The Severity of Gehenna

Transcription

1 The Severity of Gehenna.!6!. WHAT IS GEHENNA? There is a place called the valley of Hinnom (~NOhi-yge = GHE HIN-NOM) (Joshua 15:8) just south of Jerusalem. ( Hinnom [which means, wailing or lamentation ] was probably the name of an original Jebusite owner, since it was also called: the valley of the son of Hinnom [II Chronicles 28:3].) This is where numerous corrupt Jews did some very horrible things (Jeremiah 2:23) even sacrificing children to pagan gods (II Chronicles 28:3). Jeremiah prophesied that this place would become the valley of slaughter where God would punish them for their wickedness (Jeremiah 7:32). That was fulfilled by the Babylonians. In time, this valley became a garbage dump where human excrement and the carcasses of animals were disposed of and burned. The fire there was never extinguished, and the worms which bred there were always active. Later Judaism used the term, valley of Hinnom, to designate the rubbish heap of the universe the ultimate place of God s eternal retribution (Apocalypse of Abraham 15:6-7; I Enoch 27:2-3; II Esdras 2:29). The Greek transliteration for it is Gehenna (gee,nna = GE-EN-NA). Jesus also used this term to designate such a place of future judgment: 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! 1 shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool! shall be in danger of hell (gee,nna = GE-EN-NA) fire (Matthew 5:22). He was referring to the same thing when He said: 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 (Matthew 25:41). 1 An Aramaic term for contempt. 25

2 As we saw in the last chapter, John calls it the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15). It is not the same thing as Hades (a[ dhj = HA-DES), since after the final judgment, Hades (KJV: hell ) itself will be emptied into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14). To the wicked, Hades (a[ dhj) is like the county jail, whereas Gehenna (gee,nna) is like the federal prison. (The King James Version translates both words: hell. ) Is Gehenna a real place, or is it just a metaphor for God s ultimate punishment of the wicked (which some claim is annihilation and total oblivion)? What happens to the wicked when they enter the Lake of Fire which is also called the second death (Revelation 21:8)? Is there sufficient Biblical evidence to warrant the conclusion that the wicked will have a conscious awareness of their punishment in a literal hell? The previous chapter stated there was. Let s take a further look at this. If, in the second death, the wicked cease to be conscious of anything, then there could be no distinctions of punishment. However, the Bible clearly states there are. This fact, in itself, offers conclusive evidence for a literal hell. So hell (Gehenna, the Lake of Fire) cannot be merely a figure of speech. It is very real. CONSIDER THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE Jesus taught that hypocritical religious leaders who just use their positions to advance their prestige, or as an occasion to oppress the poor...shall receive the greater damnation (Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47). What is this damnation? It is Gehenna, for Jesus then asked them: How can you escape the damnation of hell (gee,nna = GE-EN-NA)? (Matthew 23:33). The greater damnation indicates that some will receive a more severe judgment than others in Gehenna. In His parable of the unfaithful servant, Jesus described how this wicked servant would get drunk and beat the other servants. Upon returning, his lord...will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes (Luke 12:46-48). The uninformed sinner will suffer the same type of judgment as does the informed sinner. This informed sinner will share the destiny of unbelievers (Luke 12:46). The only difference is this: Since he knew better, he will suffer a greater degree of punishment. This judgment cannot be construed as something which occurs during this lifetime, because it will not take place until after the Lord returns (Luke 12:46). 26

3 What then is the destiny of the unbeliever? The...unbelieving...shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death (Revelation 21:8). Now, if death is a state of extinction or a condition of nonexistence, and this is the condition into which the wicked are to be placed for punishment, how can the judgment upon one be worse than the other? Can there be degrees of annihilation? Of course not. One person cannot be more annihilated than another. The Lake of Fire cannot be both a condition of nonexistence as well as a place of suffering. It must be one or the other. If the Lake of Fire (which is the second death) is annihilation, there can be no literal, conscious suffering there. If death is a state of extinction, then when someone enters the second death condition (the Lake of Fire) he becomes extinct immediately. You cannot be more or less extinct. However, if in death one remains conscious, then, and only then, can the Lake of Fire become a place for various degrees of suffering. This is exactly what Jesus says. He told His disciples that when the people of a certain place rejected Him or them: It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city (Matthew 10:15; Luke 10:12-14). Those who reject Christ and His ministers will suffer a greater degree of punishment than will those of Sodom and Gomorrha. Someone might say, I thought Sodom and Gomorrha had already received their judgment (Genesis 19:24-25). Did not Jude say they suffered the vengeance of eternal fire (Jude 7)? If they have already received their eternal punishment, then they are gone forever annihilated. Unfortunately, this interpretation of Jude is not in agreement with Jesus. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone nearly 2,000 years before Christ. Yet, according to Him, Sodom and Gomorrha still have a future judgment to face. Jesus did not say, It was more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than it shall be for that city which rejects you. No, the punishment referred to is future for both categories. The only difference is the degree of suffering involved. The verse in Jude can be translated: So also Sodom and Gomorrah... are exhibited as a warning of the eternal fire, in the punishment they undergo (Jude 7, Montgomery). They have not, as yet, suffered the actual punishment of eternal fire. No one has. However, the fire and brimstone which literally destroyed those cities is a vivid 27

4 warning of Gehenna, the Lake of Fire. It is proof of the dreadful power and purpose of God to punish sinners. The future day of judgment for Sodom and Gomorrha, whereof Jesus spoke, will occur following the millennium. They will then appear before the Great White Throne to be sentenced (Revelation 20:11-12). Upon hearing their verdict, they shall be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15). However, the punishment which will be given to those in Sodom and Gomorrah will be more bearable than for those who rejected the ministry of Jesus and His disciples (Matthew 10:15; Luke 10:12-14). The purpose of the final judgment is to render the decision concerning the severity of the punishment due the wicked in Lake of Fire: 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 (Revelation 20:12). No one who hears that verdict will ever be able to question the justice of God. 10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that He should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that He should commit iniquity. 11 For the work of a man shall He render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. 12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment (Job 34:10-12). And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). Obviously, the Lake of Fire is to be the place of punishment. However, if death is a state of nonexistence, then there could be no suffering in the Lake of Fire, since it is the second death (Revelation 21:8). If there is no suffering in the Lake of Fire, then there is no place for the fulfillment of Scriptures which predict different degrees of suffering in the day of judgment. Again, someone might say, When a person is cast into the Lake of Fire, he will suffer momentarily, until he is consumed. Then it will be all over. Anyone who makes such a statement is not being honest with words. The Bible does not say, The Lake of Fire is the cause of the second death. No, the Lake of Fire is the second death (Revelation 21:8). If, in physical death, one cannot be aware of anything, then no one can be aware of anything in the Lake of Fire 28

5 either. It is completely inconsistent for anyone to suggest that death is both a state of consciousness and unconsciousness. Death cannot be a condition of both suffering and nonexistence. It must be one or the other. THE VERY MOMENT YOU ADMIT THAT THERE CAN BE ANY CONSCIOUS SUFFERING IN THE SECOND DEATH, YOU HAVE STEPPED OVER THE LINE: DEATH, TO YOU, NO LONGER MEANS AN UNCONSCIOUS STATE! Therefore, if there can be any conscious suffering at all in the second death, then the second death is not a state of extinction or annihilation. So, when those of Sodom and Gomorrha are cast into the eternal fire of Gehenna, they will not become unconscious. Their judgment could not be comparatively more bearable than that of others if the Lake of Fire meant extinction. The Beast (Antichrist) and the False Prophet will have been there over a thousand years already. They, along with these new arrivals...shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Revelation 20:10). As Jesus said, These shall go away into everlasting (aivw,nion = AI-O-NI-ON) punishment, but the righteous into life eternal (aivw,nion = AI-O-NI-ON) (Matthew 25:46). Notice that the same Greek word is here translated eternal and everlasting. This word is used equally to refer to the eternality of punishment prepared for the wicked, and the eternality of the life (fellowship with God) 2 to be enjoyed by the righteous. It would be grossly inconsistent to suggest that this word means limitless time in reference to the righteous, but only limited time for the wicked. If it can be proven that the torment of the wicked will come to an end, then how can anyone be sure that the life of the righteous will not also come to an end? The same word (aivw,nion = AI-O-NI-ON) is used for both! Therefore, the punishment (torment in Gehenna) of one, and the life (fellowship with God) of the other are parallel and of equal duration. But, someone may protest, the punishment lasts forever, they just won t know about it. They will enjoy a merciful cessation of consciousness. That, my friend, is the very point. Annihilation or oblivion is not punishment. In fact, the most wicked atheist hopes for oblivion. This is what he wants. To him, oblivion is no punishment at all. Oblivion is peace. Unfortunately for him, God has already gone on record: There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked (Isaiah 57:21). All they who reject the peace with God through Christ in this life, will never enjoy the peace of God in eternity. There is no peace...to the wicked... NEVER... EVER! 2 See Chapter 4 for the Biblical definitions of life and death. 29

6 BETTER NOT TO BE BORN Note well the words of Christ about Judas: Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good 3 for that man if he had not been born 4 (Matthew 26:24). Just how would it have been better for Judas had he never come into being? Judas only lived about a day after he betrayed the Lord. No matter how great his sense of guilt and shame, death would end it all... if death is nonexistence. (Even if Judas comes forth at the final resurrection to face God in the judgment, that fearful confrontation would soon be over when Judas becomes non-existent again as he enters the second death.) Was Jesus saying, It would have been better for that man not to have come into being, for when he dies he will be nonexistent? This would be utterly meaningless. Never to come into being means nonexistent. If death also means nonexistence, then there can be no possible distinction between them. Any condition of nonexistence after life would be identical to the condition of nonexistence before life. One could not prefer one over the other. If the eternal state of the wicked is nonexistence, how can that condition be worse than never being born? It simply could not. When Jesus pronounced a woe upon anyone, it spoke of the wrath of God to come. So the only possible reason it would have been good for that man never to have come into existence, is because death will not be the end of his trouble. Since death is not nonexistence, then Judas must suffer the eternal consequences of his actions. If there ever comes a time when Judas ceases to exist, then it will be as though he had never been born. Since Jesus implied this is not possible, we must then conclude that Judas is still aware of that fact and will be forever. DROWNING IS BETTER In Mark 9:42, our Lord said: Whosoever shall offend 5 one of these little ones that believe in Me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea (compare Matthew 18:6). 3 kalo,j = KA-LOS can also mean, better. 4 gi,nomai = GI-NO-MAI means, to come into existence, or come to be. 5 The word translated offend in this and the following verses is skandali,zw (SKAN-DA-LID-ZO). It means to put a stumbling block in the way, or to cause to fall (that is, to cause to sin ). 30

7 So, in effect, Jesus says, Drowning is better! But, you ask, better than what?! If the final state of the wicked is annihilation, then an early death is absolutely of no benefit to the sinner. It would only shorten his enjoyment of the pleasures of sin for a season (Hebrews 11:25). So if the wicked are unconscious in Gehenna, it would not matter whether one had been only a little wicked or very wicked. One person s unconscious state in death could not be worse than another s. If, however, when he entices a godly child into sin, it means he will suffer that much more in Gehenna, then it certainly would have been better for him to have died before he could have done so. Drowning, therefore, is better than the eternal consequences of this kind of a deed. A word of caution, however: If you suspect that someone is trying to corrupt the life of a child, or even a young Christian (II Peter 2:18), the Lord does not really want you to kill the scoundrel. That would be murder. However, should the culprit never repent, then from the standpoint of eternity, you would be doing him a favor. BETTER MAIMED THAN LOST In the next half-a-dozen verses of Mark, Jesus makes another graphic comparison... not between the degrees of punishment in Gehenna, but between the recognizable anguish of severe suffering in this life with the far greater degree of suffering in Gehenna: 43 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 (gee,nna = GE-EN-NA), into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 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 (gee,nna = GE-EN-NA), into the fire that never shall be quenched: 45 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 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 (gee,nna = GE-EN-NA) fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:43-48). So in contrast with verse 42, Jesus now turns from the offense of others to the offense of one s self (compare Matthew 5:29-30; 18:8-9). He emphasizes the paramount importance of removing everything that causes one to fall into sin. 31

8 It was a Hebrew custom to attribute various characteristics of personality to different parts of the body. For example... bad qualities: or even good qualities:...a lying tongue (Proverbs 6:17);...hands that shed innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17);...feet that be swift in running to mischief (Proverbs 6:18);...eyes full of adultery (II Peter 2:14);...a pure heart (Psalm 24:4);...my tongue was glad (Acts 2:26);...bowels of mercies (Colossians 3:12). Of course, Jesus taught that the real source of sin cannot be found in any physical part of man, but rather comes from his inward, nonmaterial part: 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man (Mark 7:21-23). Although the word of God emphasizes the inward root of sin, it is only with the body that overt sin can be committed (Romans 6:13). Recognizing this, Jesus warned that the punishment in Gehenna is so severe, it would be better to suffer the loss of a body-part here, than to have that member of the body, as an instrument of sin, to cause one to suffer there. If the thought of someone cutting off a hand or a foot, or gouging out his eye is horrifying (and it is), it cannot be compared to the horror that awaits someone in the Lake of Fire! Our Lord is not advocating self-mutilation. These are conditional statements. Jesus is not giving rigid, unqualified commands. He never intended for you to physically harm yourself. (He has provided other resources for our victory over sin [I Corinthians 10:13]). Neither does He really want you to slap a millstone necklace on someone, and then throw him into the ocean to stop him from leading another into sin. You missed the point if that is all you heard. Jesus made these shocking statements to impress upon us the reality and the severity of Gehenna. FIRE AND WORM Is the fire of Gehenna symbolic or literal? What then about the worm? 32

9 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48). Of course, the judgment of God can be executed with literal fire (Genesis 19:24: Leviticus 10:2; Numbers 16:35). However, the Lake of Fire was originally......prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Literal fire would have no effect upon spirit beings. No literal worm could possibly harm them. So it has to be something more than that. Our Lord was describing a reality in the spirit realm. Obviously, He was limited to the use of human language. This fact does not make the suffering any less real. The burning of fire and the gnawing of a worm describes, as nearly as possible in human language, what the torment in Gehenna will be like. Certainly, Jesus would not have used an expression or a figure of speech which coveys an idea that is worse than the actual suffering to be encountered there. King David wrote of the fire of anxiety and emotional distress: My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned (Psalm 39:3). In a similar vein, the Apostle Paul wrote:...for it is better to marry than to burn (I Corinthians 7:9c). So unsatisfied desire can consume you. James also gives us an important clue concerning the nature of the suffering in Gehenna. It relates to the power of the tongue: And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (gee,nna = GE-EN-NA) (James 3:6). The tongue, therefore, has the dreadful potential of creating the kind of suffering here on earth as can be experienced in Gehenna. Have you ever been falsely accused? Someone might respond, Yes, and that burns me up! It certainly is a very painful experience. Solomon said: An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire (Proverbs 16:27). Like a fire, the tongue can burn through a church, a place of employment, a town or a nation. It can cause tragedy and destruction, making life like a blazing hell. So the fire, which the tongue can kindle, is, in effect, borrowed from Gehenna. 33

10 Perhaps you have said something which you regretted. Did you not burn over it? This was the searing pain of grief and guilt. Untold anguish is in the words, Oh, if only I had not said that! The physical pain and loss which a natural fire can cause is comparable to the torture fostered by an uncontrolled tongue. James reveals that this is one category of suffering to be found in Gehenna. That, in itself, proves there will be consciousness in Gehenna. A person must possess awareness in order to suffer psychologically. The torture from guilt over the rejection of Christ and unrepented sins will play a major role in the suffering of Gehenna. James does not claim that this is the only kind of suffering to be encountered there, but it certainly is a part of the overall picture. There is a fire in the Bible which is distinguished from natural fire, but is none the less real. It has to do with the presence of God Himself: For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24). It was manifested at the burning bush (Exodus 3:2), and in the pillar of fire which was with the Israelites at night in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). Perhaps a similar kind of fire will be found both in the lowest Sheol/Hades, as well as in Gehenna: For a fire is kindled in Mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell (laavi = SHE-OL) (Deuteronomy 32:22). In the narrative of the rich man and Lazarus, we observed at least two forms of suffering in the lowest Hades (where only the wicked went). Notice that after the rich man said: I am tormented in this flame (Luke 16:24h), Abraham responded with: Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime... (Luke 16:25b). Remembering the losses which death had brought was painful enough, but it was clearly distinguished from being tormented in this flame. There is a similar distinction made concerning the suffering in Gehenna. The wicked will find both: 1 psychological suffering... like that which can be caused by guilt, or by an abusive tongue (James 3:6), and 2 something analogous to physiological suffering... like that which can be caused by a fire and worms (Mark 9:48, compare Acts 12:23c). 34

11 God does not permit us to have a detailed description of the suffering to be endured in either the lowest Sheol/Hades or in Gehenna. There is nothing given to satisfy a morbid curiosity nor to gratify the lust for revenge. This, however, does not mean that it is less real because so little information is given. We have enough to give everyone a warning: Hell is an awful reality. Don t go there! OUTER DARKNESS Jesus also refers to the ultimate destiny of the wicked as being in outer darkness... But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; compare Matthew 22:13, 25:30). How sad when the very ones for whom the kingdom was intended find themselves rejected because of their unbelief and unfaithfulness. The ostracism which characterizes the eternal state of the wicked is described as outer darkness. Some have considered this darkness to be a contradiction to the fire of Gehenna. They ask, Since fire gives light, how can the Lake of Fire be in darkness? It is much like building a bonfire outside of your house at night. Although the bonfire is a source of light, it is surrounded by darkness. Thus you would leave your well-lit house to go out into the dark to get to your bonfire. In that sense, the bonfire is in the outer darkness. (Jesus did not say, utter darkness, He said, outer darkness. ) Furthermore, the weeping and gnashing of teeth certainly corroborates the fact that this condition is not one of unconsciousness. The weeping will be the conscious reaction to the inconsolable, never-ending hopelessness, and the unmitigated, everlasting misery they are facing. The grinding of their teeth 6 indicates both anger, as well as the usual response to excruciating pain. CONCLUSION Gehenna (the Lake of Fire) is the second death. Is that annihilation? No, it is death. What is the difference? Death is the opposite of life, whereas annihilation is the opposite of creation. Once created, matter never goes out of existence. It may change in form and function (the body returns to the dust), but it is still there. Likewise, once created, the spirit/soul of man can fail in its primary function and purpose (fellowship with God); but in spiritual death, it does not become uncreated. 6 The spirit/soul of man appears to retain the form of its deceased body. This is why references to teeth, eyes, a finger or a tongue (Luke 16:23-24) can be made in a disembodied state. 35

12 A state of annihilation would be equivalent to having never been born. Jesus said it would have been better had Judas never been born than to participate eternally in the second death the Lake of Fire. So, obviously, death is not annihilation. The Bible offers conclusive evidence that the wicked will be conscious of their punishment in the Lake of Fire (the second death). So Gehenna is a real place not just some metaphor for annihilation. If Jesus had wanted to teach that the final state of the wicked was going to be serene oblivion, He could have simply pointed to a casket or a tomb and said, That s the way it s going to be for them as peaceful and quiet as a grave. Of course, one sinner s condition in death would then have been no different from another s. Instead, Jesus taught that there would be different degrees of punishment in Gehenna, with some receiving the greater damnation (Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47). There can be no degrees of annihilation. One cannot be more or less extinct. The second death cannot be both a condition of nonexistence as well as one of suffering. It must be one or the other. The Bible states it is the latter. Rejecting an infinite God carries infinite consequences... an eternity in hell. Some, who have rejected redemption in Christ, think that since they are going to hell anyway, they might as well just live it up. Unfortunately, they fail to realize that the more they pursue sinful activities, the more they will suffer in the Lake of Fire (Romans 2:5-6). Consequently, a Nero or a Hitler will receive greater punishment in hell than others who did not become as cruel or heartless. The second death is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Of what consequence could a warning about being cast into Gehenna after death have on anyone, if, at death, one is unconscious? None whatsoever. Being cast into Gehenna would be no different from being killed. If, on the other hand, even the wicked are conscious after death, such a warning would carry an unmistakable imperative: This is precisely what Jesus taught. Fear God! Escape Gehenna! 36