The Testimony of Scripture (Part 2)
Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection
and the life." Paul explains why the resurrection of Jesus is so
important to each of us. "But Christ has indeed been raised from the
dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death
came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."18
Does it say, "All have been made
alive" here? Is not "all will be made alive," in
the future tense? Clearly Paul was looking forward to the the
"making alive" of the saints some time in the future; they were
still "sleeping." To Paul, the resurrection meant a rising from
the dead, not a uniting of an immortal soul with a re-created body, as
some modern theologians would have us believe. The faithful children of
God die to sleep in the grave until the time when "the Lord himself
will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will
rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught
up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."19
The doctrine of the resurrection no longer
makes good sense when it has to be twisted to fit immortal soulism. In
that scenario the immortal soul, unfettered by a body, has to be pulled
from the delights of heaven in order to be "resurrected" with a
body. What a strange twisting of a clear and beautiful biblical doctrine!
After God created man and breathed life
into him, He put him in a garden -- the original home designed by the
Creator Himself. "In the middle of the garden were the tree of life
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."20
Little is said about these two trees except that of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil he was not to eat, "for when you eat of it
you will surely die."21 The fruit
of the tree of life imparted the ability to "live forever."22
Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden to prevent them from eating of
the fruit of the tree of life and thus being able to live forever as
immortal sinners.
Did God say that they would lose their
bodies if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
Did God say that they would enter a different form of existence as
a result of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? A
negative answer to these questions is implicit in the text. God said they
would die as a result of disobeying his command.
In the context of the teachings of the rest
of the Bible, the Tree of Life appears to be a symbol of Christ Himself,
the Source of all life. As lack of access to the Tree of Life
spelled death for Adam and Eve, so separation from Christ, the Source
of life, means death to all created beings.
Satan
Contradicts God and Persuades Most of
Humanity of His View
In opposition to God's direct statement,
Satan, through the serpent, stated "You will not surely
die."23
Jesus declares, "I am come that they
may have life."24 But Satan, through immortal
soulism declares that the incarnation of Jesus was not necessary because
humanity already has self-sustaining life without accepting Christ's
atoning sacrifice.
Through the ages Satan has been successful
in persuading the greater part of mankind to believe his lie. All
non-Christian religions have some form of belief in a conscious after-life
independent of the Life-Giver. The doctrine of life wholly dependent on
the Creator is unique to the Judaeo-Christian tradition. And even here
Satan's lie has made its inroads through the heritage of Greek thought
uncritically adopted by the official Christian church. Yet, through the
ages, there have been champions of biblical truth -- both groups of
Christians and individuals who stalwartly maintained the truth that God is
the Sustainer of all life and that those that ultimately reject his offer
of eternal life will collect the wages of sin -- death, the natural result
of separation from the Source of life.25
When Adam and Eve sinned, they earned the
wages of sin, death. It was only by putting into effect the plan of
salvation laid from "the foundation of the world"26
that Adam and Eve continued to live by the grace of God. And it was only
by grace that they were given opportunity to accept by faith the work of
Christ in their behalf.27
God is the eternal self-existent One, the
great I AM,28 and in our mortal
dependence on Him for all things, including life itself, is found the
basis of our worship. He did not create us as independent entities wound
up, so to speak, to lead our autonomous existence. "For in Him we
live and move and have our being."29
Not a breath we draw nor a beat of our hearts is independent of the
sustaining power of God.30 And this
relationship of creature to Creator will last through eternity. According
to Revelation 22: 2, the tree of life will be found in the new earth,
"for the healing of the nations" -- forever a reminder of the
creatures' constant dependence on the life-giving Creator.
Lucifer, the covering cherub, became Satan,
when he sought to "be like the Most High" 31
-- clearly not in character, but in power and independence. By seeking to
exalt himself, he fell to the lowest depths. Because he was determined not
to fall alone, he persuaded Eve to distrust God and believe the lie that
her life was not dependent on the Life-Giver.
Satan has championed his lie with great
success ever since. As a result, we see a renewed popularity of pantheism
and reincarnation in all their forms. Outright spiritualism claims that
all men become gods in the after-life and teaches that Christ is on the
same level as any other human in a stage of passing on to godhood. Its
teaching is more popular than it ever was.32
Thus the doctrine of the immortal soul,
adopted from ancient heathenism, belittles the
sustaining power of God and the exalted nature of God -- goals which Satan
has had from the beginning of his rebellion.
The
Wicked are Punished by Eternal Destruction -- Not Eternal Life in Hell
When Moses prophesied of Christ the
"Prophet like me from your brethren," he warned that "every
soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed."33
The Greek word exolothreuo (used in Acts) means to destroy
utterly. Not accepting Christ as Savior results in destruction.
David wrote that the "way of the wicked will perish." 34
Isaiah wrote that "those who forsake
the Lord will perish." Isaiah 1: 28 NIV Malachi prophesied
that "every evildoer will be stubble" which will be burned up
and turn to ashes under the feet of the righteous.35
Jesus told his disciples to "be afraid
of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell"
Matthew 10: 28 (The Greek word appolumi used here comes from the
root meaning to destroy fully, perish, according to Strong's.)
Surely if God had appointed the devil as torture master in hell, as he is
often caricaturized, he would have warned against him who had the power to
torture eternally! When Jesus warned that, unless his listeners repented,
they too would perish (Luke. 13: 2 - 5), he was referring to eternal
destruction, not the physical death he normally referred to as sleep.
Paul warned that "If anyone destroys
God's temple, God will destroy him."36
He also warned that at "the day of the Lord" the wicked will be
surprised as "destruction will come on them suddenly."37
He gives a little more detail in 2 Thessalonians 1: 7 - 8 where he writes
that the Lord Jesus will come with "blazing fire" and will
punish with everlasting destruction those who do not know God. To
the Hebrews he wrote that those who "deliberately keep on
sinning" have the "fearful expectation of judgment and of raging
fire that will consume the enemies of God."38
These passages all speak of eternal destruction not eternal torture.
Peter writes that God "condemned the
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an
example of what is going to happen to the ungodly," thus pointing out
that the destruction of the wicked is to come about by fire.39
Jude also refers to Sodom and Gomorrah, writing that they "are set
forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Jude 7
NKJV40 Apparently eternal here
refers to effect not duration, since Sodom and Gomorrah were
indeed turned to ashes as a result of eternal fire and are not still
burning, which one would expect if "eternal fire" referred to
the duration of the fire.
Finally, John, in The Revelation, writes
that "fire came down from heaven and devoured them [the
wicked]. Revelation 20: 9 Apparently the "lake of fire"
signifies utter, eternal destruction, for even "death and
Hades were thrown into the lake of fire"41
in preparation for the time when "there will be no more death."42
This latter text is particularly significant in view of the fact
that Hades is often translated as hell, in which sinners are
supposedly kept perpetually burning for eternity.
Christ also came to "destroy him who
holds the power of death -- that is, the devil."43
Thus Satan himself is to be destroyed, not tortured eternally or given the
function of eternal torture master.
In the prophecy against the "king of
Tyre" who is commonly recognized as representing Lucifer/Satan,
Ezekiel not only prophesies of his destruction, but also of the method of
destruction: "So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed
you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were
watching." Ezekiel 28: 18 NIV44
Likewise Malachi, prophesying of the day that would "burn like a
furnace," wrote that "not a root or branch" (Satan as the
root, and his followers as the branches) would be left, but that the
wicked would be "ashes under the soles" of the feet of the
righteous. Malachi 4: 1 - 4. Surely ashes indicate total, irrevocable
destruction!
As already noted, in the Revelation, the
"lake of fire" indicates a place/method of retributive
punishment of the wicked and of Satan himself. It is interesting to note
that in Revelation 20: 9, Satan's followers are destroyed by fire coming
out of heaven, but the devil and his agents of deception are cast into the
lake of fire to be tormented. Other Bible texts indicate that the final
state of the wicked and of the devil is destruction. However, to
satisfy justice, varying degrees of punishment would be in order.45
The Greek word aion translated
"for ever and ever" in Revelation 20: 9 means an age or,
by extension, perpetuity, according to Strong's. From the
same root comes the word translated as eternal in Jude's reference
to the eternal fire that turned Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes. The
same word pattern is also used in many references to God in the
Revelation, referring to Him "who lives forever and ever." This
brings up the question of whether the same expression applied to God can
mean something different when applied to the devil. We are reminded that
the thoughts of God are not at all the same as the thoughts of
man because God has a superior nature and character.
God only has life in himself, unborrowed,
underived; therefore Paul writes of God "who alone is immortal,"46
whereas Satan is, by contrast not immortal, but mortal, or subject to
death. Since Christ came to destroy Satan, and Satan is subject
to destruction, the phrase [literally] "for ages and ages"
can mean "unending existence" when referring to God and,
and it can mean merely "until the punishment is complete"
when referring to Satan -- just as eternal fire burned in Sodom and
Gomorrah only until these wicked cities were destroyed.
Summary
The Bible clearly teaches that our eternal
existence is dependent upon accepting Christ's gracious gift of salvation.
There is no eternal existence for those who by their life choices declare
their independence from the Creator.
The righteous dead rest in an unconscious state likened to sleep until
Christ returns to awaken them with "the voice of the archangel and
the trumpet call of God."47 Just
as the living righteous, will be changed "in a flash, in the
twinkling of an eye,"48 so those
that slept will awaken with imperishable, immortal bodies to live
eternally. Their time in the grave will seem to them but a "twinkling
of an eye." One moment, they fall asleep in Jesus, the next moment
they open their eyes to see Him coming to gather them to Himself.
Those that refuse to accept Christ's priceless gift will collect the wages
that they have earned - eternal death, brought about by hell fire.49
Thus the universe will be cleansed of sin and sinners. The way will be
prepared for the prophecy of Isaiah: "Behold, I will create new
heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor
will they come to mind." Isa. 65: 17 Harmony will be restored in the
universe, and one pulse of praise and gladness will unite all of God's
creation.
The redeemed from this earth will not have to watch their loved ones
suffering in hell, but, as they continue to associate with their Lord,
they will "be transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing
glory."50 They will savor the
experiences of eternity prepared for them by the same God that first put
in them the eagerness for exploration, the desire for achievement, the
impulse to love, for "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has
conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."51
The teachings of the Bible regarding the eternal destiny of man are so
much simpler and so much more beautiful than all the traditions of men
which have cluttered up Christian teaching for centuries. The biblical
hell is more effective than the eternally burning torture chamber with
Satan as torture master; it makes an end of sin and sinners. And the
redeemed will live forever in grateful dependence on Him who purchased
their salvation with a heart of inestimable love.
References
18) 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
19) 1 Thessalonians 4: 16,
17
20) Genesis
2: 9
21) Genesis
2: 17
22) Genesis 3: 22
23) Genesis
3: 4
J24) ohn 10: 10
25) LeRoy Edwin Froom, The
Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers: The Conflict of the Ages Over the
Nature and Destiny of Man, Volume I & Volume II (Washington,
D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1965)
26) Matthew 25: 34;
Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13: 8
27) In the curse on the
serpent (Satan) is given the first promise of the Redeemer: "I
will put enmity between you and the woman . . . he will crush your
head." And it was by faith in the God who made this promise that the
second son of Adam offered a sacrifice that pre-figured the death of
Christ while Cain brought the fruit of his own hands. (Compare with
Hebrews 11: 4)
28) Exodus 3:14; Isaiah.
44:6; John 8:58
29) Acts
17: 28
30) Hebrews 1:3 "The
Son . . . sustaining all things by his powerful word."
31) This thought comes out
in Isaiah 14:14, which most Bible students recognize as referring to
Satan, and in Ezekiel 28, where the ruler of Tyre is a type of Satan.
Lucifer's ultimate sin was declaring himself equal with God, setting his
authority against the authority of God.
32) This doctrine of
"becoming gods" has been part of various philosophical and
spiritual movements. As well as being a fundamental tenet of spiritualism,
it is also a basic teaching of Mormonism which sounds quite Christian in
its family-oriented broadcasts.
33) Acts 3: 22, 23,
quoting Deuteronomy 18: 15, 18, 19 NKJV
34) Psalm 1: 6; Psalm 37:
20
35) Malachi 1: 1 - 4
36) 1
Corinthians 3: 17
37) 1
Thessalonians 5: 3
38) Hebrews
10: 26, 27
39) 2
Peter 2: 6
40) I refer to the NKJV
here, since it is recognized as being a word-for-word translation as
opposed to the "dynamic" translation of the NIV. ( See also NASB)
41) Revelation 20: 14 The
verse goes on to say that "the lake of fire is the second
death."
42) Revelation
21: 4
43) Hebrews 2: 14 NIV
44) t is interesting to
note that in the prophecy Satan self-destructs, symbolizing that his own
actions are the cause of his destruction. By declaring his independence
from the Life-Giver, he declared his own death sentence -- executed at the
last judgment when all the issues in the great contest between
Christ and Satan will be crystal clear to the watching universe.
45) See Luke 12: 47, 48
where the disobedient servants in the parable are punished with many blows
or with few blows according to the degree of knowledge which they had.
46) 1
Timothy 6: 16
47) 1
Thessalonians 4: 16
48) 1
Corinthians 15: 52 - 54
49) In the destruction by
fire, impartial justice will surely be served as God is well able to
adjust the period of suffering according to the guilt of the individual
sinner. Thus both God's justice and His mercy are revealed in the final
disposition of sin and sinners.
50) 2
Corinthians 3: 18
51) 1 Corinthians 2: 9 |