36Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Jesus spoke to the disciples for the remainder of the discourse on the present kingdom (13:36-58), and this marks a transition in His audience. He sent the crowd away because what He had to say from this point pertained only to believers.
Jesus now turned to interpret the parable of the tares (13:36-43).
13:36
Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.
Jesus turned from the crowd to speak to His disciples inside a house.
And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
The disciples spoke for believing Israel about knowing what would happen to the interim present kingdom.
13:37
He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
Jesus identified Himself as the sower.
13:38
The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom,
The “seeds” are believers in Jesus’ Messiahship. These are people that He sowed in the world. These “seeds” are those who turned positive in volition towards the seed-Word (Lu 8:1). The field is the world, not the church.
but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
Tares are unbelievers sown in the world (field) by the devil as a rival sower. These are people who profess faith but do not possess it.
13:39
The enemy who sowed them is the devil,
The sower of unbelievers in the world is the devil. The devil places unbelievers in the world to introduce false doctrine into Jesus’ interim present kingdom.
the harvest is the end of the age,
The “end of the age” is the end of the interim present kingdom. This kingdom will end upon the Second Coming at the close of the Tribulation. This is not the end of the economy of the church.
and the reapers are the angels.
Since there is no separation between wheat (believers) and tares (unbelievers), God allows them to exist together. Angels will separate true believers from the devil’s crowd at the end of the age (2 Th 1:7-10).
13:40
Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
Good angels will gather the tares (unbelievers) to burn in fire after the Second Coming of Christ.
13:41
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
It is Jesus who will send out good angels for final judgment on unbelievers.
13:42
and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing [sorrow] and gnashing of teeth [pain].
The furnace of fire here is hell, where great anguish of soul and physical pain will take place.
13:43
Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
When believers will enter the future kingdom, they will reflect the resplendent glory of God in their inheritance. Believers will leave the interim present kingdom to inhabit the final kingdom with all its grand glory. Jesus’ point is that believers need patience because God will ultimately deliver His kingdom in full.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Jesus admonished His current hearers with a cryptic challenge to go positive in volition towards His message.
PRINCIPLE:
There will come a day when God will separate truth from error, believer from unbeliever.
APPLICATION:
God allows unbelief to continue throughout the present kingdom. The present kingdom exists from the official rejection of His Messiahship to the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. This period includes the time of the church economy. Throughout this period both truth and error coexist. There will come a day when God will make a separation between truth and error, believer and unbeliever. In the meantime, some churches will be faithful to God’s Word and others will not.
Hi Dr. Richison,
i've been coming to your website during my quiet time for months and it's helped me a lot with better understanding the bible. Today, when I come across this passage, i feel puzzled about the unbelievers being thrown into the furnace of fire. What if they were never approached by any Christian their whole life? or God gave them a fairly good life so that they never felt the need to accept the gospel, hence their unbelief. It seems very cruel and arbitrary. Please enlighten me, thanks so much!
Vivian
Vivian, I appreciate your comment. It is an important question.
From God's viewpoint, no one has never heard. Romans one argues (1:18f) that all a person has to do is look at creation with positive volition then God will do His part in revealing Himself. He will ultimately send a missionary because "how can they hear without a preacher" (Ro 10).
I develop this thought further in my exposition of Romans 1:18ff.
Matthew 13:40
Just as the weeds are collected and burned up in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
This is the correct translation. And what happens when WEEDS are burned up in a fire? They are completely destroyed! It is so OBVIOUS.
And other Scriptures show that as well. Here are just two more.
Psalm 37:20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall be consumed; into smoke shall they be consumed away.
Psalm 92:7 Though the wicked sprout like grass; and all who practice iniquity flourish, it is they who will be eternally destroyed.
There are several others, but these three are clear enough that anyone can understand. I know that you will disagree, so I would like to see your explanation of these 3 dynamic and powerful Scriptures.
Becky, the context is that Jesus is explaining a parable, a short moral story that was often expressed with imagery and metaphor. Jesus is here expounding a metaphor of hell. A metaphor is an earthly physical description of a concrete idea. The literal idea is that people will face is “wailing [sorrow] and gnashing of teeth [pain].” These are people who will be conscious of the pain in eternity.
This is not an explanation of these three Scriptures. This is turning a blind eye to what they directly state. WEEDS obviously do not keep burning in a fire. The unmistakable imagery of this parable is spectacularly clear. The image is of weeds being “burned up” in a fire. No other interpretation is at all logical. And the imagery of Psalm 37:20 is equally and spectacularly clear. The wicked shall be consumed and shall vanish away into smoke. How can you not see the fantastically clear picture of that? And that is why Psalm 92:7 says that the wicked will be eternally DESTROYED—not eternally be burned. Do you not understand what the word destroyed means? My eight-year-old son can understand that. He can also understand that if you put the fat of a lamb in a big fire it will be consumed away into smoke.
And if you asked twenty people at random on the street, “What will happen if you put weeds in a big fire?” Of course, every single one of them would tell you that the weeds will be completely burned up! That is what this parable is teaching. It is completely straightforward and fully undeniable. Furthermore, only the children of God will receive immortal and imperishable bodies. The unsaved will NEVER receive those glorious eternal bodies!
1 Corinthians 15:42-49
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
As you can clearly see, only God’s blessed children are going to receive these fantastic immortal and imperishable bodies. There is no Scripture at all that says the wicked will receive immortal and imperishable bodies. So that means that they will die a second time. Only the children of God will never die again.
Luke 20:34-36 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth. But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. And they will never die again. In this respect, they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.
If you disagree, then explain these three Scriptures. But I don’t see how you could possibly come up with an alternative explanation for any one of them.
Becky, your problem is that you do not understand the use of metaphor in interpretation (hermeneutics). This is the same problem you have in all the verses you referenced. The illustration of weeds burning in fire is a temporal illustration of an eternal truth. Also, a parable is an analogy to the true or real situation. Later, in the same context, people will wail and gnash their teeth in torment (Mt 13:42).
I would warn you about the cult you have bought into. It is characteristic of cults to pretext, draw inferences from passages that do not make the point, etc.
Ps 37:20 = speaking of a specific situation where Israel’s enemies will face their demise.
כלא., “Go up in smoke” means to restrain, shut up; withhold; imprison; be restrained, prevented.
Ps 92:7
The Hebrew word שָׁמַד can simply mean destroyed, decimated, overthrown, exterminated. The context must give the specific interpretation. In the context, Israel’s enemies will be completely destroyed. This is not a reference to eternal issues. Yes, Israel’s enemies will be completely defeated.
1 Corinthians 15:42-49
See my commentary on these verses
Luke 20:34-36 (NLT)
Not relevant to the discussion you raised.
The Objection That Hell Is Annihilation
It is objected that hell is not a place of eternal conscious punishment but one of eternal unconsciousness—annihilation. However, this is based on a misinterpretation of Scripture and is contrary to good reason.
First, the Bible clearly affirms there is conscious suffering in hell, such as “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). By contrast, annihilated persons are not conscious of any suffering.
Second, the beast and false prophet in the lake of fire (where hell is thrown) are not annihilated, but still conscious after a thousand years of suffering, as cited above.
Third, annihilation would not be a punishment but a release from all punishment. Job preferred annihilation to suffering (Job 3), but God did not allow it. And if a good man like Job can suffer something worse than annihilation in this life, the punishment of evil people in the afterlife would have to be something greater. If not, then God is not just, since He would have given less punishment to the wicked than to the righteous.
Fourth, Jesus speaks of degrees of punishment in hell (Matthew 5:22). But there can be no degrees of annihilation. Nonexistence is the same for all persons. There are no degrees of nothingness.
Fifth, annihilation of the wicked is contrary to both the nature of God and the nature of humans made in His image (see “Immortality” in my Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics). It is not consistent with an all-loving God to snuff out those who do not do His wishes. What would we think of an earthly father who killed his children if they didn’t do what he wanted them to do?
Finally, were God to annihilate human beings, He would be attacking Himself. We are made in His image (Genesis 1:27), and God is immortal (1 Timothy 6:15–16). That these persons are suffering no more justifies annihilating them than it does for a parent to kill his child who is suffering. Even renowned atheists have insisted that annihilation is not to be preferred to conscious freedom. Nietzsche once wrote: “I would rather will nothingness than not to will at all” (Toward a Genealogy of Morals, last line).
Dr. Wakefield gives the best refutation of annihilationism, in our opinion, of any of the Protestant theologians. We can give only a summary of his position. He says:
1. That the term death, as applied to man in the Scriptures, ever means annihilation and that annihilation is the penalty of the divine law, are mere assumptions for which there is not the shadow of proof, and which we may very confidently deny. Indeed, to understand the term death in the sense of annihilation would turn many passages of scripture into downright nonsense, as a few examples will show. Thus: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death [annihilation] of his saints” (Psalms 116:15). “We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Rom. 5:10). “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24). “He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death” (1 John 3:14).
2. The theory is inconsistent with itself. Its advocates teach, not only that annihilation is the penalty of the law, but that it is the most dreadful of all punishments, even worse than endless suffering; and yet they maintain that the annihilation of the righteous between death and the resurrection is no punishment at all, but a real gain. Will the wicked suffer any more from annihilation between death and the resurrection than the righteous? Certainly not. And if the annihilation of the righteous at death is not the penalty of the law, how can the annihilation of the wicked be? If in the former case there is no infliction of punishment, how can the punishment be so dreadful in the latter? The system teaches, therefore, that annihilation is the penalty of the law and not the penalty; that it is a most dreadful punishment, and no punishment at all; and that the only difference between the righteous and the wicked, as far as this matter is concerned, is that the former shall be annihilated once, the latter twice.
3. That annihilation will not be the future punishment of the wicked is evident from the absurdity of supposing that they shall be raised again into existence merely to be annihilated. If annihilation is true, all men lose their personal identity at death; for it would be perfect folly to talk about continued existence of persons who are annihilated. If death is annihilation, a resurrection is impossible. There might be other moral beings created, but they could not be justly rewardable or punishable for the moral conduct of annihilated generations of men.
4. If the future punishment of the wicked is to consist in annihilation, then all sinners will be punished alike; which is both unreasonable and unscriptural. But as there will be different degrees of future punishment, and as there cannot be different degrees of annihilation, therefore, annihilation cannot be that punishment. Again, to those who are suffering these supposed torments, annihilation would either be a curse or a blessing. If the former, a state of endless torment would be better for the sinner than a release from all suffering by annihilation; and if the latter, annihilation cannot be the penalty of the law, unless it can be made to appear that a penalty and a blessing are the same thing.—WAKEFIELD, Christian Theology, pp. 647, 648.
The Scripture Terms Denoting the Place of Punishment. There are three words translated “hell” in the Authorized Version of the New Testament—Hades, Tartarus and Gehenna. (1) Hades refers to the realm of the dead, and the distinctions between place and state have already been discussed. (2) Tartarus appears only in the participle form of the verb ταρταρόω, which means to cast down to Tartarus. It is found only in 2 Peter 2:4—For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [ταρταρώσας], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment. We may, therefore, regard Hades as the intermediate state of wicked men, and Tartarus as the intermediate state of wicked angels. (3) Gehenna is compounded from the two Hebrew words Ge and Hinnom, and means “the valley of Hinnom.” In the New Testament it is called Gehenna (γέεννα), and appears twelve times (Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5 and James 3:6). In all of these places, the word refers to torture and punishment in the future world. In Matt. 18:9 the word Gehenna is associated with the punishment to be meted out at the judgment; and in the preceding verse, the words “everlasting fire” are used as its equivalent. In Mark 9:43, Jesus says, It is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched [ἄσβεστον or inextinguishable]: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched [οὐ σβέννυται]; in Luke 12:5, the words of Christ are, Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell [Gehenna]. It is frequently pointed out, that of the twelve passages in the New Testament in which the word Gehenna occurs, all were used by Christ himself, except that in James 3:6. The word “hell,” therefore, in the sense of Gehenna, refers to the place provided for the final punishment of evil angels and impenitent men, after the day of judgment—the intermediate Hades of the wicked, and the Tartarus of the fallen angels, already anticipating the horrors of Gehenna in the same sense that Paradise anticipates the joys of heaven.
It would be easy to show, however, by careful examination of all such passages (the references cited above), that they do not prove the doctrine in support of which they are adduced; but such an examination is uncalled for at this point. It is only necessary to remark, (1) that the blessing which comes upon all men through the seed of Abraham, does not necessarily imply the actual salvation of all. (2) That though Christ died for all men, and is, in this respect as well as in others, the Saviour of all men, yet He is the special Saviour only “of those that believe.” (3) That God wills the salvation of all men, but only in the appointed way, that is, “through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth,” and not whether they believe in Christ or not. (4) That all men shall bow to Christ and acknowledge Him, either by a voluntary reception of His grace and salvation, or by a constrained subjection to His avenging justice; and (5) That death shall be destroyed when “all that are in the graves shall hear” the voice of Christ “and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”—WAKEFIELD, Christian Theology, p. 644.
Bishop Weaver says, that in arriving at the meaning of any generic term, we must not only take the definition of the word, but it must be such a definition as will agree with the context. This general rule should be observed in determining the meaning of all generic words. Because the word “Gehenna” literally signifies the valley of Hinnom, we are not thence to conclude that it was never used in any other sense. The proper meaning must be determined by the connection in which it is used. The original meaning of the word “Paradise” is, “a place inclosed for pleasure and delight.” In the Old Testament, it is used in reference to the garden of Eden. In the New Testament it is used as another name for heaven (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7). If, because the word “Gehenna” literally signifies the valley of Hinnom, it never means anything else, then Paradise never means anything else than the garden of Eden, or a place on earth inclosed for pleasure and delight. (Cf. WEAVER, Christian Theology, p. 323.)
The Doctrine of Eternal Punishment as Taught in the Scriptures. As in all matters which concern the future, the Scriptures must be our sole authority. We shall, therefore, in our study of this subject, arrange the scriptures in answer to three important questions which commonly arise: (1) Do the Scriptures teach the doctrine of future punishment? (2) What is the nature of this punishment? and (3) Is this punishment eternal?
1. Do the Scriptures teach the doctrine of future punishment? The mere perusal of Christ’s words, without any note or comment, should convince the unprejudiced reader that He taught the doctrine of future punishment. The following should be carefully studied. Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart part from me, ye that work iniquity (Matt. 7:23); And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both sold and body in hell (Matt. 10:28); 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 (Matt. 13:41, 42); So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:49, 50); Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: and these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (Matt. 25:41, 46); For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36); And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:43, 44 cf. vs. 45–48); The rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom (Luke 16:22, 23); and Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28, 29. The solemn truth taught in these scriptures is, that those who reject Christ and the salvation offered through Him, shall die in their sins and be separated from God forever. Many learned men have sought to explain away this truth as contrary to the goodness of God, but the simple fact still remains that God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting (Gal. 6:7, 8). This present life is one of probation, and following it must be the eternal consequences. This is no more than simple justice, and every person of sincerity must admit that the principles here laid down are eternally just.
Watson’s Dictionary, Article Hell. This is a Saxon word, which is derived from a verb which signifies to hide or conceal. A late eminent Bible critic, Dr. Campbell, has investigated this subject with his usual accuracy; and the following is the substance of his remarks: In the Hebrew Scriptures the word sheol frequently occurs, and uniformly he thinks, denotes the state of the dead in general, without regard to the virtuous or vicious characters of the persons, their happiness or misery. In translating that word, the LXX have almost invariably used the Greek term αἵδης, hades, which means the receptacle of the dead, and ought rarely to have been translated hell, in the sense in which we now use it, namely, as the place of torment. To denote this latter object, the New Testament writers always make use of the Greek word γέεννα, which is compounded of two Hebrew words Ge Hinnom, that is, “The Valley of Hinnom,” a place near Jerusalem, in which children were cruelly sacrificed by fire to Moloch, the idol of the Ammonites (2 Chron. 33:6). This place was also called Tophet (2 Kings 23:10) alluding, as is supposed, to the noise of drums (toph signifying a drum) there raised to drown the cries of helpless infants. As in process of time this place came to be considered as an emblem of hell, or the place of torment reserved for the punishment of the wicked in a future state, the name Tophet came gradually to be used in this sense, and at length to be confined to it. In this sense, also, the word gehenna, a synonymous term, is always to be understood in the New Testament, where it occurs about a dozen times. The confusion that has arisen on this subject has been occasioned not only by our English translators having rendered the Hebrew word sheol and the Greek word gehenna frequently by the term hell; but the Greek word hades, which occurs eleven times in the New Testament, is in every instance, except one, translated by the same English word, which it ought never to have been.
Stuart says, while the Old Testament employs sheol, in most cases to designate the grave, the region of the dead, the place of the departed spirits, it employs it also, in some cases, to designate along with this idea the adjunct one of the place of misery, place of punishment, place of woe. In this respect it accords fully with the New Testament use of hades. For though hades signifies the grave, and often the invisible region of separate spirits, without reference to their condition, yet in Luke 16:23, it is clearly used for a place and condition of misery. The word hell is also used by our translators for gehenna, which means the world of future punishment.—STUART, Essay on Future Punishment.
The miseries of the wicked, previous to the resurrection, must be purely spiritual; but, after that event, they will be, in part, corporeal. They will consist in the loss, the absence, of everything desirable, and in the infliction of positive, unmingled, sufferings. The rich man in hell is said to have received his good things; implying that no more good remained for him. Accordingly, he was denied a drop of water to cool his burning tongue. The wicked in hell are said to “have no rest day nor night.” “The wine of the wrath of God is poured out without mixture into their cup” (Rev. 14:10). They will endure the tortures of an ever-accusing, stinging conscience. They will suffer from the indulgence of unsated malice, envy, revenge, rage, and every other hateful passion of which they are capable. They will suffer from perpetual disappointment, defeat, and despair. They will suffer from one another. They will suffer all that is implied in those awful figures, those appalling representations, by which the Holy Spirit has set forth their agonies.—POND, Christian Theology, p. 576.
It is an almost invincible presumption that the Bible does teach the unending punishment of the finally impenitent, that all Christian churches have so understood it. There is no other way in which the unanimity of judgment can be accounted for. To refer it to some philosophical speculation which had gained ascendancy in the Church, such as the dualism of good and evil as two coeternal and necessary principles, or the Platonic doctrine of the inherent immortality and indestructible nature of the human soul, would be to assign a cause altogether inadequate to the effect. Much less can this general consent be accounted for of the ground that the doctrine in question is congenial to the human mind, and is believed for its own sake, without any adequate support from the Scripture. The reverse is the case. It is a doctrine which the natural heart revolts from the struggles against, and to which it submits only under stress of authority. The Church believes the doctrine because it must believe it, or renounce faith in the Bible and give up all the hopes founded upon its promises. There is no doctrine in support of which this general consent can be pleaded, which can be shown not to be taught in the Bible.—HODGE, Systematic Theology, III, p. 870.
We have already admitted that the language of Scripture on this subject is more or less figurative; but whether it is figurative or otherwise, of one thing we may be sure, that it was intended to convey ideas strictly conformable to truth. God can no more make a false impression on the human mind by use of figures, than he can lead men into error by the plainest and most positive declarations; for both alike would be contrary to the divine veracity. Nor will his goodness, any more than his truth, allow him to alarm his moral creatures with groundless fears or to represent the consequences of sin as more dreadful than they really are. We may therefore safely conclude, that the future state of the wicked, as to its general character, will be one of intense suffering; for, to suppose that it will be more tolerable than absolute darkness, the agonies of death, and the action of fire, is virtually to charge God with the utterance of falsehood, and to set up our own standard in opposition to divine revelation. This intense suffering which will be the portion of the ungodly, will arise (1) from what is called the punishment of loss.… and (2) from the punishment of sense.—WAKEFIELD, Christian Theology, p. 642.
2. What will be the nature of future punishment? The terms which are used in the Scriptures to express the idea of future punishment, must of necessity be in part figurative. Only by comparing it with that which is within our mental grasp, are we able to understand even in a small measure, something of this solemn truth. The following terms are used in the Scriptures to express the nature of future punishment: (1) It is called the second death. This is the term used by St. John in the Apocalypse. But the fearful, and the 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 (Rev. 21:8 cf. Rev. 20:14, 15). The fear of death brought the whole race of men into bondage (Heb. 2:15). It is surrounded with gloom and terror, and is the source of tormenting fears. Then sentence of death cannot be executed while the sinner lives, but comes as an unescapable consequence at the judgment, because of the withdrawal of the remedy of grace. During his lifetime, the corruption of his soul was mitigated by prevenient and restraining grace, but at death he becomes eternally exposed to the corruption of his own soul without this mitigation. Thus the second death is the only possible condition of the unregenerate in the world to come. We have pointed out that physical death is a change which indicates the corruption consequent upon sin; we may now reverse the order and say that the second death is that spiritual corruption of which physical death is the visible type. Physical death is soon over, but here is a death that never dies—where groanings shall never cease, and agony never end. (2) Our Lord speaks of future punishment as outer darkness. It is to be noted also, that in each instance, He associates this darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth (Cf. Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). St. Peter speaks of the chains of darkness, and the mist of darkness reserved for the ungodly forever (2 Peter 2:4, 17); while St. Jude speaks of the evil angels which are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6); and again, of the blackness of darkness forever (Jude 13). Dr. Wakefield speaks of this darkness as resembling “the deep midnight of the grave, lengthening onward from age to age, and terminated by no succeeding day.” “Let this darkness be understood literally,” says Dr. Ralston, “and it denotes a condition inexpressibly horrible. We have read of a darkness in Egypt so thick that it could ‘be felt’; we have tried to imagine the cloud of gloom that would soon envelop our world, if the light of the sun and every star were to be instantly and completely quenched; but how indescribably inadequate must be these illustrations to portray the horrors of that ‘outer darkness’ into which the wicked will be driven, and by which they will be forever overwhelmed!” (RALSTON, Elements of Divinity, p. 520). (3) It is described as a state of positive punishment. Our Lord himself informs us that the wicked shall be cast into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:42); while St. Paul speaks of the Lord as being revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:7, 8). Attempts have been made to tone down the severity of these scriptures by regarding them as purely figurative. But the figure never fully portrays the reality; and the reasonable conclusion is, therefore, that the fire of future punishment, if not literal, will be infinitely more intolerable. (4) Future punishment is further described as banishment from God. This is the worst form of punishment conceivable—before which death, everlasting fire, and the blackness of darkness are as nothing. God is the author of every good and every perfect gift, and the loss of God is the loss of all good. The words, Depart from me, ye cursed (Matt. 25:41) indicates a loss of light and love, of friendship, of beauty and song—the loss of even hope itself. To be banished from God is to be forever separated from heaven and all good. Such are the solemn representations which the Holy Spirit has seen proper to make concerning the state of the finally impenitent and the nature of their punishment.
“Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire” (Matt. 25:41). These words are not only pronounced against them by the Son of man, they echo against them from the depths of their own being, from the abused divine likeness in themselves, they echo against them from all ranges of the creation, which now unanimously bear witness for Him. There is no more peace in the glorified creation for those who are thus condemned; they must be separated therefrom, and to any inquiry concerning their state, we have no other answer than this, “outer darkness.”—MARTENSEN, Christian Dogmatics, p. 474.
Dr. Charles Hodge states that “the sufferings of the finally impenitent, according to the Scriptures, arise: (1) From the loss of all earthly good. (2) From the exclusion from the presence and favor of God. (3) From utter reprobation, or the final withdrawal from them to the Holy Spirit. (4) From the consequent unrestrained dominion of sin and sinful passions. (5) From the operations of conscience. (6) From despair. (7) From evil associates. (8) From their external circumstances; that is, future suffering is not exclusively the natural consequence of sin, but also includes positive inflictions. (9) From their perpetuity.”—HODGE, Systematic Theology, III, p. 868.
3. Is future punishment eternal? Since this question has been answered in the negative by some, a careful consideration of the subject necessitates a study of the word αἰώνιος, which in the Scriptures is rendered everlasting or eternal. The word αἰών, as the substantive from which the adjective αἰώνιος is derived, signifies an “age,” and denotes indefinite duration—that is, it does not of itself determine the length or duration of the age. Thus the Creator has an αἰών and the creature has an αἰών, but the former is infinite and the latter finite. Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee (Psalms 39:5). Dr. Shedd, who made an excellent study of this question, says, that “In reference to man and his existence, The Scriptures speak of two, and only two αἰώνες or ages; one finite, and one infinite; one limited, and one endless; the latter succeeding the former.… The two aeons, or ages known in Scripture, are mentioned together in Matt. 12:32, It shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world [αἰών], neither in the world [αἰών] to come; in Mark 10:30, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time [καιρός], … and in the world [αἰών] to come, eternal life; in Luke 18:30, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time [καιρός], and in the world [αἰών] to come, life everlasting; in Eph. 1:21, Above … every name that is named, not only in this world [αἰών], but also in that which is to come. The things present, and the things to come, mentioned in Romans 8:38 and 1 Cor. 3:22, refer to the same two ages. These two aeons, or ages, correspond to the two durations of ‘time’ and ‘eternity,’ in the common use of these terms. The present age, or aeon, is ‘time’; the future age, or aeon, is ‘eternity.’ ” (SHEDD, Dogmatic Theology, II, pp. 682–686). The present or limited aeon is denominated in Scripture, “this world” (Matt. 12:32; 13:22; Luke 16:8; 20:34; Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 1:20; and 2:6). The future or infinite and endless aeon, is called “the future world,” “the world to come,” or “that world” (Cf. Matt. 12:32; Heb. 2:5; 6:5; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; and 20:35).
Since the word aeon (αἰών), or age, in Scripture, may denote either the present finite age, or the future endless age, in order to determine the meaning of “aeonios” (αἰώνιος), it is necessary first to determine in which of the two aeons, the limited or the endless, the thing exists to which the epithet is applied; because anything in either aeon may be denominated “aeonian.” The adjective follows its substantive, in meaning. Onesimus, as a slave, existed in this world (αἰών) of “time,” and when he is called “aeonian” or “everlasting (αἰώνιος) servant (Philemon 15), it is meant that his servitude continues as long as the finite aeon in which he is a servant; and this is practically at an end for him, when he dies and leaves it. The mountains are denominated aeonian, or “everlasting” (αἰώνια), in the sense that they endure as long as the finite world (αἰών) of which they are a part endures. God, on the other hand, is a Being that exists in the infinite αἰών, and is therefore αἰώνιος in the endless signification of the word. The same is true of the spirits of angels and men, because they exist in the future aeon, as well as in the present one. If anything belongs solely to the present age, or aeon, it is aeonian in the limited signification; if it belongs to the future age, or aeon, it is aeonian in the unlimited signification. If, therefore, the punishment of the wicked occurs in the present aeon, it is aeonian in the sense of temporal; but if it occurs in the future aeon, it is aeonian in the sense of endless. The adjective takes its meaning from the noun. The English word “forever” has the same twofold meaning, both in Scripture and in common use. Sometimes it means as long as a man lives upon earth. The Hebrew servant that had his ear bored with an awl to the door of his master, was to be his servant “forever” (Exodus 21:6). Sometimes it means as long as the Jewish state should last. The ceremonial laws were to be statutes “forever” (Lev. 16:34). Sometimes it means, as long as the world stands. “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever” (Eccl. 1:4). In all such instances, “forever” refers to the temporal aeon, and denotes finite duration. But in other instances, and they are the great majority in Scripture, “forever” refers to the endless aeon; as when it is said that “God is over all blessed forever.” The limited signification of “forever” in the former cases, does not disprove its unlimited signification in the latter. That Onesimus was an “everlasting” (αἰώνιος) servant, and that the hills are “everlasting” (αἰώνια), no more disproves the everlastingness of God, and the soul; of heaven, and of hell; than the term “forever” in a title deed disproves it. To hold land “forever” is to hold it “as long as grass grows and water runs”; that is, as long as this world, or aeon, endures. The objection that because αἰώνιος, or aeonian, denotes “that which belongs to an age,” it cannot mean endless, rests upon the assumption that there is no endless αἰών, or age. It postulates an indefinite series of limited aeons, or ages, no one of which is final and everlasting. But the texts that have been cited disprove this. Scripture speaks of but two aeons, which cover and include the whole existence of man, and his whole duration. If, therefore, he is an immortal being, one of these must be endless. The phrase “ages of ages,” applied to the future endless age, does not prove that there is more than one future age, and more than the phrase “the eternities” proves that there is more than one eternity; or the phrase “the infinities” proves that there is more than one infinity. The plural in these cases is rhetorical and intensive, not arithmetical in its force (SHEDD, Dogmatic Theology, II, pp. 686–688). Dr. Shedd holds that an indefinite series of limited aeons with no final endless aeon, is a Pagan and Gnostic, not a biblical conception. The importation of the notion of an endless series of finite cycles, each of which is without finality and immutability, into the Christian system, has introduced error, similarly as the importation of the Pagan conception of Hades has (cf. SHEDD, Dogmatic Theology, II, p. 682, 683).
With this study of the words αἰώνιος and αἰών, we may now note their application in the following scriptures: Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting [αἰώνιον] fire (Matt. 18:8). St. Mark uses this same scripture but adds the words into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:43, 44). He also says, But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation (Mark 3:29). St. John says, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting [αἰώνιον] life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36). In the description of the judgment found in Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus says to those on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting [αἰώνιον] fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; and the scene closes with the words, And these shall go away into everlasting [αἰώνιον] punishment: but the righteous into life eternal [αἰώνιον]. If by these statements our Lord does not mean eternal punishment, what significance can possibly attach to them? The word αἰώνιον is the strongest word in the New Testament to express the duration of happiness. If, therefore, we limit the meaning of the word in relation to the wicked, we must also limit it in relation to the righteous, so that we shall then have neither a future heaven nor hell. “I have seen,” says Dr. Adam Clarke, “the best things that have been written in favor of the final redemption of damned spirits, but I never saw an answer to the argument against the doctrine, drawn from this verse, but that sound learning and criticism should be ashamed to acknowledge.”
It is also the doctrine of Scripture, that this future punishment of the incorrigible shall be final and unlimited; another consideration of great importance in considering the doctrine of the atonement. This is a monitory doctrine which a revelation could only unfold; but being made, it has no inconsiderable degree of rational evidence. It supposes, it is true, that no future trial shall be allowed to man, the present having been neglected and abused; and to this there is much analogy in the constant procedures of the divine government in the present life. When many checks and admonitions from the instructions of the wise, and the examples of the froward, have been disregarded, poverty and sickness, infamy and death, ensue, in a thousand cases which the observation of every man will furnish; the trial of an individual, which is to issue in his present happiness or misery, is terminated; and so far from its being renewed frequently, in the hope of his finally profiting by a bitter experience, advantages and opportunities, once thrown away, can never be recalled. There is nothing, therefore, contrary to the obvious principles of the divine government as manifested in this life, in the doctrine which confines the space of man’s highest and most solemn probation within certain limits, and beyond them cutting off all his hope.—WATSON, Theological Institutes, I, p. 211.
Stuart in his “Exegetical Essays” states that “αἰώνιος is employed 66 times in the New Testament. Of these, 51 relate to the future happiness of the righteous; 7 relate to the future punishment; namely, Matt. 18:8; 25:41, 46; Mark 3:29; 1 Thess. 1:9; Heb. 6:2; Jude 6; 2 relate to God; 6 are of a miscellaneous nature (5 relating to confessedly endless things, as covenants, invisibilities; and one, in Philemon 15, to a perpetual service). In all the instances in which αἰώνιος refers to future duration, it denotes endless duration; saying nothing of the instances in which it refers to future punishment.” The younger Edwards says that αἰών, reckoning the reduplications of it, to be single instances of its use, occurs in the New Testament in 104 instances; in 32 of which it means a limited duration. In 7 instances it may be taken in either the limited or endless sense. In 65 instances, including 6 instances in which it is applied to future punishment, it plainly signifies an endless duration. (Both of these notes are quoted in SHEDD, Dogmatic Theology, II, pp. 688, 689.)
The Greek words αἰών and αἰώνιος literally and properly denote endless duration. Their etymology (ἀεὶ and ὤν—being or existing always) shows this. Their ordinary use and signification show the same. They as properly denote an endless duration as our English words eternal and everlasting. They are sometimes used, like the English words, in a restricted sense—restricted by the nature of the subject to which they are applied; but in such cases the connection readily indicates the sense, so that there is little danger of error. But we are not left to the general meaning of these words, however satisfactory they may be. The word αἰώνιος is so used by our Saviour, in reference to the future punishment of the wicked, as to show, conclusively, that it must denote an endless duration. I refer particularly to the passage (Matt. 25:46) where the future punishment of the wicked, and the future happiness of the righteous are set over against each other, and the same term αἰώνιος is applied to both; thus indicating that the duration of both is equal and endless.—POND, Christian Theology, p. 581.
The materialistic interpretation of its figurative representations, as held in the earlier centuries, and particularly by the mediaeval church, is now discarded and replaced by a more rational and truthful interpretation. But through all these differences and disputations a very remarkable unanimity has remained respecting the duration of such punishment. On this question the best scholarship of today is in full accord with the historic doctrine of the Church. This is a significant fact, and the more so because such accordance is not from any predilection or preference, but simply by constraint of the plain sense of Scripture.—MILEY, Systematic Theology, II, pp. 470, 471.
The objections which are urged against eternal punishment may generally be reduced to these two: (1) It is objected that the punishment is disproportionate to the sin. This objection, as Dr. Asbury Lowrey points out, is based upon a low estimate of the nature of sin. He says, “The objection to the eternity of hell is made to appear contrary to divine justice and repugnant to the divine nature by two false assumptions: first, that sin, especially when it is connected with the moral life, possesses so little turpitude, that it may be regarded as a human frailty or weakness; and second, that sin will not disturb any principle of the moral government of the universal Ruler, except only so far as the province of earth and the human family are concerned.” (LOWREY, Positive Theology, pp. 276, 277.) (2) It is objected that God is too merciful to inflict everlasting punishment upon His creatures. Here, again, there is a low estimate of sin. God’s mercy and His justice are never in conflict with each other. As previously indicated, Jesus Christ himself, during His earthly ministry, gave to the Church its severest declarations concerning this solemn truth. The opponents of the doctrine, therefore, are brought into direct opposition to Him who suffered—the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).
Dr Luther Lee declares that “the sentence which will be passed upon sinners, by the righteous judgment of God, at the last day, will be irrevocable. This must appear from a consideration of the immutability of God, the Judge. Immutability is that perfection of God, which renders Him eternally unchangeable. The force of this is plain. No change by way of repentance and regeneration can take place in the sinner, after being condemned at the last judgment and sent to hell. The atonement of merits of Christ’s death, and the advantages of His intercession, will after the day of judgment, no longer be available, and hence, all the benefits of the same, including the efficacy of prayer, and the agency of the Holy Ghost, will be forever lost. For God to condemn a sinner and send him to hell, at one time, and then revoke the sentence and recall him from his infernal prison, while he is yet the same in moral character, is to act differently at different times, in view of the same moral principles; which implies change or mutability.—LEE, Elements of Theology, p. 325.
Nice try, Captain Bligh, but that ship ain’t gonna sail. (My husband’s unique expression.) Anyway, your explanation of Matthew 13:40 was totally wrong. So here is the true and PRECISE meaning of this verse.
Matthew 13:40
“Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.”
JUST AS: > hṓsper (an emphatic adverb, intensifying /hōs, as) – indeed just as, JUST EXACTLY LIKE > (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
“The literal idea is that people will face is “wailing [sorrow] and gnashing of teeth [pain]. These are people who will be conscious of the pain in eternity.”
This was a very feeble attempt to defend your interpretation.
Of course, there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth as people are “burned up” alive. So now look at the true and precise meaning of “burned up.” THIS is the LITERAL IDEA of the parable! >>>
Burned up > From kata and kaio; to burn down (to the ground), Consume wholly — burn up, utterly > (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
Or do you think Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance is wrong?!
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Ps 37:20 = speaking of a specific situation where Israel’s enemies will face their demise.
כלא., “Go up in smoke” means to restrain, shut up; withhold; imprison; be restrained, prevented.
Totally wrong. > But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall be consumed; into smoke shall they be consumed away.
It specifically says, “the ENEMIES of THE LORD.” And “go up in smoke” or “consume away” is defined by Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance in this way.
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
accomplish, cease, consume away, determine, destroy utterly
And look what else Psalm 37 says. This entire Psalm backs up what I am stating.
Psalm 37:9-13
For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
This is definitely talking about Judgment Day. It is not talking about Israel’s enemies being withheld, shut up or restrained or defeated. And this other part of Psalm 37 is also talking about the FINAL JUDGMENT.
Psalm 37:37,38
Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace. But ALL SINNERS will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked.
1 Corinthians 15:42-49
“See my commentary on these verses.” —- Okay I did. >>>
“and as is the heavenly Man,
so also are those who are heavenly. God will fit for eternity those regenerated persons who embrace their representative head, the “heavenly Man,” Jesus Christ.”
You just confirmed what I stated. ONLY the righteous will have bodies that are “fit for eternity.” The wicked will NEVER get that kind of body. Hence, they will go up in smoke. (be consumed away) And why the wicked “will be no more.” And why, “there will be no future for the wicked.”
And do you think that young adolescents who die without Christ will have to spend an eternity in a lake of fire and burning sulfur? We’re talking about 11,12,13 and 14-year-old adolescents! They are just kids, but they know the difference between right and wrong. Do you honestly think it will be God’s justice for such young kids to have to spend forever in hell? If you honestly think that, then I would say that there is something very wrong with your soul. And this is not just an emotional argument. What sins did a young adolescent commit that would warrant them being in a lake of fire and burning sulfur for eternity? Kids at that age are just trying to have fun and enjoy their lives. They are not contemplating God. But then one day one of them is in a car accident and they die. Or perhaps, they are a Muslim child somewhere in Syria and they get killed by a bomb or a sniper. (It happened many times.) Are you honestly going to tell me that such a young adolescent DESERVES to spend an eternity in hell? Do you realize how crazy that would make you sound?
Additionally, we can very clearly see that Adam and Eve LOST their IMMORTALITY in the garden of Eden! And once again, this is UNDENIABLE Scripture.
Genesis 3:22-24
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore, the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
Psalm 92:7. > Though the wicked sprout like grass; and all who practice iniquity flourish, it is they who will be ETERNALLY DESTROYED.
Here is Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance for the TRUE meaning of the word destroy. >>
destroy, destruction, bring to nothing, overthrow, perish, pluck down, bring to nought, perish (utterly)
Or do you think that Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance is mistaken?!?
And by the way, I do not belong to any cult. I go to a Presbyterian church. These days there is a real awakening in the church and believers of many different denominations are finally seeing the TRUTH of the Scriptures. It is like a new Protestant reformation.
Becky, your dogmatic use of Greek is laughable as you think you know the “precise” meaning of this passage. Whenever people who know little or no Greek attempt to use it, they invariably do not understand what they are doing and make a mess of it, as you do.
“Just as … so” (ὥσπερ … οὕτως) makes the comparison emphatic. Here begins the true thrust of the parable, and Jesus spells out the major point, in startling fashion centering only on the final harvest.
The “therefore” οὖν is inferential conjunction meaning thus or so. The “as” is an adverbial comparative in a corelative clause giving it a syntactic force, comparing the subordinate clause functions as a correlative particle.
“Burned” is from the Greek word κατακαίεται and is in the present, (continual linear action [actionsart] passive, (the subject receives the action) indicative, (it is a real action and not potential), third person, singular). Thus, this burning is something that continues and is real. The passive voice indicates that it is something done to them from outside.
“In the fire” is the word πυρὶ and is a dative, singular, neuter noun contained in the predicate; it is a dative noun of means modifying “burned.”
“So” οὕτως carries the idea of thus in a correlative clause with a syntactic force; it functions as a corelative particle.
“It will be” is from the verb ἔσται a future, middle, indicative, third person, singular speaking of something that will happen in the future age.
Strong’s concordance gives only the basic meaning or what is called the lemma meaning, not its various uses. Almost all Greek words have different meanings or uses in different contexts. The context determines the meaning for each use. It is grossly simplistic to use the Strong’s lemma meaning and apply it to a passage without the context of its use.
People do not go to hell until they reach an age of accountability. If you read my commentary on Romans 1, you will find that God speaks to everyone through creation and the Holy Spirit (Jn 16).
I do not have time to show you the Greek and Hebrew of other passages to which you refer. It would take a great amount of exegesis of those passages to deal with them adequately. That is why I am sticking with the Mt 13 passage. It is characteristic of cults to jump from one Scripture to another without fully dealing with the passage at hand.
It makes no difference whether you belong to a Presbyterian church, you have cultic thinking, which is defined as holding doctrines outside of historic Christianity. I worked for the Presbyterian church, of which most are liberal and are not faithful to Scripture. You are in no new reformation but an excursion into apostasy.