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PRINCIPLES OF THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST

Part 6 -

Eternal Judgment

The first man Adam was made a living soul (Genesis 2:7, 1 Corinthians 15:45); he was created as such spiritually, emotionally, and physically, in the image of God:

***Spiritually- innocent and incorruptible -

Genesis 1:31, 2:7, 3:5-7,

Proverbs 12:28,

Ecclesiastes 7:29,

1 John 1:5

***Emotionally- having love and a desire to love -

Genesis 2:18-25, 3:6,
Ephesians 5:28,
1 Timothy 2:14,
1 John 4:7,8

***Physically- "the figure of him that was to come"

Romans 5:14,
Genesis 1:26,
Ephesians 3:9

After the fall (Genesis 3:6), Adam was no longer in the image (eikon#1504) of God-as a son (Luke 3:38), but remained inherently in the likeness (homoiosis#3369) of God - as a creature (Romans 8:19-21).

[See Genesis 5:3 and James 3:9; also John 3:3-7, Colossians 3:10.]

Being no longer in the image of God, but still retaining the likeness of God, Adam, because of his rebellion against God, had brought together two very definite and real things:

1. The fact that he was created a living soul by the eternal God, and thereby a creature bound for eternity from his creation, did not change when he rebelled. (Ecclesiastes 12:7, Isaiah 41:4)

2. The fact that he brought death upon all mankind (1 Corinthians 15:22, Romans 5:12), including himself (Genesis 2:17, 3:19), also did not change his inherent eternal existence (NOT from eternity past, as only God is, but from the point of creation into the future eternally-Isaiah 41:4).

So, just as surely as Adam brought death by his disobedience (Romans 5:12), and the wages of sin is death (Ezekiel 18:4, Romans 6:23), we are assured that death itself is not a solitary event in time, but a continuing, eternal state of destruction and separation from God and all that is light, holy, love, and peace.

2 Peter 2:17,

Jude 13,

Matthew 25:46,

Daniel 12:2,2

Thessalonians 1:9

*******HELL*******

The word "hell" is in the Bible 54 times; 31 in the Old Testament, and 23 in the New Testament. The doctrine of the reality of hell, the location of hell, and the nature of hell is very explicitly taught in the scripture, and is one of the most prominent doctrines of the Bible; which is chiefly why the Spirit of the Lord calls it one of the "principles of the doctrine" (Hebrews 6:1)—something that should be, and must be understood by all who profess to be servants of Jesus Christ in the very beginning, before moving on to the deeper teachings of the scriptures.

1. The Reality Of Hell:

Hell is not a "state of being", or a "concept of suffering". It is an actual, physical place, as real as any city or country in the earth, and is a real part of God's creation.

Psalm 9:17, 16:10, 139:8,

Proverbs 23:14,

Isaiah 5:14,

Matthew 5:22,29,30, 10:28, 11:23, 18:9,

Luke 12:5,

Acts 2:31,

Revelation 1:18

Right now the angels which left their first estate are there (Genesis 6:4, 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6), along with every soul since Adam that died outside of Christ (Old and New Testament alike) - (Psalm 55:15 Luke 16:22,23, Matthew 23:33). Also, possibly angels that have fallen since the flood and been cast into "the abyss" (abussos#12 ), "the deep" (Luke 8:31), or "the bottomless pit" (Revelation 9:1, 20:3), by Jesus Christ himself, or his church (Mark 16:17, Luke 10:17).

Hell is not a metaphor! It is REAL!

2. The Location Of Hell:

The Bible teaches conclusively and repeatedly that hell is a real, physical place which exists right now in the center of the earth. The "lower parts of the earth" cannot be searched out by men (Proverbs 25:3, Jeremiah 31:37), and the Bible teaches with clarity that hell is located there.

Deuteronomy 32:22,

Psalm 55:15, 86:13,

Proverbs 9:18, 15:24,

Isaiah 14:9,15,

Ezekiel 31:16,17, 32:27,

Amos 9:2,

Matthew 11:23,

Luke 10:15,

2 Peter 2:4

Because the earth is a sphere, there is only one possible place that can be "down" wherever one is on the planet. Also, because of the earth's gravitational pull within itself, the center thereof is theoretically (and practically) bottomless, because in descending downward, without reaching any definite point, one would eventually be found to be going upward again. Therefore, we must conclude without question that hell is not only literally and physically real, but also that it is located in the center, or heart, of the earth.

3. The Nature Of Hell:

1. Hell is an inferno, a real place, burning with literal burning fire.
Matthew 5:22, 18:9,
Mark 9:47,
Luke 16:23,24
2. Hell is totally void of light.
Psalm 88:6,
Proverbs 20:20,
Isaiah 47:5,
Matthew 25:30, 22:13,
2 Peter 2:4,17,
Jude 6,13
3. The punishment of hell is eternal, but its present location is temporary. Eventually, hell will be forced to give up its dead, and will be cast into the "lake of fire", which is the eternal continuation of hell (Revelation 20:13,14, 21:8), and the earth will be made anew (Revelation 21:1, Isaiah 65:17), and will no longer have her belly full of the damned (Matthew 24:8, Mark 13:8, Isaiah 26:19).

The Bible teaches that,

"...it is appointed unto men once to die,

but after this the judgment."

(Hebrews 9:27),

...and that immediately upon the death of a human (when the spirit leaves the body-James 2:26, Psalm 104:29), the flesh goes back to the dust (Genesis 3:19, Ecclesiastes 3:20) to await the resurrection (this is what is called "sleep" in the scripture--)

Deuteronomy 31:16,

2 Samuel 7:12,

Daniel 12:2

John 11:11,

1 Corinthians 11:30, 15:51,

1 Thessalonians 4:14, 5:10

...and, "...the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."(Ecclesiastes 12:7); which means that spirit will instantly and forever be either "present with the Lord",

2 Corinthians 5:8,

Philippians 1:23,

Luke 23:43,

Revelation 6:9-11

...or present in the fiery torments of hell.

Luke 16:22,23,

Mark 9:43-48,

Revelation 20:13,14

According to the Bible, there are only two ways to die: in Christ, or without Christ.

(John 3:1-7, Romans 2:5-11)

The accepted time, the day of salvation, is NOW. (Proverbs 27:1,2 Corinthians 6:2)

"There is a natural body, and there is

a spiritual body."

(1 Corinthians 15:44)

As we have seen previously, the Bible clearly teaches that the physical bodies of those who have died (both righteous and wicked) will be actually and really resurrected (Daniel 12:2, John 5:28,29) and, "raised in incorruption" (1 Corinthians 15:42). So, we can know from the word of God that those who are "punished with everlasting destruction" (2 Thessalonians 1:9) will suffer actual, relentless, terrible pain in a real and incorruptible (can never, ever be destroyed from existence) body forever and ever:

...not some ethereal, metaphoric kind of suffering; but exactly the same as if one were completely engulfed in fire in this present life,

except the spiritual body will never be diminished, and the torture will go on without rest

forever and ever.

This is clearly evidenced in scripture.

Luke 16:24,

Romans 2:8,9,

2 Thessalonians 1:9,

Revelation 14:11, 20:10

     And, although the resurrection of the damned has not yet occurred, we know from the scripture that the souls of the righteous and wicked alike can see, hear, and feel (Luke 16:22-31, Revelation 6:9-11); and that the people and angels who are in hell right now are most certainly being tormented in fire and darkness.

*******************************************

     Contrary to popular belief, there is no "limbo", and no "purgatory"; and the Devil is not in hell: he is walking about as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), and operating in high (heavenly) places (Job 1:6,7, Ephesians 6:12). But, his day is coming (Revelation 20:10), and he knows it (Revelation 12:12).
All men are born under condemnation (Psalm 51:5, Romans 5:12), and the only way to escape the condemnation of hell is to be in Jesus Christ by a baptism, or birth, of water and Spirit, according to the New Testament gospel, witnessed and proclaimed by the holy apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:14-42). Only through faith in the name of the only begotten Son of God can any person escape the wrath and condemnation of hell.

     This teaching is at the very center of scripture from Genesis to Revelation, and was, is, and ever shall be true whether men choose to believe it or not.

Romans 3:4

2 Timothy 2:13

"Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

(Revelation 22:20)

-AMEN-

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