WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.960 --> 00:00:04.679 Chapter fifteen of the Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith 2 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:07.679 by our a Tory. This LibriVox recording is in the 3 00:00:07.719 --> 00:00:14.000 public domain. Read Bymerian. Chapter fifteen is future punishment everlasting? 4 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:19.000 Jesus Christ plainly taught that there was to be a 5 00:00:19.079 --> 00:00:21.679 literal hell, and that this hell would be a place 6 00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:25.239 of conscious suffering, suffering far beyond that experienced by any 7 00:00:25.239 --> 00:00:28.120 one here in this present life. But we are faced 8 00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:32.119 by another question of great importance. Is this future conscious 9 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:36.280 suffering of the impenitent to be endless? There are many 10 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:38.600 who believe in future punishment of a very severe and 11 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:41.479 awful character, and who indeed believe in a literal hell 12 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:46.039 of awful conscious suffering. But they deny, or at least doubt, 13 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:48.840 that this future hell will be a place of endless 14 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:52.560 conscious suffering. Many of them admit and teach that the 15 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:55.240 suffering may go on for a long time, and perhaps 16 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:58.039 for thousands of years, but they hold that it will 17 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:00.600 end at last, and that all men will alter come 18 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:05.000 to repentance except Jesus Christ and be saved. What is 19 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:08.560 the exact truth about this matter? We cannot decide this 20 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:12.599 by asking what the majority of supposedly reliable theologians believe, 21 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:15.959 for majorities are often wrong and minorities are often right. 22 00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:19.359 Neither can we decide it by reasoning as to what 23 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:22.680 a being such as God is must do. It is 24 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:25.280 impossible for finite and foolish men such as we are, 25 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:29.120 and such as the wisest philosophers and theologians are, to 26 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:32.159 judge what an infinitely wise and infinitely holy God must do. 27 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:36.000 All reasonings by finite men as to what an infinitely 28 00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:39.200 wise God must do are utterly futile and an utter 29 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:42.680 waste of time. All we know about the future is 30 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:45.319 what God has been pleased to tell us in his word. 31 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:48.280 The Bible, as we have seen, is beyond a question 32 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:50.879 the word of God, and therefore what it has to 33 00:01:50.920 --> 00:01:54.079 say on this subject, where any other subject is true 34 00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:57.519 and absolutely sure, And in a question of this character, 35 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:00.159 one ounce of God's revelation is worth more than a 36 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:04.560 thousand tons of man's speculation. The whole question, then, is 37 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:07.280 what does the Bible teach in regard to this matter. 38 00:02:08.280 --> 00:02:10.439 To find out exactly what the Bible teaches as to 39 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:13.120 the endlessness of future punishment, let us turn first of 40 00:02:13.159 --> 00:02:15.080 all to the words of our Lord Jesus himself in 41 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:19.240 Matthew chapter twenty five, verse forty six, revised version. And 42 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:22.159 these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous 43 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:25.960 into eternal life. The first question that confronts us in 44 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:31.080 studying this passage is what the word ionous ionoean, which 45 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:35.680 is here translated eternal, means. The best Greek English dictionary 46 00:02:35.719 --> 00:02:39.120 of the New Testament is Thairs. In this dictionary, after 47 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:42.759 careful study of the word, its derivation, and its usage, 48 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:46.000 gives these three definitions of the word, and these three 49 00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:50.520 only one without beginning or end, that which always has 50 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:55.919 been and always will be, two without beginning, three without end, 51 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:59.719 never to cease, everlasting. It is frequently said that the 52 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:04.039 world word aonaeus, according to its derivation, means age lasting, 53 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:08.360 and therefore may refer to a limited period. Even admitting 54 00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:10.599 this to be true, we should bear in mind that 55 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:13.319 the meaning of words is not determined by their derivations, 56 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:16.280 but by their usage, And the most important question is 57 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:18.919 not what the derivation of this word may be, but 58 00:03:19.080 --> 00:03:21.080 as to how it is used. In the New Testament. 59 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:25.599 It is used seventy two times in the New Testament. 60 00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:28.360 Forty four of these seventy two times, it is used 61 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:32.159 in the phrase eternal life, or as it is sometimes rendered, 62 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:36.840 everlasting life. Known questions that everlasting life is endless, and 63 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:40.400 that in connection with the word life age lasting, if 64 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:43.319 that be its proper definition of the word means lasting 65 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:47.159 through all ages, never ending. Once it is used in 66 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:50.479 connection with the word habitations, referring to the habitations which 67 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:52.560 the blessed are to have in the world to come, 68 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:57.120 and of course these also are never ending. Once it 69 00:03:57.159 --> 00:03:59.599 is used of the weight of glory that in the 70 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:02.520 world to come awaits the believer in Jesus Christ who 71 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:05.360 endure affliction for Christ in the life that is now. 72 00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:09.120 In this case, again, of course, by universal consent, it 73 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:12.919 means endless. Once it is used in the house not 74 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:15.759 made with hands that believers in Christ are to receive 75 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:19.000 at the coming of the Lord Jesus. Second Corinthians, Chapter five, 76 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:22.439 verses one to eight. Of course, this house not made 77 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:26.680 with hands is everlasting. In fact, the very point that 78 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:29.639 is being brought forward in this passage is the contrast 79 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:32.399 between our present bodies, which are but for a brief time, 80 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:35.680 and our resurrection bodies, which are to exist throughout all eternity. 81 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:39.920 Once it is used of the future unseen things that 82 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.879 never end, contrasted with the present seen things that are 83 00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:47.199 for a season Second Corinthians, chapter four, verse eighteen. Of 84 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:51.240 course these are never ending. This is the very point 85 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:54.720 that is being brought out in the contrast. Once it 86 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:59.279 is used of the everlasting comfort revised version or consolation 87 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:03.240 author version that our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God 88 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:06.800 our Father give us, and that is certainly never ending. 89 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:09.920 Twice it is used of the glory that those in 90 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:13.959 Christ obtain Seco Timothy chapter two, verse ten, that, of course, 91 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:17.680 by universal consent, is endless. Once it is used of 92 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:21.000 the salvation Christ brings, which is beyond question never ending. 93 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:25.000 Once Hebrews chapter nine, verse twelve, it is used of 94 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:27.759 the redemption that Jesus Christ secures for us by his blood. 95 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:31.639 This redemption is never ending. In fact, the chief point 96 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:34.360 of contrast in the context in this case is between 97 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:38.519 the temporary redemption secured by the constantly repeated sacrifices of 98 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:42.040 the Mosaic Ritual and the never ending redemption secured by 99 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:46.839 the perfect sacrifice of Christ made once for all. Once 100 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:49.279 it is used of the inheritance that those who are 101 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:53.279 in Christ receive Hebrews chapter nine, verse fifteen. Here again, 102 00:05:53.319 --> 00:05:57.000 beyond a question, it is never ending once it is 103 00:05:57.079 --> 00:06:00.600 used of the everlasting covenant through Christ's blood, entrusted with 104 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:03.439 the temporary covenant based on the blood of bulls and 105 00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:07.959 goats given through Moses. Here again it necessarily and emphatically 106 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:12.199 means never ending. That is the very point at issue. 107 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:15.720 Once it is used of the everlasting kingdom of our 108 00:06:15.720 --> 00:06:18.879 Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tecod Peter, chapter one, verse eleven. 109 00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:21.399 And we are told in Luke chapter one, verse thirty 110 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:24.879 three of his kingdom there shall be no end once 111 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:27.920 it is used of everlasting gospel or good news, and 112 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:31.360 that of course also never ends. Once it is used 113 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:34.639 of the everlasting God Romans chapter sixteen, verse twenty six. 114 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:38.360 And he certainly endures, not merely through long ages, but 115 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:41.600 without end. Once it is used of the Holy Spirit, 116 00:06:41.639 --> 00:06:44.519 who is called the eternal or everlasting Spirit, and he 117 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:47.920 certainly endures not merely through long ages, but throughout an 118 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:52.079 absolute endless eternity. This covers fifty nine of the seventy 119 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:54.279 two times it is used. And in these fifty nine 120 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:58.000 instances the thought of endlessness is absolutely necessary to the sense, 121 00:06:58.519 --> 00:07:00.279 and not in a single one of the thirds team 122 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:03.480 remaining times where it is used, is it used of 123 00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:06.800 anything that is known to end? If usage can determine 124 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:09.600 the meaning of any word, then certainly the New Testament 125 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:12.279 usage of this word determines it to mean never ending, 126 00:07:12.519 --> 00:07:16.480 or as there defines it, without end, never to cease, everlasting. 127 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:20.399 Nor is this all God himself determines it to mean 128 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:23.519 never ending. He defines it to mean never ending by 129 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:26.240 specifically using it in contrast with that which does end. 130 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:29.560 For example, in Sewo Corinthians, Chapter four, verse eighteen, we read, 131 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:32.279 while we look not on the things which are seen, 132 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:34.759 but the things which are unseen. For the things which 133 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:37.920 are seen are temporal, literally for a season, but the 134 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:40.920 things which are not seen are eternal. Here the whole 135 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:43.959 point is that the unseen things, in distinction from the 136 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:46.600 scene which are for a season, are for a never 137 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:50.319 ending duration. But even allowing that the word, according to 138 00:07:50.360 --> 00:07:53.279 its usage, could be used of that which, though it 139 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:56.680 lasts throughout an age or ages, has an end, even 140 00:07:56.680 --> 00:07:59.399 if that were true, which it is not, then the 141 00:07:59.399 --> 00:08:01.519 meaning of the word in any given instance would have 142 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:05.120 to be determined by the context in which it is found. Now, 143 00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:08.560 what is the context in the passage which we are studying. 144 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:12.000 Let us read it again, and these shall go away 145 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:15.920 into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. The 146 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:18.959 same Greek adjectives is used in connection with punishment and 147 00:08:19.079 --> 00:08:22.199 with life. In the authorized version it is differently rendered, 148 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.279 But in the Greek and in the revised version, it 149 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:28.360 is exactly the same. Certainly, this qualifying adjective must mean 150 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:30.639 the same in one half of the sentence that it 151 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:33.120 means in the other half of the sentence. We must 152 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:35.480 at least admit that Jesus Christ was an honest man, 153 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:37.759 and he certainly was too honest to juggle with words. 154 00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:40.120 He would not use a word to mean one thing 155 00:08:40.120 --> 00:08:42.440 in one half of a sentence and something utterly different 156 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:45.360 in the other half. He evidently sought to convey the 157 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:48.039 impression that the punishment of the unsaved was of the 158 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:51.679 same duration as the life of the saved. Know in 159 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:54.480 questions that the life is endless. It would be the 160 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:57.879 destruction of all of our hopes if it were not endless. Therefore, 161 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:00.000 if we are to deal honestly with our Lord's words 162 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:02.840 words he taught that the punishment of the unsaved was 163 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:06.279 to be endless, we have exactly the same reason in 164 00:09:06.279 --> 00:09:08.639 God's word for believing an endless punishment that we have 165 00:09:08.759 --> 00:09:11.840 for believing an endless life. If you give up the one, 166 00:09:11.879 --> 00:09:14.440 you must give up the other, or else deal dishonestly 167 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:18.879 with the words of Jesus Christ. We might rest the 168 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:21.159 case here and call it proven. But let us turn 169 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:24.279 to another passage, Revelation, chapter four, verses nine to eleven, 170 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:28.120 and another angel a third followed them, saying with a 171 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:31.480 great voice, if any man worshipeth the Beast and his image, 172 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:34.360 and receiveth a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, 173 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:36.759 he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath 174 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:39.240 of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of 175 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:41.919 his anger, and he shall be tormented with fire and 176 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:44.279 brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels, and in 177 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:46.559 the presence of the Lamb, and the smoke of their 178 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:49.399 torment goeth up forever and ever, and they shall have 179 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:52.080 no rest day and night, they that worship the Beast 180 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:54.799 in his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name. 181 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.080 Here we have another expression for the duration of the 182 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:02.000 punishment and suffering of the impenitent, the expression rendered forever 183 00:10:02.039 --> 00:10:05.120 and ever. There are in the Greek two slightly differing 184 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:08.360 forms of expression that are so translated. The one form 185 00:10:08.440 --> 00:10:12.480 of expression, literally rendered is unto the ages of the ages. 186 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:17.320 The other form is unto ages of ages. What thought 187 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:21.000 do these expressions convey? It has been said by those 188 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:23.679 who seek to escape the force of these words, as 189 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:27.240 referring to absolute endlessness, that the expression is a Hebraism 190 00:10:27.559 --> 00:10:30.159 for the supreme one of its class, and as an 191 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:33.720 illustration of the same alleged to Braism. The expression lord 192 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:36.879 of lords and holy of Holies are cited. But this 193 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:39.879 is not so. In the first place, the form of 194 00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:42.399 neither of the two expressions is the same, and in 195 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:44.720 the second place, that is not the meaning of the 196 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:48.279 expression lord of lords or the meaning of the expression 197 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:51.759 the holy of holies. The expression lord of lords does 198 00:10:51.799 --> 00:10:54.720 not mean merely the supreme Lord, but the one who 199 00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:57.720 is himself lord of all other lords. And the expression 200 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:01.000 unto the ages of the ages never means merely the 201 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:05.360 ages which are the supreme ages in distinction from other ages, nor, 202 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:08.360 as another puts it, the ages which come out of 203 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:11.960 the other ages, i e. The closing ages before eternity. 204 00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:15.240 The expression, according to its form, means ages which are 205 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:20.039 themselves composed of ages. It represents not years tumbling upon years, 206 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:24.200 nor centuries tumbling upon centuries, but ages tumbling upon ages 207 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:27.600 in endless procession. It is the strongest possible form of 208 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:32.399 expression for absolute endlessness. Furthermore, the way to determine conclusively 209 00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:36.320 what the expression means is by considering its usage. Usage 210 00:11:36.360 --> 00:11:38.639 is always the decisive thing in determining the meaning of 211 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:42.279 for its and phrases. What is the usage of these expressions? 212 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:44.200 In the book from which we have taken our passage? 213 00:11:44.840 --> 00:11:47.840 These expressions are used twelve times in this book. In 214 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:49.840 eight of the twelve times they refer to the duration 215 00:11:49.960 --> 00:11:52.440 of the existence or reign or glory of God in 216 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:55.639 his son Jesus Christ, our Lord. Of course, in these 217 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:58.600 instances it must stand not merely for the supreme ages 218 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:01.960 or any individual ages. It must refer to absolute eternity 219 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:05.240 and endlessness. Once it is used of the duration of 220 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:07.679 the blessed reign of the Righteous, and of course here 221 00:12:07.720 --> 00:12:11.279 again it refers to an endless eternity. And in the 222 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:14.159 three remaining instances it is used of the duration of 223 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:17.080 the torment of the devil, the beast, the false prophet, 224 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:20.360 and the finally impenitent. It is urged by those who 225 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:23.440 would deny that the expression means an absolute, endless eternity, 226 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:26.679 that it is used in Revelation chapter ten, verse fifteen, 227 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:29.320 where we are told that the kingdom of the world 228 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:31.559 is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, 229 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:35.279 and he shall reign forever and ever, unto the ages 230 00:12:35.320 --> 00:12:37.960 of the ages. And we are told in First Corinthians 231 00:12:38.039 --> 00:12:40.840 chapter fifteen, verse twenty four that Christ shall deliver up 232 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:43.759 the kingdom to God, even the Father, and that therefore 233 00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:46.679 his kingdom must come to an end, and consequently forever 234 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:50.639 and ever in this passage cannot mean without end. There 235 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:53.759 are two answers to this objection, either of which is sufficient. 236 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:56.600 The first is that the he in He shall reign 237 00:12:56.600 --> 00:13:00.320 forever and ever in Revelation chapter eleven, verse fifteen does 238 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:03.080 not necessarily refer to the Christ, but rather to the 239 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:06.360 Lord Jehovah, in which case the argument falls to the ground. 240 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:08.840 The second answer is that while we are taught in 241 00:13:08.919 --> 00:13:11.960 First Corinthians chapter fifteen, verse twenty four, et cetera, that 242 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:15.639 Jesus Christ will deliver up his mediatorial kingdom to the Father, 243 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:19.080 nevertheless we are distinctly taught that he shall rule with 244 00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:22.159 the Father. And we are told in so many words 245 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:24.559 in Luke chapter one, verse thirty three, that of his 246 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:27.639 kingdom there shall be no end, so that even if 247 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:30.840 the he in Revelation chapter eleven, verse fifteen referred to 248 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:34.240 Christ and not to the Lord Jehovah, still the statement 249 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:37.000 would be exactly correct, that he the Christ, was to 250 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:40.399 reign forever and ever, that is without end. There is 251 00:13:40.440 --> 00:13:42.960 not a single passage in the whole book in which 252 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:45.759 this expression is used of anything but that which is 253 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:50.840 absolutely endless. So the question is answered again and answered decisively, 254 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:55.200 that the conscious suffering of the persistently impenitent is absolutely endless. 255 00:13:56.759 --> 00:13:59.879 Now let us look at another passage, second Thessalonians, chapter 256 00:13:59.879 --> 00:14:03.159 one one, verses seventy nine. The Lord Jesus shall be 257 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:06.240 revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, 258 00:14:06.360 --> 00:14:09.000 taking vengeance on them that know not God and that 259 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:12.080 obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who 260 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:15.000 shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of 261 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:18.360 the Lord and from the glory of His power. Here 262 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:20.000 we are told that the punishment of those that know 263 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:23.480 not God and obey not. The Gospel is everlasting destruction. 264 00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:28.519 What does everlasting destruction mean? In Revelation chapter seventeen, verses 265 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:31.120 eight and eleven, we are told that the beast goeth 266 00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:34.120 into destruction. So if we can find out where the 267 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:36.919 beast goes, or into what he goes, we shall know 268 00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:41.519 what destruction means in the Bible usage. In Revelation chapter nineteen, 269 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:44.240 verse twenty, we are told that the beast was taken 270 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:47.000 and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs 271 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:50.200 in his sight. Wherewith he deceived them that had received 272 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:53.080 the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. 273 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:55.720 They too were cast alive into the lake of fire 274 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:59.559 that burneth with brimstone. So we see that destruction is 275 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:02.240 a portion of the lake of fire. And in the 276 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:05.360 next chapter, Revelation chapter twenty, verse ten, we are told 277 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:08.120 that the devil that deceived them was cast into the 278 00:15:08.200 --> 00:15:11.279 lake of fire and brimstone, where also are the beast 279 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:14.080 and the false prophet, after having already been there for 280 00:15:14.120 --> 00:15:18.240 one thousand years see context. And they shall be tormented 281 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:21.679 day and night, forever and ever. So we see that 282 00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:24.120 destruction means a portion of the lake of fire, where 283 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:28.159 its inhabitants are consciously suffering without cessation forever and ever. 284 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:31.879 It is clear, then, from a comparison of Second Thessalonians 285 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:35.039 chapter one, verses seven to nine, with these passages, that 286 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:37.360 those who know not God and obey not the Gospel 287 00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:39.919 of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be punished with never 288 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:44.720 ending conscious suffering. Let us look at one more passage 289 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:47.799 Matthew chapter twenty five, verse forty one. These again are 290 00:15:47.799 --> 00:15:50.960 the words of the Lord Jesus himself. Then shall he 291 00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:54.120 say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, 292 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:57.639 ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for 293 00:15:57.679 --> 00:16:00.960 the devil and his angels. What I wish you to 294 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:03.759 notice here is that the punishment into which the impenitent 295 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:06.559 are sent is the eternal fire which is prepared for 296 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:09.799 the devil and his angels. We have an exact description 297 00:16:09.879 --> 00:16:12.159 of just what the eternal fire prepared for the devil 298 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:14.720 and his angels is in the passage read a few 299 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:18.840 moments ago, Revelation chapter twenty, verse ten. And the devil 300 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:21.120 that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire 301 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:24.320 and brimstone. Were also the beast and the false prophet, 302 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:27.720 And they shall be tormented day and night forever endeavor. 303 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:32.320 By comparison of these two statements, we have another explicit 304 00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:35.679 declaration of our Lord that the punishment of the impenitent 305 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:38.799 is to be a conscious agony, where they are punished 306 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:43.000 without rest, day and night, forever endeavor. From any one 307 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:45.639 of these passages, and especially from all of them taken together, 308 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:49.000 it is clear that the scriptures make it as plain 309 00:16:49.080 --> 00:16:52.519 as language can make it, that the future punishment of 310 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:57.559 the persistently impenitent is absolutely endless. There are several passages 311 00:16:57.600 --> 00:16:59.759 of scripture which those who believe that all men will 312 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:02.399 all t timately repent and be brought to accept Christ 313 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:06.519 and thus saved, urge against what seems to be the 314 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:10.039 plain teaching of the passages we have been studying. The 315 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:13.599 first of these is one Peter chapter three, verses eighteen twenty. 316 00:17:13.880 --> 00:17:16.880 Because Christ also suffered for sins, once the righteous for 317 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:20.240 the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being 318 00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:22.440 put to death in the flesh, but made alive in 319 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:25.440 the spirit, in which also he went and preached unto 320 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:29.039 the spirits in prison that aforetime were disobedient. When the 321 00:17:29.079 --> 00:17:31.559 long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, 322 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:34.519 while the Ark was of preparing, wherein few, that is, 323 00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:39.079 eight souls were saved through water. It is urged that 324 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:41.519 as Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison, 325 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:45.400 there will be another chance after men have died. But 326 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:48.000 this the passage in question does not assert or imply 327 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:50.799 in any way. First of all, there is no proof 328 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:53.720 that the spirits in prison refers to the departed spirits 329 00:17:53.720 --> 00:17:57.079 of men who once lived here on earth. In the Bible, 330 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:59.759 departed spirits of men are not spoken of in this way. 331 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:03.119 These words are used of other spirits, but not of 332 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:06.920 human spirits disembodied. And there is every reason for supposing 333 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:09.799 that these spirits in prison were not the sinful men 334 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:12.160 that were on earth when the Ark was preparing, but 335 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:14.799 the angels who sinned at that time, just as we 336 00:18:14.839 --> 00:18:17.880 are told in Genesis chapter six, verses one and two 337 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:24.359 that they did sin compared Jude verses six and seven. Furthermore, 338 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:26.799 even if the spirits in prison here spoken of were 339 00:18:26.839 --> 00:18:28.839 the spirits of men who were disobedient in the time 340 00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:31.839 of Noah, there is not a hint in the passage 341 00:18:31.880 --> 00:18:34.480 that they were saved through the preaching of Christ to them, 342 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:37.920 or that they had another chance there are two words 343 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:41.119 commonly used in the New Testament for preaching. One is 344 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:45.799 crusoe and the other is eugalizo. The first of these 345 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:48.799 means to harald, as to herald a king, or to 346 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:52.279 herald the kingdom. It may, however, be used of preaching 347 00:18:52.359 --> 00:18:55.599 a message, the Gospel message, or some other message. The 348 00:18:55.640 --> 00:18:59.599 second word, ugalizo means to preach the gospel. In the 349 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:02.240 passage that we are studying, it is the first word 350 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:03.960 that is used, and there is not a hint that 351 00:19:04.039 --> 00:19:07.279 Christ preached the Gospel to these spirits in prison. He 352 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:10.400 simply heralded the triumph of the kingdom. It was not 353 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:13.519 a saving message. So there is nothing in this passage 354 00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:16.960 to put up, even inferentially against the plain direct statements 355 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:19.480 regarding the destiny of the wicked found in the passages 356 00:19:19.559 --> 00:19:23.680 we have been studying. The second passage that is appealed 357 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:26.039 to by those who deny the endlessness of future punishment 358 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:29.559 is Philippians chapter two, verses nine to eleven. Wherefore also 359 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:32.480 God highly exalted him and gave unto him the name 360 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:35.200 which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus, 361 00:19:35.240 --> 00:19:38.480 every knee should bow of things in heaven and things 362 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:40.799 on earth, and things under the earth, and that every 363 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:43.319 tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the 364 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:46.559 glory of the Father. Here it is said, we are 365 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:49.400 told that those under the earth, as well as in 366 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.839 heaven and on earth, should bow the knee in the 367 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:55.359 name of Jesus and confess that Jesus is Lord. And 368 00:19:55.400 --> 00:19:58.480 that this implies that they are saved. But it does 369 00:19:58.519 --> 00:20:01.960 not imply that they are saved. Every need of lost men, 370 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:04.319 and of the devil and his angels, too, will be 371 00:20:04.359 --> 00:20:06.559 forced some day to bow in the name of Jesus, 372 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:09.440 and every tongue forced to confess that he is Lord. 373 00:20:09.880 --> 00:20:12.440 If any one does that in this present life, of 374 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:15.279 his own free choice, he will be saved. But otherwise 375 00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:17.400 he will do it by compulsion in the age to come. 376 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:19.839 And every one has his choice between doing it now 377 00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:23.319 willingly and gladly and being saved, or doing it by 378 00:20:23.319 --> 00:20:26.920 compulsion hereafter and being lost. There is absolutely nothing in 379 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:31.960 this passage to teach universal salvation or to militate even 380 00:20:32.039 --> 00:20:36.400 inferentially against the plain statements we have been studying. The 381 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:39.039 third passage that is appealed to is Acts, Chapter three, 382 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:42.440 verses nineteen twenty one repent Ye therefore and turn again, 383 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:45.279 that your sins may be blotted out, so that there 384 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:48.359 may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, 385 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:50.519 and that he may send the Christ who hath been 386 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:53.960 appointed for you, even Jesus, whom the heavens must receive. 387 00:20:54.119 --> 00:20:56.480 Until the times of restoration of all things were of 388 00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:58.720 God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that 389 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:02.440 have been from of old. Here we are told of 390 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:06.400 a coming restoration of all things. And those who contend 391 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:09.319 for the doctrine of universal salvation hold that this means 392 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:13.279 the restoration to righteousness of all persons. But that is 393 00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:15.440 not what it says, and that is not what it 394 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:19.000 refers to. We are taught in Old Testament prophecy, and 395 00:21:19.079 --> 00:21:21.519 also in the Book of Romans, that in connection with 396 00:21:21.559 --> 00:21:23.559 the return of our Lord Jesus, there is to be 397 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:27.000 a restoration of all nature, of the whole physical universe 398 00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:30.759 from its fallen state. For example, in Romans Chapter eight, 399 00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:34.759 verses nineteen twenty one, we read, for the earnest expectation 400 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:37.319 of the Creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons 401 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:40.839