by Bishop Marthy C. AustriaHUG of Christ Fellowship PURE GRACE
What happens to unbelievers that die?
(This study is an independent study and does not reflect the general view of preterism or any theological system. It is not copied or taken from others' work but purely a result of in-depth Bible Study)
I. The resurrection of the wicked dead.
A. The resurrection of both the believers and the unbelievers.
John 5:29 “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.”
Acts 24:15 “And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”
B. The resurrection of life vs. damnation
The believer’s resurrection – OF LIFE.
The unbeliever’s resurrection – OF DAMNATION.
C. The contrast.
Do you see the contrast?
1. The believers when they are resurrected – they receive LIFE, but the wicked, when resurrected – they receive DAMNATION and not LIFE!
2. So it means, the resurrection of the wicked is NOT raising them up into life again, giving them a new life. But the contrary, which is death.
Why will God resurrect them to life again just to destroy and damn?
II. The Damnation: Lake of fire.
A. What is the DAMNATION?
Matt 23:33 “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
Mark 3:29 “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:”
Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
2 Thessalonians 2:12 “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
1. That damnation is the damnation of hell!
What is that “hell”?
Mark 9:43, 45, 47 “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: And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire”
2. That is called “lake of fire” in the book of Revelation:
Revelation 20: 14, 15 “And death and hell (hades) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
3. The lake of fire is the second death.
Revelation 21: 8 “But the fearful, and 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.”
4. All those described above would be cast into the lake of fire.
B. When would that happen? During the great white throne judgment.
Revelation 20: 11-15 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
1. The white throne judgment would happen during the second coming of Christ! The day of the Lord (2 Pet 3:10)
2 Peter 2:9 “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished”
2 Peter 3:7 “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
2. The judgment and rewarding of the righteous and the wicked are at the same time. The judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2 Cor 5:10) is the same as the great white throne.
III. The Fire of God’s Judgment.
A. Look at these scriptures about the judgment of fire:
Matthew 3:10-12 “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew 5:22 “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
Matthew 7:19 “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
Matthew 13:40,42 “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world…And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Luke 3:9 “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
Luke 3:16-17 “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”
Luke 9:54 “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?”
Luke 12:49 “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled?”
Luke 17:29 “But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.”
Hebrews 12:29 “For our God is a consuming fire.”
2 Thessalonians 1:8 “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”
2 Peter 3:7 “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
2 Peter 3:12 “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”
Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
Revelation 14:10 “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb”
Revelation 17:16 “And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.”
Revelation 18:8 “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.”
Revelation 19:12 “His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.”
Revelation 19:20 “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
Revelation 20:9 “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”
Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Revelation 20:14-15 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and 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.”
B. God’s judgments are with fire and the Day of the Lord.
1. The second coming of the Lord in the day of the Lord described in OT as the day of judgment (Zephaniah 1:7,14,15).
2. And on that day, “the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men… wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:7,12).
C. That fire is not a literal fire.
1. We know that these descriptions of “heavens and the earth being on fire and dissolved and melted with fervent heat” are not talking about the “destruction of the physical heavens and earth by fire” but about the “destruction of the Jerusalem and Judaism”.
2. So the fire involved in the coming of the Lord is not a literal fire.
3. Whenever God uses literal fire in judgment such in Sodom and Gomorrha, he uses it as symbol of judgment.
4. So the use of fire in the verses about God’s judgment regarding his second coming is not literal fire, but a figurative fire – his judgment for GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE!
IV. The punishment of the wicked: everlasting destruction.
2 Thess 1: 7-10 “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be 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: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”
Matthew 10: 28 “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 soul and body in hell.”
John 3: 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The word “perish” and “destroy” are the same. Gk. Apollumi, which means to destroy utterly. To bring to nothing.
V. Now, then, what is the resurrection of the wicked dead?
A. It is called “resurrection of damnation”. And damnation is the damnation of hell.
B. And hell is the lake of fire, which is also the second death.
C. So the resurrection of damnation is not raising up or quickening again the wicked dead to give them a new physical body and after that casting them into the lake of fire to be tormented forever.
D. Rather, the resurrection of damnation is God’s judgment by fire, and fire is not a literal fire but a symbol of justice and vengeance.
E. He punished them with second death. What is death but separation from life and non-existence. Paul called it “everlasting destruction”.
F. What does it mean? To be destroyed or be nothing forever. That means the wicked will never be immortal and will never spend eternity. Only believers will spend eternity.
G. God is not a cruel punisher that enjoys torturing sinners. He will rather kill or destroy them utterly than torture them. The wages of sin is death and not torture. And it is everlasting destruction.
VI. The unbeliever’s composition:
DUST (Physical Body) + SPIRIT (Unregenerate/Dead) = LIVING SOUL.
A. He is a LIVING SOUL which means that he has a “spirit or breath of life that gives life to his physical body”, but he has no “breath or spirit that gives spiritual life or zoe” in him.
B. He is dead in sins and trespasses (Eph 2:1). Physically alive but spiritually dead.
C. His spirit is dead because of his sins (Romans 5:12). He must be born again (John 3:7) of the Spirit so that he may be a “spirit” (John 3:6).
VII. The unbeliever’s destiny: hell/grave
A. When he dies physically:
DUST (Physical Body) – SPIRIT (Unregenerate/Dead) = DEAD SOUL.
1. He goes to hell/grave and stops existing. No resurrection. Everlasting destruction.
2. Because when he was still physically alive, he was spiritually dead, and never was quickened, so when he dies, he remains spiritually dead forever. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Spiritual death. Death means not only separation from life but also non-existence.
3. In this case, he experienced two deaths: physical death and spiritual death. Separation from physical and spiritual life. Non-existence. He becomes nothing.
4. The unbeliever/unregenerate has no spiritual body that is why, when he dies physically, he will never be able to live the eternal, spiritual life in heaven.
5. He will never be fit for heaven. Why? Because he has no heavenly body. Flesh and blood (physical body) can’t inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50).
6. So what happens, when he dies, that is his end. He will never be able to live after this life. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
7. Only believers in Christ have immortality and only they will be granted the gift of eternal life – to live an everlasting bliss – after this physical life.
B. When the believer dies, he goes to heaven. On the contrary, now, when the unbeliever dies, he goes to hell, not the gehenna hell, but the hades hell – the grave.
Psalms 9:17 “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
Proverbs 15:11 “Hell and destruction are before the LORD”
Proverbs 27:20 “Hell and destruction are never full” bliss
Isaiah 5:14 “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.”
Deuteronomy 32:22 “For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.”
Prepared by:
Bishop Marthy C. Austria
H.U.G. of Christ Fellowship
Pleroma Bible Training Centre
www.houseundergrace.webs.com
No comments:
Post a Comment