Posted on 08/01/2013 8:41:18 PM PDT by pastorbillrandles
If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.(Revelation 14:9-11)
This generation has a hard time accepting the long-standing Christian doctrine of the certainty of Hell, eternal punishment and the wrath of God. How could it be that simply for sinning, or unbelief, that one would have to suffer in the lake of fire for eternity? Doesn’t that seem extreme?
As I suggest in the title, they just don’t “get” hell, and as a consequence, in many formerly evangelical churches,by and large the doctrine is being jettisoned, as if it is an outdated ‘relic’ from the harsh,judgmental past.
One very important reason for this defection from orthodoxy, has to do with the lowered standard of preaching in the churches. All too often, particularly lacking is the exposition of the doctrine of God; his Glory, Majesty, attributes and perfections.
There have never been so many christian churches, teachings, books,seminars or conferences, but rarely do these sermons hold forth the doctrine of God. The vision of “the only true God”, is all but gone for too many christians, therefore it is difficult to believe in Hell and even to perceive the necessity of the cross.
The most important aspect to any person’s character is how they see God. This is the determining factor in every other area of life, it controls how they relate to others, how they live in marriage, business, family, how they parent, everything revolves around how one sees God. (This is true of everybody, even ‘Atheists’). All personal problems are theological in nature.
In order to believe in Hell and judgment, as Jesus, and the apostles described it, one must believe that there is a Divine person,GOD, who is so exalted, so high and lifted up, so Holy and awesome, that to reject and to spurn him, is to spurn goodness itself! Could there be anyone so “high and lifted up”?
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.(Isaiah 6:1-5)
The issue of sin and damnation isn’t so much a matter of what we actually did to deserve hell, rather it is more a matter of who we did it against, who we rebelled against, spurned, rejected, and disowned!
David, the adulterer, murderer and national stumbling block, confessed to the God whom he had grieved, ,“Against You, You only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight…”(Psalm 51)
When we are given some sense of God in his majesty, Holiness and goodness, it becomes easier for us to believe in an ultimate banishment from all that is pleasant and good as the just judgment of those who reject God.
We are told by eyewitnesses to the Lewis revival of the 1950′s, that when the LORD Sovereignly revealed himself to teenagers at a dance, they fell on their faces and many separately confessed, “Hell would be too good for me O LORD….for I have seen you…have mercy upon me a sinner!”
Similarly, the suffering and agony of the cross of Jesus is difficult for this generation to grasp. There are new teachings, denying the wrath of God as being somehow beneath an “All loving God”. Worse yet there are those who reject the doctrine of propitiation, that is that Jesus died as a satisfaction for our sins.
They simply do not see that sin is “that bad”.Nor does this egalitarian generation believe that anyone at all is above them, let alone that God is “That awesome”; so high and lifted up, that it took nothing less than the suffering, agony and rejection of the man who is “The Lord from heaven”, to save us from eternal damnation.
But we behold in the cross of Jesus the awful holiness and righteousness of God, as well as His mercy and compassion. We shudder at the sight of the crucified Messiah, fixed between heaven and earth, and in trembling awe we ask ourselves,”Is this what it took to redeem us” ?
If they could but get a glimpse of who God is, perhaps this generation would be able once again to see the eternal danger they are in, and flee the wrath to come. Is this what the Proverbs taught us when Wisdom said,
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and,b> the knowledge of the holy is understanding.(Proverbs 9:10) ?
Oh for that understanding to be poured out on this erring generation!
... and the knowledge of The Holy (One) is understanding. (Prov. 9:10)
Toward which it seems Pastor Bill is here attempting to improve ...
Wisdom and understanding are inseparably coupled with "fear of the LORD":
Prov. 1:2, 4:7, 6:4, 8:5, 8:14, 9:10, 16:16, 21:30: Is. 11:2,3
He prayed and taught “Our Father...” which is an old Hebrew formulary, universal in scope.
CYC needs to consider the transfer of Paradise to Heaven after Jesus' resurrection, through the reconciliation transaction by our High Priest at the Mercy Seat in The True Holiest-Of-All in Heaven (of which the Mercy Seat in the tabernacle/first temple was only a pattern).
By your leave, brother ...
Yes, so far, (hu)mans' bodies go to the grave for now.
Did Lazarus and the rich man not have bodies of some sort but not their flesh bodies? I presume so.
....you’re point?
correction: ... your point?
Below is an excellent analysis from Ra McLaughlin of Third Millennium Ministries:
Different Levels of Hell
Question Do the different words translated into english as "hell" actually refer to different levels of hell?
I was recently exposed to a doctrine that I had never heard before. The idea is that there are three Greek words for hell interpreted as Gehenna, Hell, and the Lake of Fire - all with different meanings. As explained to me, Gehenna is where apostate believers go for a time (a millennium), Hell is where the unbelievers go until the final judgment when they are thrown into the Lake of Fire.
In addition to Gehenna I understand that there is another place believers in need of punishment will be sent and that place is the outer darkness (Matt 8:12. 22:13, and 25:30). In these accounts the argument is that Jesus is speaking to believers. In Matthew 8 he refers to the "sons of the Kingdom" being cast out into the outer darkness. In Matthew 22 the guests at the wedding are assumed to be saved but one is throw out. He is not condemned eternally but is punished for his sins in the outer darkness. Matthew 25 refers to servants (or believers) but one is throw out into the outer darkness — once again, a believer is thrown out but not eternally. This doctrine is backed by verses such as Mark 9:45-48 (where "hell" is actually Gehenna).
The argument is that Christ is speaking to believers and warning them of the punishment that awaits them if they fail to be faithful. The idea of rewards, such as in Matthew 19:27-30, is that those who DO more for the kingdom will receive more rewards than others and those who are saved but live in sin or apart from God will still be saved from eternal damnation but will be punished in Gehenna (or the outer darkness - this speaks to three levels of heaven - the Kingdom of Heaven, the Outer Darkness, and Gehenna - the believer's hell).
Can you shed some light on this for me?
Answer
In the Bible, there are a number of different words for the abode(s) of the deceased. In the Hebrew Old Testament we find terms like "new earth," "Sheol," "Abaddon" and various words for "the pit." In the Greek New Testament and in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), we find terms like "new earth," "Heaven," "Gehenna," "Hades," "Tartarus," "abyss" and "Lake of Fire."
Terms
All the following terms are spoken of in terms that indicate that the inhabitants of these realms are conscious and aware.
Sheol is usually translated by "Hades" in the Septuagint. It is a very general term referring commonly to the parts of the world that lie beneath the surface of the earth (e.g., Num. 16:30-33; Deut. 32:22; Isa. 7:11), including the grave (Isa. 14:11), and to the abode of both the righteous (e.g., Ps. 30:3; Eccl. 9:10) and the wicked (e.g., Ps. 9:17) after death. Other Old Testament texts equate Sheol with "death," as does Paul (1 Cor. 15:55 with Hos. 13:14).
Abaddon is a place of destruction in the Old Testament, and Revelation indicates that it is also the name of the angel of the abyss (Rev. 9:11). It is frequently associated with Sheol (Job 26:6; Prov. 15:11; 27:20), and sometimes with death (Job 28:22) or a tomb (Ps. 88:11).
"The pit" is usually a hole in the ground, i.e., a grave. However, in some instances it may refer to the collective abode of the dead (Isa. 14:15-19).
The Bible distinguishes heaven as a temporary place of blessing for disembodied believers (2 Cor. 5:6-8).
After the general resurrection, believers will leave heaven and live perpetually on the New Earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1).
Gehenna is a place of punishment, torment and destruction (e.g., Matt. 5:22; 10:28; 23:33; Mark 9:43), and it is characterized by fire (Matt. 5:22; 18:9; Mark 9:43; Jam. 3:6). It would seem that the spirits in Gehenna are not disembodied (e.g., Matt. 5:29,30; 10:28), which suggests that it is at least a place of eternal punishment after the general resurrection (John 5:28-29). But Gehenna also appears to exist and to be an active force in the present (Jam. 3:6), before the resurrection, suggesting that it is also a place of disembodied torment prior to the judgment.
The Lake of Fire is mentioned only in Revelation (Rev. 19:20; 20:10,14,15; 21:8), where it is described as the final place of torment for the wicked. Gehenna is not mentioned in Revelation. Judging from the descriptions of Gehenna and the Lake of Fire, they seem to be one and the same.
Hades is used in the New Testament to refer to the abode of the wicked after death (Luke 10:15) and for the grave or tomb of the righteous (Acts 2:27-29). In Revelation, it is closely associated with "death" (Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13,14). It is mentioned in Luke 16 in the context of the story/parable of Lazarus and Dives. Scholars are divided in their opinions as to whether Jesus affirmed this view of Hades or simply borrowed it for the sake of an illustration. Potentially, it affirms that Hades may legitimately be used to refer to a place where unbelievers are tormented before the judgment.
In Revelation, the Abyss is mentioned mainly as the abode of demonic forces and curses (Rev. 9:1,2,11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1; 20:3), and the same is true in Luke 8:31. But in Romans 10:7 Paul speaks of the Abyss simply as the abode of the dead, and specifically as where Christ went when he died. Since the Bible indicates that Jesus did not suffer torment after his death (Luke 23:46), the Abyss does not appear to be restricted to the wicked and to demons. The word "abyss" itself refers to a deep or bottomless pit, so that the image is closely associated with "the pit" and perhaps with "Abaddon." Probably, its meaning is as broad as that of "Sheol" and "Hades."
Tartarus is only used once, so we have very little information on it. It is where the fallen angels are temporarily imprisoned (2 Pet. 2:4), prior to the judgment. It is also associated with the idea of a pit. It may have been used exclusively as a description of a place of punishment, but we can't be sure based on its one appearance. It use in reference to the abode of the demons makes it a close match with "Abyss." Since the Abyss is probably not for the wicked exclusively, Tartarus may also be a place for the righteous.
Hell is an English catch-all term that different translations use in different ways. It is not directly related to any of the terms in the Hebrew or Greek Scriptures.
Outer darkness is a term used in Matthew to refer to a place of cursing, cut off from the blessings of God (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). It is fairly equivalent to Gehenna, except that we have no references to it that mention fire. Tartarus is also described as being in darkness (2 Pet. 2:4). It is reserved for those who are of God's elect (Matt. 22:14), that is, for unbelievers.
The Millennium is the current age, spanning the entire time between the first and second advents of Christ. For further into, see the following Q&A's:
answer.asp/category/nt/file/99930.qna
answer.asp/category/nt/file/99798.qna.
Analysis of the Terms
As you can see, there is quite a bit of overlap between many of the terms listed above. The doctrine of the afterlife is not laid out very clearly in the Old Testament, and in fact most texts that speak of it do so only in the vaguest terms. It is in the New Testament that we find more detailed information. But that does not mean that we should ignore the implications of the Old Testament.
For example, Sheol can mean a wide variety of things, and "Hades" is the Greek word most commonly used to translate Sheol in all its uses in the Septuagint. Therefore, we ought to expect the meaning of "Hades" in the New Testament to be as broad as the meaning of "Sheol" in the Old Testament. And in fact, this expectation seems to be fulfilled.
In general, it would appear that "Sheol" and "Hades," as well as "Abaddon," "the pit" and "Abyss," and perhaps even "Tartarus," largely cover the same semantic ground. They are perhaps nuanced differently, but we probably ought not to make hard and fast theological distinctions between them. These terms do not give us a clear picture of what happens to people when they die, or of what happens to them after the judgment.
On the other hand, there seems to be sufficient data to indicate that Gehenna is the Lake of Fire, and that it is exclusively a place of punishment, whereas "heaven" and "new earth" are exclusively places of blessing. "Outer darkness" also seems to refer to this place.
The error we ought to seek to avoid is creating a system of theology based on limited uses of these various words. Each use of each word contains only a little bit of the picture. We ought not to infer from the various uses of the words that words that are not used in precisely the same manner actually refer to different things. Consider, for example, that I describe my car to a variety of people who later compare notes:
•I tell Bob that I have a small import.
•I tell Pete that my car has lots of black trim.
Now, imagine I want to describe Gehenna. I explain that it is a place where:
•Unbelievers are not disembodied.
•Unbelievers are tormented.
•There is fire.
•Unbelievers are in darkness.
Theological Implications
We can make a number of theological assertions with an extremely high degree of certainty:
2.When believers die, their disembodied souls go to heaven until the resurrection and judgment (2 Cor. 5).
3.When unbelievers die, their disembodied souls are imprisoned and tormented until the judgment (Luke 16; cf. comments on Gehenna above). The other option here is to see them in a shadowy, limited, restricted, hopeless existence like that sometimes associated with Sheol in the Old Testament. Or perhaps these two ideas are actually different perspectives on the same thing.
4.After the resurrection and judgment, believers live perpetually on the new earth in their resurrected bodies (1 Cor. 15; John 5:28-29; Rev. 21).
5.After the resurrection and judgment, unbelievers and demons dwell perpetually in Gehenna, a.k.a. the Lake of Fire, (Matt. 5; Rev. 19-21).
Along these lines, the "sons of the kingdom" (Matt. 8:12) who are cast into outer darkness are not believers. A "son of the kingdom" is one who is in covenant with God, not one who is saved. All who are part of the visible people of God are in covenant with him. In our day, the covenant people are the visible church. In Jesus' day, the covenant community was the nation of Israel. All the covenant people are children of the kingdom, regardless of whether or not they are saved. Those who are believers receive the covenant blessings; those who are unbelievers fall under the covenant curses. In Matthew 8:10-12, the "sons of the kingdom" were the Jews. Jesus' point was that many Jews would not believe, and therefore would fall under the covenant curses, whereas many Gentiles would come to faith and receive the covenant blessings that had originally been offered to these same Jews.
Similarly, in Matthew 22, being invited to the dinner is not equivalent to being saved. Rather, it is equivalent to being offered the gospel. The man who was cast out responded to the gospel, but not in a saving manner. When the master of the feast saw that the man's faith was not genuine, he cast him out. The explanation was that the man was not "chosen" or "elected," that is, he was not predestined to salvation, and he never came to faith.
And again, in Matthew 25, we see the same thing. The servant is not a believer, but simply one who is obligated to do what the master says. Since he is unfaithful/disobedient, he is punished. The application Jesus makes of this parable is that during the judgment Jesus will punish the wicked and reward the faithful. Clearly the servant was one of the wicked and not one of the faithful. The parallel to Jesus' audience was that some of the Jews who heard him speak obeyed him and came to faith, while others rejected him. They were all servants in his house, but only some were good servants.
Likewise, in Mark 9:45-48 Jesus was not talking exclusively to believers — Judas was there, but he was never a believer. In any event, it is true that if believers fall away, they will perish. What is not true is that the Holy Spirit will allow such a thing to take place. Nevertheless, remaining faithful takes effort. This is why in Reformed circles we deny the doctrine of eternal security, but affirm the doctrine of perseverance of the saints: answer.asp/category/th/file/99813.qna. Believers must be encouraged to remain faithful, and must pursue fidelity with energy.
I should also add that there is actually no such thing as an "apostate believer." By definition, an apostate is not a believer. An apostate is one who falsely professes faith, but then abandons that profession. Because the Holy Spirit preserves all believers, no believer may ever fall from grace in this way. For a more extensive treatment of this subject, see the Q&A at answer.asp/category/th/file/99813.qna.
The idea of rewards does not pertain to punishment (cf. Matt. 17:27-30). A reward is a good thing; punishment is a bad thing. All believers will be rewarded in varying degrees, but none will be punished.
It is true that man sins, ignorantly and in weakness as well as rebelliously choosing to act out his fallen nature, and unless God grants him repentance, they will not come to Christ. However, desiring to disobey in order to experience the promised pleasures of sin for a season does not amount to desiring to go to Hell and suffer eternal torment. Even the few who boast they want to go to Hell suppose they will party there or have no real conception of what it will be like.
Instead, of desiring eternal torment, Scripture testifies that sin is deceptive, and the devil is a deceiver, and the lost are deceived into thinking the pleasures of sin have no consequences or are worth whatever will happen (believers being more accountable).
But as the old adage states, sin will take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay.
In contrast, the redeemed are those who like Moses, are and will be characterized by,
"Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. " (Hebrews 11:25-26)
For while the lost act out of unbelief, the obedience of the elect is by faith in the word of God, that whatever we forsake as well as endure for Christ will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. " (Hebrews 10:35-37)
"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. " (Hebrews 10:38-39)
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; " (Romans 5:3)
"But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, " (2 Corinthians 6:4)
Got carried away. Devotion for the day: Perseverance of the saints.
That's pretty much my devotion every day,at least that's what it feels like.A very good thing to have always in mind.
"...he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6)
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured..." (Hebrews 12:2)
"...we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us" (Hebrews 6:18)
Quite simply that what we teach must be accurate and according to the Scriptures. That the illustration or parable of Luke 16 was just that is evident from Jesus’ earlier comment to the money loving Pharisees who sneered at his words.
The rich man represented these Pharisees and a reversal of fortunes occurs. They no longer have a position of favor, the “bosom position”, with God. In fact, as Jesus later says, the kingdom is being taken away from them and being given to a nation producing it’s fruits.
Jesus said we must worship God in spirit and truth so we are obligated to search out and understand that truth.
Patience by faith is the word for me as well. And Hebrews is about keeping the faith in the light of so great salvation.
And you are up early!
Amen,endure to the end.It seems the hardest thing to endure is my own constant fighting against God!...as though anyone could actually fight Him.
It's about 9pm here in Oz.
While I believe you're right that people don't know what they're in for, I think you're wrong that it would change their minds. C. S. Lewis stated in Hell: Mental Torment. ... “The choice of every lost soul can be expressed in the words ‘Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.’"
There are multiple scriptural examples of this. Please note the following:
Instead, of desiring eternal torment, Scripture testifies that sin is deceptive, and the devil is a deceiver
There are two types of sin. The first, as you stated, is deceptive like Eve being deceived into taking the fruit. The second type of sin is like Adam willfully taking the fruit. Eve could have asked Adam or God, but she saw that the fruit was good for food, a delight to the eyes, and had the desire to make her wise. She might not have been thinking about hell, but she certainly wanted that fruit. And she wasn't tricked. Had she to do it all over again she would have done the same thing. Adam didn't have to think about all of this to abandon the covenant he had with God. And the problem is that we're all like the sons of Adam.
People would like to excuse man's sinfulness (e.g. they don't know what they were doing, they're repentant, etc.). This fails to understand our very nature. It's not that we want hell. It's that we want to sin. And if hell is a consequence of our sin, then that's OK. That is our very nature and one the God has rescued all believers from. Yet even in our state of grace, we still want to sin. If you doubt this just try not sinning for a day and see how easily it is. After all, you have a choice don't you? And once you sin try to tell God the devil made you do it.
BTW-The book of Hebrews is an evangelistic call to the Jews. Hebrews 10 pleads with the Jews that they were keepers of the very things that foreshadowed the coming of Christ. Hebrews 10 ends with a reminder that the just shall live by faith, and then goes into Hebrews 11. I say this because Hebrews must be read in order and context. People erroneously jump all around Hebrews, pulling text clear out of context. I would suggest John MacArthur's excellent commentary on Hebrews.
Thanks for the exhortation brother. I am not sure where I have been inaccurate in this posting, and I am pretty sure what I have offered is accoding to scripture. There is a debate about whether or not Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus was a parable or not, but that is beyond the scope of what I have attempted here. I merely offered an insight into why it is that this generation is so oblivious to the whole concept of punishmnt,Hell,judgment and the wrath of God. Thanks again for encouraging me to search out the truth, it is my life’s quest.
When our nation's children are forced into godless government run schools they **must** think and reason godlessly. They must just to cooperate in the classroom. How could it be otherwise?
Well....forcing a religiously non-neutral godless worldview on children, and forcing taxpayers to pay for will effect everything in this nation, too. We are seeing the first fruits now.
Hmmm,would that include my #88? I would want to know if I'm not quoting properly.
If I was going to use a quote about perseverance, I would take the 23rd Psalms.
Psa 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men," (2 Corinthians 5:11) and only the elect are, yet the lost do not desire to go and experience Biblical Hell, and those who say they chose Hell desire a deception, while that most say (imagine) they will be in Heaven testifies to their desire. But like liberals who want a Garden of Eden without God and His laws (the gov. tree provides all while they smoke weed, etc.), the non-elect want the bliss of Heaven but not the main attraction. How much do we?
The rich man's request was NOT to get out of the torment to feast with Abraham. Rather his request was for a drop of water.
Lack of holy desire is not the same as desiring Biblical Hell, which is why he wanted water and for Lazarus to warn his brethren.
In the end, the lost desire deception, which is why they do not find the truth, God having granted repentance. "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. " (John 12:35)
"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. " (Romans 1:21)
Actually, what immediately precedes Lk. 16:19-31 is , "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. " (Luke 16:18)
In addition, the Lord does not connect this with the kingdom is being taken away from them and being given to a nation producing it’s fruits, which is in Mt. 21;43, but it does connect with
"No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. " (Luke 16:13) "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. " (Luke 16:17)
Lk. 16:19ff describes the eternal consequences of disobeying the law.
Moreover, i do not see Lk. 16:19-31 as a parable, which never have real names and use physical realities which corresponded to spiritual realities ("parabole" in Greek means a comparison). But if it were a parable and annihilationism is true, then it would be misleading, and for the first and only time the Lord would be using science fiction, as it has postmortem men conscious and communicative immediately after their death, which annihilationism rejects as a possibility until the resurrection.
In contrast, the Lord always used real known physical realities which correspond to real spiritual realities, but in your interpretation of this as a parable it has Him teaching a myth as a physical reality, for according to what annihilationism holds the dead know nothing, but the Lord has men presently dead but very much conscious.
Even if this is taken to be a parable which begins spiritually, which is never seen, it still would be using a mythical spiritual description if annihilationism is true, to illustrate another spiritual reality.
Instead, this account of two different postmortem experiences corresponds to what the Lord said elsewhere, that the lost will experience unquenchable fire, where their worm dieth not, so that one should pluck out his eye that causes him to sin rather than to go into it. (Mk. 9:43-48) But if if all this means is annihilationism then it makes a mockery of its deterrent effect . A Hugh Hefner could spend his life indulging in lusts and simply be burnt up at the end. Many would consider that worth it.
But those on the Lord's left hand will go into the same lake of fire as the devil, and who will be tormented forever and ever. (Mt. 25:41,46; Rv. 20:10-15; cf. 14:11) Conversely, the righteous elect will enjoy life eternal with their Lord is a place that is in contradistinction to the lake of fire in both experience and time. (Mt. 25:46; Rv. 21,22)
Thanks be to God for so great salvation.
Certainly the non-elect do not want God telling them what to do. Whether they want the bliss of Heaven is uncertain. I don't think they care and I think that's what this article points out. People just don't care if they sin or not. Lying, stealing, cheating on your wife, fill in the blank. It's all OK. They must be enlightened by God's Holy Spirit to the gospel truth.
I don't wish to sound cynical. This is simply our nature. For the un-elect, they cannot understand their behavior. As Christians if we can recognize this streak in us, then it becomes clear that we must guard against our sinful nature and repent daily.
Lack of holy desire is not the same as desiring Biblical Hell
I didn't say they desired hell. I said they enjoyed sinning. There is a difference.
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