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Will God say, "Just Kidding," About Eternity?

Recently I had a correspondence with an individual which began with comments about the ecumenical movement. The person, who remains anonymous, I'll call Joe. 

Joe stated, "The main ecumenical movement that you will see in the days ahead is that toward the idea that Jesus Christ is the Lord of all. Therefore salvation has been made, and will again be made available to all men. If that makes the word ecumenical a bad word, then we as Christians had better evaluate if our will lines up with the will of God. He is willing that none should perish, and all should come to repentance..."

There is to be unity in the Body of Christ—not a joining with ungodly and unbiblical beliefs or people. That is the difference between unity and ecumenicalism. Ecumenicalism is not a Biblical concept. The fact that 'Joe' believes—‘salvation has been made, and will again be made available to all men’ ---suggests that he and many others believe that people have not had the gospel and chance for salvation before now. That is not only a Pentecostal belief, but is found in many groups who would agree that the gospel is only now being presented as it should be. Joe's thinking also suggests that those who have died prior to now—don’t have to face hell as “He is willing that none should perish, and all should come to repentance ‘” To not perish means to know Christ.  However,  that contradicts the stated belief that salvation was somewhat lacking or unavailable until now. 

No one comes to the Father except through Christ, hence in order to not spend eternity in hell, one must have known the truth of Jesus Christ and accepted Him as Lord and Savior. 

The Scriptures say in 2 Corinthians 4: 3  "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

God provided salvation for all—His hearts desire is that all mankind would accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord—but most will not know Him. Most reject the truth that all have sinned and need His Salvation. People have been created for honor and dishonor. People make choices about eternity.

Romans 9: 17  " For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22  What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,"

If an individual believes that all are to come to repentance then that same person renounces Scripture after Scripture—that is God’s Word—and suggest that it is false when it states in such Scriptures as 1 Peter 4:17  "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

2 Peter 3:7 "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. "

1 John 2: 18  "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

2 Thess 2: 9  "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. "

Knowing about a generic God is not having Jesus Christ as Saviour. If one does not have Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord—they do not belong to Him and cannot know the Father. 

John 14: 6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."

John 5:12  "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

The ecumenical movement sets aside these basic Biblical truths, allowing for all roads to lead to God.  That is Biblically false.

2 Peter 2:1  "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: "

God’s Word is true and His purposes—for the just and the unjust---will be fulfilled.

Subsequent to my response to 'Joe', was a reply which again renounces and rejects many Scriptures. However, it is an attitude that many have embraced and which must be addressed. 

'Joe' wrote, "...What we have commonly interpreted in the Bible as "eternal hell" or as being in torment "for ever and ever" or "everlasting" fire can also be translated (and I believe should be translated) as an "age." I am not an expert in Greek and Hebrew, but someone who after reading the Word felt there were too many contradictions in our modern interpretations that needed to be addressed. So I've researched these things and came to this conclusion. I hope you'll research these things with an open mind and a heart for Christ, and you too might come to the same conclusion..."

Joe's view is not uncommon, as shown in our articles, Taking the Name, the Mark & the Number-- Part 3: Taking the Number. Many not only deny the eternal concept of hell but reject the truth of any punishment for those who reject Christ.

"...It is noteworthy that many in "Christian" leadership denounce the existence of hell and heaven as "places". Bible reviser, B.F. Westcott wrote in 1886 to the Archbishop of Canterbury, "No doubt the language of the rubric is unguarded, but it saves us from the error of connecting the presence of Christ's glorified humanity with place: heaven is a state and not a place."  Pope John Paul II announced his views on this very issue, revealing his stand against the Word of God. According to the Detroit Free Press:

"A week after telling Roman Catholics that heaven was not a place up in the clouds, Pope John Paul II said Wednesday that hell was not a physical place either.

"'More than a physical place, hell is the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy,' the pontiff said. . .

"He described hell instead as 'the pain, frustration and emptiness of life without God. . . . Eternal damnation is not God's work, but. . . our own doing.'

"But demons do exist, he said, calling them spirits who have 'already given a definitive 'no' to God.'

"The pontiff end-of-millennium guidelines on hell came a week after he told pilgrims heaven was not 'a physical place in the clouds but a living and personal relationship of union with the Holy Trinity,' and that a foretaste could be had on earth." 37.

....In characteristic Masonic fashion, Pope John Paul II has denied the doctrine of God's wrath and approaching judgment against those who reject Him.

Revelation 19:20 "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

20:10 "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

20:14-15 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

The denial of the existence of heaven and hell contradicts many Scriptures and eliminates the consequences for sin, including worship of the Beast and taking the mark. Those who take the mark or worship the Beast are warned in Revelation 14:9-11, that they shall receive the wrath of God, and "will be tormented with fire and brimstone . . . and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever 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."

In the preceding verses it should be noted that those who worship the Beast and take the mark, will do so because they are deceived. We can assume they will receive the mark believing it is a 'good' and religious thing to do, since many will be deceived by signs and lying wonders, especially the miracles of the false prophet, according to Revelation 13:12-14.

~ End quote ~

Well, it may be a nice thought—that is-- that hell and eternal torment are not forever, and is merely 'an age'. However, the same word for ‘everlasting’ hell, everlasting or eternal torment is the same Hebrew word for ‘everlasting’ or ‘eternal’ God. Everlasting also has the same meaning in the Greek word ‘everlasting’ hell, everlasting or eternal fire and everlasting God. It also has the same meaning as ‘everlasting’ life.

What Joe and others are saying by the definition of everlasting meaning ‘an age,’ is that God is not eternal—that is forever and without end, which also, according to that same meaning, negates His promise that those who have Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will have ‘eternal’ life.’ Eternal life is in that 'an age' definition, also just a limited time or a limited age of eternal life. 

John 3: 15  "That whosoever believeth in him [Christ] should not perish, but have eternal life. 16  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. 17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18  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. "

The dictionary definition of everlasting---lasting forever; never ending or stopping….an eternity.

The dictionary definition of eternal---without beginning or ending; lasting throughout all time; always and forever the same; lasting forever. Everlasting emphasizes having no end, but going on and on.

In the Old Testament, everlasting, such as is found in Daniel 12:1-2 ...

[12:1 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.]"  

has the same definition as/and including, the definition of everlasting God, as found in Gen. 21:33 [ And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.]; 

Isaiah 40:28 [ Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.]  & 45:17 [But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.]

The Hebrew word everlasting as found in Strong's Concordance is-- 5769  `owlam,  o-lawm'   or   lolam {o-lawm'}; from 5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always:--alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-))ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+ without end). Compare 5331, 5703.

The Hebrew word everlasting is also found with a different reference in Habakkuk. 1:12  [Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.]

Strong's Hebrew ---6924--qedem,  keh'-dem  or qedmah {kayd'-maw}; from 6923; the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward):--aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, X ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare 6926.

Habakkuk 3:6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.

everlasting mountains—5703--`ad,  ad ; from 5710; properly, a (peremptory) terminus, i.e. (by implication) duration, in the sense of advance or perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition):--eternity, ever(- lasting, -more), old, perpetually, + world without end.

His ways are everlasting---5769---above.

The Greek for everlasting as found in 

Matt 18:8 [cast into everlasting fire], 

Matt.19:29 [everlasting life]; 

Matt. 25:41 [Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:]; 

Matt. 25:46 [ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.]; 

John 3:16; 2 Peter 1:11 [everlasting kingdom]; 

2 Thess 1:8-9 [In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;]; 

Galatians 6:8 ” For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Strong's Greek ---166-- aionios,  ahee-o'-nee-os; from 165; perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well):--eternal, for ever, everlasting, world (began).

165 is the root word—not the actual word for everlasting as suggested by those who say that everlasting is an age. 165.  aiwn  aion,  ahee-ohn'; from the same as 104; properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity (also past); by implication, the world; specially (Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future):--age, course, eternal, (for) ever(-more), (n-)ever, (beginning of the , while the) world (began, without end). Compare 5550.

Jude 6 also presents another reference to everlasting.  ‘6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7  Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Strong's Greek ---126  aidiov  aidios,  ah-id'-ee-os; from 104; everduring (forward and backward, or forward only):--eternal, everlasting.

104.  aei  aei,  ah-eye'; from an obsolete primary noun (apparently meaning continued duration); "ever," by qualification regularly; by implication, earnestly; --always, ever.

Always—means forever. Eternal or everlasting torment or eternal fire—which has the same Greek def. as 166.

Matthew 12:32 also shows that eternal or everlasting means forever, as does God’s judgment against the wicked. “And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”

Greek ‘everlasting or eternal' fire found in Matt 5:22 [Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.] , 

7:[19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire].; 13:40-42 

[40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth].; 

Mark 9:43-44 [43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.]  and

Strong's Greek -fire--4442.  pur  pur,  poor; a primary word; "fire" (literally or figuratively, specially, lightning):--fiery, fire.

Note---not quenched is the opposite of quenched which means ‘put an end to’. It’s quenchless, that is, inextinguishable.

Mark 9:43 'never shall be' quenched' –Greek—762 asbestov  asbestos,  as'-bes-tos; from 1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of 4570; not extinguished, i.e. (by implication) perpetual:--not to be quenched, unquenchable.

Mark 9:44 'not' quenched'—Greek—4570  sbennumi  sbennumi,  sben'-noo-mee; a prolonged form of an apparently primary verb; to extinguish (literally or figuratively):--go out, quench.

The same definition for fire is used in Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.; 

Revelation 20:14-15 [14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.]; 

Rev. 21:8 [ But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.]

Gehenna is one of the three names translated as 'hell' from the Greek in the New Testament scriptures. It originated from the Hebrew name Gai Hinom or 'valley of Hinnom' or Gai Ben Hinnom [valley of the son of Hinnom], which is one of the names that it is identified with in Israel today. It is actually a deep, narrow and rocky ravine that runs south of Jerusalem.

Another Strong's version adds this - "Hell is the place of the future punishment call "Gehenna" or "Gehenna of fire". This was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction. It is used 12 times in the KJB

Strong's Hebrew --08612. tpt Topheth, to'-feth the same as 8611; Topheth, a place near Jerusalem:--Tophet, Topheth.

 The Hebrew Word -- Htpt -Tophteh 08613 > Tophet or Topheth = "place of fire", a place in the southeast end of the valley of the son of Hinnom south of Jerusalem. Same as 08612

From another Strong's version it states, "probably a form of 08612; Tophteh, a place of cremation:--Tophet."

2 Chronicles 28:3 "Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel."

2 Chronicles 33:6 "And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger."

Jeremiah 7:31 "And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

2 Kings 23:10 "And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech."

In Jeremiah 19:6 and 7:31; God said that Tophet would be known someday as "the valley of slaughter."

Jeremiah 19:6 "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter."

Jeremiah 19:2 "And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,"

The word Gehenna, is found twelve times in the New Testament, and eleven of those times we find it being spoken by Jesus. In Matthew 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5

Jesus recognized it as a place of condemnation, as well as an abominable place of false worship. We are told in Revelation that those who take the name, mark or number of the beast, [Rev 13:16, 17; 15:2]or who worship the beast [false worship] will have their place in the lake of fire. [Revelation 14:10-11] Jesus taught that hell was not only a place that was the final reward of the devil and his angels [Matthew 25:41], but also all human beings who chose to trust the "father of lies" instead of the Word of God, and who have willfully joined him in rebellion against God. The divinely inspired Word of God teaches us that hell is a real place, the same as heaven. In the Scriptures, hell is also described as a place of shame and everlasting contempt. [Daniel 12:2]

The prophet Isaiah described hell as the following:

Isaiah 66:24 "And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh."

Again from the book of Mark, and Jesus speaking:

Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Jesus told us not to fear those who can kill the body but rather to fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. [Matthew 10:28], and that hell is a place "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." It is also described as the Second Death. [Revelation 20:14]

With a study of the Hebrew word Sheol, and the Greek word Hades, it can be shown that they both have the same meaning. That is, they refer to the word grave. In Luke 16:22-31, the two men that were speaking across the "great gulf" were both in Hades, a place of holding for the wicked on one side, and the righteous on the other. One place was paradise, the other was a place of torment just across the divide.

Luke 16:23 And in hell <hades> he lift up his eyes, being in torments <basanos>, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence..."

Strong's Greek -86-- Adhv hades, hah'-dace from 1 (as negative particle) and 1492; properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" or the place (state) of departed souls:--grave, hell.

Strong's Greek- 5020--. tartarow tartaroo, tar-tar-o'-o from Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hades); to incarcerate in eternal torment:--cast down to hell.

It is found used in 2 Peter 2:4: "cast down to hell "

Strong's Hebrew- 07585--from 07592  Sh@'owl > sheh-ole' >  Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates:--grave, hell, pit.

Another Strong's version adds: "sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit the underworld Sheol - the OT designation for the abode of the dead place of no return without praise of God wicked sent there for punishment  righteous  not abandoned to it of the place of exile (fig) of extreme degradation in sin

Deuteronomy 32:22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell <sh@'owl>, and shall consume the earth with her increase , and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

1 Samuel 2:6 "The LORD killeth , and maketh alive: he bringeth down <yarad> to the grave <sh@'owl>, and bringeth up."

2 Samuel 22:6 "The sorrows of hell <sh@'owl> compassed me about ; the snares  of death prevented  me;" {sorrows: or, cords}

Psalms 9:17 "The wicked shall be turned into hell <sh@'owl>, and all the nations that forget God."

In the KJB it is found referenced as:  grave--65 times, hell--31 times, and pit-- 3 times.

Eternal hell is eternal and everlasting separation from God to be spent “in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” for all eternity, that is, for ever and ever.  

To negate the application of the words everlasting or eternal as shown above, is to negate the qualities and promises of God.

To deny eternal hell and torment is to also deny eternal life. Hence, one also denies that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that our sins are forgiven and we might have eternal life. We hope that is not your belief. The Scriptures quoted above speak of what will happen to those who reject Christ as Savior and Lord and who reject His Words.