Ch 04 The Future Destiny of Those Who Reject Redemption
I. THE FUTURE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD. Joh_8:24 — "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." (Note the context, verse 21.)
Proposition: Those who do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God will die in their sins.
The faith here spoken of is not a mere opinion, but a faith that governs the life. (Compare to John's use of faith everywhere; e.g., 1Jn_5:1; 1Jn_5:4-5.)
II. THE FUTURE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO HAVE DONE ILL. Joh_5:28-29 RV — "Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done ill, unto the resurrection of judgment."
Proposition: All men shall be raised again from the dead, those who reject Christ as well as those who accept Him.
To the one it will be a resurrection unto life, to the other a resurrection unto judgment. (Compare to 1Co_15:22 — "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.")
III. THE FUTURE DESTINY OF THE FACTIOUS AND DISOBEDIENT. Rom_2:5-6; Rom_2:8-9 RV "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his works: . . . but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek."
Proposition: To those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will come wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish. (Compare Joh_14:6; Joh_3:18-19)
IV. THE FUTURE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW GOD NOR OBEY THE GOSPEL. 2Th_1:8-9 RV — "In flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints."
Proposition: Those who do not know God and that do not obey the gospel will suffer punishment and eternal destruction when He comes to be glorified in His saints.
We shall see later what "destruction" means.
V. THE FURORE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE. Rev_20:15 RV — "And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire."
Proposition: If anyone at the judgment of the great white throne is not found written in the book of life, he shall be cast into the lake of fire.
VI. THE FUTURE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO NEGLECT CHRIST BY NEGLECTING HIS BRETHREN. Mat_25:41; Mat_25:46 RV — "Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: . .. And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life."
Proposition: When Christ comes to judge the nations, He will say to those on His left (i.e., those who have neglected Him, by neglecting their duty to His hungry, thirsty, lonely, naked, imprisoned brethren), "Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels, and these shall go away into eternal punishment.'
VII. THE FUTURE DESTINY OF THE FEARFUL AND UNBELIEVING Rev_21:8 — "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abonfinable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Proposition: The fearful, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the whoremongers, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.
VIII. QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE FUTURE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO REJECT CHRIST QUESTION: IS the fire spoken of as the future penalty of sin literal fire?
ANSWER: The fire spoken of seems to be literal fire, yet if the term is only figurative, the Lord depicts eternal punishment using one of the most painful tragedies a person could imagine — to be burned with fire. Note how frequently the word "fire" and synonymous expressions appear: Mat_7:19 — "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." Joh_15:6 — "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and the), are burned." Isa_66:24 — -"And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." Heb_6:8 — "But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned." Heb_10:26-27 RV — "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries." Rev_20:15 — "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev_21:8 — "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Mat_13:30; Mat_13:41-42 — "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn .... The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
In a parable we expect figures, but in the explanation of the parable we expect the figures to be explained by the literal facts they are intended to represent. But in the parable of the tares every item of the parable is explained except the fire; it remains fire in the interpretation of the parable as well as in the parable itself. (Compare also to Mat_13:47-50.)
QUESTION: Is the Lake of Fire a place of continued conscious torment, or is it a place of annihilation of being, or is it a place of non-conscious existence?
ANSWER: The punishment of the wicked is spoken of as "death" and "destruction." Yet it seems that one can be referred to as dead while still alive. What do these words mean in Biblical usage? "DEATH" 1Ti_5:6 — -"But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." Eph_2:1 — "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins."
First Proposition: The word "death' is applied to sinners while still existing, but existing in a wrong way — they have life in the sense of existence, but not true life, real life, in the sense of right existence. (Compare to 1Ti_6:19, AV and RV.) Rev_21:8 — "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Second Proposition: The death which is the final outcome of a life of sin and unbelief is defined in the Bible as a portion in the place of torment. Joh_17:3 — "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 1Jn_1:2 — "For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us."
Third Proposition: Life is defined in the Bible not merely as existence but as right existence, knowing the true God, the life manifested in Jesus Christ.
Death, then is not mere non-existence, but wrong, wretched, debased, devilish existence.
"DESTRUCTION": THE GENERAL USE OF THE WORD
Mat_9:17 — "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
Fourth Proposition: When anything is said "to perish" it is not meant that it ceases to be, but that it is so ruined that it no longer serves the use for which it was designed. "Perish" is the verb from which the noun commonly translated as "destruction" and "perdition" is derived. Compare also to Mat_26:8 — "But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, to what purpose is this waste.>"
"DESTRUCTION": THE SPECIFIC USE OF THE WORD APPLIED TO THE DOOM OF THE WICKED
Rev_17:8; Rev_17:11 — "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is .... And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition."
The Greek word here translated "perdition" is the word translated "destruction'' in 2Pe_3:16 AV and RV; Php_3:19, AV; 2Pe_3:7 RV. Now if we can find what the beast "goeth" into, we shall know what "destruction" or "perdition" means. Turn to Rev_19:20 — "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." Compare to Rev_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 forever and ever." Here we find the beast still in the lake of fire and being tormented after a thousand years have passed.
Fifth Proposition: "Destruction' is clearly defined in the New Testament as the condition of being in a place of conscious and unending torment. Rev_14:10-11 — "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and who soever receiveth the mark of his name.
Sixth Proposition: The ultimate condition of those who receive the mark of the beast is described as a condition of unending, unresting, conscious torment.
OBJECTION: "This passage does not refer to the eternal state as it speaks of 'day and night.'" ANSWER: Compare to Rev_4:8 — "And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within; and they rested not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." Rev_7:14-15 — "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knoweth. 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. Rev_20:10 — "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophets are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. Rev_19:20 — "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." Compare with Rev_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," shows us the beast and false prophet still in the lake of fire at the end of the thousand years, and still being tormented.
QUESTION: Is this condition of torment endless?
ANSWER: Refer to Mat_25:41 — "Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." (Compare to Rev_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.") Rev_14:11 — "And the smoke of their torment ascended 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." 2Th_1:9-10 — "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day."
Seventh Proposition: They are tormented day and night for ever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night.
QUESTION: What does "for ever and ever" mean?
ANSWER: Literally, "Unto the ages of the ages." The expression occurs twelve times in the book of Revelation. Rev_1:6 — "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." Rev_4:9-10 — "And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying." Rev_5:13 — "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and eve r." Rev_7:12 — "Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto God for ever and ever. Amen." Rev_10:6 — "And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer." Rev_11:15 — "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." (See also Rev_14:11.) Rev_15:7 — "And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever." (See also 19:2-3; 20:10.) Rev_22:5