Peculiar Brother Bird Notes

8/14/2019 Peculiar Brother Bird Notes

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Brotherbird.com

Notes to the Poem

1 No one, that is, in the area of the foothills where Brother Bird lived. Brother Birdsposition may also be unique in that his argument rests solely on the wording of the EnglishBible (though the underlying Hebrew and Greek text bears the same eloquent testimony)

2 Matthew 3:10-12 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: thereforeevery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeedbaptize 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:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat intothe garner; but he will BURN UP the chaff with unquenchable fire.

3 Pauls primary hermeneutic (method of interpretation) was simply What saith it?(Rom. 10:8), What saith the scripture? (Rom. 4:3; 11:2, 4; Gal. 4:30), and It is written(Rom. 1:17; 2:24; 3:4, 10; etc). For the Christian, the first appeal and final authority is thevery words of God in the very Wordof God, the certain and sufficient answer to the questionWhat is written? (Luke 10:26; 20:17).

4 Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all theproud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shallBURN THEM UP, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.(And verse 3 speaks of the wicked being ashes under the soles of your feet.)

5 Malachi speaks of that day in similar fashion to many Old and New Testament writers:

in that daywhen I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own sonthat serveth him (3:17). The great and dreadful day of the LORD (4:5) is consistent withmany New Testament passages referring to the final judgment at the coming of Christ (Acts2:20; 1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10). The contrast between the reward for therighteous and the punishment of the wicked is dramatically clear (Cf. Mal. 3:18; 4:2,3). Theelement of fire is prominent as in many other passages of final judgment (see chart on insideback cover). Does Malachi give any indication of conscious, eternal torment? To thecontrary, he states in lucid language that the day that cometh shall burn them up.

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6 The duration of the result is everlasting, but the nature and extent of the punishmentitself is a final consumption that is equal to utter destruction, not endless torment. IfMalachis prophecy has already been fulfilled in past history in a temporal overthrow ofIsraels enemies, it nevertheless has eschatological intimations (the coming of the great andterrible day of the LORD) that anticipates and illustrates the final judgment.

7 2 Peter 2:6 And turning the cities ofSodom and Gomorrha into ASHES condemnedthem with an over-throw, making them AN ENSAMPLE unto those that after should liveungodly.

Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, givingthemselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth forAN EXAMPLE,suffering the vengeance of ETERNAL FIRE.

8 As in the statement of John the Baptist, we see that though the nature of the fire is ofan unending quality, i.e. eternal (unquenchable- Matt. 3:12), the result of the fire isnevertheless final: ashes. (will burn up- Matt. 3:12). Because of the assumed errors of ourtraditional interpretation we have persistently read endless conscious torment into thesepassages because of the adjective eternal modifying the noun fire, and have remarkablyfailed to see that the result is clearly pronounced finalby the end product of the consumptivefire, which is ASHES. The wording is not eternal torment but eternal fire- it is noteverlasting suffering, but everlasting destruction- it is not unquenchable chaff, butunquenchable fire. John tells us what we readily should understand that if a fire cannotbe put out, then whats in it would certainly burn up, especially chaff! Eternal fire turnedSodom and Gomorrah to ashes, and Christ will BURN UP the chaff with UNQUENCHABLEFIRE.

9 Let it be reiterated that the judgment on Sodom and Gomorrha that destroyed all theinhabitants (Genesis 19:24, 25), though temporal and earthly in scope, is asserted to be anensample unto those that after should live ungodly and set forth for an example, sufferingthe vengeance of eternal fire. There is no inference here of eternal torment. The fire is

eternal, but ashes are the everlasting result of a complete consumption and totaldestruction. This does not preclude torment (suffering the vengeance of eternal fire), nordemand instantaneous extinction, but it does exclude retribution that endlessly torments.

10 Please do not attach some worn-out yet sticky label of an aberrant doctrine or peculiarcult to this view. What is presented here is not the conclusion of a modern sect that has itsown sacred book, special revelation, or exclusive Bible translation. The reasons proposedare not the formulation of a liberal exegete who undermines the inerrancy and authority ofScripture, nor the rumination of a sentimental philosopher who questions the supernatural onthe basis of humanistic rationale. Most of my Christian friends would classify my personalbeliefs as conservative, orthodox, and evangelical (on the new birth, deity of Christ, andinspiration of Scripture, for example). See "About Us."

11 Someone asked, If people were to think they will justburn up, then why would theycare about being a Christian? The response: If you were to convince professing Christiansthat they would only burn up anyway, and then they would respond Just forget about it then-Do you think they were really Christians to begin with?

12 John 3:15,16 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not PERISH, but haveETERNAL LIFE. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, thatwhosoever believeth in him should not PERISH, but have EVERLASTING LIFE.

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13The most familiar verse in the Bible teachesboth the conditional immortality of believers,

and the ultimate end of unbelievers.

14 The Scriptures use of the word perish makes a persuasive case for conditionalimmortality (eternal life as a gift to believers) and the complete everlasting destruction of thelost. Paul writes to the Corinthians, For the preaching of the cross is to THEM THATPERISH foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18).Them that PERISH are in contrast to us which are SAVED, as it is in 2 Corinthians 2:15,16: them that are SAVED, and them that PERISH. To them that perish, Paul says weare the savour of DEATH unto DEATH, but unto them that are saved, the savour of LIFEunto LIFE, reinforcing the connection ofperish and death, and the contrast ofperish andlife. A similar distinction is made ofperish and life in John 3:15, 16: not PERISH but haveETERNAL LIFE not PERISH but have EVERLASTING LIFE; John 6:27: meat whichPERISHETH meat which endureth unto EVERLASTING LIFE; and John 10:28: I giveunto them ETERNAL LIFE; and they shall never PERISH. Perish is contrasted withremaining in Hebrews 1:10, 11: They shall PERISH; but thou REMAINEST. All of the abovetexts emphasize the fact that the saved are distinct from them that perish in at least this

obvious difference: they do not perish.

15 Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on suchthe second DEATH hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shallreign with him a thousand years.

Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the secondDEATH.

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, andwhoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lakewhich burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second DEATH.

16 Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but therighteous into life eternal.WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT? The traditional view only asks and answers one questionhere: How long is the punishment? They should also ask What is the punishment? Toillustrate what I mean, I will ask you to fill in the blank: EVERLASTING ___________? Yousay, Punishment. But, again, what IS thepunishment? You say, Torment. And truly thatis how most people fill in the blank. They make of it punish-ing, which in their mind includestorment and pain. BUT LETS ALLOW SCRIPTURE TO FILL IN THE BLANK. The Biblepersistently says that the punishment is destruction (who shall be PUNISHED withEVERLASTING DESTRUCTION 2 Thessalonians 1:9; whose end is DESTRUCTION Philippians 3:19; broad is the way that leadeth to DESTRUCTION Matthew 7:13; the

wicked is reserved to the day of DESTRUCTION Job 21:30; vessels of wrath fitted toDESTRUCTION Romans 9:22; And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will nothear that prophet (Christ) shall be DESTROYED Acts 3:23; fear him which is able toDESTROY both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). Scripture consistently fills in theblank with destruction, not torment!

THE PROCESS OR THE RESULT? Many have thought that endless torment is implicit interms that are describing as everlasting the result, not the process, of punishment anddestruction. The result of the punishment is everlasting; therefore it is everlasting

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punishment. How long does the destruction last? It is everlasting! The punishment isdestruction, the destruction is everlasting- it is everlasting punishment! The book of Hebrewsgives three examples of the New Testament Greek aionos referring to the result and not theprocess, the end and not the means: And being made perfect, he became the author ofETERNAL SALVATION unto all that obey him (Heb. 5:9); he entered in once into the holyplace, having obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION for us (9:12); Of the doctrine of

resurrection from the dead, and of ETERNAL JUDGMENT (Heb. 6:2). It is not eternalsaving, eternal redeeming, eternal judging, eternal punishing, or eternal destroying- each ofthese has a limited duration as to process, but an unlimited extent as to the end result. Theprocess of redemption was in what Christ once obtained, but the result of redemption iseternal, therefore it is rightly called eternal redemption. The process of the judgment (the

judging) is not everlasting, but the result is (the judgment). The destruction is everlasting,not the destroying.

SYNONYMS OF PUNISHMENT. Some synonyms ofpunishment are sentence, penalty,consequence, and retribution. Punishment does not equal pain ortorment; in fact, it doesnteven necessarily include pain or torment. The duration of Capital Punishment, such asdeath by hanging, beheading, the electric chair, gas chamber, or lethal injection, is extremelybrief, and often with a minimum of pain (if any, as far as the physical sensation of it). Yet it is

apunishment, and a capitalone at that! The resultof capital punishment, however, is finaland permanent- it is everlasting.

EXAMPLES OF PUNISHMENT. While Scripture fills in the blank by telling us that thepunishment is destruction, it also tells us by its use of the wordpunishment that the wordshould not be equated with torment or pain. Cain said that his punishment of being afugitive and a vagabond in the earth was greater than he could bear (Genesis 4:12-14).Under Moses, death without mercywas the punishment alluded to in Hebrews 10:28,29; tobe destroyed the punishment of Ezekiel 14:9,10; and captivity in Lamentations 4:22.Jeremiah makes this enlightening comment: the punishmentof the iniquity of the daughterof my people is greater than the PUNISHMENT of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown ASIN A MOMENT, and no hands stayed on her(Lamentations 4:6). Here is punishment that

happened as in a moment, of which Jude tells us was accomplished by ETERNAL FIRE(Jude v. 7), and Christ says, DESTROYED them all (Luke 17:29) and Peter writes ended inASHES (2 Peter 2:6). Though the process of punishment happened AS IN A MOMENT,the result of the punishment was A PERPETUAL DESOLATION (Zephaniah 2:9). How longdid it take to accomplish the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? Not long at all- as in amoment. How long will the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah last? Without end-everlasting- a perpetual desolation.

THE CONTRAST TO LIFE ETERNAL. Another point to consider concerning this text is thecontrast ofeverlasting punishmentto life eternal. As J. H. Pettingell writes, It will be seenthat the contrast here is not between the everlasting happiness of the one class, and theeverlasting miseryof the other as traditionalists would have it, but between the EverlastingLife of the one class, and the everlasting punishment of the other which, that the

antithesis or contrast may be carried out, must be the punishment of Death, from which thereis no resurrection that is the Second Death (Pettingell, J. H. , The Unspeakable Gift, 1884,p. 225). This understanding of the contrast is in perfect harmony with the many times acontrast is made to eternal life (see chart on this page). In contrast to the righteous receivinglife eternal, the wicked will be eternally dead destroyed with an everlasting destruction inwhich they perish, die the second death, are consumed in the lake of fire, burned up likechaff, and are no more- trulyan EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT.

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17. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, WHEN the LordJesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire takingvengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord JesusChrist: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of theLord, and from the glory of his power; 10 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.

WHEN? The term that day appears, and the passage reveals when them that know notGod will be punished: WHEN the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with hismighty angels, and WHEN he shall come to be glorified in his saints. Paul specifies thatthe everlasting destruction will be accomplished at the limited WHEN of THAT DAY. Thislimited WHEN goes even further to contradict the conjecture of torment that continuesunabated through the infinite reach of a never-ending eternity.

18 To argue that destruction means endless torment is to twist the normal usage of thisword in Scripture. In fact, the traditional understanding does this many times, usuallysubconsciously, to several words (such as perish, destroy, destruction, end, perdition,consume, and death) that in their ordinary use would certainly indicate the final destruction of

the wicked, not their continual existence in conscious, everlasting torment (see notes 53-56).

19 Those who usually react so vehemently are those who have not searched theScriptures on the subject. For this reason, the curt scribe of this tale has harshly connectedthe two words shookand dusty.

20 Some of the opponents of Brother Birds view are genuine but guarded folks who haveabsorbed endless torment as the unquestioned and unquestionable orthodox Scripturalview. Anything else is liberal, and anything liberal is loathsome, and therefore the liberallabel is often all that is necessary to get such people to not bother to search the Scriptures tosee whether these things are so. To these Brother Bird says, Relax!If endless torment is

true, no amount of argument can put it out of existence, but if endless torment is not true,white knuckles clinching a cherished creed will not make it so. The important thing is this:Do we love our God more than our religion, and do we love our Bible more than ourtradition? If so, then find out what the Word of God truly says, and stand right there!

21 On the subject of the final judgment and punishment of the wicked, Brother Birdsincerely believes we have been mistaken in our understanding as to its nature andduration. We have not willfully erred, but have unknowingly absorbed unscriptural tenets,and read them into the applicable texts. We have unwittingly ignored the precise wording ofmany other scriptures, holding to our assumed traditional interpretations instead of arriving ata convinced conclusion after a fresh and personal search of the Word of God (see John5:39; Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15).

22 Brother Bird has an extremely high view of Scripture that some would view as highlyextreme. He believes in the supernatural inspiration of the original text and its providentialpreservation in the English translation. With him the issue is not whether to accept theBibles teaching concerning endless torment, but whether or not the Bible actually teaches it.In his own words: I appeal to the Scriptures, and ask, Have ye not READ? (Matt. 22:31)What SAITH it? (Rom. 10:8) WHAT IS THIS THEN THAT IS WRITTEN? (Luke 20:17).

23 Unscriptural teachings are not always the imagination of a clever heretic, the inventionof a crafty cult, or the interpretation of a cunning scholar. Sometimes they are simply the

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assumed errors of those who are sure they know what the Bible means but havent carefullyexamined what it actually says. Such may be able to cite a few proof-texts, refer to a historicconfession or denominational creed, or take solace in the conclusions of esteemed exhortersor revered expositors of the past or present. They are woefully unacquainted, however, withthe entire relevant texts concerning the subject. Christ often answered doctrinal queries byasking, Have ye not READ? He once countered an objection with What is this then that is

WRITTEN? He would then quote what the Scriptures actually say as the authoritativeanswer (Cf. Matt. 12:3, 5; 19:4; 22:29, 31; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17).

24 Endless life, as many would quantifiably define eternal life, is not the possession ofimmortal souls, but the gift of the immortal God. It is in distinction to the wages of sin: death.For the wages of sin is DEATH; but the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christour Lord (Rom. 6:23). Note particularly the contrasts: wages/gift; sin/God; death/eternal life.By definition, wages are earned, but a gift is not. Sin pays harsh wages, while God bestowsa gracious gift. The harsh wages is death, the END OF LIFE; the gracious gift is eternal,ENDLESS LIFE.

WAGES GIFTof SIN of GODDEATH ETERNAL LIFEend of life endless life

25 Death is a word universally understood and there is a death universal to all: DEATHpassed upon all men (Romans 5:12). But in this same discussion of Paul to the Romans,the clear contrast is made between death and eternal life. This corresponds to Christswords to Martha (John 11:25, 26): Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: hethat believeth in me, though he were dead (i.e. the universal death common to all men), yetshall he live (i.e. be resurrected): And whosoever liveth and believeth in me SHALL NEVERDIE (i.e. shall not perish but have everlasting life). And Christs question ends with wordsappropriate to this discussion: Believest thou this?

The brilliant legal master, John Locked ponders, It seems a strange way of understanding alaw which requires the plainest words, that by death should be meant Eternal Life in misery.(Cited in J. H. Pettingell, The Unspeakable Gift, 1884, p. 322.)

26 Brother Bird has noticed that when someone does not have an adequate answer to theconclusions above, they quickly resort to what they presume are the safe confines ofpatented proof-texts. Actually many so-called proof-texts for endless torment, whenexamined free of creedal dogmatism, often actually refute what they are cited to prove.Because of the power of preconceived notions and absorbed assumptions, such texts areseldom allowed to speak for themselves. Context is ignored and particular details areshoved to the side as one phrase or line is lifted to bolster the unproven interpretation.

27 One of the most oft quoted proof-texts for endless torment is Christs thrice-repeatedstatement Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:44, 46, 48).Many contend that this is unmistakably referring to conscious, eternal agony in hell fire.What they fail to realize is that Christ is quoting a phrase from Isaiah 66: 24 that portrays ascenario vastly different from that of never-ending retribution: And they shall go forth, andlook upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shallnot die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh

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28 Presumably Christs listeners would have recognized the source of the repeatedphrase. The context of Isaiah 66 describes the aftermath of a battle scene and pictures slaincarcases (vv. 16, 24)! The passage says the wicked shall be consumed together (v. 17),but that the seed and name of the righteous shall remain as the new heavens and the newearth (v. 22). If it is argued that Isaiah 66 is speaking of a temporal, earthly judgment, andnot the final one, it is still the context of the phrase where their worm dieth not, and the fire is

not quenched.

29 Brother Bird puts it this way: It is inconceivable to me that Christ would quote a familiarphrase from a well-known prophet, and use it to convey something entirely different from theobvious meaning of its context. What would you think of a preacher who would take as histext a verse that speaks of something limited in duration and final in result, but then use it outof context to deliberate on something without end?

30 Their worm shall not die, but continues to eat the burnt corpse until it is consumed;the fire is not quenched- it cannot be put out, but continues to burn until it reduces the rottingflesh to ashes. The observations of physical science tell us that even if it is impossible forworms to get inside a sealed casket, there are enough worms in our own bodies (theirworm) to consume our decaying corpses from the inside out. Job uses an illustration fromnature to describe how the grave consumes the body: Drought (no water - that he may dipthe tip of his finger in water Luke 16:24) and heat (their fire?) consume the snow waters,SO DOTH THE GRAVE those which have sinned (24:19). Thus lack of water and presenceof heat expedite the consuming process. It is also known that dead bodies give off adetectable heat as they decay, and tracing that heat through infrared sensors is a means oflocating a hidden corpse. Their worm and their fire describe the destructive agents thatdevour the carcases of the slain of the Lord. The Lord will come with fire to render hisanger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire (v. 15) to show his indignation to hisenemies (v. 14) who shall be consumed together (v. 17). Admittedly, this grotesquedescription of the gory results of the fire and sword (v. 16) may be the depiction of a literalbattle scene to portray a figurative representation of the final judgment. Nevertheless, sucha picture reveals an ultimate punishment that ends in final consumption and complete

destruction, not endless torment. And it is the text Christ used to warn his listeners about thefire of hell.

31 the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes (Luke16:22,23). Brother Bird ceremoniously announces: I now call a well-fed and fashionabledead rich man to the stand. Thats right, I desire to cross-examine the star witness forendless torment. This notorious character has been incessantly exhibited as proof-positivefor the traditional view of hell. Using the exact wording of his story in Luke 16:19-31, insteadof the assumed meaning in so much of the preaching on the passage, we will let this son ofAbraham answer some pertinent questions about whether his story is talking about a never-dying disembodied soul or a very dead and buried body:

BB: Did you find yourself in hell immediately after death?RM: Very shortly thereafter.BB: But was it immediately after your death?RM: Well, not exactly immediately, but very soon.BB: How soon?RM: What does it matter? I died, and the next thing I know Im in hell!BB: Oh, it matters greatly. Was it a few minutes, or a few hours after your death?RM: Well, it obviously takes more than a few hours.BB: What takes more than a few hours?

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RM: Preparation for burial, of course.BB: Burial?RM: Thats right.BB: You mean you were buried before you found yourself in hell?RM: Yes. I guess that is a minor detail that few have bothered to notice, but therecord is clear that I died, and was buried; and in hell lift up (my) eyes. Just as I

died before I was buried, I was buried before I found myself in hell; the obviouschronology is plainly stated.

NOTE: Herman Bavink awkwardly lumps DEATH AND BURIAL together with an immediatearrival in hell: the rich man, upon his death and burial, immediately arrives in Hadesunbelievers from the moment of their death enter a place of torment must judgmentimmediately after death (Bavink, Herman, The Last Things, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books,1996, p. 36, italics mine). How does the rich man immediately arrive in hell upon death andburial? If he did not arrive in hell until burial, then he did not arrive in hell immediately upondeath, unless he was buried as soon as he died!

John R. Rice states emphatically, When a Christian dies, he goes without delay to be withGod (though Dr. Rice just said, Lazarus died and immediately found himself withAbraham). So with the sinner on the road to Hell. The rich man died, was buried, And inhell he lift up his eyes, being in torments. There is no evidence here of any delay inpunishment When a lost man dies, he goes immediately to Hell and torment, says theWord of God (Rice, Hell, What the Bible Says About It in Great Preaching on Hell,Murfreesboro, TN: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1989, p.17). Though Rice acknowledgesthe little detail of was buried he nonetheless maintains that sinners go immediately(without delay no evidence of any delay) to hell upon death.

Family and friends of the rich man would have washed his body and anointed it with spices:Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as themanner of the Jews is to bury (John 19:40). Time would have elapsed between death andburial. Bavink and Rice, as others who read a disembodied spirit into the story, assume that

the immortal soul of the rich man went immediately into Hades at the death of his body. Andwas buried, in their estimation, is merely incidental, and should not be so strictly interpretedas a literal chronology. Though they clumsily allow and was buried to be squeezedbetween death and hell, their interpretation is really that when the rich man died his spirit orsoul immediately lifted up its eyes in hell (? - Luke 24:39), and sometime later, incidentally,his body was buried. They insist that it was not the rich man who died that it was the richmans body, and the rich man was not buried, only his body was buried, Otis Sellerssummarizes (The Rich Man and Lazarus, Lafayette, IN: Truth for Today Bible Fellowship,1962, p. 11).

The point is that the and was buried of the text, and the immediately after death of mostinterpretations of it, do not fit together. But if the story is a satirical parable, then the deadrich man could not be in the gravedom of Hades (equal to the Hebrew Sheol, see note 41)until he was buried!

32 Brother Birds interview with the rich man continues:

BB: And was it you, you yourself, in the body, or was it an immaterial, disembodiedspirit?RM: Well, most everyone has assumed it was my soul or spirit.BB: But Jesus does not mention a soul or a spirit.

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RM: No, He does not.BB: But He does say that it was you, the rich man, who died, and you, the rich man,who was buried, and you, the rich man, who lifted up your eyes in hell.RM: Indeed He does.BB: He makes no distinction between body, soul, and spirit, but simply identifies youas the rich man.

RM: That is correct.BB: But Jesus does say that you lifted up your eyes, and saw Abraham, and Lazarusin his bosom.RM: Yes.BB: So you had eyes to see with, and a tongue that felt torment, and none of thistook place until after your corpse was laid in the grave.RM: True, but what is the significance of that?BB: In the same Gospel, it is recorded that Jesus urged his disciples after hisresurrection, Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and SEE;for A SPIRIT HATH NOT FLESH AND BONES, as ye SEE me have (Luke 24:39). Atongue is certainly flesh, and I doubt that real material water could cool the tongue ofan invisible, immaterial spirit. Fingers (Lazarus) and bosoms (Abrahams) are madeof flesh and bone as well. So was it not your buried body, and not your soul or spirit-

you, yourself, dead and in the grave?RM: I cant deny it.

NOTE: Closely compare the wording and SEETH Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in hisbosom with Luke 24:39, a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye SEE me have. It isobvious that Abraham and Lazarus were not invisible spirits, and there is no reason tosuggest that they took on the form of a body, or that they had a ghostly outline with apparentbut transparent features. Also, Isaiah 14 gives a clear illustration of a figurative conversationof dead bodies, not ghoulish spirits: HELL from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee atthy coming: it stirreth up THE DEAD for thee (v. 9). The figurative nature is quite evidentwhen FIR TREES REJOICE, and CEDARS SPEAK (v. 8); KINGS IN HELL GET UP OFF OFTHEIR THRONES, and ask the newcomer, Art thou also become WEAK as we? (v. 10).

Sheol is the figurative whole of the gravedom (hell) in verses 9 and 15, while it is theindividual and literal hole of the grave in verse 11 (See notes 41-47). Carefully read thenarrative in Isaiah 14 and ask yourself if Luke 16 is not a similarly allegorical story: (1) Hell(Sheol in Isaiah 14; Hades in Luke 16) is the gravedom of the dead; (2) Dead bodies arethere (the rich man was first buried; the characters in the story had flesh and blood parts thatcould be seen; worms covering the dead body and a cast out carcase is spoken of in Isaiah14; (3) a conversation occurs between the dead.

33 If it is acknowledged that the story speaks of a buried body, then the context and pointof the story can be pursued and understood. Whether or not one calls it a parable (a short,simple story from which a moral lesson may be drawn Websters New World Dictionary) itis an instructive story that should not be yanked from its context, but should be understood inlight of its point. Though many have unfortunately failed to notice, it does have a context,

and it does have a point. It was not Christs intention to give an isolated description of thetorments of hell as if it were an eschatological chapter in a book of systematic theology.Lifting the passage from its setting has produced exhortations long on traditional oratory, butshort on scriptural exposition. A brief consideration of the situation surrounding the narrativeand some interesting but overlooked details of the account will go far in our comprehensionof its intended meaning.

Otis Sellers concurs, When a speaker announces that the story of the rich man and Lazarusis to be the text of his message, it would be well if someone would arise and say, Now that

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we know your text, will you tell us what your context will be. This story is as a rule placed ina context of human opinion and traditions about heaven, hell, death, life, and futurepunishment. It is seldom if ever left in the context that God has given to it (Sellers, footnoteon p. 32).

34 That a parable may not contain a proper name is an arbitrary verdict without any

substantiation whatsoever. The incessant repetition of this rule does not give it any iota ofvalidity. Otis Sellers perceptively points out that the Scofield Reference Bible has this note inthe margin of Luke 16: In no parable is an individual named. But the same sourcecontradicts itself with this chapter heading for Ezekiel 23: The parable of Aholah andAholibah. Mr. Sellers writes, If there is any single passage in the Word that is manifestly aparable it is Ezekiel 23:1-4, and yet two names are given in it. Thus were their names;Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah. I think it would be well for all to read thisportion, then cease forever the puerile argument that Luke 16:19-31 cannot be a parablebecause a man is named in it (Sellers, p. 19).

The names used in Luke 16 reinforce the understanding of this story as a satirical parable-ABRAHAM and MOSES, to rebuke mammon worshippers who assumed that their kinship toone and allegiance to the other made them right with God, and LAZARUS, to most likelyrebuke those who hadnt or would not believe though Lazarus had risen from the dead.

35 Matthew 18:23: Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a CERTAIN kingMatthew 21:28: But what think ye? A CERTAIN man had two sonsMatthew 21:33: Hear another parable: There was a CERTAIN householderMatthew 22:1,2: And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, Thekingdom of heaven is like a CERTAIN kingMark 12:1: And he began to speak unto them by parables. A CERTAIN manLuke 12:16: And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a CERTAIN richmanLuke 13:6: He spake also this parable; A CERTAIN manCf. Luke 7:40,41; 10:30 ff.; 14:16; 15:11; 19:11,12; 20:9. In fact, Luke 16 begins with another

story of a certain rich man

36 Brother Bird elaborated: The discourse actually begins in verse 15: And he said untothem them being the Pharisees who had heard his earlier story of another certain richman (16:1) addressed to his disciples. Christ concluded the first story with an admonitionconcerning riches that ended with the stern reproach, No man can serve two masters Yecannot serve God and mammon (v. 13). This brings us to the context and point of the storyof the rich man and Lazarus: And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all thesethings: and they derided him. And he said unto THEM (vv. 14, 15). Covetous Phariseeswho scorned the previous message but who justified themselves before men is whatprompted Christs second speech that ends with the story in question. The consequences ofcovetousness are a primary aim of our Lords remarks (but when have you ever heard asermon that included this story in this context and emphasized this point?)

This same group of self-righteous hypocrites persistently touted their kinship to FatherAbraham (Cf. Matt. 3:9; John 8:33-39, 53), and gloried in their strict adherence to the Law ofMoses (Cf. Matt. 23:2; John 9:28, 29). The story exposes both claims as worthless for thosewho serve mammon and not God. The rich man calling Abraham Father, and Abrahamanswering Son, was a potent means of stressing this reality. If it was an actual account,how did the rich man immediately know it was Abraham? How did he so quickly carry onsuch a coherent conversation in the midst of extreme agony and intense pain? Theevocative language, and the parallel contrasts of the principal characters, reveals the

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allegorical grain of this illustrative picture. It is a picture portrayed by the poignant strokes ofChrists bold brush. It is a story with a point, a point it makes very clear.

37 Consider that Lazarus raising had caused such a stir and attracted such a crowd(MUCH PEOPLE of the Jews therefore knew that he was there- John 12:9) that it wouldhave been well-known news far and wide, especially by the inquisitive and suspicious

Pharisees (the people also met him, for that THEY HEARD that he had done this miracle.The Pharisees therefore said among themselves the world is gone after him- 12:18, 19).The chief priests had even plotted to put Lazarus to death: But the chief priests consultedthat they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jewswent away, and believed on Jesus (John 12:10,11).

38 We do not know if the Lazarus of Bethany was or ever had been a beggar, but he hadcertainly risen from the dead. And whether or not he had sores, he had definitely been sick,a sickness that led to his apparently untimely death. Incidentally, he is introduced in John11:1 as a certain man named Lazarus, almost identical to the introduction of the beggarin Luke 16. Furthermore, he is the only identifiable Lazarus in the Biblical record. Christbecame poor (2 Cor. 8:9), came to preach the gospel to the poor (Luke 4:18), and thecommon people heard him gladly (Mark 12:37). The sibling trio of Bethany was evidentlysome of these blessed (Luke 6:24) common, poor folk (Cf. Mark 14:8; John 12:7).

39 Abrahams statement neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead(Luke 16:31) was remarkably fitting considering the response of the Pharisees to theresurrection of Lazarus: The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus outof his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this cause the people also methim, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said amongthemselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him (John12:17-19). Lazarus did come back from the dead, but the Pharisees were not persuaded.Neither would they be when the Raiser of the dead arose from the dead Himself (Matt.27:62-66; 28:11-15).

40 Carefully examine the exact wording of this text and ask yourself if it really says whatyou have understood it to mean. Is it speaking of a departed soul or a buried body? Wasthere an immediate entrance into hell, or an interval of time between death and torment? Isthere any thing in the story that reveals the duration of the torment, or has the assumption ofthe endless agony of an immortal soul been read into it? Does it concern the final judgmentor the intermediate state? Carefully consider the context: to whom was Christ speaking, andwhy? Is the story a definitive treatise on life after death, or an illustrative allegory thatrebuked the covetousness of mammon servers who flaunted their kinship with Abraham andallegiance to Moses? Do you consistently interpret the passage, or do you subjectively pickapart whats literal or figurative, normative or illustrative, vital or incidental? For example, doyou treat the fact that he was buried first as incidental (see note 31), or that his tongue andLazarus finger were figurative (see note 32), or that it is not vital that Abraham explainedtheir opposite fates as based on what they had in this life? And is your interpretation inharmony with the majority of the relevant passages concerning the subject? Theoverwhelming preponderance (high proportion, vast majority) of the scripture texts relevantto final judgment depict the punishment of the wicked as an utter destruction that iseverlasting in its result, but not its duration; that ends in consumption and does not continuewith endless torment; and is consistently expressed by unequivocal words such as perish,corruption, and death. Christs story of the rich man and Lazarus does not contradict or alterthis preponderance.

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41 When the New Testament quotes the Old concerning Sheol, the Greek word used isHades (Cf. Hosea 13:14 w/1 Cor. 15:55; Psalm 16:10 w/Acts 2:27). Strong defines Hades asthe place (state) of departed souls: grave, hell. Hades occurs eleven times in the NewTestament, translated hell in every case except 1 Cor. 15:55 which uses grave. WithSheol, sometimes the more specific grave- a literal hole in the ground dug for the purpose ofburying a body- is obviously meant. Sometimes the more general hell, a term representative

of the chambers of death, the abode of the dead, is the intended sense. Sometimes it is thegrave; sometimes it is the gravedom. Ezekiel 31 provides an example. Sheol is the gravewhere he (one man) went down to the grave, and God covered the deep for him in verse15, but in verse 16 and 17 Sheol is hell when God cast him down to hell with them (morethan one) that descend into the pit they also went down into hell with him unto them thatbe slain with the sword. Sometimes it is a hole of a grave; sometimes it is the whole of thekingdom of the grave.

42 The Scripture does not distinguish Sheol as the specific abode of the damned, butdescribes it as the general abode of the dead, wicked and righteous. Jacob anticipatedgoing to Sheol mourning his son Joseph (Gen. 37:35). Job wished to be hid there (Job14:13). In a Maschil of Heman, the writer cries, O LORD God of my salvation my lifedraweth nigh unto the grave (Sheol) (Psalm 88:3). Hezekiah lamented that his days beingcut short would mean he would go to the gates of Sheol (Isa. 38:10). All of these texts arecited as evidence of the universality of Sheol as the general abode of the dead, and not justthe limited, specific abode of the damned, especially since even righteous men spoke of theiranticipation of it.

43 Psalm 139:7,8 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thypresence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed IN HELL, behold,thou art there.

Davids use of the word in his Psalms is a clear example. The hell that David describes is aplace where his soul would go, but not be left (Psalm 16:10), and where even God would bewith him (139:8). Interestingly enough, beds can be made there (139:8; Cf. Ezek. 32:25). It

is a place David was delivered from because God spared him from death at the hands of hisenemies (Cf. Psalms 18; 116).

44 Psalm 89:48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver hissoul from the hand of the GRAVE (Sheol)?

The preacher of Ecclesiastes assumes the eventuality of Sheol for all of his readers:Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, norknowledge, nor wisdom, in the GRAVE (Sheol), WHITHER THOU GOEST (Eccl. 9:10).

45 Jonah 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heardme; out of the BELLY OF HELL cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the WHALE'S BELLY; soshall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

46 It is found 65 times in 63 verses, translated hell and grave evenly by the KingJames (30 verses apiece; grave doubling up in two verses for a total of 32 occurrences),with pit the chosen word 3 times (Num. 16:30, 33; Job 17:16). Brother Bird comments: Ihave the utmost confidence in the integrity of the word choices of the King Jamestranslators. Their choices show the general and specific natures of hell and grave, especiallywhere both English words are chosen for Sheol in the same passage. In Isaiah 14 hell was

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chosen for the broader concept of the abode of all the dead: HELL from beneath is movedfor thee at thy coming: it stirreth up THE DEAD for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth;it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations (v. 9). In the same passage,grave was chosen for the limited idea of the burial place of one man: THY pomp is broughtdown to the GRAVE the worms cover THEE (v. 11- See also Note 41 concerning Ezekiel31). Though most if not all of the King James translators may have held to the traditional

view of endless torment, I believe their translation of Sheol is both accurate and consistent inrevealing whether a more specific, limited, and literal grave, or a more general, broader, andfigurative gravedom (hell) is meant.

47 In Proverbs 7:27 the house of the strange woman is said to be the way to HELL, goingdown to THE CHAMBERS OF DEATH. In a similar passage, he who is fooled by a foolishwoman knoweth not that THE DEAD ARE THERE; and that her guests are IN THE DEPTHSOF HELL (Prov. 9:18). Hell represents the deep chambers of death where the dead are.Whether these chambers include conscious torment is not stated in these verses, but theidea of hell as the abode of the dead is clearly expressed. The Bible often defines its ownterms by clear usage within an explanatory context. Hell is so defined in Scripture. Its clearusage within an explanatory context reveals Hell to be a general, and oft times figurative,term representative of the chambers of death, the gravedom, the shadowy deep pit of thedeparted, the abode of the dead. Everything within the explanatory context of Isaiah 14(dead; grave; worms; pit; lie; slain; carcase; burial) defines hell as the place of the dead, notthe torture chamber of the damned. In Ezekiel 32:18-32, the word hell is used twice; pit, sixtimes; grave or graves, six times; lie, five times; and slain, fifteen times. All of these wordsare spiced among the contrastive phrase land of the living which is found six times. Notonly is hell defined within explanatory contexts by the language of death and the grave, it isoften paralleled with death (Psalm 18:4,5; 55:17; 116:3,8,9; Isaiah 28:15,18; Habakkuk 2:5)linked with destruction (Job 26:5; Proverbs 15:11; 27:20; Matthew 10:28) and contrasted withlife (Psalm 16:9-11; Proverbs 15:24; 23:13,14).

48 From Isaiah to Malachi we find the following words mentioned in dire warnings: Someform of FAMINE (famine, famish, dearth, hunger, hungry, etc.) 50+ times; DEATH (death,

die, dead, grave, slain, kill, etc.) 220+; BUGS (pestilence, locusts, worms, caterpillars, etc.)50+; WAR (battle, sword, enemy, etc.) 290+; WOE 50+; CAPTIVITY 100+. All together

700+ compared to ZERO warnings about either the torments of hell or of endless existencein hell. 700+ to ZERO.

WARNING OF THE PROPHETS

FAMINE 50+

DEATH 220+

BUGS 50+

WAR 290+

WOE 50+

CAPTIVITY 100+

TOTAL 700+

ENDLESS TORMENT 0

49 In the book of Acts we have this frequency of occurrences: GOSPEL 6x; FAITH 14;REPENT/REPENTANCE 10; GRACE 10; CRUCIFIXION (references to Christs death)

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7; RESURRECTION 15; SALVATION 14; LORD - 102; JESUS 67; CHRIST 30;PREACH/TEACH 37; JUDGMENT 1; HELL 2; ENDLESS TORMENT 0. The tworeferences to hell mention nothing of it being endless torment, but rather refer to Davidsprophecy: He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not leftin hell, neither his flesh did see corruption (Acts 2:27, 31).

PREACHING OF THE APOSTLES

50 Paul speaks (including Hebrews) of Gods WRATH at least 13 times, and GodsJUDGMENT 14, but not once of HELL or TORMENT. He speaks of IMMORTALITY 6 times,twice of Gods intrinsic immortality, and four times of the immortality to be received bybelievers. To the contrary however, Paul speaks of the future destiny of the wicked usingthese terms: DESTRUCTION/DESTROY- 9x; END 2; DEATH 5; PERISH 5;CORRUPTION 1; PERDITION 3. A few examples: vessels of wrath fitted to destruction

(Romans 9:22); whose end is destruction (Philippians 3:19); whose end is to be burned(as rejected thorns and briars - Hebrews 6:8) who shall be punished with everlastingdestruction (2 Thess. 1:9); in them that perish the savour of death unto death (2Corinthians 2:15,16- Cf. them that perish in 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:10);which. drown men in destruction and perdition (1 Timothy 6:9); and them who draw backunto perdition (Hebrews 10:39). And the writer of Hebrews contrasts perish withremainest:They shall perish, but thou remainest (1:11).

WRITINGS OF PAUL

WRATH 13

JUDGMENT 14

IMMORTALITY 6DESTRUCTION / DESTROY 9

END 2

DEATH 5

PERISH 5

CORRUPTION 1

PERDITION 1

HELL/TORMENT 0

GOSPEL 6

FAITH 14

REPENT /REPENTANCE 10

CHRISTS DEATH 7

RESURRECTION 15

SALVATION 14

LORD 102

JESUS 67

CHRIST 30

PREACH/TEACH 37JUDGMENT 1

HELL 2

ENDLESS TORMENT 0

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53 The thrust of Brother Birds position has been to see what the Scriptures actually say-to base conclusions on the exact wording of the text, and not on the dictum of an assumedmeaning inevitably colored by an absorbed dogma. To believe that God wrote it, and then topropose that simple and clear words do not mean what they plainly and consistently say is toaccuse God of careless negligence or a limited vocabulary. To establish meanings of words,

the Bible is self-defining by its own clear usage within explanatory contexts. If the DivineAuthor has used a word over and over again to mean one thing as is made obvious by itscontext, then there must be plenty of reasons and an abundance of evidence to suggest thatthe same word does not mean the same thing in a similar context! Suffice it to say that theCreator of language uses His creation to clearly communicate, not to confuse.

54 The traditionalist view of endless torment maintains that the wicked experience theSECOND DEATH but never really die, suffer the outcome of EVERLASTINGDESTRUCTION, but are never really destroyed, are CONSUMED yet endure conscioustorment, and PERISH yet continue to be. It is a dying that never results in death; adestroying that never ends in destruction; a consuming that never ultimately consumes; aperishing of which nothing perishes; and an end without an end. Not only do suchinterpretations alter the normal sense of these words, they actually turn them inside out togive them an opposite meaning.

55 The Scriptural use of the word perish is clearly in contradistinction to the prospects ofthe saved who will be resurrected to LIFE, and is so forcefully employed to mean the ENDOF LIFE, that it is remarkable that its use has not caused more students of the Bible toconclude that the wicked dead will not be kept alive to be tormented, but will die, utterlyperish, be consumed burned up, and destroyed. The result is everlasting through the meansof an eternal, unquenchable fire, but the torment of the destruction is not without end, fortotal destruction is the end for them that perish. The normal usage and understanding ofperish in both the Old and New Testaments, the other words translated from the Hebrew andGreek root words, and the contrastive nature of the word to the expectation of the saved,leads inescapably to the conclusion that perish says what it means and means what it says:

a final end of life, a total destruction, and not continued existence in conscious torment.

56 Even when Gods Word uses figurative or allegorical language, the meaning is true tothe figure; the sense is consistent with the allegory. The figure of water is used for the Wordin Ephesians 5:26: like water, the Word cleanses. The figure of light is used for the Word inPsalm 199:105: like light, the Word reveals. Water and light are understandable figures ofGods Word. The sense is consistent, and the meaning is true to the figure. Scripture isteeming with references to fire as an agent of punishment. Fire, figurative or literal, is theinspired word used to communicate, not to confuse. It is not a foggy concept, nor amysterious expression. Fire is something we understand. We know what it is, and we knowwhat it does. Fire consumes! By examining the abundant occurrences of fire in Scripture,we learn that GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE, and FIRE CONSUMES. Water cleanses; lightreveals; and fire consumes. We learn that while the fire itself may burn on, whatever is in thefire will burn up. But fire as an instrument of torment that never consumes anything in it iscontrary to our understanding of fire. As such, it is neither a literal truth nor a true figure.Such a fire is not a fire that we know anything about (The only understanding of fire that isleft intact with such an interpretation is the understanding that fire causes pain). And if it ismeant figuratively, as some maintain, then it is a use of fire that we do not comprehend- ituses fire to illustrate something (endless torment) that is not consistent with the nature of fire(fire consumes). Water cleanses; light reveals; fire consumes. The divinely chosen word,fire, used to describe the element of punishment, whether used literally or figuratively, is

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literally true, or true to the figure. Either way, it is a fire that does what we consistentlyunderstand fire to do, and what Scripture persistently says it does- it consumes.

57 God is described in Scripture as a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; 9:3; Hebrews12:29). There are a multitude of references that speak of the fire of God, and the fire ofthe LORD, most often in connection with judgment. When God used fire to punish anyone,

the fire always consumed. Always! The only exceptions to fire not consuming its contents iswhen God appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush (Exodus 3:2, ff.)and the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. These are indeed remarkable exceptions,but no one maintains that the bush or the three were being punished or experienced anysensation of the fire. One was the fire of God, but not of judgment; the other was a fire of

judgment, but not of God. These exceptions indicate that God can appear in a fire that doesnot consume its contents, and is able to protect His own from a fires consuming power, butwhen the God of fire, or the fire of God is referred to in connection with judgment andpunishment, it always, without exception, indicates a fire that consumes, devours, anddestroys. Our God is a consuming fire, and the fire of God consumes. It is this God and thisfire that the Scripture repeatedly and consistently says will consume the wicked at the final

judgment (Deuteronomy 4:24; 9:3; Psalm 21:9; Malachi 4:1; Matthew 3:12; 13:40; 2Thessalonians 1:8, 9; Hebrews 10:27; 12:29).

58 The Divine Intelligence paints vivid and lucid word pictures that are unmistakable:unquenchable fire burns up the chaff (Matthew 3:12), devours the stubble (Isaiah 33:11, 12;Malachi 4:1); turns the ungodly to ashes (2 Peter 2:6; Jude v. 7), consumes the wicked(Psalm 37:20; Ezekiel 22:31), and destroys those who know not God (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

59 We know what fire is, and we know what it does, and in every depiction of final wrathand judgment, the items drawn (chaff, tares, stubble, briars, thorns, lime, dry branches) arenot only flammable, but are some of the most highly combustible materials imaginable! Butconsider that other options were available: Gods preserved Word is pictured as silver tried ina furnace (Psalm 12:6,7); our faith as gold tried in fire (1 Peter 1:7; Cf. Job 23:10; Zechariah13:9; Revelation 3:18); gold, silver, and precious stones as being revealed by fire (1

Corinthians 3:12-15); Christs feet being like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace(Revelation 1:15); the unburned but burning bush in the wilderness (Exodus 3:2,3) and theunconsumed three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:22-29)- thus the sacredpaintbrush did not lack a sufficient palette to describe endless torment. But when God choseto depict how it would be for the wicked at the final judgment, He painted a picture ofcomplete consumption, not endless torment. When supporters of endless torment explaintheir theory, however, they inevitably use the pictures God didnt (such as the burning bush),and completely avoid any of the vivid pictures God did employ. Strange? Yes, but oh, sorevealing!

60 Isaiah 5:24 Therefore as the fire DEVOURETH the STUBBLE, and the flameCONSUMETH the CHAFF, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go upas dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the wordof the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 33:11, 12 Ye shall conceive CHAFF, ye shall bring forth STUBBLE: your breath, asfire, shall DEVOUR you. And the people shall be as the burnings of LIME: as THORNS cutup shall they be BURNED in the fire.

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Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea,and all that do wickedly, shall be STUBBLE: and the day that cometh shall BURN THEM UP,saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

Matthew 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather hiswheat into the garner; but he will BURN UP the CHAFF with unquenchable fire.

Matthew 13:40 As therefore the TARES are gathered and BURNED in the fire; so shall it bein the end of this world.

John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a BRANCH, and is WITHERED; andmen gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are BURNED.

Hebrews 6:8 But that which beareth THORNS and BRIERS is rejected, and is nigh untocursing; whose end is to be BURNED.

61 A fire that cannot be put out does not mean that what is in the fire will not burn up! Itactually means just the opposite: He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matthew3:12). If the fire could not be put out, how would the chaff keep from burning up? If OldMcDonalds barn caught fire, and firemen could not put it out (unquenchable fire), wouldanyone foolishly suppose that the barn would keep burning? No, they would obviouslyunderstand that the barn completely burned up.

62 Gods fire, the unquenchable eternal fire does not need the fuel of its prey to exist.For example, when the fire of God has fallen, it was already burning before it had its targetas fuel. For temporal, earthly fires, where no wood (as fuel) is, there the fire goeth out(Proverbs 26:20). But the eternal fire is not a temporal, earthly fire. Neither does fire thatcannot be put out mean that it never goes out. It cannot be extinguished, but it does notkeep burning when it has consumed its prey. For example, the fire that destroyed Idumea(Isaiah 34) could not be quenched and the smoke resulting from its consuming power shallgo up for ever (v. 10), but no one would suppose that a fire is still burning in Idumea, or that

the inhabitants are to this day enduring its torment.

63 I have yet to read any attempt to reconcile burn up with endless torment. Someonewondered aloud if perhaps chaff in Matthew 3:12 didnt mean the wicked at all, but perhapsburn up the chaff was talking about something like dross being removed from gold (theword purge is in the verse). The wonderer then read the context and decided against sucha conjecture. The wicked or ungodly are identified as chaff as follows: as chaff that thestorm carrieth away (Job 21:18); The ungodly are like the chaff which the wind drivethaway (Psalm 1:4); Let them be as chaff before the wind (Psalm 35:5); as the flameconsumeth the chaff (Isaiah 5:24); as the chaff of the mountains before the wind (Isaiah17:13); as chaff that passeth away (Isaiah 29:5); Ye shall conceive chaff your breath, asfire, shall devour you (Isaiah 33:11); as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of thefloor (Hosea 13:3); and the various kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzars dream were like thechaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away (Daniel 2:35).

64 The identification fire and brimstone preachers is not meant to belittle sincere menwho warn folks of what they genuinely understand to be the fate of the wicked, namely,endless torment. But there are others who speak in uncouth terms and Unchristian toneswho are not worthy to be called preachers. Ive heard them, and you probably have to.Youll split hell wide open. Theyll fry like a sausage. Somebodys gonna have some hellto pay!

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The eloquent William Elbert Munsey lays his foundation: Man is immortal That man isimmortal is the recognized and fundamental truth in the Bible, and in every system ofreligion Man, good or bad, is immortal, so you all believe (Munsey, Eternal Retribution, p.70). Loraine Boettner suggests (without offering any substantiation), In general the Bibletreats the subject of the immortality of the soul in much the same way that it treats the

existence of God, - such belief is assumed as an undeniable postulate (Immortality,Eerdmans, 1956, p. 78).

That immortality of the soul is assumed is undeniable but not on the part of Scripture, buton the part of writers like Munsey and Boettner. If the Bible treats the subject of theimmortality of the soul in much the same way that it treats the existence of God then whereare such similar declarations as In the beginning God (Genesis 1:1), he that cometh toGod must believe that He is, (Hebrews 11:6), or I am God, and there is none else (Isaiah45:22)? The Scripture nowhere teaches, assumes, or takes for granted the immortality ofthe soul. To the contrary, it states unequivocally that only God hath immortality (1 Timothy6:16), that souls die (Ezekiel 18:14), can be destroyed by God in hell (Matthew 10:28), andthat immortality is not an intrinsic possession of the soul, but is a sought-after goal, and ifobtained is given by God (Who will render to them who seek for immortality, eternal

life -Romans 2:6, 7).

69 For me, the nagging question that begged an answer was Where does the Bible teachthe immortality of the soul? What saith the Scripture? I began asking friends who werestudents of the Word. In accord with the commentaries and dictionaries, there was no clearverse cited, but the theory was often maintained as an undeniable funda-mental. Somefeebly suggested that perhaps the worm that dieth not was the immortal soul. Others drewback as if in fear of being infected by such a heretical inquiry. But I want to know where it is!If the Scripture clearly teaches it, then no less than chapter and verse will do. And forsomething of such unquestioned status with numerous auxiliary implications, it should bechapters and verses, as in many. But is there any? And where are they?

70 Apologists for conditional immortality contend that the traditional view on theimmortality of the soul and its corresponding relationship to final punishment is rooted in theimpact of pagan philosophy (such as that of Plato) on many influential Christian thinkers andwriters. These subsequently bequeathed the assumed underpinning on centuries ofunsuspecting and unquestioning believers who were fighting too many other theologicalbattles to successfully debunk the standard shibboleth on final punishment (thoughconditionalist apologists document many persistent voices of dissent).

71 The concordance is of no help here. Some try to proof innate immortality from the factthat God breathed the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7), but failto notice that God breathed that breath into his nostrils, not his spirit, or that the Hebrewword nephesh, translated soul in 2:7, is the same word translated creature in 1:21 (everyliving creature that moveth), and the word living that describes soul and creature is thesame word in Hebrew (chay) as well. And it is this same nephesh that will muwth: the soulthat sinneth, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:14, 20). And it is important to note that man became aliving soul, not that his body received a living soul.

Also, the exact same wording of the breath of life is used in Genesis 7:21, 22 to speak ofthe animals as well as man: And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, andof cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and everyman: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. InGenesis 6:17 God says, I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh,

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wherein is the breath of life. Again in Genesis 7:15: And they went in unto Noah into theark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

Scripture is its own best commentary. The Apostle Paul gives us his interpretation of livingsoul in 1 Corinthians 15. And so it is written, the first man Adam WAS MADE A LIVINGSOUL; the last Adam was made a quickening (life-giving) spirit (v. 45). How does Paul

understand living soul? What does he write down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit forsucceeding ages to read? Howbeit that was not first which was spiritual, but that which isnatural the first man is of the earth, earthy flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom ofGod; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption (46-50). In other words, Paul uses words ofmortality to describe the first Adam, the living soul: NATURAL, EARTHY, FLESH ANDBLOOD, CORRUPTION. The second Adam, the quickening spirit, is contrasted as spiritual,heavenly, and as giving victory over death by giving immortality to the mortal. Thus Pauluses the very term, living soul, which many theologians use to support the tenet of the soulsimmortality- the very same term he uses to introduce his description of mans mortality. IfPaul believed in the immortality of the soul, and if he had any inkling that living soul was anindication of it, he sure picked an odd time to use the term, and he certainly missed theperfect opportunity to explain it as such.

72 1Timothy 6:15-16 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and onlyPotentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who ONLY hath IMMORTALITY, dwelling inthe light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whombe honour and power everlasting. Amen.

The fact that man was created in Gods image no more makes man immortal than it makeshim invisible, or omnipotent. Romans 1:23 contrasts the glory of the uncorruptible God andan image made like to corruptible man. In 1Timothy 1:17, immortal is listed betweeneternal and invisible, adjectives that exclusively describe the only wise God. One of Jobsmiserable comforters asks a question that expresses an understood difference between manand God, Shall mortal man be more just than God? (Job 4:17). Only God hath immortality!

73 This text confirms that neither man nor his soul has intrinsic immortality, but thatimmortality is the exclusive possession of God. As one friend conceded, Only is ratherexclusive. Christ explained this intrinsic immortality of the Godhead, For as the Fatherhath life in himself: so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself And ye will not cometo me that ye might have life (Read the entire context- John 5:17-40). The Father hath lifein himself. Once we understand that only God hath immortality, we begin to see otherpertinent matters in clear focus. One such matter is the clear teaching of Scripture thateternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23), not the inherentpossession of immortal souls.

74 The first reason to believe that a worm is a worm is that the context of the passageChrist quoted (Isaiah 66:24- see notes 27-30) speaks specifically of carcases on abattlefield, carcases that would be seen and abhorred by others. There is no contextual

reason, or any collaborative evidence elsewhere, to imagine that the worm is the soul or theconscience, as many have conjectured. There certainly should be a valid reason if onesuggests their worm is not a worm.

By comparing Scripture with Scripture, however, we can discern that worm does indeedmean worm. Job laments, If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in thedarkness. I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother,and my sister, and speaks of going down to the bars of the pit, when our rest is in the dust(17:13, 14, 16). Later Job testifies of the resurrection of the body even after its consumption

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by worms: For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day uponthe earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God(19:25, 26). Job also bemoans the common death experienced by people of varyingcircumstances: They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them (Job21:26). Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which havesinned, Job elaborates, The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he

shall be no more remembered (24:19, 20). Isaiah connects worms with the grave: Thypomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread underthee, and the worms cover thee (14:11). Isaiah also makes this contrast: the moth shall eatthem up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shallbe for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation (51:7, 8). And then inspiredDoctor Luke tells us that the gruesome result of Herods pride has to do with physiology, notpsychology: And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not Godthe glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost (Acts 12:23). The consistencyof these texts reveals the truth that real worms devour dead bodies.

This is in harmony with Mark 9 where Christ contrasts entering into life with going intohell. The weight of the contrast is compelling: it is better to be missing a body part andenter into life than have your whole body cast (as it is worded in Matt. 5:29, 30) into the

destructive power of hell fire, where God has the power to destroy both soul and body(Matthew 10:28). Entering into life with offensive body parts removed is far superior andinfinitely to be preferred over having a whole body destroyed in hell- never ending life overeverlasting death. The contrast is not between life and torment, as has been supposed, butbetween immortality and perishing, remaining or being consumed, entrance into the kingdomof God or being cast into hell fire (v. 47), eternal glory or everlasting destruction, life eternalor the second death, delivered from woe or devoured by worms. Isnt that a convincingcontrast and compelling reason to choose life no matter the cost to the temporal body!

75 Christ states plainly that there is a resurrection of life, and a resurrection ofdamnation. 1 Corinthians 15 is the classic passage on the resurrection of believers, theresurrection of life. Paul says emphatically: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of

God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption (v. 50). For this corruptible must put onincorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have puton incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to passthe saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory (vv. 53, 54). It is incredible howmany writers attempt to make this resurrection of life (mortality putting on immortality)universal to the righteous and the wicked. It is impossible to understand how obtaining animmortal body to endure endless torment could be understood as victory. And the contextspeaks of the image of the heavenly and inheriting the kingdom of God.

Paul uses the inclusive pronoun we (We shall not all sleep we shall all be changedweshall be changed vv. 51, 52) and addresses his readers as brethren (vv. 1, 50) and mybeloved brethren (v. 58). He writes of those which are fallen asleep in Christ (v. 18), andthey that are Christs (v. 23). This resurrection is obviously the resurrection of believers, the

resurrection of life.

What theologian or exegete would venture to claim that the wicked will be given glorifiedbodies (v. 43) that bear the image of the heavenly (v. 48) at the resurrection? Believers aregiven eternal life through Jesus Christ (conditional immortality). Unbelievers are raised to bedamned. Though all the dead will be raised (John 5:28, 29), and 1 Corinthians does speakof the general resurrection of the dead, nowhere does the Scripture indicate thatunbelievers are given immortality, or an incorruptible or glorified body at the resurrection.

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They are not raised to life, but to damnation, to be cast into the lake of fire, which is thesecond death (Cf. Revelation 20:12-15; 21:8).

76 The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23); God hathgiven to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son (1 John 5:11); Whosoever believeth shall notperish but have everlasting life (John 3:16); the water that I shall give springing up into

everlasting life (John 4:14); everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you (John6:27); that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him (John 17:2); ye willnot come to me, that ye might have life (John 5:40). Immortality is not the intrinsicpossession of souls, but rather the gift of the immortal God to those in Christ. Receivingimmortality is conditional on being in Christ. We do not receive it by our first birth in Adam,but by our second birth in the second Adam, Christ! The truth of Scripture is LIFE INCHRIST!

77 John 10:27, 28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And Igive unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them outof my hand.

78 Because the assumed belief in immortal souls is so prevalent, the language ofevangelism has been Heaven or Hell, not death in sin or life in Christ, which is the languageof Scripture. Now life in Christ will mean heaven for the believer, and death in sin will meanto perish in the fire of hell, but not because souls are immortal, but because without theimmortality only given to those in Christ, the wicked will most assuredly perish! This is theclear language of Scripture. Christ will give eternal life to mortal man, not merely allowimmortal souls to enter heaven. This is the consistent language of Scripture. Souls can andwill die. God is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.

79 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.

In the Old Testament, the living soul of Genesis 2:7 is the same soul that sinneth, it shall

die of Ezekiel 18:4. It is the same word in English and Hebrew. It is a living soul, but it canand will die. In the New Testament, the soul that God is able to destroy in hell ofMatthew 10:28 is the same soul saved from death in James 5:20. It is the same word inEnglish and Greek. Man cant kill that soul, but it can be saved from death, or be destroyedby God in hell. So the truth of Scripture is not the immortality of the soul, but that only Godhath immortality, and souls can be destroyed and die.

80 There is no doubt that Hell sells tickets. Holding the threat of endless andunimaginable torment over the heads of prospective converts has certainly produced resultsin persuading people to make a profession of salvation, whether walking an aisle, praying aprayer, or signing a card. But whether such a method produces true conversions, genuinenew births into the family of God, it is doubtful. Many a person has had sense enough to

know that they did not want to burn in hell, but neither did they desire to truly repent of sinand follow Christ. In Medieval times, the potential of being stretched at the rack, enduringthe thumbscrew, or burning at the stake forced many a verbal confession and outwardconformity, but did it win the heart? This is not to impugn the motives behind zealouswitnesses elaborating on the endless agony of hell as they understand it, but it is to questionthe foundation and fruit of such an emphasis in evangelism.

Heaven or Hell? is an easy question to ask and answer. But Sin or Christ? is an altogetherdifferent proposition! And repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ

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(Acts 20:21) is the requirement of the gospel. The New Testament presentation of thegospel reveals the alternatives of death in sin, or life in Christ; a second birth or a seconddeath; utterly perishing or eternally enduring; everlasting life or everlasting destruction. SoBrother Bird scolds torment peddlers because he fears that many folks are responding totheir presentation out of nothing more than fear of pain, not out of true conviction, genuinerepentance, or sincere faith. And the nothing more of such a response generates something

less than true conversion.

This is not to say that some have not genuinely come to Christ out of an initial fear of hell,but that the fear of hell itself will not save anyone. If the fear of hell could lead someone togenuinely consider the claims of Christ and His gospel, then a true understanding of thedreadful final judgment, and the awful prospect of being completely consumed and finallydestroyed would also lead to such consideration. As Paul reasoned of righteousness,temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled (Acts 24:25). Such a presentation of theteaching of Scripture concerning perishing would bring forth a certain looking for of

judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries (Hebrews 10:27).

81 Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is pouredout without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire andbrimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

Those who drink of the wine of the wrath of God are specifically those who worship thebeast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand (v. 9). This doesnot include or imply all unbelievers of all ages. Those who have no rest day nor night arethose who worship, not worshipped, the beast. And this passage is six chapters away fromthe Great White Throne Judgment.

It does not say that the torment is for ever and ever, but that the smoke of their tormentascendeth up for ever and ever. As in the case of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,Babylon, and Idumea, the destruction is final, and the torment of it has an end, but thesmoke bearing testimony to the destruction ascends up on and on (See note 86). No rest

day nor night does not demand eternal torment, and should not be so construed in light ofthe weight of the rest of Scripture on the subject.

82 Matthew 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness:there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:40-42: As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be inthe end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather outof his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into afurnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:49, 50: So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, andsever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall

be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take himaway, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 24:50, 51: The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him,and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portionwith the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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Matthew 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall beweeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, andIsaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrustout.

It is vitally important to note that the preceding verses are not speaking about a place ofweeping and wailing, but about a time of weeping and wailing. The weeping and wailingdoes not give expression to endless torment, but rather to the grief and anger of those beingcast out. These passages do not say where shall be, but there shall be, specifying time,not location- when, not where. Each of the above passages indicates that it is at the time ofthe casting out (or cutting asunder in Matthew 24:50, 51) that the weeping and wailingoccurs. Luke 13:38 tells us exactly when the weeping and wailing takes place: when yeshall see Psalm 112 shows the same anguish of the wicked seeing the glories of therighteous while facing their own doom of perishing: Unto the upright there ariseth light in thedarkness Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlastingremembrance his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the

desire of the wicked shall perish (vv. 4, 6, 9, 10). Notice in both cases that the gnashing ofteeth came as a result of seeing: when ye shall see; wicked shall see. Weeping andgnashing of teeth does not speak, therefore, of the pain of endless torment, but rather of thedistress and terror, the sorrow and horror, of being cast into outer darkness while seeing therighteous being received into the kingdom.

83 Peter mentions darkness as the eternal reservation of the wicked: to whom the mist ofdarkness is reserved for ever (2 Peter 2:17). Does mist of darkness picture visible flames oftorment or the nothingness of irreversible destruction? In the passage above it is the end ofthose who utterly perish. Jude refers to the same fate: Raging waves of the sea, foamingout their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever (v. 13). In Christs teaching of the kingdom, outer darkness is the lot of those cast

out (see the references in note 82).

Darkness is also characteristic of the detention of the fallen angels awaiting judgment: Godspared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chainsof darkness, to be reserved unto judgment (2 Pet. 2:4); And the angels which kept not theirfirst estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains underdarkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 1:6). The poetry of the Old Testament isreplete with references connecting death with darkness (Job 3:5; 12:21, 22; 28:3; 34:22; Ps.107:10, 14; Isa. 9:2; Jer. 13:16). Psalm 49 says that those who descend in death shallnever see light (v. 19).

84 Some traditionalists have made an attempt to reconcile outer darkness with the fire ofendless torment by reasoning that the hottest of all flames are black. Whether or not this is

credible science, as an explanation it seems to me to be contrived, sadistic, andunconvincing. Such a thought may be creative apologetics, but it is not sound exegesis.Others would contend that fire and darkness are only figurative anyway. But even if thatwere so, what would they figure? Fire consumes, and mist of darkness and outer darknessare not words that figuratively express endless torment.

85 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 judgethher.

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Revelation 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that greatcity Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Revelation 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought.

Revelation 18:19 for in one hour is she made desolate.

Revelation 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it intothe sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shallbe found no more at all.

The above verses clearly indicate that the duration of Babylons overthrow was limited (inone day; in one hour), and that the result was that Babylon shall be found no more at all.The phrase no more, or any more, is found eight times in Revelation 18 concerning the resultof Babylons overthrow. She shall be utterly burned with fire (18:8), and the kings of theearth shall lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning (18:9). Now here isthe important thing to note: though the duration of her punishment was limited, and hertorment had an end, yet we are told her smoke rose up for ever and ever (19:3).

Remember the pictures of the billowing smoke days after the terrorist attack in New York Cityon 9-11-01? Even weeks later a residue of smoke lingered and ascended. Yet many of thevictims of the attack were nothing but ashes buried beneath tons of debris.86 The smoke that rises up for ever and ever speaks of consumption, not endlesstorment. Once again Scripture teaches this by its clear usage. The smoke of Babylonsdesolation rose up for ever and ever (Rev. 19:3), yet her destruction took only one hour(Rev. 18:10, 17, 19; see note 85). Isaiah tells us that the destruction of Idumea will includeunquenched fire and unending smoke (it shall not be quenched night nor day; the smokeshall go up for ever), but that this bears witness to its utter destruction (from generation togeneration it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever- 34:10). What issmoke but the evidence of consumption- the testimony of destruction by fire? They saw the

smoke of her burning (Rev. 18:18). Can there be smoke without consumption?

Sodom was overthrown as in a moment (Lamentations 4:6), yet Abraham saw the smokefrom the destruction of Sodom go up as the smoke of a furnace (Gen. 19:28). But thewicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shallconsume; into smoke shall they consume away (Psa. 37:20). Cremate the body of a 200-pound man, and his ashes will weigh less than 10 pounds. His body has been reduced toashes- his body has been burned up. Scriptures use of smoke and ashes powerfully speakof final, everlasting destruction by fire, not endless torment in fire.

87 Deuteronomy 15:17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto thedoor, and he shall be thy servant for ever. (Cf. Exodus 21:6).

Many feasts and ordinances given to Moses were said to be a statute for ever, with thequalifying phrase often added at the end throughout your generations (for example,Leviticus 23:14, 21, 31, 41; Numbers 10:8; 18:23). The pile of twelve stones set up besidethe Jordan River were to be a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever (Joshua 4:7).Even if they had survived to this day, would they be a memorial throughout the unfathomablerecesses of eternity? Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap for ever, even a desolation untothis day (Joshua 8:28). Hannah desired to take little Samuel to the tabernacle in Jerusalem,that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever (1 Samuel 1:22). Achish,the king of Gath, trusted Davids feigned loyalty, proclaiming, he shall be my servant for

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ever, and said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head for ever (1 Samuel27:12; 28:2). The old men counseled Rehoboam, If thou wilt speak good words untothem, then they will be thy servants for ever (1 Kings 12:7). Gehazi was told the leprosytherefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever (2 Kings 5:7).Jonah cried from the belly of the great fish, I went down to the bottom of the mountains; theearth with her bars was about me for ever (Jonah 2:6). The point of all these references is

to show that the phrase for ever does not always mean without a final end. It may, and mostoften does, mean eternally, but only as

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