HELLFIRE vs UNIVERSAL RECONCILIATION
2-25-2019
Is
there a particular dimension called “Hell” that was created by God with the
intent to eternally punish the unsaved sinner?
Many think so although they cannot produce any solid evidence to back up
their belief.
After
reading three articles supporting the existence of “hell” from various
scriptural texts, it occurred to me the major flaw of those supporting a fiery
hell is their blindness to other important but personally unknown biblical
doctrines including: Universal Reconciliation;
the order of resurrections along with the prerequisites for the first
resurrection; and the Greek words, with their definitions, translated as
“hell”.
Two Resurrections
The
two resurrections, separated by a thousand years, have been adequately discussed
in previous posts. The qualifications
for the first resurrection, as presented in the Revelation, are listed in the
paragraph below:
Revelation
20:4-6 NET
Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority
to judge. I also saw the souls of those
who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the
word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to
receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned
with Christ for a thousand years. (5) (The rest of the dead did not
come to life until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first
resurrection. (6) Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first
resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests
of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
John 1:12-13 NET But to all who have received him -- those
who believe in his name -- he has given the right to become God's children (13)
-- children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband's
decision, but by God.
For
further qualifications, Dr. Stephen Jones defines the elect (called) of the
first resurrection as “overcomers”. His
definition of an overcomer is:
An Overcomer is primarily a forgiver; one who lives
the principle of the Jubilee. He has allowed the work of Passover (the Cross)
and the work of Pentecost (the law written on one’s heart) to do their work. An
Overcomer is one who is growing up into Christ, one who is coming into a state
of maturity in Him. An Overcomer is putting on His Father’s mind and is coming
to agree with what God does in the earth and how He accomplishes those goals.
He is learning to say “Amen” to all that God does, bearing witness to Him in
all things, and not disagreeing with Him. An Overcomer is one who is coming to
understand the Father and His ways. We are, as yet, only potential Overcomers.
We can aspire to this end with our whole heart, but we are not yet perfected,
for we are yet in the wilderness, stumbling in the dim light of Pentecost. We
have no sense yet that we are “nearly perfected.” Instead, we cry out to God
for mercy, knowing the total inadequacy of any personal righteousness or
ability to hear His voice as we should. We desire the authority of God only as
a tool to better serve others, to have a greater ability to bring the blessings
of God to the needy in the world. It is not authority we seek, but
responsibility. The authority He gives is only a means to an end. Reputation means
nothing to us, for we have found that this is the first pot of pride that God
must remove in order to teach us to serve God first. While men may rationalize
their need for reputation on the grounds that it is the only way God can spread
the Gospel to the masses, God teaches the Overcomers that they cannot take
themselves so seriously. As they learn this, they come to understand that being
obedient is more important than doing good. Overcomers must learn, first and
foremost, a total dependence upon God. They must truly know in their hearts
that God is God and does not really need us at all to do His work. Yet they
must also truly know the magnificent but humbling truth that God does indeed
intend to use us to manifest His glory and His works to others.
The
Greek word “hades” does not appear in the KJV translation. However, the NET and NIV employ the word
hades rather than hell in several instances.
When the Greek word is used in the KJV it is usually translated as
“hell” which could be misleading to many Bible teachers, and apparently that is
the case. In a secular dictionary the
definition of Hades is: “The underground abode of
the dead in Greek mythology”. In a
Biblical slanted dictionary the definition is:
“Hades is the state
in which all the dead exist. In the New Testament a descent to Hades
may simply refer to someone's death and disembodied existence. In this sense
even Jesus enters Hades”.
Gehenna Translated as Hell
“Gehenna”
is another Greek word translated as “hell” in the KJV and a few other
translations on occasion.
Almost all sources agree that the section of the
valley of Hinnom immediately outside of the temple area was used as a garbage
dump. Not just any garbage but a place
for dead animals and various leftover animal parts that had been sacrificed in the
temple. It is also said that executed
criminals were dumped there as well. One
read commentator said that sulphur was used to maintain a continuous fire to
aid the burning of the rotting flesh of various types.
Typically, flies and maggots were a permanent
feature of the garbage dump. Together
with Sulphur this qualifies the statement of Jesus that Gehenna was a
place: "Where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44).
As
noted in the above insert, Gehenna was used as a garbage dump during the second
temple era for sacrificial animal remains and a type of burying place for
criminals and malcontents who passed away.
During the first temple era, following the death of Solomon, it was the
site for the Molech or Baal sacrifices where people burned children alive. One section of the Hinnom Valley was called
Topheth (also Tophet or Topeth), which
was the child slaughterhouse.
It
was not a pleasant place but it was not the exact place for the eternal torture
for the damned. The used of the Greek
word Gehenna was an atypical metaphor for the disciplinary fire of God’s
judgement that will occur at the second resurrection.
As for the actual word 'Hell'...according to
Wikipedia "The modern English word Hell is derived from Old English hel,
helle (about 725 AD to refer to a nether world of the dead) reaching into the
Anglo-Saxon pagan period, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *halja, meaning
"one who covers up or hides something...
Subsequently, the word was used to transfer a pagan
concept to Christian theology and its vocabulary..." So much for the King James Version.
Aionion
The
most controversial Greek word in the New Testament is “Aion” and
“Aionion”. Many Greek dictionaries and
translations define the word as “eternal”, “forever”, and “everlasting”. If this is the actual (real) definition of
the word then it can be argued (and it is) the lake of fire is eternal.
Other
exegetes claim the word actually means “an age; an era; a period of time with
an end” and not forever or eternal. This
argument defines the lake of fire of the “fire of God” as a period of time for
reconciliation but it will have an ending with the resurrected soul/spirit
fully understanding and accepting the Glory of God and the righteousness of His
laws.
The
Aion / Aionion issue is complex and complicated. After digesting several articles on the
subject, it would be fair to claim that there is no definitive answer for
either viewpoint. If one defines the
word as “eternal” there is no argument presented to change your opinion. Conversely, if one believes in universal reconciliation
i.e. that at some point in time all the creation of God will be a part of God,
then various assertions provide reasonable evidence for a limited amount of
time. It could be that time, as we currently
know it, may end at the close of the Millennial Kingdom of God and concepts of eternal
or limited would not be a viable subject for discussion.
Proof Texts for Hell
I
reviewed two articles attempting to explain the scriptural truths for an actual
hell of fire. There really aren’t any
proof texts that give an objective proof.
Most use the mistranslations given above. The most positive example is the rich man and
Lazarus account (Luke 16:19-31). The
question is: is this a literal story; is
it a parable; or is it merely a story using the folk tales of the Judeans? It could be based on literal events but most
likely not in the manner of the story.
For example, most exegetes proclaim that souls are maintained by God at
death – based on Revelation 6:9.
Revelation
6:9 NET ….. I saw under the altar the souls of those who
had been violently killed because of the word of God and because of the
testimony they had given.
Abraham
is no more in heaven protecting souls than Moses or David. The mention of Abraham’s bosom is most likely
a metaphoric expression for the souls collected and preserved by God. Both the KJV and the NET translate hádēs
as “hell”. Greek dictionaries define hádēs
as: obscure,
dark, invisible. Hades, the region of departed spirits of
the lost.
Jesus may have used the word, Sheol, which is the
Hebrew equivalent to the Greek word Hades used by Luke when quoting Jesus. Regardless, this appears to be a story told
by Jesus using the current words and phrases known and practiced by the
Judeans.
The
rich man called out to Abraham, “I am in
anguish in this fire”. The NET notes
say this is reference to Isaiah 66:24 which, or course, is parabolic and not
literal.
Isaiah
66:24 NET "They will go out and observe the corpses of
those who rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, and
the fire that consumes them will not die out. All people will find the sight
abhorrent."
There
are several scriptural instances concerning “the God of fire” or God’s fire”,
in additional to the lake of fire of Revelation and the streams of fire from
the throne of God in Daniel. The fire of
God and all the above instances speak of the cleansing and refining character
of God when all souls will be a part of God’s ultimate plan.
Zechariah
13:9 NET Then I will bring the remaining third into the
fire; I will refine them like silver is refined and will test them like gold is
tested. They will call on my name and I will answer; I will say, 'These are my
people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.' "
1
Peter 1:7 NET Such trials show the proven character of your
faith, which is much more valuable than gold -- gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away -- and
will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Universal Reconciliation
Let’s
reconsider our understanding of God’s attitude towards sinners, including unrepentant
sinners. He still views them as His children. They may be lost and they may be
ignorant, but they are still His children and a part of His creation. They are
not stains to be obliterated or taken out of His sight at some point in the
future. The doctrine of universal
reconciliation claims there are lost children who will be restored as exemplified
in the parable of the Prodigal son. In other words, when God looks down at us He
sees that the sin is the stain, NOT the sinner.
Universal
reconciliation
or the “restoration of all things” doctrine is highlighted in Acts 3:21. There are several translations of the phrase
including but not limited to: all things
are restored; and restitution of all things.
Acts 3:20-21
KJV And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before
was preached unto you: (21) Whom the heaven must receive until the times
of restitution of all things, which
God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
The
sins of mankind have been removed from everyone, dead and alive, by the death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The
only qualification necessary is repentance.
That is the purpose of the lake of fire.
Several articles concerning the
fact of Universal Reconciliation rather than the concept of eternal suffering
in a fiery hell are listed below.
RESURRECTIONS,
RAPTURE, AND THE KINGDOM
FROM HIM AND THROUGH HIM ARE
ALL THINGS 19/19/2018
THE PANORAMA OF GOD'S PLAN Dec 03, 2018 by Dr. Stephan Jones
THE RESTORATION OF ALL
THINGS 11-13-2015
THE LAKE OF FIRE 9-2-2015
RESURRECTIONS, RAPTURE, and
THE KINGDOM 8/26/2018
ETERNAL HELL FIRE 9-1-2015
http://freedomfromdelusion.blogspot.com/2015/09/god-law-and-fire.html
