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1 – Will Sinners Burn Forever?
2 – Everlasting Fire
3 – The Word “Hell” in the Bible
4 – Killing the Body, But Not the Soul
5 – The Rich Man and Lazarus
#1: Will Sinners Burn Forever?
The doctrine of endless burning of sinners is not taught anywhere in the Bible. Nowhere does it say that God will sustain the lives of those who transgress His law. The wages of sin is not merely suffering or torment, but death. On the cross Jesus paid our penalty for sin by His death. If the penalty for sin was eternal torment, then Jesus could not have fulfilled that requirement and be resurrected on the third day.
So, what do you do when you find an occasional expression in the Bible that initially seems to contradict the clearest Biblical passages on a subject? There is only one safe course to follow, and that is to ALWAYS LET THE BIBLE EXPLAIN ITS OWN TERMS. By examining the Bible’s own use of a particular expression, you discover the perfect agreement that exists throughout the Bible on the subject.
Some people are misled by the expression “unquenchable fire”. This term is used in Matthew 3:12; Mark 9:43-48; and Luke 3:17. Does the fact that the fire is unquenchable mean that sinners will burn forever? Let’s ask the Bible to show us an actual example of this kind of fire.
Matthew 3:12 “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Mark 9:43-48 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Luke 3:17 “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God prophesied that if His people would not hallow the Sabbath, Jerusalem would be burned with fire which “shall not be quenched” (Jeremiah 17:27). That prophecy was fulfilled (see 2 Chronicles 36:19-21; Jeremiah 52:12-13). But notice that although the fire could not be quenched, the fuel was consumed!
Jeremiah 17:27 “But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.”
2 Chronicles 36:19-21 “And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.”
Jeremiah 52:12-13 “Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, And burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:”
In Isaiah, we read that the wicked will “burn together, and none shall quench them” (Isaiah 1:31). Yet the same chapter explains that they “shall be consumed” (Isaiah 1:28)!
Isaiah 1:31 “And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.”
Isaiah 1:28 “And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.”
Did you know that the Bible has also recorded for us an example of a time when “eternal fire” was used? Jude 7 states,
Jude 7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
The story is recorded in Genesis 19. According to this example, how thoroughly does eternal fire burn things? The answer is found in,
2 Peter 2:6 “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;”
The Bible indicates that those involved in the final conflict against God will be tormented day and night “for ever and ever” (see Revelation 14:11; 20:10). How long, in the Biblical sense of the word, is “for ever and ever?” Are there any Biblical examples of this measurement of time?
Revelation 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Here is one. In the Jewish economy, all Hebrew servants were released every seventh year. But if one should choose not to leave his master, “his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever” (Exodus 21:6). Obviously, “for ever” here would only mean “as long as he lives.” Here is another example. Hannah dedicated her child Samuel to the Lord and took him to the house of the Lord that he might “there abide for ever” (1 Samuel 1:22). She clarified the meaning of her words in verse 28 by saying, “as long as he liveth.”
Exodus 21:6 “Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.”
1 Samuel 1:22 “But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.”
1 Samuel 1:28 “Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.”
The term “eternal punishing” is not found in the Bible. However, Jesus did speak of “everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46). Do you know the difference? What is the punishment for sin? “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This is an everlasting death. The Scriptures clearly foretell the fate of the wicked “whose end is destruction” (Philippians 3:19); “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). “Thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and … their memorial is perished with them” (Psalm 9:5-6). “This is the second death” (Revelation 20:14). The Bible is very clear on this subject. (See also Job 8:22; 20:4-9; Psalm 1:6; 21:9; 37:38; Proverbs 2:22; Isaiah 65:17; Zephaniah 1:18.)
Matthew 25:46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Philippians 3:19 “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”
2 Thessalonians 1:9 “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”
Psalm 9:5-6 “Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.”
Revelation 20:14 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
Job 8:22 “They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.”
Job 20:4-9 “Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he? He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.”
Psalm 1:6 “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
Psalm 21:9 “Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.”
Psalm 37:38 “But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.”
Proverbs 2:22 “But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.”
Isaiah 65:17 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”
Zephaniah 1:18 “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.”
#2: Everlasting Fire
Follow the Bible’s teaching on this important subject:
Q: What kind of fire will be used to destroy the wicked?
A: “Unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12); “fire that never shall be quenched” (Mark 9:43-48); “fire unquenchable” (Luke 3:17); and “everlasting fire” (Matthew 25:41).
Matthew 3:12 “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Mark 9:43-48 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Luke 3:17 “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”
Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”
Q: What is the source of this never-ending fire?
A: Genesis 19:24 “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;”
Revelation 20:9 “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”
Q: What do we know about the nature of the eternal God?
A: Hebrews 12:29 “For our God is a consuming fire.”
Daniel 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.”
Exodus 24:17 “And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.”
Q: What ingredient accompanies the fire which is continually in the presence of God?
A: Exodus 19:18 “And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.”
2 Samuel 22:9 “There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.”
Isaiah 6:1-4 “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.”
Revelation 15:8 “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.”
Q: What happens to the wicked in the divine presence?
A: Exodus 33:20 “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.”
Revelation 14:10 “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:”
Q: What is the effect of the fire upon the wicked?
A: Leviticus 10:2 “And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.”
Numbers 16:35 “And there came out a fire from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.”
Q: Only what kind of people can survive in the midst of God’s everlasting fire?
A: Isaiah 33:14-15 “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Q: Will the righteous be able to dwell in the actual presence of God?
A: Revelation 21:3 “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
Ezekiel 28:14 “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.”
Q: So, the righteous will dwell and prosper in the very fire that consumes the wicked?
A: Malachi 4:1-3 “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Q: How has this contrasting effect been illustrated in the Bible?
A: Daniel 3:22, 25 “Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Q: When the Lord appears, from what will the wicked seek to hide from?
A: Revelation 6:16 “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:”
Q: What is the most important question for you?
A: Revelation 6:17 “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
Q: What is the answer?
A: Revelation 7:14-16 “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.”
Conclusion: The everlasting fire of which the Bible speaks is the fire of the presence of God! In it, sinners cannot exist. Only those who have been cleansed from all unrighteousness through Jesus Christ will dwell in the presence of the holy God forever.
#3: The Word “Hell” in the Bible
Many people do not realize that there are actually four different original words which are translated “hell” in the Bible. The confusing part is that the four original words do not all have the same meaning. If one attempts to combine the meanings of all four words into one composite concept, he not only emerges with a very confusing picture of the fate of the wicked, but he also does injustice to the Bible’s intent.
The word “hell” is used 54 times in the Bible: 31 times in the Old Testament, and 23 times in the New Testament.
Every time you see the word “hell” in the Old Testament, you can know that the Hebrew word used there is “sheol”, which means “the grave” (see Jonah 2:2). In half of the instances in which sheol is used, the translators rendered it “hell.” In the other half, they used the word “grave.” But nowhere in Scripture does sheol denote a place of torment in which bodiless beings suffer.
Jonah 2:2 “And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”
The Bible makes it clear that all people, both righteous and wicked, go to sheol when they die! The patriarch Jacob said he would go to sheol when he died, and his son Joseph would go to sheol also (Genesis 37:35)! Righteous Job used the word sheol when speaking of his own resting place (Job 17:13). There everyone unconsciously awaits the resurrection.
Genesis 37:35 “And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.”
Job 17:13 “If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.”
The New Testament contains three Greek words which are translated “hell.” And they each mean something different.
Ten of the 23 New Testament references are translated from the word “hades”, which is simply the Greek equivalent of sheol, and means “the grave” (see Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31; Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14.) Hades is not associated with conscious torment anywhere in the Bible except in a parable found in Luke 16:23 (see separate discussion of this parable.)
Matthew 11:23 “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”
Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Luke 10:15 “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.”
Luke 16:23 “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
Acts 2:27,31 “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”
Revelation 1:18 “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Revelation 6:8 “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”
Revelation 20:13-14 “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which 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.”
In 12 instances the Greek word “gehenna” is translated “hell” (see Matthew 5:22,29-30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43, 45,47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6). Gehenna, or “Valley of Hinnom,” is mentioned repeatedly in the Old Testament (see Joshua 15:8; 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31). It is a gorge near Jerusalem in which idolatrous kings burned their children as a sacrifice to the heathen god Molech (see 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:1,6). Because of this abomination, the Lord declared that He would make it a “valley of slaughter” for His rebellious people where the fowls of heaven would eat the corpses which could not be buried for lack of room (see Jeremiah 7:32-33: 19:6-7).
Matthew 5:22,29-30 “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”
Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 18:9 “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”
Matthew 23:15,33 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
Mark 9:43,45,47 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:”
Luke 12:5 “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”
James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”
Joshua 15:8 “And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:”
2 Kings 23:10 “And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.”
2 Chronicles 33:6 “And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.”
Jeremiah 7:31 “And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.”
2 Chronicles 28:3 “Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.”
2 Chronicles 33:1,6 “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.”
Jeremiah 7:32-33 “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.”
Jeremiah 19:6-7 “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter. And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.”
The same valley was later used as a refuse dump where animal carcasses and rubbish were continually burned. Such places are generally infested with maggots which help decompose the refuse (see Mark 9:44). Thus, gehenna became associated in Jewish thought with the place of final punishment. Therefore, Jesus used it as an illustration of the fire which will burn the wicked in the final day of judgment. But nowhere does the Bible say that the sinner is cast into gehenna at the moment of death. The Bible clearly states that the fire which burns the wicked will not touch them until the final day of judgment.
Mark 9:44 “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
The word “hell” is used in only one other place in Scripture, 2 Peter 2:4. Here, the Greek word “tartaros” is used, which means “the deepest abyss.” Peter used this term when speaking of the banishment of the rebellious angels from heaven.
2 Peter 2:4 “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;”
To summarize: Of the four words translated “hell,” we have seen that the Bible distinguishes three separate concepts:
- Sheol or hades: The grave where all people go at death to unconsciously await either the resurrection of life or the resurrection of damnation.
- Gehenna: A place of burning, used as an illustration of the fire which will one day destroy the earth and totally consume the wicked.
- Tartaros: Used only one time in Scripture, but never in reference to the destiny of man.
#4: Killing the Body, But Not the Soul
Question: According to the Genesis 2:7 equation, the body is a component of the soul. How then do you explain Matthew 10:28? “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Does not this teach that the body is one thing and the soul another, and therefore the soul is a separate entity from the body?
Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Answer: We must be careful not to read into this verse any more than it actually says. The text does not say that the soul continues to live when the body dies. It does not say that the dead retain consciousness.
The word “soul” refers to the person as an individual life, and Jesus here assures the Christian of eternal life, even though they may experience temporary death in this world, and their present bodies decay. Job said,
Job 19:26 “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.”
At the resurrection, clothed in new flesh – new bodies which will never die – we shall see God.
The context of Matthew 10:28 is Christ’s forewarning that persecution will come to His followers. His point is that although in this life we may be killed, no one can steal our eternal inheritance. When God declares that you shall have eternal life, no man can take that privilege from you no matter what he does to you. Whether you live or die, you still have the assurance of receiving immortality when Jesus comes.
Now, notice what the rest of the verse says. “Fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Clearly, this text teaches that no sinner has an immortal soul. Sinners’ souls are destroyed in hell. The verse also clearly states that the bodies of sinners are included in what burns in hell. So, the fact that dead bodies can still be dug up today indicates that the wicked have not yet gone to hell. Certainly, if I was trying to find Biblical evidence for the natural immortality of the soul, or for a present burning hell, I would have to avoid this verse.
#5: The Rich Man and Lazarus
In all the Bible, there is only one passage which suggests conscious suffering in death – Luke 16:19-31. The inspired testimony of the rest of Scripture teaches that death is as sleep, and that punishment is at a future time. The reason why Christ used this ALLEGORY was not to describe the state of the dead, but to teach several important points of truth.
Luke 16:19-31 “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
Such as: The parable definitely teaches that every person will reap what he sows. God will not bend the rules in order to spare those who have consistently spurned His grace.
The parable teaches that in this life men decide their eternal destiny. While they are alive, God’s grace is freely offered to all people. But if they selfishly waste their lives, and fail to take eternity into consideration now, they have lost their opportunity for eternal life. There will be no chance to repent after they die.
The parable also is a warning to those who trust in their riches rather than in God. And it tells that the time is coming when those who are poor in this world’s goods but have trusted in God, will be exalted.
When the parable is closely examined, it is doubtful that anyone would claim its details as the basis for a doctrinal position on the subject of life after death. The details certainly do not present the beliefs of those who teach the immediate torment of a bodiless “soul” at death.
For example:
1 – In the parable, there is no mention of a bodiless soul at all. The rich man was in hell with a body. He had eyes, a tongue, etc. No one believes that the bodies of the wicked go into the flames as soon as they die.
2 – Nobody believes that Abrahams’s literal bosom is the abode of the righteous dead. In keeping with the nature of the allegory, this is obviously a figure of speech. Incidentally, the angels will gather the saints (see verse 22), but according to Matthew 24:31, that takes place at the coming of Jesus, not at death.
Matthew 24:31 “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
3 – Another point is that paradise and hades are here pictured to be so situated that their inhabitants may hold normal conversation with each other across the gulf. But the Bible says that for the redeemed, the former earth will “not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17).
Isaiah 65:17 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”
4 – The rich man’s request in verse 24 is hardly characteristic of someone in his condition. His whole body is on fire, and all he asks for is that Lazarus dip the tip of his finger in water and then come and touch his tongue!? How much relief could he expect to get from that? Especially after Lazarus has to traverse the gulf and make his way through the flames to get to him. How much moisture did he think would be left on his finger after such a journey? No one believes that this type of thing takes place between the righteous and the wicked after death.
5 – In speaking of the request for Lazarus to go and warn the rich man’s living brothers, the Bible says that Lazarus would have had to have “rose from the dead.” (Verse 31). Far from supporting the idea of conscious communication or mobility in death, this gives support to the fact that in order for Lazarus to do anything at all he would have to be resurrected!
6 – In the parable, Jesus points us to the source of divine instruction: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (verse 29). So, this, in other words – the Bible – is where we must look to learn the fate of the wicked.
Jesus made the details of His story so obviously unreal that no one should take them literally. He wanted His hearers instead to focus on the lessons brought out in the parable.
Apart from the intended point or moral of the story, we cannot base doctrinal beliefs on the incidentals of an allegory. For instance, a thistle cannot ask for the daughter of a cedar for the wife of its son (see 2 Kings 14:9). Neither can trees go forth to anoint a king over themselves (see Judges 9:8-15). So, when dealing with parables, ask yourself, “What is the speaker trying to illustrate by this parable?” Then if you want to know about the nature of trees or the nature of dead people, find all the Scriptural passages where that specific topic is being discussed, put all the meanings together, and then you will know the complete truth on that subject.
2 Kings 14:9 “And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.”
Judges 9:8-15 “The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”
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