To go back to the Preaching Home Page Click Here.
"EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT"
(Matt. 25: 46) "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal "
This passage is commonly wrested in the attempt to prove the dreadful doctrine of eternal torments. It is said that if it be admitted that the life is everlasting so also must the punishment be, since the same adjective (in the original) is used to define it. Let us consider the scriptural doctrine of Life, Death, and Punishment; and the meaning of the words, Everlasting and Torment.
LIFE AND PUNISHMENT. These two words Christ here places in contrast: "eternal life" for the just, "everlasting punishment" for the unjust. Life is not for the wicked, and, since they will not live for ever, they will not and cannot endure eternal torments. "Life," or "eternal life" is frequently promised to the righteous, but never to the wicked: "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life" (John 5: 40), "I give unto them (my sheep) eternal life" (John 10: 28). Many other similar passages might be quoted. It is "life", and not merely happiness superadded to life, that constitutes the reward of the faithful. And it is "death", and not life in everlasting torments, that constitutes the punishment of the wicked. Life signifies conscious existence, and death non-existence and uncon sciousness.
Death is the result of sin: "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin" (Rom. 5: 12); "The wages of sin is death" (6: 23). In passing sentence of death upon that "one man", Adam, the Lord God said, "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Gen. 3: 19); which is what we see to this day. God's remedy is visible in Christ bodily raised from the dead and glorified. But there is no eternal life for the wicked, and consequently no "everlasting punishment" in the sense of "eternal torments."
But, it is naturally replied, there are the very words, "everlasting punishment," what are we to make of them? The answer is, we must understand them in harmony with Christ's other sayings, and those of the Scriptures in general. The "punishment" of which he here speaks is naturally that of which he elsewhere speaks when referring to the same crisis of his coming again to judgment. And of course the whole Bible is in harmony with his speech when rightly understood. Consider then the
PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED. Christ says, in John 5: 29, that at His coming again to judg ment the dead shall "come forth, they that have done good, unto the resurrection of
life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (judgment, R.V.). And the angel Gabriel, foretelling the same crisis, says to the prophet Daniel: "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (12: 2). Thus, both Christ and the angel place "life" in contrast with "damnation" (judgment) and "contempt."
But the particular nature of the punishment is here indicated by the original word. The phrase, "into everlasting punishment," much better rendered in the R.V. "into eternal punishment," is in the Greek "eis kolasin aionion". What is kolasis? In the New Testament it is only found twice- here, and in I John 4: 1 8, "fear hath torment." The parent verb, kolazo, is likewise only found twice in the New Testament, thus: The rulers of the temple found nothing "how they might punish Peter and John" for healing a lame man in the name of Christ (Acts 4: 21). "The Lord knoweth how to ... reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished' (2 Pet. 2: 9). The punishment of the apostles at the hands of the wicked was stripes, imprisonment, and death, as we know. It was tormenting enough while it lasted, and so will be the punishment of the wicked in the day of judgment.
But there is a peculiar fitness about the word kolasis in this place. It means, as Liddell and Scott inform us, a pruning, as of trees- "hence a checking, punishment, chastisement," the verb kolazo meaning "strictly to curtail, dock, prune", as trees; "then, to chastise, punish." Now the punishment
of the wicked, according to Christ and all the Scriptures, is just that. "God shall take away his part from the tree of life" (Rev. 22: 19, R.V.). The fruitful branches of "the true vine" are indeed pruned or purged that they may "bring forth more fruit"; but Christ says, "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 they are burned" (John 15: 6). And when they are "burned," they are "ashes" (Mal. 4: 3), and not "immortal souls" in endless torment. Thus "evil doers shall be cut off , but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth" (Psa. 37: 9). "Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be" (v. 10). He "shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thess. 1: 9, 10); "Like the beasts that perish" (Psa. 49:20); "Like sheep" (v. 14).
EVERLASTING. From these passages it is evident that there is nothing "everlasting" about the wicked! Yet people say, "There is the word in the Bible in Matt. 25: 46." Yes, but it ought to be "eternal," as it is now put in the RV., for it is the same Greek adjective as is rendered "eternal" with reference to "life". But is not "eternal" the same as "everlasting" ? No, although it is frequently so understood. Even the word "everlasting" in the Bible is used with a double meaning limited time and unlimited time. Thus, "the everlasting God" (Rom. 16: 26); "an everlasting priesthood" (Exod. 40: 15). But the Aaronic priesthood was "changed" (Heb. 7: 12). The "old covenant" decayed, waxed old, and has long "vanished away" (ch. 8: 13). Aionjos, rendered everlasting, is from aion, an age, a word quite indefinite as to duration of time. God's aion is without beginning or end. His kingdom upon earth and the life related to it has beginning, but no end. A man's lifetime is his aion or age, whether it be long or short. Aion is frequently translated "world" in the New Testament, both with reference to "this world" and "the world to come." In the R.V. in many places, as Matt. 13: 39; 24: 3; Mark 10: 30, etc., a marginal note gives "age" for "world". In Deut. 33: 15, 27 we have the same Hebrew word olam (Greek aion) rendered, first, "lasting," and then "everlasting," because the translators would not make "the lasting hills" co-eternal with "the everlasting arms" of God. The RN. without offence calls the hills "everlasting" as well; but we do not therefore suppose them literally so to be. "Everlasting" (aionjos) therefore does not define the duration of the "punishment", but rather its' relation to that "age" or aion. In many places aionios cannot mean "endless."
As to the objection that if the "punishment" be not endless, neither is the "life," Farrar well said, "Our sure and certain hope of everlasting happiness rests on no such miserable foundation as the disputed meaning of a Greek adjective, which is used over and over again of things transitory. If we need texts on which to rest it, we may find plenty, such as Luke 20: 36; Hos. 13: 14; Rev. 21: 21: 4; Isa. 25: 8; 1 Cor. 15, etc." This is true, and the Lord Jesus himself is the example of the redeemed. "Death hath no more dominion over him" (Rom. 6: 9). He "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Phil. 3: 20, 2 1).
TORMENT. Let it not be supposed that we deny the "torment" of the wicked (Rev. 14: 1 1; 18: 7, 10, 15). Far from it. There will be conscious suffering, mental and physical, of a very terrible kind, but it will END in "the second death". "There shall be no more curse" (Rev. 22: 3) no more pain (21: 4). In Rev. 18 the sufferings of the apostles at the hands of the wicked are set out as the mea sure of the sufferings of the wicked in retribution; but the apostles will rise to life eternal while the wicked will vanish in "the second death". "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" among the unprofitable servants cast into "outer darkness" (Matt. 25: 30). "Many stripes" or "few stripes" will be proportioned to degrees of wickedness. As to Judas, Christ said, "It had been good for that man if he had not been born" (Matt. 26: 24). Many will realize the dreadfulness of "everlasting punishment" when Christ says to them, "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity" (Luke 13: 27). And he added, when speaking of this day of judgment, "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and ye yourselves thrust out."
PROBLEM: These verses are stock references quoted in proof of eternal hell torment for the wicked.
Rev. 14: 10, 11 "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 for
ever and ever.. "
Rev. 19: 3 "And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
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.
SOLUTION:
1. "Fire and brimstone" is used figuratively, not literally in Revelation. Consider the evidence:
a) In the first occurrence of the expression, "fire and brimstone" is said to issue from horses' mouths. (Rev. 9:17). This is certainly no hell-fire.
b) If literal torment in hell were intended, then the language of the passage would require Jesus to be with his angels in hell, since it is stated: "He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels ... and the Lamb. " (Rev. 14: 1 0)
c) Consistency demands that if "tormented with fire and brimstone"; is literal, so must "the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation". (Rev. 14: 10) . But the latter is an obvious figure drawn from Jer. 25: 15. Why then insist on literal fire and brimstone?
d) A figurative interpretation of "fire and brimstone" is in keeping with the general symbolic character of the Revelation. The woman = "that great city" (Rev. 17: 18), waters"peoples" (Rev. 17: 15); the Lamb similarly represents Jesus Christ. (Rev. 17: 14).
2. Fire is used in Scripture for utter destruction, not for preservation in torment. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone and are now set forth as "an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire". (Jude 7 cf, Gen. 19: 24) . But are these cities still burning? Scripture affirms that these cities were overthrown in a moment (Lam. 4:6) and turned to ashes. (2 Pet. 2: 6, Deut. 29: 23). See also Lev. 10: 1 ,2; Nu. 16: 35; 2 Kings 1: 10.
3. "And her smoke rose up for ever and ever" (Rev. 19: 3) is no hell-fire torment for the scene is the destruction of "Babylon the great", a city, and is witnessed by lamenting merchants and shipmasters. (Rev. 18: 8-10, 15, 18) . "For ever and ever" emphasizes complete destruction.
4. Rev. 19:3 appears to draw its symbol from Isaiah 34: 10. In this passage a fire from the Lord on Idumea (Idumea= "Edom", R.S.V. vs. 6) "shall not be quenched night nor day the smoke thereof shall go up for ever. " (Isa. 3: 4-10). But again, this is no hell-fire since the prophet Isaiah contin ues to speak of the land lying waste, a dwelling place for the owl and raven. (vs. 11) .
PROBLEM: These verses are cited by Pentecostals and Evangelicals to prove that hell is a literal place of torment.
Rev. 19: 20 "These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev. 20: 14 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. "
Rev. 21: 8 "But the fearful ... shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. "
SOLUTION:
1. The non-literal character of "the lake of fire" is established by the following considerations:
a) Death is cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20: 14). How can death literally be cast into a lake of fire?
b) Hell is cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20: 14). Therefore hell is not the same place as the lake of fire.
c) Frequently in the Revelation symbols are interpreted. For example: "the woman" is "that great city" (Rev. 17: 18); "waters" are "peoples" (Rev. 17: 15). Similarly, the "lake of fire" is inter preted to be "the second death". (Rev. 20: 14; 21: 8).
2. The "lake of fire and brimstone" expresses figuratively what is stated literally"the second death." To die means to have no thoughts (Psa. 146: 4), and to "know not anything." (Ecc. 9: 5). This Scriptural definition of death is incompatible with the interpretation that the lake of fire and the second death refer to conscious eternal torment.
THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS (Luke 16:19-31)
This well-known passage is often used to establish the following unscriptural doctrines: the immor tality of the soul, the conscious state of the dead, going to heaven or hell at death, and eternal tor ments. It is frequently treated as a literal narrative, but is really a parable, and if treated as a literal story is quite out of harmony with plain Bible truth. This will appear from what follows.
Christ's discourse in this place is made up of a group of parables, namely, the lost sheep, the pieces of silver, the prodigal son, the unjust steward, the rich man and Lazarus. The opening words of the last two are identical: "There was a certain rich man" (Luke 16: 1, 19). if the one be literal, so is the other; but nobody wants to make out that the first "rich man" and his "steward" are literal historic characters. And there is still less reason for supposing such things of the second "rich man" and " Lazarus," though there was a real literal Lazarus, whose experiences are very closely connected with the lesson Christ here taught his disciples.
But if any insist that it is not a parable, they must be reminded that "Without a parable spake he not unto them" (Matt. 13: 34). Also that when the disciples asked Christ, "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" (Matt. 13: 10), he answered, "That seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand" (Luke 8: 10). This is sufficient answer to those who say Christ would not so speak as to blind the Pharisees. He expressly said that he would blind such presumptuous sinners: "For judgment am I come ... that they which see may be made blind" (John 9: 39). They praised God and declared Jesus a sinner, though they saw his miracles. The popular misinterpretation of the parable makes void the truth concerning (1) The death-state, (2) The resurrection, (3) The judgment, (4) The promises made to Abraham, (5) The punishment of the wicked.
THE DEATH-STATE. The doctrine of the immortality of the soul is not found in the Bible, which teaches that man is mortal because of sin, and that when he is dead he is as unconscious as if he had never been born: "The dead know not anything" (Eccl. 9: 5). "In death there is no remembrance of thee" (Psa. 6: 5). "In that very day his thoughts perish" (Psa. 146: 4).
THE RESURRECTION. If the doctrine of the immortality of the soul were true there would be no need of the resurrection of the body, nor of Christ in particular. Yet we have Paul saying: "If the dead rise not . . . then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.... What advantageth it me if the dead rise not?" (I Cor. 15: 16-18, 32). See also Phil. 3: 10, 11; John 6: 3 9. There is no future life apart from resurrection. That was how Christ entered into life eternal (Psa. 16: 10, 11).
THE JUDGMENT. Men are not judged at death, but in the resurrection. "The Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels - and then he shall reward every man according to his works" (Matt. 16: 27). Then the wicked "shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righ teous into life eternal" (Matt. 25: 31, 46). Then "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye (workers of iniquity) shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out" (Luke 13: 28).
THE PROMISES MADE TO ABRAHAM. To Abraham and his seed were the promises made" (Gal. 3: 16). "The promise that he should be the heir of the world" (Rom. 4: 13), "He sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob" (Heb. 11: 9). "Thy land, 0 Immanuel" (Isa. 8: 8). "The kingdoms of this world ... the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev. 11: 15). Study carefully "the gospel" that was preached to Abraham (Gal. 3: 8), that is, the record of God's promises as found in the family history of Abraham in the book of Genesis. No one understanding this could possibly receive the popular interpretation of the parable in question.
THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED. Some "shall not rise" (Isa. 26: 14); but shall "sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake" (Jer. 51: 39). But "there shall be a resurrection ... of the unjust" (Acts 24: 15) "the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5: 29). They shall "awake ... to shame and ever lasting contempt" (Dan. 12: 3). After punishment "they shall die" (Rom. 8: 13); "the second death"
(Rev. 21: 8). "Into smoke shall they consume away" (Psa. 37: 20). They "shall not be" (verse 10). These and many other similar passages illustrate the Scriptural doctrine of "everlasting punishment", which is very different from " eternal torment."
A JEWISH FABLE. Paul told Titus to rebuke the Cretans sharply that they might be sound in the faith, "not giving heed to Jewish fables" (Titus 1: 14). It is one of these "Jewish fables" that Christ uses against the "covetous Pharisees" in the parable under consideration. The proof of this is to be seen in a careful comparison of Josephus' "Discourse concerning Hades" with the Bible doctrine concerning Hades, or the grave. Josephus was a Pharisee like those to whom Christ spake this parable, so his explanation of their belief is especially interesting. He says:
"Now as to Hades, wherein the souls of the righteous and unrighteous are detained, it is necessary to speak of it. Hades is a place in the world not regularly finished, a subterraneous region, wherein the light of this world does not shine ... There must be in it perpetual darkness." It is "a place of custody for souls, in which angels are appointed as guardians to them, who distribute temporary punish ments, agreeable to everyone's behavior and manners. In this region there is a certain place set apart as a lake of unquenchable fire.... There is one descent into this region", passing the gate of which "the just are guided to the right hand, ... into a region of light ... This place we call The Bosom of Abraham. But as to the unjust, they are dragged by force to the left hand.... into the neighborhood of hell itself ... where they see the place of the fathers, and of the just (notwithstanding the 'darkness,' we note), and even hereby are punished; for a chaos deep and large is fixed between them so that none can pass over it. "
Every thoughtful reader will at once perceive that Christ in the parable refers to this belief not, however, to approve it, but to condemn the Pharisees out of their own mouth. They boasted in Abraham (John 8: 33-45) and Moses (John 9: 29; 5: 45-47). He makes Abraham and Moses con demn them (ibid). His reference to their "fable" no more commits him to a belief in it than does his reference to "Beelzebub" (Matt. 12: 27) argue his belief in "The Lord of the Fly", which is the meaning of the name thus bestowed by the heathen upon an imaginary "Prince of the Demons". "Take heed (said Jesus), and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees ... of the doctrine of the Pharisees" (Matt. 16: 6, 12). There is much need still for "taking heed". Study carefully the Bible doc trine of Hades and you will discover that Hades is simply "the invisible," "the grave." Study also the kindred parable of Isa. 14, and how "Hell" (marg., "the grave," sheol, hades) ironically greeted the King of Babylon when he was "brought down to the sides of the pit" (verse 15). No one would attempt to take this passage literally. And it is equally impossible to do that with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
The parable of the unjust steward was spoken to "his disciples" to inculcate wisdom among the servants of God equal to the wisdom among the servants of mammon. Among the latter were "the Pharisees who were covetous ... and derided him" (verse 14), so he turned "unto THEM' (verse 15) and convicted them of unjust stewardship in the matters particularized, and spoke "unto them" the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The former represented "them" and their class, and the latter "his disciples" and that class. Among these last was Lazarus of Bethany, whom he actually raised "from the dead" (not from the Pharisaic 'hades'), so that Lazarus afterwards "sat at the table with him" (John 12: 2). "But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to death" (v. 10). Presently Christ himself was put to death and raised again from the dead, yet the Pharisees went on boasting in Moses and rejecting Jesus, in illustration of this much misunderstood parable. And so do many in Israel unto this day.
The Rich Man in Hell (Luke l6:19-31)
This story of the rich man going to hell, whilst Lazarus enjoyed happiness in Abraham's bosom, is often quoted as giving a picture of "life after death, with the lid off." But does it, really? Consider this long list of difficulties that such a reading of the story has to face!
1. It is not a true story, but a parable. The story just before it, about the unjust steward, begins in exactly the same way: "There was a certain rich man. ..." And that story was a parable about the Pharisees. Jesus says so in verse 15.
2. If this is "life after death, with the lid off", are we to understand that part of the happiness of the righteous will be to witness the damned writhing in torture and misery, and yet be neither able nor willing to bring relief? Who wants future happiness of this sort?
3. Lazarus went to "Abraham's bosom": Is that where all the good people go? What a bosom Abraham must have!
4. But in any case, Abraham himself is dead (i.e. unconscious). Gen. 25: 8 says: "He was gathered to his people", and they were idolaters (Joshua 24: 2). Then are these idol worshippers in heaven with Abraham? Of course not! They are all asleep in the grave.
5. "In hell he lifted up his eyes... Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue." Yet we are told that it is the soul that goes to hell or to heaven. Then why the mention of eyes, finger and tongue, all of them part of a corruptible body?
6. If the rich man was suffering in unquenchable fire, what good would one drop of water do to soothe his agony? It looks almost as though Jesus was intending to make the idea of hell-going sound ridiculous.
7. The story nowhere says that the rich man was bad and Lazarus goodonly that one was rich and the other a beggar. Does this mean that the rich don't stand a chance of eternal life at all? Yet Jesus had rich friends. And to make sure of eternal life must a man become penniless and a miserable beggar?
8. The fact is that this parable is another example of the severe trouncing which Jesus gave the Pharisees. It is known for certain that this story is based on the beliefs held by the Pharisees about life after death. Jesus was using these beliefs in his parable in such a way as to make them appear absurd.
9. Note the emphatic conclusion of the parable: "If they hear not Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead ... They have Moses and the prophets: let them hear them". And it can be clearly demonstrated that Moses and the prophets teach that the dead are unconscious, and that hell is the grave.
Thank you for visiting and reading literature from www.learnbible.net.
If you would like to get together with someone in your area for bible study, please let us know...