Hell
Dr. David Reagan has published a wonderfully succinct sermon on the nature of hades, hell and final judgement. I'm deeply impressed with him. Few will make a thorough and detailed study and let the word direct their view. He has done that.
YouTube
Dr. Edward William Fudge also has a number of excellent resources.
Sometime when you have an hour or two, put the following verses in a Bible search engine and just spend time reading the words in the their literal meaning, regarding the outcome of the condemned.
You’ll see over and over words like “perished” and “destroyed”. For those that are saved you’ll see words like “life”.
Perished and Destroyed seem to me to mean just what they say and not alive, being tortured.
Those who are given life are not given death. Death means death, not tortured life.
I do believe in hell and I do believe in judgement, but after an appropriate measured sentence, there is death.
Whether a sentence is a moment, a thousand lifetimes, a billion billion life times or eternity (as in Lucifer/Satan) – it is fair, just and righteous.
A careful reading of Revelation 19:19 through the end of chapter 20, with a careful study of the order of things is helpful as well.
Judgement on everyone else, whose names are not written in the book of life is given at the white throne judgement. Their deeds are measured against the perfect, holy white standard. They are judged according to their works. All have sinned, all come up short, all are thrown in the lake of burning sulfur.
If God is the righteous judge and each is judged according to their deeds, then how do they all have eternal conscious torment? From a little rainforest kid who didn't know, to Hitler, Mussolini, Pol Pot and Satan himself.
Eternal destruction means there is no Catholic purgatory where you suffer a while and then come out, it means you are destroyed and once destroyed it is an eternal/everlasting sentence.
Annihilation
Gen. 2:17; 3:19; 3:22; 6:5-7; 6:13; 6:17; 9:6; 19:13; 20:7; 38:7; Exod. 4:23; 12:15; 12:19; 19:12-13; 21:12; 21:14; 21:15; 12:16; 12:17; 21:12; 21:15; 21:16; 21:17; 21:29; 22:18; 22:19; 22:20; 22:22-24; 28:35; 30:33; 30:38; 31:14-15; 32:9-14; 32:27-28; 32:33; 32:35; 33:3; 33:5; 35:2; Lev. 17:4; 17:9; 17:14; 18:29; 19:8; 20:2; 20:5; 20:9; 20:10; 20:11; 20:12; 20:13; 20:15; 20:16; 20:17; 20:18; 20:27; 22:3; 22:9; 23:29-30; 24:16; 24:17; 24:21; 26:22; 26:30; 26:38; 27:29; Num. 1:51; 3:10; 3:38; 4:15; 4:19-20; 9:13; 14:35; 15:30-31; 15:35-36; 17:10; 17:13; 18:3; 18:7; 18:22; 18:32; 19:13; 19:20; 21:6; 26:10; 26:61; 26:65; 27:3; 32:13; 35:16-21; 35:30; 35:31; Deut. 2:15; 4:3; 4:26; 7:4; 7:10; 8:19-20; 9:8; 9:14; 9:19; 9:20; 9:25-26; 10:10; 11:17; 13:5; 13:9-10; 17:5; 17:7; 17:12; 18:20; 19:12; 21:21; 22:21-22; 22:24-25; 24:7; 24:16; 28:20; 28:22; 28:24; 28:45; 28:48; 28:51; 28:61; 28:63; 30:15; 30:18-19; 32:39; Josh. 1:18; 23:15-16; 1 Sam. 2:25; 2:33-34; 25:37-38; 2 Sam. 6:7; 12:13-14; 1 Kgs 14:10; 20:42; 21:21; 2 Kgs 9:8; 14:6; 1 Chron. 2:3; 10:13-14; 13:10; 2 Chron. 13:20; 25:4; Job 4:8-9; 27:8; 34:10-15; 36:5-12; Ps. 1:6; 2:12; 34:16; 34:21; 37:9; 37:20; 37:22; 37:28; 37:34; 37:38; 49:12; 55:23; 73:18; 73:27; 78:50; 82:6-7; 92:9; Prov. 2:22; 15:10; 19:9; 19:16; 21:28; Isa. 10:22-23; 11:4; 13:6; 14:22; 14:30; 27:1; 28:18; 28:22; 29:20; 34:3; 41:11; 47:11; 51:6; 53:8; 60:12; 65:15; 66:16; 66:24; Jer. 5:6; 11:21-22; 15:3; 21:8; 25:33; 28:16; 31:30; 44:7; Lam. 2:21; 3:43; Ezek. 3:18-20; 6:4-7; 14:13-21; 18:4; 18:13; 18:18-20; 18:24; 18:26; 18:31; 33:8-18; Hos. 8:4; 7:13; 10:15; 13:14; Obad. 1:10; Mic. 6:16; Zeph. 1:3; Matt. 3:10; 5:25-26; 7:13; 7:19; 7:26-27; 8:12-13; 10:29; 11:23; 15:4; 15:13; 16:25-26; 17:6; 18:34-35; 21:33-44; 22:7; 24:37-41; Mk 7:10; 8:35-37; 12:1-9; Lk. 3:9; 6:49; 9:24-25; 10:15; 12:20; 12:58-59; 13:1-5; 13:6-9; 14:34-35; 17:1-2; 17:23; 17:27; 19:27; 20:9-18; Jn 3:16; 3:35; 5:24; 6:50; 8:21; 8:24; 10:28; 12:25; 15:6; Acts 13:40-41; Rom. 1:32; 2:6-12; 5:12-14; 5:17-18; 6:16; 6:21; 6:23; 7:5; 8:6; 8:12-13; 9:27-29; 13:4; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 10:1-12; 10:8-12; 2:15-16; 4:3; Phil. 3:19; 1 Thess. 5:3; 2 Thess. 2:8-10; 6:9; Heb. 3:12-17; 10:26-31; 10:39; 12:9; 12:25-27; Jas 1:9-11; 4:14-15; 5:5; 5:19-20; 1 Pet. 1:9; 1:24-25; 2 Pet. 2:1-4; 2:4-10; 2:12-13; 3:7; 1 Jn 2:15-17; 3:14; 5:11-13; Jude 1:5; 1:20-23; Rev. 2:7; 2:11; 2:26-28; 6:9-17; 11:19; 13:9-10; 14:18-20; 18:21; 19:21; 21:8.
YouTube
Dr. Edward William Fudge also has a number of excellent resources.
Sometime when you have an hour or two, put the following verses in a Bible search engine and just spend time reading the words in the their literal meaning, regarding the outcome of the condemned.
You’ll see over and over words like “perished” and “destroyed”. For those that are saved you’ll see words like “life”.
Perished and Destroyed seem to me to mean just what they say and not alive, being tortured.
Those who are given life are not given death. Death means death, not tortured life.
I do believe in hell and I do believe in judgement, but after an appropriate measured sentence, there is death.
Whether a sentence is a moment, a thousand lifetimes, a billion billion life times or eternity (as in Lucifer/Satan) – it is fair, just and righteous.
A careful reading of Revelation 19:19 through the end of chapter 20, with a careful study of the order of things is helpful as well.
- The Beast and False Prophet are taken and thrown in the abyss forever
- Satan is grabbed and put in for a thousand years
- Satan is released for a short time
- Armageddon
- Satan is returned to the abyss forever
Judgement on everyone else, whose names are not written in the book of life is given at the white throne judgement. Their deeds are measured against the perfect, holy white standard. They are judged according to their works. All have sinned, all come up short, all are thrown in the lake of burning sulfur.
If God is the righteous judge and each is judged according to their deeds, then how do they all have eternal conscious torment? From a little rainforest kid who didn't know, to Hitler, Mussolini, Pol Pot and Satan himself.
Eternal destruction means there is no Catholic purgatory where you suffer a while and then come out, it means you are destroyed and once destroyed it is an eternal/everlasting sentence.
Annihilation
Gen. 2:17; 3:19; 3:22; 6:5-7; 6:13; 6:17; 9:6; 19:13; 20:7; 38:7; Exod. 4:23; 12:15; 12:19; 19:12-13; 21:12; 21:14; 21:15; 12:16; 12:17; 21:12; 21:15; 21:16; 21:17; 21:29; 22:18; 22:19; 22:20; 22:22-24; 28:35; 30:33; 30:38; 31:14-15; 32:9-14; 32:27-28; 32:33; 32:35; 33:3; 33:5; 35:2; Lev. 17:4; 17:9; 17:14; 18:29; 19:8; 20:2; 20:5; 20:9; 20:10; 20:11; 20:12; 20:13; 20:15; 20:16; 20:17; 20:18; 20:27; 22:3; 22:9; 23:29-30; 24:16; 24:17; 24:21; 26:22; 26:30; 26:38; 27:29; Num. 1:51; 3:10; 3:38; 4:15; 4:19-20; 9:13; 14:35; 15:30-31; 15:35-36; 17:10; 17:13; 18:3; 18:7; 18:22; 18:32; 19:13; 19:20; 21:6; 26:10; 26:61; 26:65; 27:3; 32:13; 35:16-21; 35:30; 35:31; Deut. 2:15; 4:3; 4:26; 7:4; 7:10; 8:19-20; 9:8; 9:14; 9:19; 9:20; 9:25-26; 10:10; 11:17; 13:5; 13:9-10; 17:5; 17:7; 17:12; 18:20; 19:12; 21:21; 22:21-22; 22:24-25; 24:7; 24:16; 28:20; 28:22; 28:24; 28:45; 28:48; 28:51; 28:61; 28:63; 30:15; 30:18-19; 32:39; Josh. 1:18; 23:15-16; 1 Sam. 2:25; 2:33-34; 25:37-38; 2 Sam. 6:7; 12:13-14; 1 Kgs 14:10; 20:42; 21:21; 2 Kgs 9:8; 14:6; 1 Chron. 2:3; 10:13-14; 13:10; 2 Chron. 13:20; 25:4; Job 4:8-9; 27:8; 34:10-15; 36:5-12; Ps. 1:6; 2:12; 34:16; 34:21; 37:9; 37:20; 37:22; 37:28; 37:34; 37:38; 49:12; 55:23; 73:18; 73:27; 78:50; 82:6-7; 92:9; Prov. 2:22; 15:10; 19:9; 19:16; 21:28; Isa. 10:22-23; 11:4; 13:6; 14:22; 14:30; 27:1; 28:18; 28:22; 29:20; 34:3; 41:11; 47:11; 51:6; 53:8; 60:12; 65:15; 66:16; 66:24; Jer. 5:6; 11:21-22; 15:3; 21:8; 25:33; 28:16; 31:30; 44:7; Lam. 2:21; 3:43; Ezek. 3:18-20; 6:4-7; 14:13-21; 18:4; 18:13; 18:18-20; 18:24; 18:26; 18:31; 33:8-18; Hos. 8:4; 7:13; 10:15; 13:14; Obad. 1:10; Mic. 6:16; Zeph. 1:3; Matt. 3:10; 5:25-26; 7:13; 7:19; 7:26-27; 8:12-13; 10:29; 11:23; 15:4; 15:13; 16:25-26; 17:6; 18:34-35; 21:33-44; 22:7; 24:37-41; Mk 7:10; 8:35-37; 12:1-9; Lk. 3:9; 6:49; 9:24-25; 10:15; 12:20; 12:58-59; 13:1-5; 13:6-9; 14:34-35; 17:1-2; 17:23; 17:27; 19:27; 20:9-18; Jn 3:16; 3:35; 5:24; 6:50; 8:21; 8:24; 10:28; 12:25; 15:6; Acts 13:40-41; Rom. 1:32; 2:6-12; 5:12-14; 5:17-18; 6:16; 6:21; 6:23; 7:5; 8:6; 8:12-13; 9:27-29; 13:4; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 10:1-12; 10:8-12; 2:15-16; 4:3; Phil. 3:19; 1 Thess. 5:3; 2 Thess. 2:8-10; 6:9; Heb. 3:12-17; 10:26-31; 10:39; 12:9; 12:25-27; Jas 1:9-11; 4:14-15; 5:5; 5:19-20; 1 Pet. 1:9; 1:24-25; 2 Pet. 2:1-4; 2:4-10; 2:12-13; 3:7; 1 Jn 2:15-17; 3:14; 5:11-13; Jude 1:5; 1:20-23; Rev. 2:7; 2:11; 2:26-28; 6:9-17; 11:19; 13:9-10; 14:18-20; 18:21; 19:21; 21:8.
Thanks for the information which you put on your site. It keeps me on my toes in expectation of our Lord's return. Thanks too for the topic here, one which I have looked at over a number of years and have the same position as above. This is a rich topic which defines the goodness of God in opposition to Satan's intended destruction of that goodness and impacts even the nature of the sacrifice of our Lord.
ReplyDeleteRevelation 18 the judgement of Babylon the Great and all who have a part in her is a context definer for the word 'torment' as used in scripture. We mustn't take the Greek definition which carries with it the assumption from the lies in the garden of Eden .. that surely you won't die... return to dust. Revelation 18 defines the progressive nature of torment .. loss of abilities etc until the final result … cast into the depths of the sea never to be found again. The equivalent word in the Old Testament has the same use defined by context .. disappearance. It is even defined by the unusual exception in Revelation 9 when people were not allowed to die (for a period) even though tormented. The normal expectation of the biblical use of the word is precisely destruction. To be tormented day and night for ever and ever is the strongest possible way of saying you will remain dead without rest (Biblical 'rest' Revelation 13, Hebrews chpt 3 and 4) that is without salvation or restoration. see http://bposh.org section on judgement for more information. Bob Akers