Omega

In my previous blogs I have focussed on the earliest period of recorded human history. Now I wish to look at the very end of time and in particular the fate of those who do not believe in Christ. I am going to stick my pin into the doctrine of the eternal torment of the wicked. Actually, I am of the opinion that this horrendous notion needs something more like a jousting lance through the gizzard than a pin prick.

This idea, that those who reject Christ suffer for the rest of eternity in anguish and torment, and that that is somehow just,  is based on a number of Biblical references to judgement as ‘the hell of fire’ (Matthew 5:22), ‘to hell, to the unquenchable fire’ (Mark 9:48). Hell is described as a place ’where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched’ (Mark 9:48), and a place of ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ (Luke 13:28). Two things we can be sure of from these verses are that firstly, the punishment of the wicked is eternal, and secondly, that hell is a place of torment. But for a number of reasons I don’t believe that means it must involve eternal torment for those people who reject Christ’s offer of forgiveness.

Hell is a place of eternal torment, of that there is no doubt. But for whom? Matthew 25:31-46 is very informative. Jesus tells the story of the final judgement and he distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous are invited to enter into heaven, which is described as ‘the place prepared for you from the foundation of the world’ (v34). The wicked; however, are cast into the eternal fire which is prepared, not for them, but ‘for the devil and his angels.’ (v41). Hell was not made for people, it was made for Satan and his minions who, as spirit beings who dwelt in the presence of the Almighty God before turning against him, are obviously judged differently and who justly deserve to be tormented for eternity. They were never offered forgiveness, presumably because they knew exactly what they were doing when they rebelled against God.

So what happens when mortal human beings, who have never been granted the immortality which is given to believers (topic for next blog – watch this space) are cast into hell which was not made to accommodate them? Matthew 10:28 tells us.

‘Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’

I think that it is clear enough. Hell is a place of eternal fire made for fallen angels. Those who reject Christ are judged and their punishment is that they are cast into hell where they are destroyed body and soul. They are annihilated. The punishment is eternal, it is never reversed, but it is not eternal torment. The book of Revelation backs up this idea where being cast into hell is described as the second death (Rev. 2:11, 20:14). Now the wicked are bodily resurrected prior to judgement but they are still described as being ‘dead’ before they are judged (Revelation 20:12-13). What; therefore, is the second death? While it is not clearly stated, I think there is a sense that this is a more final death than the first one and so may refer to the death of their souls.

There is another reason why I believe in the annihilation of the wicked. All Christians would acknowledge that God’s sense of justice must ultimately be satisfied. All sin must have judgement passed upon it and that judgement must be carried out. When God says “It is finished” in Revelation 21:6, then it must be finished. But if God is still punishing the wicked then his justice has still not been satisfied and it is not finished at all. If we believe in the eternal torment of the wicked, then we must believe that God’s justice will never, ever be fully satisfied because their just punishment is never fully carried out. Some will argue that the wicked in hell never repent; therefore, their punishment justly continues. However, they have no opportunity to repent. They cannot ask Jesus to die for their sins after they have already died for them themselves. They would; however, be penitent. Having acknowledged Jesus is Lord, having had a vision of the eternal life that they had been offered, but rejected, I should think that they would be very sorry indeed to know that they were going to die – permanently.

So there you have it. Eternal punishment – yes. Eternal torment – no

3/4/2013 Nearly a year after writing this, this blog is still getting regular hits. That’s great, but this is only the first of three blogs on this subject. The other two are https://blogofbrian.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/oh-thou-who-man-of-baser-earth-didst-make-2/ ‎and https://blogofbrian.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/the-quick-and-the-dead/