JUDGMENT
NO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT?
There is a false doctrine which denies the plain truth teaching of the Scriptures concerning the judgment of the wicked.
This doctrine is not new. It has been around for thousands of years. It teaches that everyone who dies in their sins will not be tormented day and night through all eternity in hell and then in the Lake of Fire (LOF). Instead they will be terminated, after the Great White Throne Judgment (GWTJ), by being cast into the LOF. Everyone who is cast into the LOF, including Satan, the fallen angels, the beast and false prophet, will be burned up--terminated. Another part of this doctrine teaches that "hell" simply means the grave -- not a place of torment.
Now let's see what the Bible teaches concerning this doctrine.The purveyors of this insidious doctrine begin their argument by saying the Hebrew word "sheol" (7585 Strong's), and the Greek word "hades" (86 Strong's) means pit or grave. They then argue that because "sheol" means pit or grave this proves that there is no place where the dead reside while awaiting to be judged. To compliment this they teach the un-Biblical doctrine of soul sleep. When a person dies their soul hibernates until they are judged at the GWTJ.
The problem with this argument is that it is not an argument. The doctrine that there is a place where the dead reside until they are judged demanded that a word be created to give it a name. The word chosen was "sheol." It was the best word available at the time. The fact that it was used to refer to both the grave and the place where the souls of the dead reside is not unusual. Many words have dual meanings. This is common in all languages. To limit a word to one meaning is absurd! And to argue that a word can only have the root meaning is also absurd! These false prophets need to learn the basic principles of semantics. Words have more than one meaning and they change meanings over time.
YAHSHUA told the thief on the cross that he would be with Him in Paradise that very day (Luke 23:43). This disproves the soul sleep theory and proves there is a place where the dead reside until judgment.
The story of the rich man who went to hell (Luke 16:19-31) also proves that hell and Paradise existed. The dead sinners reside in hell and the righteous dead resided in Paradise until YAHSHUA arose from the tomb and took them to heaven (Ephesians 4:8).
The next argument these false teachers make is that the fire YAHSHUA spoke of was not an eternal fire, but a temporary one that would be extinguished after everyone had been burned up. YAHSHUA spoke the word "gehenna" ten times in referring to the fire of hell. He used the name of a trash dump on the outskirts of Jerusalem to describe the terrors of hell. The residents of Jerusalem burned their garbage in a dump and the fire rarely went out. "And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell" (Matthew 18:9).
YAHSHUA clearly taught there was a fire in the place where the souls of the dead reside. He made it clear that the fire in hell torments people when He told of the fate of a certain rich man. A well known, and extremely wealthy resident of Jerusalem died, and so did Lazaros, the beggar who sat at the gate to his home.
"In hell, where he (rich man) was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazaros by his side. So he called to him, `Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazaros to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'" (Luke 16:23,24)
We see YAHSHUA taught that when a person dies in his sins he goes to hell. He is conscious, and he is also tormented by fire.
The false prophets argue that this was only a parable. They say that when the rich man opened his eyes this refers to a future time when the dead will be awakened for judgment. At that time they will see the horrors of the Lake of Fire and realize they are doomed to be terminated. This fear will cause their mouth to go dry. The torment they will experience will not be physical, but mental.
They go on to say that people are destroyed in the LOF rather than tormented through all eternity. They argue that since the LOF is called the second death (Revelation 21:8) this means that everyone who is tossed into it will be terminated. Since death means cessation of life it is impossible for anyone to die and live at the same time. This sounds nice, but it is a perversion of the Scriptures and of language.
The Lake of Fire is referred to as the "second death" because that is what it is. When those who trust in YAHSHUA die they go to heaven to live forever. When the wicked die in their sins they go to hell, and then the Lake of Fire to die forever. This eternal death, or dying, is the second death.
We know that the souls of the wicked are not destroyed in the LOF because the Scriptures make this FACT very clear. After Satan leads his final assault against YAHSHUA and Jerusalem, at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, he is cast into the LOF.
"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10)
There can be no disputing the clear teaching of YAHSHUA on this subject. He taught, while on earth, that the wicked would suffer eternal punishment (Matthew 18:8; 25:41), and he revealed to John this same doctrine (Revelation 14:9-11; 20:10).
Jude also taught that the wicked would suffer punishment in eternal fire (v. 7).
Paul taught this basic doctrine too. He warned: "YAHWEH is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord YAHSHUA is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know YAHWEH and do not obey the gospel of our Lord YAHSHUA. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of YAHSHUA and from the majesty of His power on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed" (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).
Paul taught that sinners would be tormented forever (everlasting destruction). If he meant they would be terminated he would not have added they would be "shut out from the presence of YAHSHUA." It wouldn't make any sense. Isn't it self evident that if someone were to be terminated he would automatically be shut out from YAHSHUA? Of course it is! "Everlasting destruction" means those who are cast into the Lake of Fire will suffer destruction by fire forever. The destruction is not final, but on going!
Paul also knew the Old Testament taught there is a hell where people are tormented with fire. At the conclusion of admonishing the Romans on how to live a holy life he tells them to let YAHWEH take revenge on their enemies. He quotes Moses: "`It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says YAHWEH" (Romans 12:19). He then shows how YAHWEH will "repay." He adds, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." (v. 20). He quoted from Solomon (Proverbs 25:21-22).
It is obvious that the foremost authority on the Scriptures, in the First Century and one filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, not only believed and taught that sinners were punished with fire after they died, but encouraged believers to treat them kindly so their punishment would be even greater!
King David also believed sinners would be tormented with fire when they died. In speaking of his enemies he said: "Let burning coals fall upon them; may they be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, never to rise" (Psalm 140:10).
Yes! There is a hell where sinners are tormented with fire, and they will also be tormented in the Lake of Fire through all eternity!
The most basic principal in hermeneutics is: Interpret unclear Scripture based on Scripture that is perfectly clear. Two passages concerning the same subject cannot contradict each other.
In the case of whether or not there is a Lake of Fire, which burns forever, we must take the clearest passage and interpret all other passages accordingly.
The clearest passage is found in Revelation 20:10. "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
YAHSHUA reveals to us that the devil, the beast and the false prophet will be tormented continuously through all eternity. They will be tormented by burning sulfur, and the place of their torment is the Lake of Fire. These three basic FACTS cannot be argued away! Since everyone who dies in their sins, and whose names are not written in the Book of Life are cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15) we know that they will also be tormented through all eternity.
The FACT that there is a fire that burns forever and torments everyone who dies in their sins cannot be denied nor argued away by using unclear and obscure passages in the Bible. It cannot be reasoned away either. The thoughts of man are far inferior to the thoughts of YAHWEH, and man's reasoning is futile in His eyes!
"`For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares YAHWEH. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Just because some preachers don't think it is just that sinners be punished by fire, through all eternity, does not mean it is not so. The beliefs of men do not invalidate eternal truths that YAHWEH has seen fit to reveal to mankind! Hell and the Lake of Fire exist, and wicked men cannot wish them away through vain reasoning. When you hear a preacher teach: that there is no hell where the dead are tormented by fire; that those cast into the Lake of Fire are terminated (burned up); that the Lake of Fire will eventually burn itself out and; that the souls of the dead sleep until they are judged; you can be assured that he is a false prophet.
Beware! Those who teach this false doctrine most certainly teach other false doctrines. Rebuke them, and if they refuse to obey the truth depart from them and have nothing to do with them.
"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths" (2 Timothy 4:2-5).
17 BILLION YEARS?
A quick calculation of how long the Great White Throne Judgment will last comes out to 17 billion years.
According to Revelation chapter 20 everyone whose name is not written in the book of life will be judged. Their deeds will be judged (v. 12) and according to Matthew 12:36 everyone "will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken." The thoughts of each person will also be judged (Matthew 5:27-28; 15:19; Mark 7:21; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 29:18; Job 21:27; Psalm 56:5; 94:11; Proverbs 15:26; Isaiah 59:7).
Historians estimate that approximately 50 billion people have lived on earth. Nearly all of them died in their sins. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matt. 7:14).
If we estimate the average life span of all mankind from creation to the present as 30 years (this is a low estimate) and estimate the average number of minutes each person sins per day at 15 we come up with about 1/3 of a year of sin per person. If we multiply 50 billion times .3 years the GWTJ will last approximately 17 billion years. We feel this estimate is the most conservative estimate possible. It is more likely the GWTJ will last 50 billion years or more.
17 billion years is a long time to hold a trial, but time is suspended for the GWTJ. Those who kneel before YAHWEH to be judged will dread every second of it. They will be consumed with fear as they wait their turn. They will experience extreme mental anguish, and possibly physical pain waiting their turn.
The Bible does not tell us what the children of YAHWEH will do during the GWTJ, but it is quite possible we will be witnesses against the wicked.
Some have speculated that the sins of each person will be reviewed on some kind of giant holoscreen. It is possible, but it doesn't matter. One thing is certain: Everyone who dies in their sins will give account of every evil thought, word, deed and motive, and be judged accordingly. They will then be cast into the Lake of Fire where they will spend all eternity paying for their sins. "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15).