Hell - When, Where, for How Long?

I asked everyone to leave the room so I could be alone with my father. When they were gone, I walked slowly over to the coffin and stared intently into the man’s face. Dead at fifty-four, his face was swollen and showed the telltale signs of a drunk. He had devoted his life to womanizing, drinking, and smoking. What pathetically little time he spent with his children was worse than worthless, to say the least — almost always drunk or on the way to getting drunk.

He was a superstitious man. He had once, years before, pointed to the “lifeline” on his hand and told me it ended at fifty-four years. I actually wonder if his pickled brain had programmed his burned out shell of a body to die on cue.

I especially looked at his lips, those lips that had poured out an acid flood of humiliating verbal attacks during my painful childhood. Those lips now stilled in interim silence. I looked at his hands, folded and motionless, those hands that had violently swung the leather belts, those hands that had aggressively pushed me around and manhandled me so many times.

I wept, and I knew that I needed to forgive him for my own sake and for the sake of those who would be touched by my life. I had to let go of the anger — a difficult task indeed. The tears flow freely even now, as I write these words.

But what about the destiny of my father; will he go to hell? If so, when, and for how long? Perhaps he repented and received God’s forgiveness in his last moments of consciousness, although I find that highly improbable. Of course, if he did, at some point I will meet him in heaven. How would I respond to him? How would he respond to me? Is he already in heaven looking down on me, or is he writhing in never-ending torment in some nether-worldly mental or physical hell. Is he a ghost with the ability to cross over and haunt me from his current abode whether heaven or hell?

Most Christians believe heaven is the final destination of God’s faithful followers. Many view heaven as a rather boring place where the filmy ghosts of dead people float around on clouds and play harps, or spend endless ages meditating in a sterile, non-stimulating environment. To state it plainly, the Bible does not teach any such thing.

The Bible clearly and straightforwardly teaches that God’s people will spend eternity right here on earth in a very material world with very material bodies. (See Isaiah 65:17-25; 11:5-9; Revelation 20, 21) The citizens of God’s eternal kingdom will plant beautiful gardens and vineyards, and enjoy adventures and employments so wonderful that we can hardly imagine them now. God will give us each a pre-built city mansion in the New Jerusalem and a country estate in the New Earth, which we can design, build, and landscape to our heart’s content. The most fabulous multi-million dollar estate on planet earth today doesn’t even begin to match up to the estates to be found on the new earth. Social life with one another and our familial relationship with Jesus and the Father will be the sweetest and most treasured aspect of our lives in that age of peace when “the meek shall inherit the earth.” (Psalm 37:11a)

In this chapter, we are going to see what the Bible says about the long-awaited day when God’s people finally inherit their recreated earth. We will also watch, through our imagination’s eye, as God finally blots from existence all those who are unwilling to live by the principles of His kingdom.

According to the Bible, the resurrection of the saved to eternal life occurs at the second coming of Jesus. This commences our 1,000-year heavenly vacation. “And they (the saved) lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4b) However, the resurrection of the damned to face judgment and destruction in the penal fires of hell occurs 1,000 years later.

Malachi 4:2 implies that during the 1,000-year interlude spent in heaven, God’s people will grow up to their full, originally intended stature. (Please note that according to Genesis 6:4, pre-flood humans were giants. Sin’s consequences on the physical world has degenerated all creation including humans in size. The fossil record reveals that nature was filled with giants in the animal and insect world of the past with everything from giant beavers to giant dragonflies. Much of creation, including man, and even some plants rapidly degenerated in size during the first few post-flood centuries of earth’s history.)

1^st Corinthians 6:2-3 states that we will judge wicked angels and men (during the millennium). In essence then, the millennium between the two resurrections will be a sort of “working vacation” for the redeemed. We will “go to school” in preparation for our inheritance of the new earth.

At the end of the millennial interlude, God will destroy the unrepentant people of all the ages together with the evil angels in a fiery conflagration that will engulf the entire earth. That event is what the Bible refers to as “hell fire,” or “the lake of fire.” (Mark 9:47; Revelation 20:15) After that closure on the sin problem, God will recreate the earth anew and repopulate it with the millions of repatriated loyalists who have fully renounced rebellion against His government. Also at that time, God will transfer His rainbow-enshrouded throne, the regal courts of heaven, and the celestial city New Jerusalem to earth. (The vast size of the city of New Jerusalem is astonishing. According to Revelation 21:16, the circumference of the city is about 1,400 miles or about the size of the state of Colorado — plenty of room there to hold comfortably all of the redeemed of all the ages.)In essence, the beautiful earth itself will become “heaven” and New Jerusalem the eternal capital of God’s universal kingdom. Our loving Father actually wants to live with us, comfort us, and nurture us! (See Revelation 21:3-7)

Please take your Bible and read Revelation 19:11-21 and all of chapters 20-22. This will support the assertions that you have just read and will give you an overall context for what we are about to discuss. In particular, this will help to clarify the difference between the first and second resurrections and the first and second deaths. Some of chapter nineteen is in symbolic language and the meaning may not seem clear at first. We will clarify every point as we progress. The points on the first and second resurrections (and the “second death” of the damned) are straightforward and easily understood. It is helpful to note that verses 11-21 in Revelation chapter 19 are an allegorical reference to the second coming of Jesus. Please read Revelation 19:11-21 and all of chapters 20-22 now.

Assuming you have read the passage, let’s focus on the first and second resurrections. We will also review the “second death” which only the wicked will suffer. Let’s begin with Revelation 20:4b-6a.

^{“And they [the saved] lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.”}

The first resurrection is described in numerous Bible passages as taking place at the second coming of Jesus; therefore, we see without a doubt that the “thousand years” begins at the second coming. The following verses taken together add further helpful information.

^{“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” “The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”}Matthew 24:27; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; John 5:28, 29

The vigorous language here declares a thrilling resurrection to life of sleeping human souls (human beings), whose names are on record in the Lamb’s Book of Life. “Thy dead [men] shall live, [together with] my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust.” (Isaiah 26:19a) We also see another group mentioned here, “they that have done evil,” come up in a separate “resurrection of damnation.” We will discuss that second resurrection too as we proceed.

The energetic language also indicates that the second coming of Jesus will be a very loud and universally visible event likened to lightning spread from east to west and with an earth-shaking shout and trumpet. This obviously does not describe a secret rapture. The notion of a so-called secret rapture is not found in the Bible. That is a modern invention first developed by Edward Irving (1792-1834) in the early nineteenth century. “Irving, [is] the acknowledged forerunner of both the Pentecostal and charismatic movements.”¹ Irving built his theory upon the fabricated Jesuit doctrine of futurism.

The Jesuit Francisco Ribera (1537-1591) had reinvented an obscure concoction called futurism as a Counter-Reformation tactic.² Ribera’s purpose was to throw the spotlight off the Roman Catholic papacy as the primary earthly manifestation of antichrist. Why? Because all of the sixteenth-century Protestant reformers believed and taught, through careful Bible study, that the papacy is the primary earthly manifestation of antichrist in Bible prophecy. During the great Protestant Reformation, the whole Protestant world believed that the papacy is the primary earthly manifestation of antichrist. They were right! The antichrist is not some mysterious future figure as yet unidentified. The antichrist is already here and has been for 1,500 years — the antichrist is the papacy.

The English theologian John Darby planted Ribera’s futuristic teachings in America in the mid nineteenth century. Following that, Cyris Ingerson Scofield published a reference Bible containing footnotes saturated with the fabricated teachings of futurism. The early twentieth century saw millions of copies of Scofield’s Reference Bible distributed by door-to-door colporteur salesmen in America, especially in the south. Few American Protestants are aware of the tainted Jesuit Counter-Reformation history of this insidious and wholly unbiblical teaching and its outgrowth, the false notion of a secret rapture.

Okay, we’ve established from the New Testament that the second coming will be a loud event and that there is no such thing as a secret rapture. The word rapture isn’t even in the Bible. The people left behind at the second coming won’t remain alive. The people left behind at the time of the Genesis flood died a violent death in the catastrophe and the people left behind in Sodom and Gomorrah died a violent death in that catastrophe. Likewise the people left behind at the return of Jesus will die a violent death. The catastrophic fiery brightness of the second coming will destroy them.

“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luke 17:26-30)

Now let’s look at an Old Testament prophecy of the second coming, which also pictures an extremely loud and traumatic scene. In this scene, a vast earthquake shakes the whole earth into a staggering lurch, which makes it “reel to and fro like a drunkard”.

“The windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones [that are] on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, [as] prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.”(Isaiah 24:18b-23; See also^{Revelation 6:12-17)}

The first seven words in the above passage (“The windows from on high are open”) is a reference to the second coming of Jesus in the clouds. Please notice that the wicked “shall be gathered together, [as] prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.” This is a reference to the thousand years of desolation between the first and second resurrections.

Holman’s Christian Standard Bible is an especially clear modern translation of this passage. It reads as follows, “On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven above [Satan and fallen angels] and kings of the earth below [wicked people]. They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon; after many days they will be punished.”

The “many days” is the thousand years. The statement that “after many days shall they be visited” or “punished” is a reference to the return of Christ at the end of the 1,000 years. At that time the second resurrection will occur, the resurrection of the damned to face judgment and execution in the fires of hell. The earth will have lain desolate for 1,000 years with the dead bodies of the wicked remaining in their graves or those killed by the brightness of Christ’s second coming strewn all over the earth. The wicked angels, including Satan, will have been temporarily stripped of power and confined or imprisoned upon the desolate earth for the entire 1,000 years to view and ponder the results of their rebellion and to await with foreboding their certain, imminent doom. Finally, “the LORD of hosts shall reign.”

Isaiah’s prophecy stating, “Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously” corresponds with Revelation 21:23, which says, “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.” These passages both refer to conditions on the new earth when God comes to dwell with His children.

Now let’s ask the next logical question in our Bible study. “What will be the fate of those who do not come up in the first resurrection?”

“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power. . . . whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” “This is the second death.” (Revelation 20:5, 6a, 15, 14b)

This “second death” is the complete annihilation of all those whom God foreknows to be “vessels of wrath fit for destruction.” (Romans 9:22) The disloyal are destroyed “both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) God deletes the name, the very identity, the individual genetic code of each incorrigible rebel from the records of heaven, and they will literally cease to exist permanently. (See Revelation 22:19; Exodus 32:33; Psalm 69:28; Malachi 4:1-3; Romans 8:13; 1^st Corinthians 3:17; Hebrews 2:14; 2^nd Peter 3:7-14)

The punitive fires of hell are not currently burning in some “twilight zone” somewhere. God will light that fire upon this very earth at the end of the millennium. (See Revelation 20:5-15) Hell’s fiery destruction will consume the wicked, root and branch — Satan the root and his followers the branches. They will become ashes upon the earth in the sight of the redeemed who will be watching from the walls of the New Jerusalem. God will also completely burn up the earth and its disease-laden atmosphere in those cleansing fires. Afterward He, the original Creator of the universe, will take the disinfected matter and restore the earth to its pristine primeval glory. That recreated earth will be free from the taint of sin’s pollutions and infections. “Affliction shall not rise up the second time.” (Nahum 1:9b) Revelation chapters 20-22 portray this scenario. 2^nd Peter 3 also clarifies this thrilling scenario with clear and straightforward language.

“There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2^{ndPeter 3:3-14)}

After reading that passage, you may be a bit perplexed about the time frame for the second coming and the cleansing fires of hell. Revelation 20-22 is clear that there is a 1,000-year period separating the two events, but a cursory reading of 2^{nd Peter 3 seems to say that both events occur at the same time. The key to clearing that confusion is in 2nd Peter 3:8. Let’s review verse eight. “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” This verse simply means that in God’s mind, and for all intents and purposes, the last destruction begins at the second coming and is finished at the end of the millennium. Sheets of fire will scorch the earth at the second coming as a precursor of the lake of fire that will fully disinfect the earth at the end of the millennium.}

God did not have a beginning — He has existed from everlasting eons and will continue to exist for all eternity without end, therefore the thousand years is as nothing from God’s perspective — it is nothing more than a wink or a moment’s breath in His purview of “time.” The Bible never lies and it never contradicts itself. Revelation is clear on the 1,000-year time lapse between the second coming and the final destruction. 2^nd Peter 3:8 harmonizes Peter’s account with that of John the Revelator.

Actually, Revelation 19:11-21 might also seem to indicate that the second coming and the fires of hell occur as one event. John’s description there mirrors Peter’s description in 2^nd Peter 3. However, John then makes it clear in chapter 20 that there will be a thousand year pause between the commencement and the conclusion of this cleansing event. I want to give you an attention-grabbing illustration that might help you understand this point so the following illustration is all in caps!

THE THOUSAND-YEAR INTERLUDE IS LIKE AN INTERMISSION DURING A SPECTACULAR STAGE-PLAY. WHEN YOU RETAKE YOUR SEAT AFTER THE INTERMISSION, THE PLAY, BEGUN EARLIER, WILL CONTINUE AND CONCLUDE.

Earth’s last battle, the Battle of Armageddon, will be a worldwide conflict, not limited to some obscure valley in Palestine. It is a spiritual battle between Christ’s kingdom and the end-time beast powers of earth. Christ’s followers, the remnant, will not be using literal material weapons in this battle. Their weapon is the Word of God, the Bible! Because their enemies cannot refute the plain teachings of Scripture, they will seek to destroy the Remnant. Virtually, the whole world will unite with a purpose to annihilate God’s faithful Remnant of believers. Jesus will dramatically rescue the Remnant at His second coming. Revelation 13-19 describes this whole series of events in partly allegorical and partly literal language. This last battle begins just before the second coming. It pauses at the onset of the millennium because the brightness of Christ’s second coming kills all the wicked combatants. This is a sleep-death for them but not permanent annihilation. God will then hold Satan under house arrest on this devastated, carcass-strewn earth for a thousand years by divine judicial verdict.

“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” Revelation 20:2-3

The fearsome battle reignites at the end of the millennium when God resurrects the wicked and looses Satan from his bonds for a brief period. It is as they surround the New Jerusalem (“the camp of the saints”) and prepare to attack it that fire rains down and destroys them. You should be able to see the framework of that scenario now from the passages that you have already read.

Please note that Revelation 20:7-10; 20:11-15; and 21:1, 2 are each presenting information about the same time period and are not to be understood as a flowing chronological sequence of events. Each is a presentation of the same chronological scene from a little different perspective and with extra information unique to each description. John does not begin each of these three descriptions with the simple statement “then,” but rather with “then I saw.” This is a clue to help us understand that each thing he saw was a different perspective of the same events. Therefore, “New Jerusalem,” “the beloved city,” and “the camp of the saints” are all references to the same city. The following chronological end-time sequence of events should give you a clear picture of the sequence.

Chronological End-Time Sequence of Events

• Judgment ongoing in heaven today investigating the names contained in the book of life. Some names are blotted out and some retained.

• Investigation of names in book of Life closes as Gospel is finally witnessed to the whole world.

• Probation closes and all destinies are permanently sealed for either heaven or hell.

• Seven last plagues fall in rapid succession.

• Jesus returns, resurrects all the sleeping saints and translates the living Remnant to heaven with them. He gives them new, youthful bodies and grants permanent access to the tree of life. The sleep of the saints has seemed to them to last only an instant. We are comforted knowing that they have been completely unaware of the passing of time.

• The brightness of the second coming destroys the last remaining wicked people.

• God strips Satan and his demonic horde of power and binds them to the devastated carcass strewn earth for 1000 years with nothing to do but view the results of their rebellion and tremble for their coming doom.

• Resurrected and translated saints begin 1000-year “vacation” in heaven, reunited with loved ones and friends, growing up, going to school, and investigating (“judging”) the lives of everyone who has ever lived.

• At end of thousand years, New Jerusalem descends to earth and settles on a plain specially prepared by Jesus. (See Zechariah 14:4) The gates of the city remain shut.

• God resurrects the wicked dead for judgment and punishment. They “stand before God” in resurrected bodies. (Revelation 20:12)

• Satan and his horde are loosed to deceive the wicked.

• Satan and the wicked prepare to attack the camp of the saints the beloved city New Jerusalem.

• Jesus halts their advance, their mental torments begin and fire rains down upon them. Finally, the whole world is engulfed in a vast molten sea, with only the New Jerusalem being specially protected. At last, all traces of sin and sinners are completely gone. Satan, who suffers the longest, is finally wholly destroyed. The fire completely sterilizes the entire earth and its atmosphere.

• The fire goes out and God recreates the earth anew. It is a pristine environment without the slightest taint of disease or decay present.

• God the Father and Christ the King come to dwell permanently on earth with their children, the redeemed human race.

• A glorious eternity of peace, love and happiness is the reward of God’s redeemed children.

The Greek Aion Sometimes Refers to Time Periods with a Definite End

Now let’s reemphasize and expand a major point that we looked at in chapter 1. In describing the torment of the lost at the final judgment, the New King James Bible translates the last words of Revelation 20:10 to say, “And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” The King James also uses this term “for ever and ever” as do many other English translations. The English translators deduced the word “forever” from the Greek aiōnōs. Aiōnōs (the plural form of aion) is an idiomatic expression, which simply means ages or periods of time. Aiōnōs sometimes refers to eternity without end, but not always. It depends on the subject with which it is associated. In fact, Scripture often uses aion and its variants, to denote a time period with a beginning and an end.

There are many different nuances of meaning inherent in aion. The New Testament demonstrates this by the many ways it translates the word. Here are some examples: “age” (Ephesians 2:7; Colossians 1:26), “eternal” (Ephesians 3:11; 1^st Timothy 1:17), “ever” (Matthew 21:19; Luke 1:55). Aion even translates as a negative, “never” as in Mark 3:29 and John 4:14. Aion and its plural form aiōnōs are also translated “world,” in the King James Bible as we shall see in a moment.

The New Testament uses aion or aiōnōs when referring to an age or ages with a beginning and an end. Let’s read some statements Jesus made when speaking of this present “world” or “age.” In each of the following Bible texts, aion and aiōnōs refer to periods of time that will come to a definite end!

“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age-[^{[aion] ] or in the} [age] ^{-[[aion] ] to come.” Matthew 12:32 NKJV}

“Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world-[^{[aiōnōs] ] and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful”} Matthew 13:22

“The harvest is the end of the world-[^{[aiōnōs] ].”Matthew 13:39b}

^{“As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world-[[aiōnōs] ].”} Matthew 13:40)

“So it will be at the end of the age-[^{[aiōnōs] ]. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:49, 50 NKJV}

Clearly, Jesus’ reference to this aiōnōs-world/age is a reference to something that will end. He says so plainly in the repeated phrases “the end of the aiōnōs” and “the end of this aiōnōs.” Especially notice that even though aiōnōs is the plural form of aion, it nevertheless comes to an end! This will be especially important to remember when we take a closer look at Revelation 20:10 shortly.

Apĕrantŏs is the Greek word for endless. Apĕrantŏs is NEVER used in the Bible to describe the torment of the wicked in hell. Let me say it again. The Bible NEVER uses the terms endless, never-ending, or unending to describe the torment of the wicked in hell. That’s right — never!

The end of this world or age (aiōnōs) is when sin and its terrible consequences come to a final end. Therefore, according to Jesus’ statements, this present aiōnōs is limited to a predetermined period of time, after which it will give way to a new aiōnōs. That new aiōnōs will be everlasting for both the redeemed and the damned. The redeemed will enjoy “everlasting life” freed from sin and its sufferings. (John 3:36; 5:24) The damned will be obliterated into an everlasting “second death” because they refused to separate from sin when they had the opportunity. (Revelation 21:8)

The adjective “eternal” (aiōniŏs) appears in the New Testament dozens of times. It sometimes qualifies nouns denoting acts or processes. Some examples are “eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12), “eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9), “eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:2), “eternal destruction” (2^{nd Thessalonians 1:9) and “eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46).}

It is clear from Scripture that eternal redemption does not mean eternal redeeming, and eternal salvation does not mean eternal saving. Jesus Christ secured our salvation and redemption 2,000 years ago by His atoning death on the cross. Christ will not continually shed His blood through an eternal, never-ending act of crucifixion. Hebrews 9:28a states “Christ was ONCE offered to bear the sins of many.” Verses 25 and 26 explicitly state that He is not being repeatedly sacrificed again and again.

We conclude that while Christ’s act of securing our salvation (redeeming) was completed in a fixed, limited period of time, the effects are eternal. God’s redeemed children will enjoy the benefits of eternal (never-ending) redemption and salvation. In like manner, if we are consistent in our Biblical interpretation, we must acknowledge that eternal judgment is not eternal judging, eternal destruction is not eternal destroying, and eternal punishment is not eternal punishing. God “hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world.” (Acts 17:31a; See also Malachi 4:1-3) The acts or processes of judgment, destruction, and punishment happen in a fixed period of time, but the results are eternal and irreversible. For the sake of precision, let’s add two qualifiers to the facts we just mentioned:

(1) Christ is continually mediating the redemptive merits of His shed blood and perfect life for His people. But mediating the merits of His blood is not to be misunderstood as continually shedding blood.

(2) Judging, punishing, and destroying do not happen in an instant for those who come up in the second resurrection. Some wicked “shall be beaten with few stripes” and some “shall be beaten with many stripes.” (Luke 12:47b, 48a) Simply put, justice will demand, for example, that Satan’s punishment be far more severe and much longer lasting than those under him. Nevertheless, the Bible says that even he will eventually become “ashes upon the earth.” (Ezekiel 28:18)

Now let’s look at Revelation 20:10, which says, “And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (NKJV) The Greek word translated “forever” and “ever” is aiōnōs, the same word used in reference to this temporary “world” or “age” in other New Testament passages, as we have already noted.

What this passage actually says is “aiōnas of the aiōnōn,” (ages of the ages). This compound expression occurs in other Bible passages as eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn, literally, “unto the ages of the ages.” In each of those cases, it refers to the endless existence of God or Christ. However, we must understand the meaning to be endless existence in those passages, because the phrase is associated with God and Christ Who, as divinity, have never-ending existence by nature. God is “the only One who has immortality.” (1^st Timothy 6:16) When the same or similar language is associated with the punishment and destroying of disobedient humans and demons in hell, we must understand the duration of the ages to be limited to the nature of the hell-fire event, which other places in Scripture describe as having a beginning and an end. The expression itself simply means ages in a plural sense, but not necessarily unending ages. I repeat, the length of the ages is determined not by the expression itself but by that with which it is associated. There are specific and limited ages of time set apart for the torments and fires of hell to do their punishing and cleansing work. Nothing can quench those fires until that work is completed.

As already noted, Jesus Himself said numerous times that our present age- aiōnōs would eventually end. For example, in Matthew 13:40 Jesus said, “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age-[ aiōnōs].” We can pluralize the present age and view it as a period of ages if we wish. But it is still a limited period of time that will come to an eventual end. For example, historians refer to certain periods as the middle Ages, or Dark-Ages. Those ages did not last forever — they ended as we entered the modern age.

Did Jesus say that the tares would be burned in the fire at the end of this “forever”? That would be a nonsensical statement. He unmistakably said at the end of this age or period of ages- aiōnōs. When we look at Revelation 20:10 with that understanding, we see that hell-fire will commence at the end of this period of ages- aiōnōs and will burn unto the commencement of the following period of ages- aiōnōs. This present age or period of ages will end in fire, which will eventually go out and be followed by another period of ages that will never end.

Bible Scholar John Stott makes a thought-provoking point about history’s two ages from which we can draw some insight.

The Bible divides history into two ages or eons. From the Old Testament perspective they were called “the present age” (which was evil) and “the age to come” (which would be the time of the Messiah). The Bible also teaches that Jesus Christ is that long-awaited Messiah, and that therefore the new age began when [He] came. At the same time, the old age has not yet come to an end. So for the time being, the two ages overlap. . . . Only when Christ comes in glory will the present overlap the end. The old age will finally vanish, and the new age will be consummated.³

Stott’s statement offers insight into the meaning of Revelation 20:10’s language that the torment of the wicked in hell’s fires will last “to the ages of the ages.” Stott said, “Only when Christ comes in glory will the present overlap the end. The old age will finally vanish, and the new age will be consummated.” We might add a qualifier to his statement; the consummation will not be complete until the last sinner (Satan himself) is finally reduced to ashes on the earth and the earth itself is then recreated anew. At that point, sin and its consequent suffering and death will cease to exist in God’s creation. (See Revelation 21:1-4) With this understanding, we can see that the torment of the wicked in hell will last from the end of the ages of sin to the dawn of the unlimited ages of eternity when sin and sinners cease to exist.

The destroying fires of hell will last for each lost individual and for the earth, from the beginning of the ages to the end of the ages that God has predetermined them to last. Not “forever and ever”, but aiōnas of the aiōnōn or from the beginning to the end of the predetermined ages of punishment within the unlimited ages of eternity.

When speaking of the torments of hell the Bible writers did NOT use any Greek words that can translate into the English phrase never ending. The expression never ending simply is not found anywhere in any passage describing the punishment of the wicked in the fires of hell.

Properly understood, “ages of the ages” could last many days, a thousand days, a thousand years, or eternity without end. It all depends on the purpose God intends a given period of ages to fulfill. In this case, the purpose for the specified ages is to mete out penal justice upon the guilty rebels. Justice for the incorrigible rebels involves a period of confrontation, followed by suffering, and culminating in execution and permanent eradication.

According to perfect justice, each individual suffers torment according to the magnitude of his own sins, no more and no less. Some suffer longer than others before dying the “second death.”

“And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes].” Luke 12:47, 48

Perhaps the strongest Biblical proof that hell’s fires will have both a beginning and an end is that Revelation 20 describes the penal fires of hell and its torments as occurring upon the surface of the earth. Chapter 21 then tells us that this old sin-contaminated earth will pass away and God will create a fresh new earth out of the disinfected elements. That fact alone is powerful evidence that the aiōnōs-ages described in Revelation 20:10 will eventually end and give way to the unending ages of eternity in a purified universe free from sin and sinners. The earth will burn as long as necessary to disinfect it completely of sin’s contamination before the fires go out and the earth is recreated fresh and new. Let’s review the passage describing hell and its aftermath briefly so you can see the clear sequence of events and their location.

“When the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth . . . to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone . . . and shall be tormented day and night unto the ages of the ages. . . . I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. . . . And death and [the grave] 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. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. . . . I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.”Revelation 20:7-15; 21:1-5

Oh my friend, the Bible really does make sense as it explains the ultimate end of sin and the glorious future God has planned for His loyal trusting children. The heavenly court is in session. The books are open. The judgment is now taking place. I want to help as many people as I can to claim their inheritance of eternal life before their case is closed in the heavenly court. Have you made your claim? Do you have the Advocate making your plea for you? If you don’t claim it, you won’t get it! And the only way your claim will be accepted is if you have Jesus Christ as your Advocate!

“And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”(1^stJohn 2:1-2 NKJV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

“By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth . . . Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”Acts 4:10b, 12

Okay, now let’s look at Matthew 25:46 again, but from a slightly different perspective than we did earlier. We will begin by again asking the question, “Should eternal (final) punishment, which implies a permanent end, be equated with eternal punishing, which implies permanent suffering?”

Speaking of the lost, Jesus said, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.” (Matthew 25:46a) Again, in the same passage, He says, “but the righteous into life eternal.” (vs. 46b) The Greek adjective translated “everlasting” and “eternal” there in the King James Version is aiōniōs in both cases. The nature of eternal life means that it will never end. Jesus also meant that the punishment of the lost will be never-ending as well, because He used the same word, aiōniōs to describe both. We must conclude then that the lost go to everlasting or eternal punishment. Misunderstanding arises, though, when some Bible students approach this text with the idea that eternal punishment is equivalent to eternal punishing.

Some people claim that eternal punishment involves eternal consciousness, and that death cannot be a form of punishment. The 19^th century traditionalist William Shedd put it this way: “the extinction of consciousness is not of the nature of punishment.”⁴ And 21^st century traditionalist Alan Gomes adds, “If suffering is lacking, so is punishment; punishment entails suffering. But suffering entails consciousness.”⁵

Well, just because Mr. Gomes and Mr. Shedd say something is so doesn’t make it so! They are entitled to their opinion, but that’s all it is, an opinion. The question then is, “Does punishment involve never-ending suffering or can it involve a period of suffering ending with death?” The World Book Dictionary, 1971 edition, defines punishment as “pain, suffering, or loss.” This is exactly what Jesus promises to the unrepentant wicked. He promises them first mental anguish, followed by physical pain and permanent loss of life by fire.

Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary definition of punishment actually uses the death penalty as an illustration. When defining the word punish, Webster says, “The law requires murderers to be punished with death.” In fact, the specific definition of punish stated there is, “To afflict with pain, loss or calamity for a crime or fault.” What is death if not the ultimate “loss”? Death is not eternal punishing but it is eternal punishment.

Please allow me to illustrate my point: I once knew a man who was executed by the state of Louisiana in the electric chair. Many years before, I had sat behind that very man in a Bible class in college. I was always amazed to observe him cheating on his tests in class. I wondered how a man studying for the ministry could rationalize cheating on tests, in Bible class of all places. Years later, he was convicted of murdering four people. Perhaps this horrible crime was the end result of repeatedly violating his conscience. Louisiana punished that murderer, and the effect of his punishment is permanent, so far as this world is concerned.⁶

Certainly, the state of Louisiana is not still punishing that man. He is not still sitting strapped in the execution chair, wired with electrodes to his shaved head and bare feet, and being jolted with a continual, never-ending surge of electricity. The electricity did its job, and the punishing came to an end years ago. Nevertheless, the punishment cannot be reversed; it endures forever, as far as this world is concerned. That murderer is dead! If he were still writhing in that electric chair today, we would likely conclude that Louisiana is exercising a form of “cruel and unusual punishment” on him in violation of our national laws.

God is not a tyrannical terrorist who torments lost people forever without end. Remember, God, because His very nature is love, suffers with His suffering creation. He is a just and merciful Father who will punish each incorrigible rebel according to the degree of his/her evil deeds, and then will extinguish them forever, utterly eradicating even their very identity. They will have “no rest day nor night” until they die the “second death” — the death from which they will never awaken. (Revelation 14:11b; 20:14; 21:8) The Bible says, “into smoke they shall vanishaway.” (Psalm 37:20b NKJV) (italics supplied)

Speaking of the “great harlot” of Revelation, the Bible predicts that ultimately “she shall be utterly burned with fire… and shall be found no more at all.” (Revelation 18:8, 21) But the Bible is equally emphatic that even though she is to “be found no more at all” (utterly eradicated) “her smoke rises up forever and ever.” (Revelation 19:3 NKJV)

John the Revelator derived his phrase about smoke rising up “forever and ever” from Isaiah 34:10. The context in Isaiah 34 disproves any assertion about endless burning. Isaiah prophesied that “the sword of the Lord” would fall upon the idolatrous city of Bozrah. The prophecy foretold, “The land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste.”

Through Jeremiah, God clarifies the meaning of the prophecies of Isaiah in the following words: “I have sworn by Myself, saith the Lord, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.” (Jeremiah 49:13)

Bozrah is not still burning, and it was never rebuilt. Therefore, we must understand Isaiah to mean that the fires would not go out day or night until they had completed their destructive work. Isaiah’s language mirrors the language of Revelation 14:11, which indicates that the incorrigible rebels whom God will destroy in the cleansing fires of the last day will endure the same fate as Bozrah: They will “have no rest day nor night” until their just punishment and destruction is complete and they die the “second death.” At that point, they entirely consume into smoke and “vanish away.” God’s Word in Isaiah clearly proves that the fire will not burn forever and ever.

Several dozen times, the Bible uses the word “forever” for things that have already come to an end. For example, when Paul wrote to Philemon regarding his returning runaway servant Onesimus, he counseled Philemon to “receive him forever.” (Philemon 15) The Greek word there translated “forever” is the adjective aiōniŏs, which derives from the nounaion. Obviously, aion only meant for as long as they both lived. As soon as one of them died, “forever” ended. So when Revelation 20:10 says that the lost “will be tormented day and night forever and ever,” it means that they will have no rest day or night until their punishment has been fully meted out.

“God . . . will render to each one according to his deeds.” (Romans 2:5b, 6 NKJV) God will destroy some quickly, as in a moment, while others will suffer many days. Satan is going to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but also for all the sins, which he has caused God’s people to commit. His punishment will be far greater than the punishment of those whom he has deceived. After all his sympathizers have perished in the flames, he will continue to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch — Satan the root, his followers the branches. The wicked endure God’s vengeance on “the surface of the earth,”not in some mysterious nether world. (Revelation 20:9a HCSB)

“Then shall ye [Jesus] return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. 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. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do [this], saith the LORD of hosts.”Malachi 3:18; 4:1-3

According to this Bible passage, the day “that shall burn as an oven” is not here yet, instead it “cometh” in the future. When that day arrives, the full penalty of the law will hammer down upon the wicked, the demands of justice will punish and destroy them as the redeemed and holy angels watch.

Satan has carried out his perverse will for thousands of years, filling the earth with woe and causing grief throughout the universe. The whole creation has groaned and travailed together in pain. Finally, God delivers His precious family from Satan’s presence and temptations. Satan is finished! “The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they [the righteous] break forth into singing.” (Isaiah 14:7)

Ezekiel 26 and 27 describe the wealth, power, arrogance, and wickedness of the ancient King of Tyre. Each of those chapters ends with a prediction of his final destruction. Chapter 28 then uses that wicked king allegorically as a representation of Lucifer before opening a prophetic monologue explicitly naming Lucifer. That prophecy ends with a prediction of Lucifer’s (Satan’s) ultimate extinction. Holman’s Christian Standard Bible translates verse 19 very explicitly: “You have become an object of horror and will never exist again.” (Ezekiel 28:19b HCSB) Now let’s briefly review verses 18 and 19 from the King James Version to see what God says to Lucifer about his ultimate fate.

“Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never [shalt] thou [be] any more.” Ezekiel 28:18-19

According to this passage, Lucifer (Satan) will be devoured by fire, become nothing more than ashes, and will cease to exist any more. Furthermore, this hell-fire event will take place upon the earth, not in some mysterious, unseen dimension. That terrible but necessary event will have both a beginning and an end. Its results will be everlasting.

God will destroy “the vessels of wrath” at the appropriate time. (Romans 9:22) Why will He destroy them? Because that is the only way to bring about a just end to their rebellion and is the only way to ensure that they no longer infect His perfect creation. They will cease to exist and will not be allowed to harm the loyal subjects of His Kingdom. But even that act of destroying is referred to in Scripture as a strange act for the God of Love to perform.

“For the LORD shall rise up . . . he shall be wroth . . . that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.” Isaiah 28:21

Dear Friend, Please consider that Jesus left the glories of Paradise and came to this world to suffer humiliation, loneliness, hunger, pain and death in order to save you from eternal destruction. He didn’t have to do it, but He did do it because He loves you deeply. Would you leave the security and warmth of Paradise to suffer a humiliating death at the hands of your enemies in order that your demonstration of love might change some of their minds and bring them into fellowship and friendship with you?

Please consider this from God the Father’s perspective. Would you be willing to send the most beloved person in your life (your child, wife, or husband) far away for 33 years and then watch him/her being beaten, spit upon, humiliated and brutally murdered? Would you be willing to do that even for a dear friend? God made that incredible sacrifice for you. Imagine the tremendous grief and pain that must have pierced His great heart of love as He watched the intense suffering of His only divine Son. Imagine the ever-present pain of the long 33 year separation.

God’s love for you is so strong that He even invites you to come to Him before you repent. You aren’t even capable of repenting without His help, so He invites you to come just as you are, all stained with the sins of your life. Don’t look to your feelings. Feelings are fickle and changeable. Just say, “I will, I repent” and He will give you strength as you move forward putting one foot in front of the other. Will you do it? He will wash you and make you clean and will put the power of love in your heart. Love is the greatest power in the universe and it alone can lead you to repentance and eternal life.

To transform the human heart, to cause us to love the purity we once hated and hate the sin we once loved, is the work of God alone. Without the use of force or violence, Christ brings our human will into harmony with the will of God, bringing about an amazing transformation of character. This change of thoughts, feelings and interests must take place in the life of every one who passes through the gates of the city of God.

I began this chapter with a scene from my life — my thoughts and feelings on the day of my father’s funeral. I asked the questions, “But what about the destiny of my father; will he go to hell? If so, when, and for how long? Perhaps he repented and received God’s forgiveness in his last moments of consciousness. Of course, if he did, at some point I will meet him in heaven. How will I respond to him? How would he respond to me?”

The answer is simple. If my father and I meet again in heaven, we will doubtlessly weep together for the suffering and separation that sin and selfishness have caused. And we will embrace, love, and serve one another unselfishly forever as brothers in Christ. How do I know this? Because the very presence of my father in heaven will prove that before he died, his heart and motives were fully transformed by the love and power of Christ. No practicing narcissist will ever be allowed entrance into Christ’s kingdom, but there will be some former narcissists there whose hearts were fully changed.

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1^{stCorinthians 6:9-11}

Growing up I never knew what it was like to experience the love of a father so I determined that I would learn how a father’s love felt by giving fatherly love to my children. I especially shared that love and commitment with my younger children. My father never said “I love you” to me when I was a child. He never hugged me, never read a story to me, never prayed with me, and never took me to church. The only songs I ever heard him sing were drinking songs like “Make the World Go Away” and such-like. I was ashamed of my father for the time he and his brother got into a drunken wrestling match in the woods with their suits and ties on, ruining their suits. For the times he had sex with the 15 year old baby sitter (my 17 year old cousin’s wife) while my mother was in the hospital, for sleeping with his best friends wife and my mother’s brother’s wife. I could go on but I guess I’ve said enough!

My father utterly failed as a parent. I determined that I would do everything just the opposite of my father. And in many ways I did avoid making the same mistakes my father made. I rejected alcohol and drugs and I never committed adultery. (Well, in my thoughts a few times I did.) I never ridiculed or shamed my children and I never called them names, degrading, shameful names like my father did to me. My father neglected me but I spent a lot of time with my children. In fact I dedicated my life especially to my younger children. And yet I failed at times. I even spanked some of my children more sharply than I should have. Not very often, but it did happen. And a few times I spoke in anger or too sharply.

I had a very close relationship with my oldest daughter Amy. She, being my firstborn was a wonder to me. It was love at first sight! I remember taking her outdoors on a beautiful fall day when she was just a few weeks old. I held her in my arms and talked to her about the awesome and wonderful God that created her and gave her to me. I pointed her to the cotton-ball clouds in the sky and the beautiful nature all around us that day in the country.

She probably couldn’t see it all very well and she could barely even hold her little head up but her eyes got so wide and her mouth fell open in awe as I expressed the wonderment of the beautiful creation God had made as an expression of love. It was an experience I will never forget. And Amy, even though she was too young then to recall the experience now, the memory still resides somewhere in the recesses of her mind and still exerts an influence on her to this very day. I love her so, and yet I have failed her at times. How can I expect to be forgiven by God for my failures if I’m unwilling to forgive my earthly father and unwilling to reconcile with him should we meet in heaven?

^{“I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Matthew 5:44-46}

I do forgive my father for his selfish neglect and habitual abuse, but I have no evidence to suggest that he ever repented. Nevertheless, I do hope that he had a complete change of heart before he died. The future has many surprises awaiting those of us who escape “the wrath to come.” (Luke 3:7b; See also, 1 Thess 1:9-10 NKJV) Yes the wrath is Hell is burning yet!

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