When the Bible says ETERNAL LIFE (heaven)AND ETERNAL DAMNATION(hell) will only be eternal life is eternal and eternal damnation is not eternal? If hell is not eternal, then why then Jesus called it eternal too?
MATTHEW 25:46
Discussion
14 comments
-
Because its the last death. They will no longer exist (EVER)
-
Read The Revelation Chapter 20 and Luke 16:19 – 31. The Rich man was in physical trouble.
-
I had an Anglican priest come into a theology class and try to tell everyone that hell didn’t exist ??
-
Eternal punishment/ eternal life. The same Greek word is used in both instances. The punishment of the wicked is as never-ending as the bliss of the righteous. The wicked are not given a second chance, nor are they annihilated. The punishment of the wicked dead is described throughout Scripture as “eternal fire” (v. 41); “unquenchable fire” (3:12); “shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2); a place where “their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:45–49); a place of “torment” and “flame” (Luke 16:23–24); “eternal destruction” (2 Thess. 1:9); a place of torment with “fire and sulfur” where “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever” (Rev. 14:10–11); and a “lake of fire and sulfur” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). Here Jesus indicates that the punishment itself is everlasting—not merely the smoke and flames. The wicked are forever subject to the fury and the wrath of God. They consciously suffer shame and contempt and the assaults of an accusing conscience—along with the fiery wrath of an offended deity—for all of eternity. Even hell will acknowledge the perfect justice of God (Ps. 76:10); those who are there will know that their punishment is just and that they alone are to blame (cf. Deut. 32:3–5)
-
The punishment and suffering in Hell comes from an eternal spiritual death separated from our GOD, of which we are aware, and exist in eternal torment over it. The joy in Heaven comes from an eternal Life in the presence of God, of which we are fully aware and exist in a state of eternal blissful Worship over it. In both cases the Body is dead, so the life and death spoken of in eternity are spiritual ones.
-
Hell IS eternal. But in what sense? That is the question… but rather than focus on the term eternal, we should be asking, “in what way is “death” the opposite of “life”? The former is the cessation of life, isn’t it? The latter is the continuance of life, isn’t it? If we toss out this “normal” usage of the terms, then we end up re-writing the verse to mean: both groups have eternal life. One has a pleasant eternal life, the other has an unpleasant eternal life. Which clearly isn’t what Jesus is trying to communicate…
-
In the English translation of the Bible’s Old Testament, the word Hell normally corresponds to the Hebrew sheol, which was simply the place of the dead. But in the Greek New Testament the word used is either Gehenna (the garbage dump outside the walls of Jerusalem where fires were kept eternally burning to consume the refuse and keep down the stench) or Hades, the Greeks’ dark, gloomy underworld. The modern English word appears to derive most directly from “Hel”, goddess of the dead in Germanic/Norse mythology. When the Anglo-Saxons later embraced Christianity, the existing word in the language was reused in the new Christian concepts.
According to G. K. Chesterton, hell is God’s great compliment to the reality of human freedom and the dignity of human choice. To Christians, Hell is a place where the souls of the wicked are punished eternally for all the sins they perpetrated during their lifetime on Earth. Since all have sinned (Rom 3:23), Hell can not be avoided on one’s own merits, but through the love gift of Jesus one can know, love, and serve God and share eternity with Him in Heaven.
Christian and Muslim religious traditions often emphasize the Gehenna aspect: Hell is extremely hot and filled with fire and brimstone. Opinion varies on the question of whether, while Hell itself is eternal, experience of it purges away the sins of sufferers to the point of eventual redemption. See purgatory. A minority of Christians do not believe in an eternal Hell as punishment, believing instead that the souls of the wicked are annihilated. This view, which is directly contradicted by Scripture, is referred to as Annihilationism. Other deniers of Scripture question whether Hell has a literal burning fire, or it is merely separation from God and therefore has the same torment as if there were a burning fire. This view has been supported by writers such as J.P. Moreland, although the Bible clearly contradicts this view and other symbolic interpretations of Hell. In truth, Hell is a real, spiritual place where God is absent and the wicked are punished for their sins.
Although Hell is a focus and a concern in Christian theology, the Bible has an even greater focus. In the King James Version the word Hell is mentioned 54 times, but Heaven is mentioned 551 times.
Matthew 13:41-42 – The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25:41 – Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew 25:46 – And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Mark 9:43 – And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched.
2 Thes 1:7-8 – And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 20:10 – And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:14-15 – And death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Atheists often disagree with the Christian belief of eternal punishment in Hell, yet they never explain how justice is accomplished relative to evildoers who escape punishment on earth (see: Atheism and justice). And rather than repent and accept the gospel message, they engage in denialism about their sin and attempt to suppress the truth of God’s existence. See also: Atheism and hatred of God
The Christian evangelist Ray Comfort often gives atheists the person test in order to assist atheists in recognizing their sinful nature.
The journalist and ex-atheist Peter Hitchens, who is the brother of the late atheist Christopher Hitchens, said upon seeing an art exhibit of Michelangelo’s painting The Last Judgment he came to the realization that he might be judged which startled him. This started a train of thought within Peter Hichens that eventually led him to become a Christian.
-
Eternal means just that, eternal. Heaven or hell, your soul will spend eternity in one of those two places.
-
One of God’s names is eternal
-
What part of eternal don’t they understand
-
That question requires an open heart and mind to answer. Serious prayer, meditation, and study will bring you the truth. If you really want to know what hell is you have to dive deep into the bible from beginning to end. You need to find the complete biblical picture of eternal punishment to see the truth. God bless
-
Just come on and obey the way that Christ says to:
So you got the first thing down… You believe ?
Next you repent by acknowledging to God that you are a terrible sinner against Him and you’re sorry for it. You ask Him to forgive you and you commit to a lifetime battle against your flesh and it’s continued desire to sin.
Then you go down in the watery grave of baptism…. you call a Church of Christ and they WILL take you REGARDLESS of the COVIDS? If they don’t, then move on to next one. But be sure you take your whole body completely under the water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Then you Get up and you love God with all your mind, body, and soul by Hanging on EVERY word that Christ utters. Don’t let ANYONE tell you ANYTHING that contradicts Christ. Don’t let anyone add anything or take anything from what Christ has said. HE is the ONLY one who says what you must do to be saved or not saved. The disciples and everyone else are allowed to say ONLY TOTALLY what Christ said. He is the end all be all.
You love your neighbors as you love yourself, you love EVERYONE BY treating them as you want to be treated. The best way to do that is to MAKE COPIES of yourself by making sure everyone else knows what they must do to be saved…. You become a priest under CHRIST. No one between you and Christ.
Study His word and become an expert before you move on to Acts-Jude. – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is where you live until death if necessary.
And you will not plan, and desire, and look forward to sin. You regret the sin and you fall and get up asking for forgiveness each time.
God will forgive you as far as the East is from the West. He is Faithful and true!
-
Most of these comments are more educated on this but I want to take a guess:
As Jesus was walked the earth, there was the talk of Sheol. Lazarus was with Abraham but he doesn’t say it’s paradise. He mentions heaven as paradise to the thief of the cross, but not as “Abraham’s bosom.”
The change?
Before the name of Jesus, those who had died were counted to them for righteousness by faith. When our Savior died, there’s mention of the righteous rising from the dead. Because there’s not much else after that, it’s good to make no theology off that.
Now the gap between Abraham and the rich man who was in torment is mentioned in Jesus’ parable, then the man is left for torment.
In Revelation, at the great throne judgement, hell is mentioned to bring about those who died as sinners without righteousness by faith. I don’t mean to jump to conclusions but I think, within the point of reference that eternity has no beginning nor end, that the eternal damnation will be after the great judgement of all souls. Hell and death is mentioned as to also being thrown into the lake of fire as though they’re actual beings themselves.
This can mean that as death and punishment are no more…because Jesus will reign as King and God, no more separation between us and He anymore.
Connecting the dots:
Hell is until the judgment, eternal damnation is right after the judgment by the lake of fire -
[…] When the Bible says ETERNAL LIFE (heaven)AND ETERNAL DAMNATION(hell) will… […]
Comments