLD
AFTER
THIS THE JUDGMENT
GNASHING
OF TEETH
DAMNATION,
ETC.
EATING
AND DRINKING DAMNATION
THE
UNBELIEVER DAMNED
THAT
THEY ALL MIGHT BE DAMNED
THE
RESURRECTION OF DAMNATION
THE
CASE OF JUDAS
JUDAS THE
SON OF PERDITION, ETC.
THE
GOSPEL HID
THE
LOST SOUL
"ONE
OF YOU IS A DEVIL"
BETTER
NEVER BEEN BORN
HIS
OWN PLACE
WAS
JUDAS A SUICIDE?
ETERNAL,
ETC.
LEXICOGRAPHY
CLASSIC
USAGE
THE
OLD TESTAMENT
THE
END OF AIONIAN THINGS
EVERLASTING
CONTEMPT
DUST OF THE EARTH
EVERLASTING
BURNINGS
JEWISH
GREEK USAGE
ETERNAL PUNISHMENT TERMS JESUS NEVER USED
THE
NEW TESTAMENT
THE
NOUN
BIBLICAL TORMENTS AND PUNISHMENTS
THE
ADJECTIVE
*** THE
GREAT PROOF TEXT FOR ETERNAL BURNINGS ***
THE
LAST DAYS
AN
OBJECTION ANSWERED
WORDS
DENOTING ENDLESSNESS OF GOD'S LIFE
ETERNAL
JUDGMENT
EVERLASTING
CHAIN
EVERLASTING
DESTRUCTION
PRESENCE
OF THE LORD
BANISHED
FROM GOD'S PRESENCE
SMOKE
OF TORMENT FOR EVER AND EVER
THE
CHRISTIAN FATHERS
THE
EMPEROR JUSTINIAN
UNAVOIDABLE
CONCLUSION
HELL
SHEOL
AND HADEES
ONLY
FIVE OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS ARE CLAIMED
SHEOL--HADEES
RENDERED HELL
THE
LOWEST HELL IS ON EARTH
IMPORTANT
FACTS
THE
OLD TESTAMENT REPUDIATES THE HEATHEN DOCTRINE
"ORTHODOX"
AND HEATHEN VIEWS IDENTICAL
CONVINCING
TESTIMONIES
JEWISH
AND PAGAN OPINIONS
HELL
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT--HADEES
MEANING
OF HADEES
OPINIONS
OF SCHOLARS
HEATHEN
CORRUPTIONS
THRUST
DOWN TO HADEES
THE
GATES OF HADEES
HADEES
IS ON EARTH
HADEES
DESTROYED
THE
RICH MAN AND LAZARUS
TARTARUS
THE
BOOK OF ENOCH
WHAT
DID PETER MEAN?
GEHENNA
OPINIONS
OF SCHOLARS
JEWISH
VIEWS OF GEHENNA
IMPORTANT
FACTS
DANGER
OF HELL-FIRE
CAST
INTO HELL-FIRE
DESTROY SOUL AND BODY IN HELL
THE
DAMNATION OF HELL
SET
ON FIRE OF HELL
CONCLUSION
Preface
When one who has been reared in Standard Theology begins an honest study of the doctrine of Universal Salvation, it frequently happens that many texts heard quoted for years operate as stumbling blocks. We believe that no text of Scripture properly understood in any manner diminishes the grand central truth of the Gospel. This grand central truth is that God triumphs over all opposition and converts them to himself. The threatening verses of the Bible are perfectly harmonious with the Promises of Scripture. In fact, the threatening verses are given in order that the promises of Universal Reconciliation may be fulfilled.
The following statement will, at first, shock you. Please reserve judgment until you have had a chance to read this document. After extensive research, I agree with Canon Farrar who stated:
"If the decision be made to turn solely on the literal meaning of the scriptures, I have no hesitation whatever in declaring my strong conviction that the Universal Salvation and annihilation theories have far more evidence for them than the standard theology of eternal burnings. It seems to me that if many passages of Scripture be taken quite literally universal restoration is unequivocally taught and endless torments are nowhere clearly taught. The passages which appear to teach that doctrine being either obviously figurative or historically misunderstood."
If these pages shall assist any mind to remove obstacles that prevent it from beholding God as the Savior of the world then its purpose will be fulfilled.
BIBLE THREATS EXPLAINED
When considering the
threats of the Bible, remember that they should always
be interpreted and understood as being in harmony with all the great principles
in Scripture, with the revealed character
of God and with his promises to man. They must be so explained as to harmonize
with the whole that contains them. For example, we read that "God is
Love" and that he is a "Father." At the same time we are told that he will cast the
wicked into everlasting fire and punish them throughout all
eternity. On principle we must not
(1) deny that God is Love and a merciful
Father, nor
(2) believe that the Bible contradicts itself
The threats must harmonize with the promises. There can be no
contradiction. No
penalty in the Bible would prove God not a father or destitute of love
towards each and all of his children.
The judgments of God should be feared because they are just, not because they are unjust!
We must shed the light of infinite, boundless, unending love on all threatened penalties and interpret them in perfect accord with God's divine character. Does the love of God make impossible the reality of endless torment? Jewish tradition taught the 2 main qualities of God were Justice and Mercy. Does never ending torment in the fires of what is taught as 'Hell' equate to absolute Justice and Mercy? This is what this document answers.
Let's put it another way.
If I wrote a statement today that said, "Richard is always using the net."
and sent it in a time machine back to New Testament times - it would be
assumed by all that read it that Richard was a fisherman and always using a
fishing net
since the internet would be unfathomable to them. It must be
understood what meaning was intended BY THE ORIGINAL SPEAKERS AND TO THE
ORIGINAL HEARERS to properly understand scripture.
A good portion of
standard, orthodox theology begins to fall apart when examined in the light
of the meanings of words as spoken and heard in Bible times. Words
like hell and forever, to name a few, do NOT mean today what they meant in
Bible times.
For example, the word 'suffer' meant 'to allow, to
let' in Bible times. Today it means to experience some sort of agony.
Another example is to get a exhaustive Strong's King James concordance
and look for the word 'forever.' You won't find it. You
have to look under 'for' or 'ever'. Our word 'forever' today
is not the same as the Bible words 'for' and 'ever' - which in the
Bible means literally 'for an age' - a period of time whose length
is determined by the subject. Don't worry if you don't
understand now, we will be explaining these things in great detail.
We MUST get back to the original meaning and CONTEXT as much as possible and this document will help you do that. "Let us contend [i.e. wrestle, fight] for the faith that was once delivered to the saints." [Jude 1:3] Let us begin!
DOCTRINES OF ENDLESS PUNISHMENT ARE OF VARIOUS NON-CHRISTIAN AND NON-JEWISH ORIGINS. It comes from Old World mythology - particularly FROM GreeCE and Babylonia.
We should also bear another fact in mind. Some of the endless punishment doctrines were integrated into Jewish thought during various captivities. When the doctrine of endless punishment began to be taught in the Christian Church, it was not derived from the Scriptures. Some of it came from the uncivilized, non-Jewish converts to Christianity and from other pagan sources. Pagan converts accepted Christ but brought with them into their new church that doctrine which had for centuries been taught in non-Christian, non-Jewish lands. These doctrines neither Moses nor Christ accepted. And having received the idea from their traditions, it was natural that the early Christians should transfer it to the Bible and seek to find it there. That non-Christian, non-Jewish sources invented this doctrine is undeniable. Much of the Christian understanding of Hell has more to do with Old World mythology than anything from the Bible. I realize we are making highly controversial statements now, but let's start with a little history:
This horrible non-Christian, non-Jewish dogma sought entrance into the Christian church in vain for the first three centuries after Christ. Although here and there a "polluted" Christian announced it, it did not become an accredited Christian doctrine till after more than five centuries. Dr. Edward Beecher candidly confesses that as late as three hundred years after Christ, the doctrine had hardly obtained a foothold. One can hardly believe today that there was a time, centuries actually in Christendom, when the doctrine of endless torments wasn't preached. Yet, these are the facts.
Dr. Edward Beecher says: "What was the state of facts regarding the leading theological schools of the Christian world in the age of Origen and some centuries after? It was, in brief, this:
"There were at least six
original theological schools in the church at
large. Of these six schools one, and only one, was decidedly and earnestly
in favor of the doctrine of future eternal punishment. One was in favor of
the annihilation of the wicked. Two were in favor of the doctrine of
universal restoration on the principles of Origen and two in favor of
universal restoration on the principles of Theodore of Mopsuestia."
To conclude, there
were four times as many Universal Salvation theological schools where clergymen
were educated as there were schools in which endless punishment was taught,
even as late as A. D. 300. But from that time onward as darkness increased
the non-Christian, non-Jewish ideas were more and more transferred to the
Bible till it
entirely obscured the truth. It was not until the light of the
Reformation began to dawn that this error began to be removed from the Scriptures so the
meaning of the inspired authors could be understood.
For further study read
History Of
Opinions On The Scriptural Doctrine Of Retribution by Edward Beecher.
ADAM'S PUNISHMENT.
"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that thou eat of it, you shall surely die." Gen. 2:16,17.
Wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity to bring up the subject of eternal punishments if this was what God intended? Yet, eternal torments are nowhere mentioned. Why did the very discussion of the introduction of sin into mankind not include ANY mention of eternal burnings? Adam and Eve were the "first root cause" of all sin and resulting suffering in all mankind - yet are not told of eternal burnings. Why?
Adam and Eve were told: "In the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die," or as a literal translation would read, "Dying you shall die."
What death did Adam
and Eve die in that day? This threatened death
was
not
(1) immediate death of the body like we define death today.
Gen 3:22,23: "Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. He might stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever. Therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden..."
As is clear from the
Genesis account, if man had partaken of the Tree Of Life,
man would have experienced eternal life. Yet the death threatened was to be "in the day he
sinned." His body did not die in that day - at least not a complete
death. We believe that the PROCESS of spiritual death which would result in
physical death started on that day. So in that sense Adam did
die "in that day" meaning the process began. Remember, prior to
sinning, Adam had free access to the Tree of Life. Had he not sinned
he would have lived forever.
(2) It was not eternal death, flames and torment. While he certainly suffered a judgment, he didn't go
to endless hell and torment "in the day" of his
transgression.
The death was a moral, spiritual death that continued to corrupt until physical death occurred. It was a "blockade" from eternal, incorruptible life. Yet, recovery was possible and was prophesied by God Himself! It is universally accepted that the following verse of scripture is a prophecy about the Christ of God who would destroy all the works of evil. It is important to notice in Gen. 3:22-23 that God made clear it was unacceptable that man should live forever in a state of sin.
Gen 3:15: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel."
Paul describes this moral, spiritual death
mentioned above - "Having the
understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the
ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." Eph.
4:18. "You has he made alive who were dead in trespasses and
sins." Eph. 2:1
Jesus describes it in the parable of the prodigal son: "It was
appropriate that we should make merry and
be glad. Your brother was dead and is alive again. He was lost
[Greek 'destroyed'] and is found." Luke 15:32
Moses describes it: "See, I
have set before you this day life and good and death and evil. I call
heaven and earth to record this day against you. I have set before you
life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life so both you
and your seed may live." Deut. 30:15-19
Adam died this kind of death "in the day" he sinned. This is apparent from the description of his fate after his transgression."
"And unto Adam he said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you saying, 'You shall not eat of it', cursed is the ground because of you. In sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you. You shall eat the herb of the field and in the sweat of your face shall you eat bread until you return to the ground. Out of the ground you were taken; you are dust. And you will return to dust." Gen. 3:17-19
Did you notice that, in Genesis, neither Adam or Eve received any threat of eternal burnings? Why? If the reader will carefully consult the accounts of the sin and punishment of Cain, the people before and after the Great Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the transgressors whose sins are recorded for four thousand years of Old Testament history he will find no hint that any but a limited, temporal punishment was received.
Understand that limited, temporal punishment had to do with this earthly life. It had nothing to do with the after life. This is agreed by all scholars. God said the punishment was A, B and C UNTIL you return to the ground. "The wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23
A contradiction is created
in Genesis if scripture is not rightly divided and spiritually
discerned. God made clear with Adam that it was unacceptable that
Man was to live forever in a state of sin. Yet it is commonly
taught that sinners will live forever in a state of sin burning in hell.
Will the sinners have partaken of the Tree Of Life prior to being thrown
in hell? How do those sinners in hell get eternal life which only God
can give? In the Garden of Eden, why was the Christ talked about
as destroying the problem of sin but a hell of eternal flames and torment
is not mentioned?
Some argue that the state of sin isn't forever, but the
punishment for the sin is.
Since only God and His Christ can remove sin, this school teaches
God removes the sin but the punishment remains. Since the only
removal of sin is by the sacrifice of Christ and forgiveness - this
school teaches God eternally punishes those he has forgiven.
Or do they teach God removes all sin from a person without
repentance or forgiveness? It is amazing how many have not
thought these views through.
Let's continue with our study so all the issues of rewards,
punishments and the justice and mercy of God can become clearer.
TESTIMONY OF VARIOUS SCHOLARS.
OLD TESTAMENT PUNISHMENTS
"It shall come to pass,
if you will not hearken unto the voice of the Lord your God and observe to
do all His commandments and statutes which I command you this day, then all
these curses shall come upon you, and overtake you:
Cursed shall you be
in the city and
cursed shall you be in the field.
Cursed shall be your
basket and your store.
Cursed shall be the fruit of your body, the fruit
of your land, the increase of your herds and the flocks of your sheep.
Cursed shall you be when you come in and
cursed shall you be when you go
out.
The Lord shall send upon you cursing, vexation and rebuke in all that
you set your hand to do.
The Lord shall smite you with
wasting disease, fever, inflammation, discomfort and mildew..
In the morning you shall say: If only it were night! At night you
shall say: If only it were morning!" Deut. 28:15-29, 67.
If eternal burnings was the solid doctrine and 'ultimate curse' that so many make it out to be, why was it never mentioned in these curses? All the punishments mentioned were temporal. Temporal means 'related to this side of life'. Paul tells us that under the Law:
Heb 2:2, "For if the message given through angels [the Law spoken by them to Moses] was authentic and proved sure and every violation and disobedience received an appropriate (just and adequate) penalty..."
Now for four thousand years every wicked act received "a just and adequate penalty." Would God have an endless, burning hell and keep it a secret from the world for four thousand years? Would he keep sinners for four thousand years from an endless hell and later use it as a perpetual prison for other sinners no worse? No! The silence of God for forty centuries raises some serious questions. Before proceeding to consider the chief supports of the doctrine of endless torment, we will give brief expositions of several passages that are usually quoted in its defense. Take it slow, I know some of this is shocking. Pray for the ability to view scripture as it is written WITHOUT preconceptions from doctrinal glasses.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE STRAIT GATE?
"The Strait Gate" and the "Few saved" are thought by many to indicate the final salvation of only a portion of the human race. Many Christians believe the overwhelming majority will burn perpetually in the fires of hell.
The question was asked by some one (Luke 13:23 and Matt. 7:13,14): "Lord, are there few that be saved? and he answered: "Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many will seek to enter in and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up and has shut the door and you begin to stand without and to knock saying Lord open unto us, then he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not. Then shall you begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence and you have taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you I don't know you. Depart from me you workers of iniquity! There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out."
I once had an art teacher who always had this saying posted across the classroom:
"See what you look at and look at what you see."
That saying is certainly applicable here. There is some obvious symbolic language used in this verse and every careful reader will see that the language is entirely confined to the present. "Lord, are there few that be 'saved'?" The literal rendering is: Are those being saved few? or are there few that are now being saved? The question relates entirely to the number accepting Christianity at that time. The key to understanding scripture is CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT. Much of what Jesus had to say dealt with the coming fall of Jerusalem and the entire Jewish system in 70 AD and the expansion of the Kingdom to include the Gentiles. Jesus himself shows that the application was confined to those to whom he was speaking.
"Lord" (they say) "we have eaten and drunk in your presence and you have taught in our streets." and "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out."
It is amazing how often we can read scripture and not see what is in plain sight. The words apply entirely to those who had heard him speak in their streets, namely the Jews. The Jew's advantages were about to be taken away and given to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were to enter the kingdom by faith with faithful Abraham while the Jews were thrust out. The weeping and gnashing of teeth represents their rage which was aggravated by their dislike of the Gentiles.
Mat 8:12 - "but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Bible commentator Gill sheds some light on the Jewish term "outer darkness" - "The allusion in the text is to the customs of the ancients at their feasts and entertainments which were commonly held in the evening. The hall or dining room in which they sat was brightly illuminated with lamps and torches. Outside in the streets was complete darkness. It was common to hear nothing but the cries of the poor for something to be given to them. One would hear persons that were turned out as unworthy guests. There was the gnashing of their teeth resulting from the cold winter nights or due to indignation at their being left out."
The fall of Jerusalem in 70AD and how the many statements and prophecies of Jesus and other New Testament writers relate to it is a lost teaching in this day and age. It is the cause of much doctrinal error and eschatological [end time doctrine] errors. The history of the fall of Jerusalem proves beyond doubt that those that rejected Christ, those that took the "wide gate" of conformity to the status quo, suffered horribly.
This same subject is discussed in Matt. 7:13, 14. "Enter in at the strait gate! Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. There will be many that go that way. Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life. Only a few will find it."
The language teaches that only a few walked in the narrow way marked out by Christ during that time. The many chose the broader way of wrong. If we relate these passages to the after life, we cannot escape the conclusion that heaven will only contain a few souls and the overwhelming majority will be perpetually burned. This conclusion would negate countless scriptures and make the devil more successful than Jesus the Christ. These passages have no reference to the future world whatsoever. They speak of the few who, in our Savior's day, went right while the overwhelming majority went wrong. While at first this may sound like I am putting a spin on this scripture - wait until you get the whole picture!
Students of scripture - learn this well! The Greek word for destruction used here and many other verses is a state that one can be saved from.
It important to understand that the word for 'destruction' [Greek 'apoleia'] in Matthew means destruction, waste or ruin. Believers in eternal burnings READ INTO words like this the meaning of hell fire and brimstone. Here are some other uses of the word:
Mat 26:7-8 and Mark
14:14, "a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive
fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the
table. When the disciples saw it, they were indignant. "Why this
waste [destruction]?" they asked."
Acts 8:18-24, "Now when
Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the
apostles' hands, he offered them money saying, "Give this authority to
me as well so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy
Spirit." But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish
[be destroyed] with you because you thought you could obtain the gift of
God with money! You have no part or portion in this matter for
your heart is not right before God. Therefore repent of this
wickedness of yours and pray the Lord that, if possible, the
intention of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you
are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity. But Simon
answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves so that nothing
of what you have said may come upon me."
As the example in Acts 8 makes clear, repentance is possible from a state of 'destruction.' Several other uses of this word show that a person can be delivered from, or repent of, a state of 'destruction'.
Acts 25:16, "To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die [destruction], before the accused confronts the accusers face to face and be allowed to answer for himself concerning the alleged crime."
Clearly Acts 25 makes clear again that one can be in a state of 'destruction' and yet be delivered from it since a trial could result in a man's freedom. The language in Luke has a more special application to the Jews than that in Matthew. The verse in Matthew could be applied to every age since Christ. It is as true now as at the time Jesus spoke. The path of godliness is followed by a comparative few. The way of evil is broad and much traveled. People can be on the path to destruction and repent. Clearly, the word 'destruction' here doesn't mean eternal burnings.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BAD BEING CAST AWAY?
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea. It gathered every kind. When it was full they drew to shore, sat down and gathered the good into vessels while casting the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world [Greek 'age']. The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from the just and shall cast them into the furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matt. 13:47-50.
Understanding of original and apocalyptic language is critical here. The "furnace of fire", "gnashing of teeth" and "end of the world" (Greek word "aion" meaning 'age') will be fully explained in subsequent parts of this course. Be sure to study all 3 parts.
The material universe which we call the world (Greek word "kosmos") is never spoken of as ending. It is always the Greek word "aion" meaning 'age' that is spoken of as ending. The field is the world [Greek "kosmos"] in v. 38, but "the end of the world [Greek 'age']" when the harvest comes in v. 39 is "aion". The age ends, but not the world.
Again, understanding comes from CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT. Christ was again referring to the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the elimination of the entire Jewish system in 70 AD - the end of the age. The kingdom of heaven is Christ's rule among men. It is a net which catches good and bad. Did you ever see a hypocrite? Of course! It may have been in church or it may have been in the mirror. Gotcha! Anyhow, at the end of the Jewish age when severe judgments were to come, the angels or messengers to execute God's judgments would separate Christians from others. The bad were to suffer in the furnace of fire which was the burning city of Jerusalem. The evil were also to perish in Gehenna. Gehenna in many Bibles is wrongly interpreted 'hell'.
Gehenna was the garbage dump, the incinerator outside Jerusalem where the "fire was never quenched and the worm didn't die." This was because garbage and the bodies of criminals were thrown there to be burned. This is exactly what happened during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. All of this is covered elsewhere in this document.
Dr. Clark says: "It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. There were many there when Cestius Gallus invaded the city. Had he persevered in the siege he would have completely conquered. But he, unexpectedly and unaccountably, halted the siege and the Christians took the opportunity to escape." These verses reference the remarkable trials the early Christians were about to pass through when Jerusalem was destroyed and Christianity was established on the ruins of Judaism. The "furnace of fire" and "wailing and gnashing of teeth" were when the awful calamities of those fearful days were visited upon the people of Judea. These expressions will be more fully explained later. This prophecy is more fully described in Matt. 24.
BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU SHALL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH?
"I tell you this - except you repent you shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:3, 5.
Many readers of the Bible suppose that the word perish always relates to the immortal soul and that the presence of the word "perish" always means to suffer torment without end. This passage has been quoted blindly, ignorantly and countless times to denote the final loss of the soul in eternal fires of hell. Watch how correct CONTEXT and understanding of original language opens up the real meaning of these verses. It is only necessary to consult the immediate context to perceive that Jesus was referring to nothing like eternal burnings. He asks:
"Do you suppose that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you, no. But except you repent, you shall all likewise perish."
That is, perish in a manner similar to their death. "Except you repent you shall all perish as they died." The 'you' in this verse is the people Jesus was talking to. How did the people referred to perish? There were "some who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices and of a certain eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed."
"Do you think they were sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you, no. But except you repent you shall all likewise perish."
That is, be slain as they were. No better explanation for these words can be given than in the language of "orthodox" commentators. Says Dr. Clarke: "you shall all likewise perish meaning in a similar way, in the same manner. This prediction of our lord was literally fulfilled. Blood was mingled with sacrifices and people were killed by falling stones. Again we are talking of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. When the city was taken by the Romans, multitudes of the priests and people were in the process of worship and sacrifice when they were slain. Their blood was violently mingled with the blood of the sacrifices and multitudes were buried under the ruins of the walls, houses and temple." The fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 and how the many statements and prophecies of Jesus and other New Testament writers relate to it is a lost teaching in this day and age. It is the cause of much doctrinal error and eschatological [end time doctrine] errors.
Dr. Barnes observes: "You shall all be destroyed in a similar manner. This was fulfilled to the letter. Many of the Jews were slain in the temple while many were offering sacrifices. Thousands perished in a way very similar to the Galileans." Whitby says: "I tell you, no. But except you repent, you shall all likewise perish meaning for the same cause, and many of you after the same manner."
Last, but certainly not least, the word 'perish' in Luke 13: 3, 5 is 'appollumi' and is defined in many dictionaries as "to destroy utterly." If you think this makes a case for eternal burnings or eternal separation from God, you need to know the exact same word 'appollumi' is translated 'lost' in these verses: Mat. 10:6, Mat. 15:24, Mat. 18:11, Luke 15:4, Luke 15:6, Luke 15:9, Luke 15:24, Luke 15:32, Luke 19:10, John 17:12 twice, John 18:9. Go ahead, look them up, don't be lazy! You will find these verses refer to the prodigal son and sinners in general and ALWAYS in the context that which was lost was not eternally lost. Jesus certainly was well spoken, yet, this is the word Jesus used for the word 'perish.' The word 'perish' or 'lost' does NOT equate to eternal burnings or separation from God at all. Give this some serious thought.
BUT WHAT ABOUT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RENEW THEM AGAIN TO REPENTANCE?
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance because they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame." Heb 6:4-6.
Any reader of the New Testament ought to see that this language is not to be understood as literal, when he remembers that Peter himself "fell away," and was "renewed again unto repentance" although I am aware some make the argument that he hadn't yet partaken of the Holy Spirit. Paul taught in Corinthians about a man in the church that was renewed unto repentance and spoke of delivering people over to satan for the destruction of the flesh that their spirit would be saved on the Lord's Day. What Paul says is that it is difficult, not impossible, to renew those who have once tasted the heavenly gift. Read how the same Greek word for impossible "adunatos" is used in Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27 and Luke 18:27. In Acts 14:8, Romans 8:3, and Romans 15:1 it is interpreted as "weak", "could not do" and "impotent." Using a strict literal method without proper CONTEXT has resulted in much ridiculous religious dogmatism regarding this verse.
The word 'impossible' here has the same force as in Matt. 19:26, where it is said to be impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In reply to the apostles' question, "who, then, can be saved?" Jesus said: "With men it is impossible, but with God everything is possible." This can be restated as, "With men it is hard but everything is easy with God."
Calmet says: "Paul by no means intended to exclude sincere repentance for forgiveness of sin which we commit after being saved." Rosenmuller, a celebrated German theologian says: "The Greek word for impossible 'Adunatos' in this place does not mean absolutely impossible. It means nearly impossible but not absolutely impossible.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SIN UNTO DEATH?
1 John 5:16-17 "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death."
This scripture really has nothing to do with eternal punishments but temporal punishments - meaning "punishments relating to this life." "The sin unto death" has often been supposed to be the "unpardonable sin" as though any sin could be unpardonable by a God whose mercy is without limit and without end. The "unpardonable sin" will be discussed later. The apostle was probably alluding to the various offences under the Jewish law, some of which were unto death or capital offences, while others were considered less serious. He may have been saying once a person is in the hands of death penalty authorities it is too late. The less serious sins were to be interceded for but the sins that resulted in death were to be regarded as beyond intercession. Or John could have been referring to sins committed out of immaturity, ignorance or other lesser offenses in contrast to those that somehow bring about grave consequences or the death of a person.
Why would certain sins put someone beyond intercession? One answer could be that the wages of sin is death. A person sinning a sin that results in grave consequences or death is suffering the judgment of sin. One is to intercede when a person has a chance of change in this life. But if a person's action is resulting in an unchangeable situation like their death, then the realities of that person's choice must be accepted. Jesus was probably referring to this "sin unto death" in this example:
John 8:21-24, "Then Jesus said again to the Jews, "I go away. You will seek Me but will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come." So the Jews were saying, "Surely He will not kill Himself will He? Is this why He says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?" And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins. Unless you believe that I am the Christ, you will die in your sins."
The Jews rejection of the Messiah would reach a point that it would result in their death. Unbelief in the Christ did end up resulting in the death of countless Jews, particularly during the fall of Jerusalem. These scriptures are not teaching us to give up on people. They are teaching that sometimes a person will choose the hard way and we should pray and respond accordingly. Paul would release, cast out and/or discipline people so they could experience the detrimental effects of their willful sin in their lives. However, the purpose was ALWAYS for the ultimate restoration of that individual. Never forget that!Jesus tells these Jews they will die in their sin and elsewhere we read that all Israel will be saved! Rom. 11:26. By the time you finish this course, this will no longer be a contradiction.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE PERISHING?
"And the hypocrite's hope shall perish." Job 8:13 Why this passage was ever quoted in support of endless punishment is beyond reason. There is nothing in it to indicate that it has the remotest reference to anything beyond this life. Its meaning is that the wicked shall be disappointed; that they will not realize what they desire. It is exactly equivalent to Proverbs 10:28: "The expectation of the wicked shall perish." This is another example of how a mindset of eternal burnings reads this mindset into scriptures that are not speaking of eternal burnings at all.
BUT WHAT ABOUT AGREEING WITH YOUR ADVERSARY SCRIPTURES?
"Agree with your adversary quickly before you get to court. Otherwise the adversary will deliver you to the judge and the judge will deliver you to the officer who will cast you into prison. I mean it when I say unto you, you won't come out of there until you have paid the complete penalty." Matt. 5:25, 26.
Once again, eternal fires of hell are READ INTO a verse that isn't speaking of it. Jesus is teaching it is better to resolve all conflicts quickly and directly. Jesus is also teaching us not to have unresolved issues with others. Debtors prisons were common in Bible times.
Let's assume, as is sometimes claimed, that God symbolizes the adversary and the prison symbolizes eternal punishment after death. If that is true then limited, corrective punishment is certainly taught by this scripture. Why? Because the scripture says you're only in prison until "the uttermost farthing" is paid.
The analogy doesn't fit. But this scripture is not speaking of eternal burnings. The language has a local reference to the times of the disciples and relates entirely to legal and interpersonal relationship problems and how to deal with them. A modern version with the surrounding scripture CONTEXT makes this clear:
Mat 5:23-26 "This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then come back and work things out with God. Or say you're out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don't lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you're likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won't get out without a stiff fine.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE WICKED BEING DRIVEN AWAY?
"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness; but the righteous has hope in his death."-- Proverbs 14:32.
This verse could be used to teach Universal Salvation. It could be read this way, "Wicked Bob is driven away by his wickedness, but the righteous have hope in Bob's death." There are various interpretations on this verse. An Aramaic version says, "The wicked is overthrown through his wickedness; but he who is confident that he is without sin is a righteous man."
Solomon couldn't have been referring to post mortem burnings in this verse. Old Testament Jews weren't taught it during this period. Many Christians are not aware of this - but now you are!
What is most likely meant is that when the wicked is driven away to death in his wickedness, the righteous has hope in his death.
BUT WHAT ABOUT IT BEING A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD?
"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Heb. 10:31
The Bible has many expressions like, "To fall into the hands of God" and "the hand of the Lord was heavy" and "the hand of the Lord was against someone." This denotes the judgments of God falling on the sinful. God has a merciful purpose in His judgments, but they are often fearful to experience. We are always in God's hands, but we are said to "fall into" his hands when we suffer the consequences of sinfulness. It is a fearful thing to suffer the consequences of our sin, even though a corrective purpose is behind the judgment. An amputation is a fearful process to undergo, though it may save life and restore health. All judgments of God correct and set right. God's judgments are not the result of a God who finally "loses it" and discards people forever because he has lost his patience.
To define the character and nature of God by human flaws and weaknesses is a very common but serious error.
BUT WHAT ABOUT GOD LAUGHING AT MAN'S CALAMITY?
"I have called and you refused. I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded it. You have ignored all my counsel and refused correction. I also will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your fear comes." Prov. 1:24-26.
Proverbs 1 contains interpretative language to show there are serious consequences and judgments when one refuses to follow the right path.Since Christ was paying the price for the entire world's rejection and refusal of the right path, was God the Father laughing and mocking when Christ was suffering?
These passages in Proverbs 1 could make this absurd argument if one takes these verses in a strict literal sense. Many take their character flaws and project them onto God to justify their self centered, prideful judgments, opinions and biases. Proverbs 1, taken in proper context, makes clear there are severe consequences for rejection of what is true and right. It does not make the case for a God who sneers, mocks and laughs at fallen men.
BUT WHAT ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND GOD?
"You shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am you can not come." John 7:34. "Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and you shall seek me, and die in your sins; you cannot go where I go." John 8:21. "Ye shall not see me until you shall say, "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord." Matt. 23:39
The CONTEXT in all the above verses is Jesus speaking to unrepentant Jews. These verses are usually misquoted to say something like this: "If you die in your sins, where God and Christ are you never can come." But Jesus said just the same thing to his disciples in John 13:33, "Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me; and as I said unto the Jews, where I go, you cannot come; so now I say to you."
He also said to his disciple Peter: "You can't follow me now, but you shall follow me afterward." Clearly in all these cases he meant that he could not be followed at that time; he did not mean they should be excluded from his presence forever as the statement to Peter and the word "until" in Matt. 23:39 makes clear.
Notice also that in Matt. 23:39 Jesus prophesizes that the unrepentant Jews WOULD see him AFTER they accepted Him. Meditate on that.
BUT WHAT ABOUT NOT INHERITING THE KINGDOM OF GOD?
"Now the works of the
flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revilers,
blasphemers, insulters, and
such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time
past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of
God."--Gal. 5:19-21.
"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God."--Eph. 5:5.
"Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves
with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God."--1 Cor. 6:9,10.
All Christians teach that this language is not to be interpreted literally. Surprised? Isn't it taught that all can enter the Kingdom, even if guilty of the above sins, through repentance, faith and acceptance of the Christ? The popular rendering of these passages is that those who commit these sins in this life will never find heaven unless they repent before they die. However, that idea is not expressed or implied. That meaning is read INTO the verse due to widely accepted, but incorrect, theological upbringing.
The kingdom of God is a condition of purity, and whoever is guilty of these sins shuts himself out from the Kingdom. No Christian group teaches this doctrine more earnestly than do proponents of Universal Salvation. EVERYONE must be purged from all impurity to enter the Kingdom of God and, as you will learn, the fires of God are always purgative and corrective. Malachi 3:2, "On the day the Lord comes, he will be like a furnace that purifies silver or like strong soap in a washbasin. No one will be able to stand up to him." Notice He PURIFIES and CLEANSES using a type of fire or burning to accomplish it.
This is why those that teach Universal Salvation view "hell fire and brimstone" as a PURGATIVE, CLEANSING process.
Also note: the actual rendering of "refiners or purifying fire and strong or fullers soap" in Malachi 3:2 could be FIRE AND BRIMSTONE and is so stated in some versions. See notes on message titled "Fire and God" in the Notes Section.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BARREN FIG TREE?
"Cut it down why waste valuable ground?" Luke 13:7 This language is parallel to that in Matt. 3:10: "and now also the axe is laid unto the root of the tree; therefore every tree which doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire."
This actually is a prophetic metaphor referring to the nation of Israel and it's coming destruction in 70 AD but holds true for an individual life as well. The nation or the individual that does not serve God perishes. This means the nation or people pass through a process of decay, destruction and death as the penalty of sinfulness. The afterlife is not discussed here. The use of fire in the metaphor is prophetic since Jerusalem and thousands of Jews were burnt in the fires of judgment during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. We will be discussing the Bible's use of fire elsewhere in this document and a message is outlined in the Notes Section under the title, "Fire and God."
For now, we will state that fire is the ultimate purifier. It is commonly viewed as a destroyer but in reality it changes the form of what it burns and separates it's elements.
The separated elements can then be used in other matter. An example is 1Co 3:13-15:
"every man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of every man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. "
BUT WHAT ABOUT GOD BEING ANGRY EVERY DAY?
"God is angry with the wicked every day."--Psalm 7:11.
This verse is an excellent study in how true meanings of Scripture can become lost in translation and confusion. Learn and understand this section well.
Solomon said in Ecc. 7:9: "Anger rests in the bosom of fools." Then God cannot be "angry every day," all the time. What is the meaning of these words?
Dr. Adam Clarke, the well known scholar and commentator, has examined the text with learning and candor, and he gives us the result of his investigation in the statement. He states that a mistranslation of the language puts a false meaning on the words. He gives these as authorities:
Dr. Clarke says: "I have judged it of consequence to trace this verse through all the ancient versions in order to be able to ascertain what is the true reading. Does the evidence amount to a positive affirmation, 'God is angry every day' or to a negation, 'He is not angry every day?' The mass of evidence supports that it is a negation. The Chaldee [the Aramaic language that was the original language of some parts of the Bible] first corrupted the text by making the addition, 'with the wicked.' Our translators followed suit and put the words into italics showing the words as not being in the Hebrew text. [You will need a good complete Concordance to verify this because fewer Bibles today italicize the words that are not in Greek or Hebrew.] Several of the versions have rendered it in this way: 'God judges the righteous, and is not angry every day."
The true sense may be restored in this manner; el with the vowel 'tsere' signifies God; el, the same letters with the point 'pathach', signifies not. Several of the versions read in this way: 'God judges the righteous, and is not angry every day.' The meaning being that He is not always chiding, nor is he daily punishing, despite the daily wickedness of man.
The ideas of patience and long-suffering are intended which several of the versions introduce." This would also put this verse in alignment with several others - [Micah 7:18; Psa. 103:8, 9; 30:5) which say that "God doesn't retain his anger forever."
There are two kinds of anger spoken of in Scripture. One is right and is exhibited by God and the good, and the other is wrong and is an animal characteristic of which God is incapable. "Unrighteous" anger is a disposition to avoid and be on guard against. Righteous anger's legitimate use is to remove obstacles and correct. Employed by the good, righteous anger never harms. Unrighteous anger, used by those with evil intent, always works evil.
The "right" anger is referred to in the passage we are considering. "Right anger is exercised by God who is said to "hate all the workers of iniquity." And why does He exhibit his anger? To change and/or end the state of sin! Men who are suffering the penalties of sin see only the "rod of discipline." They don't realize the love that is being demonstrated. The correction doesn't "feel" like love to the wayward. Men in a state of being corrected usually say with Saul that God hates them. But it is Infinite Love that wields the rod because God loves the sinner! God will destroy what alienates man from his best friend and God will ruin what interferes with the best interests of man.
David says; "God
shall
make the wicked as a fiery oven in the time of His anger, the Lord shall
swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them." Psa. 21:9.
The prophet declares: "The Lord reserves wrath for his enemies."--Nahum
1:2,3.
Paul affirms; "The wrath of God comes upon the children of
disobedience." "The power and wrath of God is upon all them that forsake
him."Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6.
Jesus says: "The wrath of God abides on him
that doesn't believe the Son." John 3:36.
Yet when CONTEXT is added, Jesus also says: "God is kind to the
unthankful and evil." Luke 6:35. "He makes His sun to rise on the evil
and on the good and sends His rain on the just and on the unjust." Matt. 5:48.
Now these statements appear contradictory until CONTEXT is understood. What God is determined to destroy in the sinner is that which makes him a sinner. Christ said He came to utterly destroy evil - the works of the devil. He said he came to save the world, not to destroy men. God proceeds towards the wayward as a good parent must, to eradicate the evil by punishment. An angry mother--a true mother--punishes her wayward child just as God punishes the wicked, because she loves them. The child may call the punishment anger but it will not harm a hair of the child's head. The punishment resulting from Love is indeed the highest love; it is for the child's welfare and, sometimes, cannot shrink from inflicting pain. But it is temporary and intended to purge.
This is evident when we remember that men are told to be like God. Yet, God says that men must not let the sun go down upon their wrath. We must love our enemies that we may be children of the highest. If God were angry every day, and we were to be like him as some assert, we could be cross, petulant, wrathful, vindictive and hateful all the time. This would be contrary to Proverbs 15:18 and 16:32. But we can only be like God as we "put off anger" (Col. 3:8) and "put away all wrath, anger and malice." (Eph. 4:31) "A fool's wrath is quickly and openly known, but a prudent man ignores an insult." (Prov. 12:16) "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding." (Prov. 14:29)
Does God tell us to be and act in a way that he doesn't? The Bible uses parental discipline to describe God's handling of men several times. Should a human parent punish forever? Should a human parent burn their children forever - or at all for that matter?
"God is not angry with the wicked every day," is the correct reading of this passage. This is what is true of Him who is Love and who is unchangeable. He never was, never is, and never will be angry with any human being in any other sense than that His righteous indignation burns towards those traits that cause His children to sin. And God's anger will continue to burn until it destroys those traits and transforms his enemies into friends. God's purifying, purgative and corrective anger will destroy the antagonism of his enemies. He will always be kind to the unthankful and evil. He "is not angry with the wicked every day."
BUT WHAT ABOUT BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST?
The passages that relate
to this subject are in:
Matt. 12:31, 32:"Wherefore I say unto you, all manner
of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against
the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaks
against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaks
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world,
nor the world to come."
Mark 3:28-30: "all sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto the
sons of men; but he
that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost never has forgiveness, but is
in danger of eternal damnation. He said this because they said, he has an unclean
spirit."
Luke 12:10: "And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of
man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemes against the
Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven."
What is this sin? Opinions vary. In CONTEXT, Jesus only spoke about it to those that were first hand witnesses to his miracles. Why would such a serious sin not be mentioned anywhere else in Scripture? The sin consisted of ascribing the power by which Jesus wrought his wonderful works to Satan. He was accused of being aided by Beelzebub, of having an unclean spirit, and of working his miracles by the power of an evil spirit. From this it follows that very few persons are exposed to the doom threatened here because very few have ever committed this sin.
Again, sometimes we don't see what is in plain sight. If we use the strict literal interpretation, we must conclude that all other sinners, of every character and kind, will be saved! Why?
Because just as positively as the Scripture declares that these blasphemers shall never be forgiven, it declares that all others literally and absolutely shall be forgiven.
"Verily I say unto you all sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto the sons of men..."
The sin against the Holy Ghost is the only sin that shall not be pardoned. All other sinners, thieves, liars, murderers, all except that very small number that accused Jesus of receiving diabolical help, shall be forgiven. It doesn't say might be forgiven or can be forgiven but shall be forgiven. Doesn't this hint that this scripture may not be meant to be taken literally? If the "shall" and "shall not" are to be understood literally, then the number of the damned is entirely limited to the very few who actually saw Christ's miracles and ascribed them to Beelzebub. No one since and no one hereafter can be damned because all other sin, but that, shall be forgiven. This saves all mankind except those few persons who said, "he [Christ] has an unclean spirit." This reduces hell to a mere mote in the universe and excludes all now living, or who shall live, from any exposure to it. Let's examine the text further:
Dr. Newcome says: "It is a common figure of speech in the oriental languages to say of two things that one shall be and the other shall not be. The real meaning is that one shall happen sooner or more easily than the other." Campbell also says this is "a noted Hebraism", a term of speech common among the Jews to teach that one event is more likely to occur than another. It doesn't mean that either shall or shall not occur. Grotius and Bishop Newton agree. An example is when Jesus says, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." He does not mean that heaven and earth shall actually pass away, but they will sooner fail than his words. It is a strong method of asserting that his words shall be fulfilled. This is common in the Bible. Here are some examples that show a strict literal interpretation is not always intended:
Prov. 8:10: "Receive
my instruction and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold." Does
this mean Christians are NEVER to receive silver or gold?
Matt. 6:19, 20: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth
and rust does corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust does
corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal." Does this mean
Christians are not to save, invest or have any financial worth?
Luke
14:12,13:"Then said he also to him that bade him, When you make a dinner or
a supper, call not your friends, nor your brethren, neither your kinsmen, nor
your rich neighbors. They will reciprocate and in some way pay you
back. But when you make a feast call the poor, the maimed, the
lame, the blind." Does this mean Christians are never to invite family
and friends for dinner?
John 6:27: "Labor not for the meat that perishes. Labor
for that meat which endures unto everlasting life which the Son of man
shall give unto you; for Him has God the father sealed." Does this
mean Christians should not work for food?
This next section requires deep study and until the study on Aion - Aionios is understood some of this may not be clear to you. Study of the word "Aion" and "Aionios" comes in part three of this study.
The popular impression that 'the world to come" here means the life after death is an error. Dr. Clarke observes: "Though I follow the common translation I am fully satisfied the meaning of the words is, "neither in this Jewish dispensation nor in that which is to come." "Olam ha-bo", meaning 'the world to come', is a constant phrase for the times of the Messiah in the Jewish writers." Wakefield, Rosenmuller and Hammond also give the same opinion. And it should be added that the word "never" is not in the original Greek. So the text means, "not under either dispensation, or age (aion--mistranslated "world") will this inexcusable sin be less than the greatest of transgressions."
Bishop Pearce declares: "This is a strong way of expressing how difficult a thing it was for such a sinner to obtain pardon. The Greek word "aion" seems to signify age here, as it often does in the New Testament (see Matt. 13:40; 24 3; Col. 1:26; Eph. 3:5, 21). If this be so then 'this age' means the Jewish one, and 'the age to come' (see Hebrews 6:5 and Eph. 2:7) means that under the Christian dispensation. Biblically speaking, the end of the 'world' [Greek "aion" meaning age] took place during the time of the apostles. 'Now once in the end of the world [age] hath he [Christ] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.' Heb. 9:26. 'Now all these things happened unto them for examples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [Greek "aion" meaning age] are come.' 1 Cor. 10:11."
Gilpin observes, "Nobody can suppose, considering the whole tenor of Christianity, that there can be any sin which, on repentance, may not be forgiven. This, therefore, seems only a strong way of expressing the difficulty of such repentance, and the impossibility of forgiveness without it. Such an expression occurs in Matt. 19:24: 'It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter heaven;' that is, it is very difficult. That the Pharisees were not beyond the reach of forgiveness, on their repentance, seems to be plain from verse 41, where the repentance of Nineveh is held out to them for an example."
Clarke says: "Any penitent may find mercy through Christ Jesus; for through him any kind of sin may be forgiven to man, except the sin against the Holy Ghost, which I have proved no man can now commit."--Clarke on 1 John 5:16. And again: "No man who believes the divine mission of Jesus Christ can commit this sin."
These are all "Orthodox" commentators. Their opinions were certainly not formed by prejudice in favor of Universal Salvation. They agree with what seems the meaning of the Savior, that this sin is of all others most inexcusable. But that any sin is literally unpardonable by a God and Father of infinite love and mercy, is nowhere expressed or implied in the Bible. Mark's language "hath never forgiveness" should read "has not forgiveness to the age," but is liable to aionian judgment; that is, to an indefinite penalty. See the word 'aionios' explained in subsequent pages of this book.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE WRATH OF GOD?
Paul speaks (Col. 3:6) of "the wrath of God on the children of disobedience." We have shown that wrath is a reprehensible passion. It can only be applied to God in a figurative sense to denote his disapproval of sin. Wrath is used to describe the consequences of human misconduct, the judgments of God on wickedness, but always in a figurative sense. He who is the same always and whose nature is love cannot literally be angry or wrathful.
Man, hurting from God's chastisements or beholding the results of his judgments, characterizes as wrath and hatred what is really actions motivated by God's love.
God doesn't have wrath as men experience wrath. There can be no such thing as hatred in him who is perfect love. Prof. Stuart, in his comments on Romans, observes: "It is impossible to unite with the idea of complete perfection the idea of anger in the sense in which we cherish that passion. With us it is a source of misery, as well as sin. Neither misery or sin are, in any way, a part of God. God's anger can only be that feeling or affection in him which moves Him to look on sin with disapproval and to punish it when connected with a lack of repentance. We must not, even in imagination, connect this in the remotest manner with revenge; which is only and always a malignant passion.
Dr. Clarke thinks that the word "wrath" in the new Testament ought to be "punishment." "Taken in this sense, we may consider the phrase as a Hebraism meaning a punishment of God, the most heavy and awful of punishments such as sin deserves and divine justice mandates." So this verse could be read, "And this wrath or punishment abides on the unbeliever. It endures as long as his unbelief and disobedience remain."
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE WRATH TO COME?
"O, generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Matthew 3:7
John the Baptist addresses
this language to the Scribes and Pharisees. By "wrath to come" he meant the
approaching desolation of the Hebrew nation in 70 AD.
Bishop Pearce says, "the
punishment to come in the destruction of the Jewish state"
Kenrick says, "the
impending punishment in the destruction of the Jewish state"
Dr. Clarke says
"the desolation which was about to fall on the Jewish nation."
The facts regarding the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD and how much of Jesus' statements and prophecies and other New Testament writer's statements related to it is something that is a lost teaching in this day and age and is the cause of much doctrinal error and eschatological [end time doctrine] errors. However, the same words may be applied to the consequences of any sinful career, whether of an individual or a nation.
This is yet another one of those verses where people wrongly read into the words the doctrine of eternal torments when nothing of the sort was intended by the speakers.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SPIRITS IN PRISON?
"By which also Christ went and preached unto the spirits in prison. In times past they were disobedient. The long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only eight souls were saved from the water." 1 Peter 3:19- 20.
This is a very controversial verse and subject to wide and varied interpretations. I had a lot of notes and different interpretations and opinions regarding this verse which, in my opinion, only added to the confusion. Suffice it to say this verse gives credence to the fact that grace extends beyond the grave. This is evidenced by Christ's preaching and the terms, "in times past they WERE disobedient."
BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN JESUS SAID "I PRAY NOT FOR THE WORLD?"
"I pray for them. I pray not for the world but for them which You have given me because they are Yours." John 17:9.
CONTEXT will help with this verse. Jesus was offering a special prayer for his disciples. He frequently employs this form of expression. He uses the negative in order to give the greater emphasis to the positive as when he says in reference to forgiveness: "Not seven times, but seventy times seven;" or, "Lay not up treasures upon earth, but lay up treasures in heaven." He does not forbid us to forgive seven times, nor to lay up treasures on earth.
He precedes his command to forgive seventy times seven, and to lay up heavenly treasures, by a negative in order to give the greater force to what follows.
He offers a special prayer for his disciples but in verse 21 he extends the prayer to others and prays for Universal Salvation:
John 17:21 May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us so the world may believe You sent Me. On the cross He prayed for his murderers (Luke 23:34); and he also prayed for all men when (John 10) he prophesies for all the sheep for whom he had laid down his life. Also notice this: "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring; and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd."
Notice Jesus prophesies there will be ONE FOLD and one shepherd, not 2 folds and 2 shepherds. He says that some people weren't part of the fold then but would, at some point in the future, be in the fold and hear his voice. We also have other admonitions regarding "all men":
1Titus 2:1, "I exhort you, first of all, to have supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks to be made on behalf of all men."
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHTEOUS SCARCELY SAVED?
"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. If it first begins with us, what shall the end be of them that don't obey the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner and the ungodly appear?" 1 Peter 4:18.
This is yet another example referring to the 'end of the age' in 70 AD.
Dr. Macknight's view says it all: "Indeed the time is come that the punishment to be inflicted on the Jews as a nation for their crimes, from the first to last, must begin at you Jewish Christians who have become the house of God. And if it begins first with us who are so dear to God, what will the end be of those Jews who don't obey the gospel of God? If the righteous Jews who believe in Christ will be saved with difficulty when God punishes the Jewish nation, where will the ungodly and sinful part of the nation show themselves saved from the divine vengeance? That the apostle is not speaking here of the difficulty of the salvation of the righteous at the day of judgment will be evident to anyone who considers 2 Peter 1:11.
2 Peter 1:10-11 Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. For in this way entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to you.
What he speaks of is the difficulty of the preservation of the Christians at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. They were preserved as Christ promised (Matt. 24:13). But the ungodly and wicked Jews were saved neither in Judea, nor anywhere else."
Dr. Adam Clarke: "Judgment must begin at the house of God. Our Lord had predicted that, previously to the destruction of Jerusalem, his followers would have to endure various calamities. (See Matt. 24:9,21,22; Mark 13:12,13; John 16:2, etc.) Here his true disciples are called the house or family of God. And if it first begin with us, Jews who have repented and believe on the Son of God, what shall be the end of them, the Jews who continue impenitent and obey not the gospel of God? The verse in question was based upon the text which Peter immediately quotes.
Verse 18, "And if the righteous scarcely be saved..."
If it shall be with extreme difficulty that the Christians shall escape from Jerusalem, when the Roman armies shall come against it with the full commission to destroy it, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? Where shall the proud Pharisaic boaster in his outside holiness, and the transgressor of the law of God show themselves as having escaped the divine vengeance? The Christians, though with difficulty, did escape, every man; but not one of the Jews escaped, whether found in Jerusalem or elsewhere. I have, on several occasions, shown that when Cestius Gallus came against Jerusalem, many Christians were shut up in it. He strangely stopped the siege and the Christians immediately departed to Pella, in Coelosyria, into the dominions of King Agrippa who was an ally of the Romans. There they were in safety. It appears from the ecclesiastical historians that they had only a short time to leave the city before the Romans returned under the command of Titus. These troops never left the place till they had destroyed the temple, razed the city to the ground, slain upwards of a million of the remaining Jews and put an end to their society and ecclesiastical state."
This salvation relates exclusively to deliverance from the approaching terrors of those times and not to any sufferings after death.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE WRESTING THE SCRIPTURES TO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION?
"As also Paul, in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things some of which are hard to understand. As a result, some which are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also other scriptures, unto their own destruction." 2 Peter 3:16. Let's read a modern day translation - 2 Peter 3:16, "He speaks about these things in all his letters, in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures."
First and foremost see this section where it is made crystal clear that the word 'destruction' [Greek 'apoleia'] was not referring to eternal torments. When these words were written the land of Judea was full of confusion and many ominous signs indicated its approaching desolation. This was spoken of as identical with the "coming of the Lord."
Jesus had said: "And when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." Luke 21:20. Now Peter wrote this epistle to keep the church in remembrance of the prophecies of the coming event. He refers to those who asked, "Where is the promise of his coming?" (v.4) and added (v.42) "Watch! You don't know what hour your Lord will come." He gives, in similar imagery to that employed by Jesus, the signs of the coming: "The heavens passing away with a great noise, and the elements melting with fervent heat." Jesus had said: "The stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken." Matthew 24:29. See also 2 Peter 3:10. He exhorts (v.11) "seeing you know these things beforehand, beware so you are not also led away with the error of the wicked and fall from your own steadfastness."
Clearly there were some at that time that misunderstood and perverted the words of Jesus and Peter and were destroyed in the coming calamities, "before that generation passed." Had they understood and obeyed the Scriptures, they would have escaped.
BUT WHAT ABOUT NO MURDERER HAVING ETERNAL LIFE?
"Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." 1 John 3:15.
This language shows that there are millions of people considered murderers by God who never destroyed life! Every one who hates his brother has already committed murder spiritually speaking. If no murderer can ever reach heaven, then millions will be lost forever because everyone has hated at some point. Many, in denial, choose not to call their feelings hate to try to make it look like "justified anger." God is not fooled by our word manipulations. Consider the Greek for the word "hate" in this verse. It means "implying active ill will in words and conduct, a tendency to persecute."
Notice this verse does not say that a murderer who does not repent before he dies doesn't have eternal life, but "no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" meaning no one who hates his brother has eternal life at the time the hate is operating.
The Scriptures include all transgressors when they say: "God will by no means clear the guilty."--Exodus 34:7. "He that does wrong shall receive for the wrong done; there is no respect of persons." Col. 3:25. "Count on this: The wicked won't get off scot-free, and God's loyal people will triumph." Prov. 11:21. "God says there is no peace to the wicked."--Isa. 57:21.
The murderer who dies unpunished will receive what he deserves - one way or the other. Here or hereafter it will always be true that no murderer, whether he hate his brother or destroy his brother's life, has eternal life abiding in him. Infinite grace can convert and save the murderer just like any other sinner. Paul, whose past included the taking of many innocent lives, says:
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you are washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God." 1 Cor. 6:9-11.
People can experience repentance by Grace. As long as you continue in error and darkness you don't have eternal life. After the miracle of God creating you anew - you possess eternal life. Eternal life is God's life. Operate from evil and eternal life isn't abiding - living in and through you. Operate in the Holy Spirit and eternal life is abiding - living in and through you. This will always be true. No murderer or other sinner, no one whose heart is controlled by evil, possesses eternal life. When God's life comes in, evil MUST goes out.
BUT WHAT ABOUT "LET HIM BE ACCURSED?"
The word 'anathema', improperly rendered "accursed" in Gal. 1:8, has no such meaning. It's real significance is: "Let him go," "Ignore (or disregard) him." It really means "to separate." The apostle uses it here as he applies it to himself (Rom. 9:3) "I could wish myself separated from Christ." This is the view of all good critics and any good Greek dictionary.
Hammond: "And if any attempt to do that, though it were I myself, or even an angel from heaven, I proclaim unto you mine opinion and apostolic sentence, that you are to disclaim and renounce all communion with him, to look on him as an excommunicated person, under the second degree of excommunication, that none is to have any commerce with in sacred matters. And that he may take more heed to what I say, I repeat it again: Whosoever teaches you any new doctrine, contrary to what I at first preached unto you, let him be cast out of the church by you."
Wakefield: "But, if even we, or an angel from heaven, should preach the gospel differently from what we did preach it unto you, let him be rejected. As we told you before, so now I tell you again, if any one preach a different gospel to you from what ye received from us, let him be rejected."--Trans. in loc.
Clarke: "Perhaps this is not designed as an imprecation, but as a simple direction; for the word here may be understood as implying that such a person should have no countenance in his bad work, but let him, as Theodoret expresses it, be separated from the communion of the church. This, however, would also imply that, unless the person repented, the divine judgments would soon follow."--Com. in loc.
Nothing like what is implied in the common use of the English word "anathema" is meant by the Christian use of the Greek word. The Catholic church has employed it to mean accursed, or damned, in the Evangelical meaning of those words, which is as foreign to the spirit of Christ and Christianity as it is to curse and damn in common profanity.
All acts of discipline and correction in scripture were for one reason and one reason only - to awaken and restore a wayward soul to repentance. NEVER allow yourself to fall into the trap of thinking contrary to this spiritual truth or you have fallen into the hate trap [meaning "implying active ill will in words and conduct, a tendency to persecute"] discussed earlier.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SECOND DEATH AND LAKE OF FIRE?
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God'; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in those books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead that were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."--Rev. 20:12-14. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the; abominable, and murderer, and whoremonger, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death."--Rev. 21:8
Note that the Greek word 'part' indicates location or portion, not a span of time. Popularly "hell" and the "lake of fire and brimstone" are the same thing; but it is seen, as we read the description in Revelation, that they are entirely different. In chap. 20, verses 13 and 14, it is said that "death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This [the lake of fire] is the second death." For reasons which will become clear I want to point out this scripture before we proceed:
Malachi 3:2-3 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness."
GILL on fuller's soap: "fuller's soap; or "fuller's herb", as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it, and Jarchi and R. Johah interprets it: interprets it of an herb which fullers use: and in the Mishna this is one of the seven things used to take out spots, namely, "borith", the word here used; and which Maimonides says is a plant known by the name of "algasul" and "gazul" in the Arabic language: it signifies something by which filth is washed away; and so Bartenora says it is a plant which purifies and cleanses; and Jerom relates that this herb grows in Palestine, in moist and green places, and has the same virtue as nitre to take away filth; agreeably to which some other versions render it "fuller's weed", "soap weed" or brimstone (sulfur).
The Syriac version is "as sulfur [which is brimstone] that makes white;'' and fullers with the Romans was used with chalk to take out spots; and so Pliny speaks of a kind of sulfur which fullers make use of. A metaphor signifying the same thing as before, the removing of spotted doctrines or spotted persons, the one by the preaching of the Gospel, the other by awful judgments, as spots in garments are removed by the fuller's herb or soap."Now notice very carefully that a valid interpretation of Malachi 3: 2-3 is that the Christ would be as FIRE AND BRIMSTONE at his coming - cleansing and purifying. It is also helpful to know that the way the purity of precious metals was tested in Biblical times was to strike the metal against a special rock. The response of the precious metal against the rock determined purity. This special rock that was used for testing and striking was called a "torment." This paragraph alone should be enough for you to see that those that speak of hell as purgative and corrective are not as heretical as you first thought. The meaning of the original language should be getting clearer.
GOD AS "LIQUID FIRE" IN SCRIPTURE
Revelation is loaded with Old Testament apocalyptic language. The lake of fire is only found in Revelation so we have no other New Testament references to help us interpret the symbol. We have Deut. 4:24, 9:23 and Heb. 12:29 saying God is a consuming fire. But the Old Testament has Malachi 3:2-3 and the following which proves from scripture the river, lake and stream of fire and brimstone was none other than God and his Christ! Look at these other references to fire and "liquid" fire referring to God:
Dan 7:9, 10 I beheld till the
thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was
white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his
throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as
burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him:
thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand
stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
Isa 30:27-33 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far,
burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his
tongue as a devouring fire. And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err. Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel. And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the
lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger,
and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones. For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it. For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large:
the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
Food for thought: Since it is already established that hell is not the lake of fire, Revelation 20 teaches that death and hell are emptied and then thrown into the lake of fire. When I refer to Christ as the lake of fire, some call me crazy. But, who was it that was to bear and destroy the world's sin? Was not death and hell [the Greek word means grave] a product and result of sin? Also, there is no scripture that states those whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life will be in the lake of fire forever...NONE. Are your wheels turning? Good, now let's get back to the second death; the subject of this section.
There are MANY
opinions on these verses regarding the second death. Four common opinions are:
1. Some suppose it refers to those who,
having once been dead in trespasses and sins, have become quickened into
newness of life, and then have returned to their wicked ways. Jude
describes those who were "twice dead, plucked up by the roots." Such are all
who have once been good, and who have fallen into evil ways.
2. Others
apply it to the apostasy of the Christian church.
3. Others to the second
destruction or death of the Jewish religious system which occurred soon
after Revelation was written.
4. Others
refer it to endless torments after death - punishment throughout eternity.
Is view 4 correct? A man's death in trespasses and sins is Biblically considered the first death. The dissolution of the body is the second death...or is it? Is the death to sin and self, our "crucifixion with Christ that we experience when getting saved the second or third death? Would endless torments be the third death or the fourth death? The Bible is a big book and can be hard to understand at times and one has to study the Bible for considerable time to begin to understand the symbolism in the book of Revelation.
One Possible View:
The careful reader of the book of Revelation will see that this second death is a temporal destruction - meaning the destruction on this side of life - to befall the Jewish nation soon after the book was written. The Apocalypse was written just before Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. It had once before been laid waste. The Jewish nation had lost its national life, and now it was to pass through a similar experience, undergo a second death, which it did when Titus (A.D.70) overwhelmed the people, and inflicted national death on the Jews. The first death lasted seventy years, the captivity in Babylon; the second has lasted now eighteen centuries, and justifies the term everlasting, as you will discover further in this course. The first death is described by the prophet Ezekiel, chap. 37:12-14:
"Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves. And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land; then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, says the Lord."
The second death was when the Jews were again extinguished as a nation. The revelator declares it was to be very soon.
"And behold, I come
quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work
shall be. He which testifies these things says, Surely I come
quickly."--Rev. 22:12, 20.
Jesus thus announces the
same event: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and
then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of
man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."--Matt.
24:30. John says: "Behold, he
cometh with clouds;" Jesus says: "The Son of man cometh in the clouds of
heaven;" John: "And all the kindred of the earth shall wail because of him;"
Jesus: "And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn." In Rev. 21:8, the same
idea is taught. "The fearful, unbelieving," etc., are to be burned in "the
lake of fire, and this is the second death." The lake of fire denotes the
fearful judgments of those days during which the Jews experienced their
second death.
Another View
The bottom line: Death, hell, the grave and ALL the fruits, roots, results and products of sin are destroyed by Christ! So why is the eternal co-existence with God of sin, death and evil taught?
These quotes are taken from the Savior Of The World Series by J. Preston Eby:
"Whatever we hold as the nature of the death state, may we let this truth sink deep into our hearts: DEATH IS TO BE ABOLISHED. The ringing declaration, "The LAST enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (I Cor. 15:26) overthrows the whole structure of accepted, but unproved, theology which shuts up the mass of the human race in "eternal death." When the "last" enemy is abolished it is self-evident that none remains. Those wretched religionists who demand the endlessness of death, who argue for eternal torment in the lake of fire, the second death, do err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. The lake of fire MUST end because death and hell are cast into it, which is the second death, and in the end THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH.
There is a strange and wonderful statement found in Rev. 2:11. "He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the Churches; He that overcomes shall not be HURT of the second death." I would draw your attention to the fact that it does not say that the over comer experiences nothing of the second death, that he does not pass through it, or that its work is not wrought in his life; but the thought is that he will not be "hurt" by it. Also see Rev. 20: 5,6.
Let me repeat - all men shall die to sin. Some lovingly submit to God's dealings that the dreadful death of the carnal mind in their members may be "mortified" or put to death, while others must be subdued and broken under the severe heat of judgmental fire. The former pass through the death to self - but are not "hurt" by it. In dying by a living and active faith to everything of the flesh, and living by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, a perfect work is wrought in which everything that is in any way opposed to God is brought to death. These become what God seeks in order to satisfy His heart. "
And yet another view
Lastly, consider this: the Bible teaches that there are only 2 men in all creation - Adam and Christ who is the second Adam. In Adam all died [first death] and in Christ all are made alive. [2 Cor. 5:14, 1 Cor. 15:22] But all that are made alive in Christ experience a SECOND DEATH to self and sin. We are crucified with Christ and are to consider ourselves DEAD and alive unto God. But the death in Christ is what makes alive for He is the spirit which makes alive! [1 Cor. 15:45] The Bible clearly teaches that all creation will end up in Christ - so all creation will experience the second death. Some will find the second death more painful than others. [Rev. 2:11 and 20: 5,6] Various other sections will deal with these issues, so let's move on.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FIRST RESURRECTION?
"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death has no power. Rev. 20:5, 6.
It is impossible to discuss this without getting into extensive discussion of end time doctrine [eschatology] which is not the purpose of this document. I will not get into definitive opinions here on end times doctrine. I quote Hanson in part:
"Some say the first resurrection was when the morally dead of our Savior's time heard and obeyed his call: "Awake thou that sleep, and arise from the dead."--Eph. 5:14. They lived and reigned with Christ. This spiritual living was the first resurrection. It was here in this world. Those who experienced it were not exposed to the second death; it had no power over them.
Eusebius, the historian, says not a Christian was slain during those fearful times [around 70AD when Jerusalem was falling]. They lived and reigned with Christ.
It may be said that they also are applicable to us. We are dead in trespasses and sins. If we awake to righteousness, we rise out of this moral death, and this is our first resurrection. But if we continue indifferent and sinful, we are experiencing the second death, a condition that will continue until he who led captivity captive shall destroy our destroyers, and "the last enemy, death, shall be destroyed," and the final resurrection shall come, beyond which there shall be "no more death, neither shall there be any more pain."
I say Christ is the "first resurrection." If you are in Christ you are part of the first resurrection and the second death "has no power over you" because you are already in Christ.
BUT WHAT ABOUT LET HIM BE UNJUST STILL?
"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Rev. 22:11.
Unless one wants to believe in dualism - the eternal coexistence of good and evil which was considered heresy by the first century church, one needs to examine this verse carefully. One explanation of this verse is from the Preterist view: This language is often understood to teach that those who are unjust, or filthy, or righteous, or holy, at the death of the body, will remain unalterably fixed in that condition forever. But a careful reading of the context shows that John has no such reference. He declares that the time of its application was "at hand;" saying, "Behold, I come quickly."
The whole book was written, according to its author, to "show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass."
The approaching destruction of Jerusalem, and overthrow of the Jewish state are the topics prophetically described throughout the book. The second overthrow of the Jewish nation was at hand. This event was to signalize the establishment of the Christian religion, and therefore it assumed immense importance. When the great event took place, those who had not previously become converted were fixed in their wicked ways, were filthy still; while those who had embraced Christianity were righteous still. The death of those spoken of is not referred to; the condition described is in this life.
BUT WHAT ABOUT ATTAINING UNTO THE RESURRECTION?
"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."--Phil. 3:11.
All men are to attain unto the literal resurrection. Christ taught a resurrection of the just and the unjust. It does not depend upon human effort. What resurrection can man accomplish by his efforts?" The context shows. Paul is exalting the Gospel when he says:
"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death: if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."
Evidently he refers here to a rising into that moral condition that Jesus occupied. He frequently employs this idea.
"Knowing this, that the old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."--Rom. 6:6.
The resurrection to be attained follows the crucifixion of "the old man." Seeing he had not yet reached that condition, Paul says: "Not as though I had already attained, neither were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." He has the same idea when he says: "How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" Again he says that we should "walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together, in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection."
The resurrection which Paul strove to attain unto, and for which we should all strive continually, is from sin to holiness, from the death in trespasses and sin to the life in Christ. The Greek word 'ana-stasis' signifies "resurrection." The element 'stasis' may be traced back to the old Sanscrit root 'sta', "to stand," or, "to stand up." The element 'ana' is intensive, and in this case has the sense of "again." The word 'ana-stasis' signifies literally a standing up again, or the "resurrection." It is standing up a second time, after having fallen down in death.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE THAT SHALL NOT SEE LIFE?
"He that believes on the Son has everlasting life; and he that doesn't believe the Son, shall not see