Five Essential Bible
Truths – Part 3
page 2
page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Jesus
Preached to Spirits in Hell?
I Peter 3:18-20 says, “For
Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous
for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was
put to death in the body but made alive in the
Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to
the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when
God waited patiently in the days of Noah while
the ark was being built…”
Some people interpret
this text to mean that when Jesus died on
Calvary, He went to preach to those who had been
tormented in the prison of hell since the flood.
This view raises more questions than it answers:
·What
would Jesus offer the poor souls who had been
writhing in the flames of hell about 2,500 years?
Did He offer a way out or did He shake a divine
finger at them and say, “this is the reward
you deserve – you vile unbelievers”?
.Is it
possible to leave hell after being confined
there? Did Jesus release any hostages? Were the
repentant ones in hell able to go to Heaven as a
result of Jesus’ visit?
Note: Most
Protestants reject the second chance theory for
salvation after death for Psalms 49: 7,8 says, “No
man can redeem the life of another or give to God
a ransom for him – the ransom for a life is
costly, no payment is ever enough.”
Let us carefully review
our problem text. Peter says nothing about Jesus
preaching to spirits that are being tormented in
hell. Instead, Peter says that the same Holy
Spirit that tried to save people who were alive
before the flood brought Jesus to life. Notice
that genesis 6:3 says, “…My Spirit
will not contend with man forever…”
In subsequent verses,
Peter goes on to say that those who are alive in
the Spirit are dead to debauchery, lust,
drunkenness, orgies, carousing and idolatry
– the very conditions that brought
destruction upon the antediluvians. Peter
concludes his argument by saying, “For
this is the reason the gospel was preached even
to those who are now dead (spiritually), so that
they might be judged according to men in regard
to the body, but live according to God in regard
to the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6)
Rich
Man – Poor Man
Luke 16: 19-31 tells the
story of a rich man and Lazarus. Many people
believe this story confirms an eternally burning
hell. They also believe it demonstrates that
those in hell can talk with those in Heaven.
However, note the following points:
Jesus used this
well-known story to make a very important point
to both the Sadducees and Pharisees. Josephus,
the ancient Jewish historian, says that a popular
topic of debate at the time of Christ was the
controversy over life after death. The Sadducees
did not believe in a resurrection and the
Pharisees did - thus any discussion on this
topic always started a lively discussion. Paul
also used this subject to cleverly distract his
accusers and escape with his life! (See Acts
23:8,9)
In this example, however,
the meaning of the parable is the moral of the
story – not the specific details. Jesus used
the details of the story to personify two groups
of people: The rich man represented the
self-centered, richly blessed nation of Israel.
God had given them every blessing and instead of
sharing this blessing, they appropriated it to
themselves. The poor man (Lazarus) represented
the Gentiles, who had received only a few
spiritual crumbs from the bountiful table of the
Jews. In the parable, however, their roles are
cleverly reversed in another life. The rich man
is sent to hell and he cries out to Abraham, the
father of Israel, for relief. However, as the
story goes, Abraham explains how things are
different now. The rich man sees his true
condition too late and wants to warn his brothers
– but Abraham refuses to send Lazarus to
them. Abraham rebukes the rich man saying, “Your
brothers have Moses and the Prophets; let them
listen to them.” The rich man begs, “If
someone from the dead goes to them, they will
repent.” (Luke 16:29,30)
After telling the story,
Jesus makes His point. He said, “If they
do not listen to Moses and the Prophets (a
term for the Scriptures, Luke 24:27), they
will not be convinced even if someone rises from
the dead.” Using this story, Jesus
predicts His forthcoming rejection – a point
lost on most of the listeners. What does it take
to get people to change their minds? Even after
His resurrection, Jesus knew the Jews would
remain unchanged in their behavior as a nation.
This story is a parable.
If it is to be taken literally, as some people
suggest, then we must conclude that all
materially rich people are going to hell and all
the poor people are going to Heaven. This, of
course, is not Biblical. For the story to be
harmonious with other Scriptures, we must
conclude that its point contains its meaning.
Do
Souls Talk Back?
Perhaps the most
difficult portion of Scriptures on this subject
can be found in Revelation. Notice: “When
he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter
the souls of those who had been slain because of
the word of God and the testimony they had
maintained. They called out in a loud voice,
‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and
true, until you judge the inhabitants of the
earth and avenge our blood?” Then each one
of them was given a white robe, and they were
told to wait a little longer, until the number of
their fellow servants and brothers who were to be
killed as they had been was completed.”
(Revelation 6:9-11)
At first glance, this
text appears to indicate that souls of martyrs
talk to God and that He talks back to them. There
is a simple resolution to this dilemma. Bible
writers occasionally use a literary device called
personification to explain their point.
Personification gives something inanimate a
lifelike quality, so the object speaks ands acts
as though it were alive. For example, when Cain
killed Abel, God spoke to Cain saying, “…What
have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood
cries out to me from the ground.” (Genesis
4:10) Abel’s blood was not actually crying
out to God. Instead, Moses (the author of
Genesis) means that God saw Cain’s evil deed
and on behalf of Abel, God demanded an answer
from Cain for what he had done. Much blood has
been shed since that terrible day and all
innocent blood still cries out for justice.
Before long, God will ensure that justice is
served.
John also uses
personification in Revelation 6. The souls of
martyrs cry out to God for justice and an end to
martyrdom. A message regarding patience is given
to them because God has a larger purpose and plan
that must be first accomplished. The martyrs are
assured of salvation and then told to wait for
the fulfillment of God’s plan. The people
who die for Jesus will be given a white robe and
a crown at the last day! (Please compare
Revelation 2:10, 3:5; John 6:39; Matthew 16:25;
Revelation 22:12.)
The martyrdom described
in Revelation 6 is yet to come. When it does
come, this text will be an encouragement to
people who cry to God, “Why do you allow us
to suffer so?” this text reveals that God
has a larger and more important purpose to
accomplish before martyrdom comes to an end. That
purpose is the salvation of other people.
What
About Forever and Ever?
The following text seems
to indicate there is an eternally burning fire
for the people who receive the mark of the beast.
Notice: “…If anyone worships the
beast and his image and receives his mark on the
forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of
the wine of God’s fury, which has been
poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.
He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the
presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And
the smoke of their torment rises for ever and
ever. There is no rest day or night for those who
worship the beast and his image, or for anyone
who receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation
14:9-11)
Does this mean that the
smoke of their torment rises forever and ever
because they are suffering forever? Let us
investigate this further. Revelation 20: 7-9
states that the wicked are destroyed at the end
of the millennium. At the end of the 1,000 years,
Jesus resurrects the wicked for two reasons.
First, He wants each condemned person to
comprehend all that he chose to forfeit. Everyone
resurrected in the second resurrection will see
and understand the reality of Heaven, love,
happiness and eternity. Second, Jesus wants each
condemned person to see that His judgment was
based on love, fairness and justice. These two
reasons are the primary purpose of the great
white throne scene described in Revelation 20:11.
God does not sit in
judgment at this throne room scene. No, the
outcome of the wicked people was determined
during the judgment described in Daniel 7:9,10
that takes place before the Second Coming.
Instead, the great white throne scene occurs at
the end of the 1,000 years when condemned people
are called to stand before their Maker. Jesus
wants every person to know how His judgment
decision was made. As wicked people stand before
God’s throne, Jesus presents the plan of
salvation and the full drama of each
person’s life passes before him/her. Each
person sees his choices and his rebellion against
God. At the end of the scene, every person bows
before Jesus admitting that His judgment is fair,
true and honest. (Isaiah 45:22-25; Philippians 2)
The sentence to be
executed on the condemned is death. Realizing
their great loss, the numberless multitude of
wicked turn on one another in hopeless anger.
Their sense of loss is greater than they can
stand. To end the carnage, God rains fire down
from Heaven and burns them up. (Ezekiel 38:19-23)
John says, “But the cowardly, the
unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the
sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts,
the idolaters and all liars – their place
will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This
is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
God will cleanse the
earth by fire just as He cleansed it by water in
Noah’s day! The only safe place will be in
the city of New Jerusalem. Malachi says, “Surely
the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace.
All the arrogant and every evildoer will be
stubble, and that day that is coming will set
them on fire; says the Lord Almighty. ‘Not a
root or branch will be left to them. But for you
who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will
rise with healing in its wings. And you will go
out and leap like calves released from the stall.
Then you will trample down the wicked; they will
be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day
when I do these things, says the Lord
Almighty.” (Malachi 4:1-3)
The purpose of the final
fire is not eternal torment. Instead, the purpose
is purification! Sin, death, suffering and evil
will be destroyed in the lake of fire. The cancer
of sin will cease to exist forever. “Whatever
they plot against the Lord be will bring to an
end; trouble (sin) will not come a second
time.” (Nahum 1:9) When Earth is
completely purified with fire, Jesus creates a
new Heaven and a new Earth. John says, “Then
I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and first earth had passed away, and there
was no longer any sea.” (Revelation
21:1)
Therefore, the smoke
coming from the destruction of the wicked and the
purification of the world ascends upward and ever
just like ordinary smoke does today.
page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
|
