Eternal burning, a scandal against the Almighty

Preface

Bj presenting this to tlie world the author purposes to show that the doctrine of Eternal Burning does not belong to the Divine Word; and that, although the intrinsical immortality of man was, even in Bible times, believed and taught by all other nations, the Jews, the people of God, did not believe in the immortality of man, except through the resurrection; and, also, that Christ and His Apostles taught and proved that upon the resurrection only, depended the future existence of those who had passed away.

Furthermore, the author purposes to show, independently of all the argument that is generally presented in opposition to Eternal Torment, that there is no ground for such a doctrine. He purposes to show that the evidence adduced to sustain this doctrine, is ample, of itself, not only to condemn it, but also to prove the contrary; and, that the evidence against it, aside from this, is overwhelming, and not only to the effect that such a doctrine is contrary to the realities of the Scriptures, but that it is a Scandal against the Almighty.

Introduction

The doctrine ot Eternal Earning has become so firmly rooted in the mind of man, that all the sects of Christendom, with few exceptions, whilst claiming to worship the Almighty as a God of Justice, of Mercy, and of Love, — a God Who so loved even fallen — sinful humanity, that He gave His only begotten Son to die for them, teach that He is a God of Insatiable Vengeance, Whose w^rath nothing but the Eternal Burning of the wicked in a Lake of Fire and Brimstone can appease. They teach that He is never satisfied with punishing them, for they are always being punished; and that the narrowest limit to His Vengeance is, having them always Burning in Hell.

This I pronounce a damnable heresy, and claim, as the Scriptures teach, that Death is the result of Sin, — that the punishment of Sin is Death, and that the Everlasting Death will be the Eveilasting Punishment; that the First Death is the result of Adam's sin, and that the Second Death will be the result of each sinner's own sins. '' For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

"IN ADAM ALL DIE." This is the First Death, the result of the first transgression. Yet, '^ IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE; " and then the question will be settled as to who shall live the Second, or Eternal Life, and who shall die the Second, or Everlasting Death.

Now, be it remembered and ever kept in view, that upon the assertion that Death is not Death, is based this unholy doctrine of Eternal Burning in a Hell of Fire and

Brimstone. For, in the face of the Scriptures to the effect that the Second Death shall be the last of the wicked, the Advocates of Eternal Burning assert, with the greatest audacity, that it will not be a Death at all, but an Eternal Life. Yea, according to their teaching it will be an Eternal Life, by far, more momentous than the Eternal Life of the Saint. Yes, were it true, that which they teach as the punishment of the wicked would be ten thousand times more to be dreaded than the reward of the Saint is to be desired.

But now that those passages which are presented as teaching or supporting the idea of an Eternal Burning of the wicked in a Hell of Fire and Brimstone, mav come before the mind in all their o^lowins: brilliancy, I have o-athered them toofether, and assure the reader that, thousch he mav reo:ard them as favoring the idea of Eternal Torment, if he will lay aside prejudice, and with me, follow the current of Divine Truth, he shall see that the blinding blaze of Eternal Burning vanishes from sight; and that, instead of Insatiable Venofeance beins: an attribute of God, such teachino^ is a Scandal against Him.

So now, while prejudice and falsehood grasp each other's hand, while bigotry sneers with brainless contempt, and blind sectarianism staggers on its way, let us face this question in its unclothed reality, and let the Scriptures decide for all.

ETERNAL BURNING

A

SCANDAL AGAINST THE ALMIGHTY.

NoWy commencing with Matthew, XXYth chapter, at 31st verse, we read :

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, (but not before,) then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations : and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats : And he shall set the sheep on his rigVit hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King s-aj unto them on his right hand. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world : For I was a hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink : I was a stranger, and ye took me in : leaked, and ye clothed me : I was sick, and ye visited me : I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee ? And the King shall answer and say unto them. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 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 : For I was a hungered, and ye gave me no meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink : I was a stranger, and ve took me not in : naked, and ve clothed me not : sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall thev also answer bim, savinor Lord, when saw we thee a hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee ? Then shall he answer them, saying, Yerily I say unto you. Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ve did it not to me. And these shall 2:0 away into everlasting punishment ; but the righteous into life eternal."

Here we have the two facts upon which the whole question rests, squarely presented before us. The righteous shall enter into Life Eternal, but the wicked shall go away into Everlasting Punishment.

When, therefore, all shall have been assembled before the bar of judgment, and the wicked, then, and there, condemned and sentenced, the onlv thins; remainino: will be the execution of that sentence; and hence the saying, " These shall 2:0 awav into everlastins^ punishment."

This points us to the XXth chapter of Eevelation, 14th and 15th verses, where is shown the spot where this sentence will be executed, and the manner in which it will be done :

*'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." Hence we see that the sentence which will be pronounced upon the wicked, at the judgment, will be executed by their being cast into the lake of tire, which, though we are called upon by the fallacious to believe will constitute an Eternal Life, the Apostle declares, "is the Second Death." And so conspicuously does the ascription of Eternal Life to the righteous display the difference between them and the wicked, that we cannot fail to see that the wicked shall suffer that Perishino- which those who believe on the Son of God will escape, through the gift of Eternal Life.

The present Lite ot the Saint is Temporal, but the next will be Eternal. The Death which the sinner dies here, is but for a time, but the Second Death will be Everlasting. If all shall live Eternally, why talk so much about Eternal Life ? If the wicked, as the righteous, shall live Eternally, this talk about Eternal Life is not consistency. Therefore, to make it appear that the wicked and righteous both live Eternally, reduces this particular discrimination of the Scriptures which ascribes the Second, or Eternal Life to the one, and the Second, or Everlasting Death to the other, to nothing other than foolishness ; which, however, it is evident, is the best they can do in favor of the terrible cruelty with which they charo'e the Divine Beino:.

WHERE THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET ARE.

But now we will turn to the XlXth chapter of Revelation ; and that we may embrace all that bears upon the subject, commence at the 19th verse : "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 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 worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth : and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." How significant the phrase, " Cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone"? How plainly it shows that they were destroyed ? It is equivalent to saying that they were not destroyed with the sword, but that, seemingly more terrible, they were captured alive, and then destroyed in a lake of fire and brimstone.

But, say the Advocates of Eternal Torment, They were not destroyed, for the next chapter teaches the contrary. This, no doubt, will be the general cry ; for this phrase, " Where the beast and the false prophet are," is a central pillar of their fabric of Eternal Torment. But while they consider me bold for saying they were destroyed, they had best pause a moment and see if they stand upon so sure a foundation as they might at first suppose. For, beginning at the 7th verse of the XXth chapter, we read: "And 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, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle : the number of whom is as the sands 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, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

This, as all must see, covers the whole ground, and presents the truth in its simple reality. Yet, in all this, there is but one word that conflicts with the foregoing assertion, and, that it may appear in its most conspicuous form, I will again repeat the verse in which it is contained : "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 da}^ and night for ever and ever."

In this verse are presented two facts, which, though particularly distinct, are, nevertheless, confounded by those who are particularly anxious to perpetuate the doctrine of Eternal Burning. For the torment spoken of in this verse,

*Are is the word referred to.

is particularly confined to the devil ; for, " The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where," it is said, '' the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

Now, if John had intended to convey such an idea as that the wicked should be tormented as the devil was, AYhy did he not say that the devil that deceived them, and all whose names were not found written in the book of life, were cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, and should be tormented day and night for ever and ever ? Surely, if he had intended to convey such an idea, he would have thus expressed it ! But no; having no such an idea to convey, he tells us that the devil shall be punished for ever and ever: and then, after telling us all that he knows about torment for ever and ever, he tells us what shall become of the wicked ; that is, he tells us that t\\Qy shall be punished with the Second Death by being cast into the lake of fire. Therefore, this being tormented day and night for ever and ever, is the punishment which will be inflicted upon Satan only, Avho is a supernatural being ; and, being such, we cannot determine as to what amount of punishment he shall receive, though it be for ever and ever in a Lake of Fire and Brimstone. But if the doctrine that, at death, the wicked are sent to a Hell of Fire and Brimstone be correct, and that the devil is there as Head and Chief, and can exist in, and enjoy such a place for six thousand years, certain it is that his change of residence shall not amount to much, notwithstanding the for ever and ever.

But how ridiculous, and how false does this fact, that the devil shall be punished in a lake of fire and brimstone, make the teaching of those who tell us that the wicked are suftering, and the devil rejoicing in a Hell of Fire and Brimstone ? Surely, as the former is positively true, the hitter is positively false !

Now, having thus separated the devil from humanity, and shown that it is not mankind, but he only, who " shall be tormented day and night forever and ever," the question rests with the beast and the false prophet. For, say they, " The devil was east into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are." But this is a bold assertion; this is a sand}' foundation to build so lofty a fabric upon ; for the translators have not told us that the original said, " Where the beast and the false prophet are," but they have put in the italics, and have thus shown us that it was not, " Where the beast and the false prophet are," but that it was something else. When, therefore, we remember that " the wicked shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power,'' we see that this something else, was — were cast into. Therefore we see that the devil Avas cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, into which the beast and false prophet had been cast: that is, (as all the facts connected with the case prove,) he was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, in which the beast and the false prophet had been destroyed. But it seems that, seeing that it conflicted with the doctrine of Eternal Burning, the translators, instead of giving us the original, have, for it, as the italics show, substituted are ; and this is the best evidence that they could have given us to the contrary of are ; for it is emphatically to the effect that the orio-inal was not — "Where the beast and the false Ijrophet are;" which leaves it clearly positive that it was, Where the beast and the false prophet had been destroyed. Therefore we see, that instead of these passages which are held up as teaching Eternal Burning in the Flames of Hell, accomplisliing such an object, they utterly condemn the same. They not only do not prove that the erring of humanity shall be Eternally Burned in a Blazing Hell, but, if there were no other evidence to prove the contrary, they sliow the utter falsity of this doctrine, and indicate the corrupt source whence it originated, and the deceitful channel through which it has flown.

TORMENTED WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE.

In XlVth chapter, 9th and lOth verses, it is said : " And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man w^orship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, w^hich is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation ; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." True; and terrible torment it will be, just as the torment of those of whom the world was not worthy, was terrible torment, when they were sawn asunder, any more than that, if possible, it will be more terrible. For, just as those martyrs were tormented in the presence of cruel men by being sawn asunder and thus killed, these, their murderers and the like, wdien cast into the lake of fire, will be tormented in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb, just as they had tormented the righteous in this life.

And how plainly does it appear that the tormenting of the wicked will be, as was that of the martyrs, confined to a time, simply sufficient to accomplish their destruction ? For who could suppose that the holy angels and the Lamb shall stand for ever and ever witnessing the torment of the wicked ? Surely, all must answer, none ! And so it is manifest that those who shall be tormented bv beino- cast into a Lake of Fire and Brimstone, shall live for ever and ever, no more than those who were sawn asunder, who could not have lived for half an hour.

Again, tlie Word says : " The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.'' And how positively does this confirm the truth as taught by the Psalmist; that is, that " the wicked shall consume," that " into smoke shall they consume away " ? It positively reiterates his assertion.

Now, concerning the consuming of this mighty mass of humanity, the Apostle said " the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever," just as was common to say, " 0, king, live for ever," or, " Long live the king." Hence, just as for ever denoted a long life, as in the case of the king, so, for ever and ever was applicable to the complete consuming of this ponderous mass : that is, as in the case of the king, for ever meant live long, it meant smoke long in this. Hence, when the various ways in which the phrase, for ever, was used, are taken into consideration, the fact is obvious that for ever meant the time required to accomplish a work or object, which time, though indefinite and long, always terminated when the work was done, or the object accomplished. Not that a long smoking was as long as a long life, but that live for ever, meant live long, and that smoke for ever, meant smoke long."^

Again, after describing the last scene first, which, and similar were common with Scriptural writers, John describes that which had happened very remote from this ; that is, he goes back to time, and tells us that " those who worship the beast, have no rest day nor night," just as the Prophet had said concerning such, long before. For Isaiah had said : ^' There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked;" which is

*With regard to the phrase, For ever, the reader should remember that what it meant when used by the Prophets, by Christ aad the Apostles, is what is to be accepted as its meaning in the Scriptures, notwithstanding that it is made to represent a different idea at the present day. For, though we say, for ever, and mean without end, it does not make the for ever, of the Bible, mean differentl}' from what it meant in the days of Moses and the Prophets.

but a slight difference of phraseology in expressing the same fact.

Then the writer connects this with the 12th verse, and says : '' Here is the patience of the saints ; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus?" When had they the patience? Why, in the first life. When did they keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus ? Why, — but is it necessary to answer ? Who that has knowledge enough to make him responsible, cannot see that it was among those who worshiped the beast, and their like — those wicked ones who had no rest day nor night ? And who, therefore, cannot see that instead of this supporting the doctrine of Eternal Burning, it clearly establishes the truth as declared by the Psalmist, that " the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs;" that "they shall consume;" that "into smoke shall they consume away"? Whether they will see or not, they shall, " They shall," says David, " consume; into smoke shall they consume away."

" THEIR WORM DIETH NOTy

In Mark, IXth chapter, 43d and 44th verses read thus : "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 quencJAcd : Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." But the fact that " the fire is not quenched," has no bearing upon the nature of the punishment of the wicked, as denoting continuation of punishment,* for the fire was prepared for the devil and his angels, and therefore, all that

♦This term, Quenched, however, has muchtoilo with the punishment of the devil ; and, inasmuch as "all Scripture is . . . profitable," and, at least, .should not be is left for consideration, is the plirase, •• Their worm dieth not.'*'

Here we see that they are. not the worms, but that it is, ^^ their worm." Therefore *• their worm " means their punishment, and the fire that '• is not quenched,*' is the means by which they shall be punished. *• Their worm " does not mean them, any more than their punishment means them, but their worm and their punishment are one and the same.

But, in reference to this question, Isaiah has preceded; and therefore, this is but, as it were, a quotation from him. But, then, what of the prophet ? TVliat has he said in regard to this matter ? Best would it be to answer : Let us see.

His declaration is this : •* They shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses 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."

Is'ow, if Isaiah had been a teacher of Eternal Burning, surely he would have said : " Look upon the Spirits of the men that have transgressed against me, and hear their wails and crpoans while suflerino: the Torment of Burnins: Flames."' But no I And how positively the opposite: '• Look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me," Far does he put this doctrine of Eternal Burning from him, and positively does he confirm

misunderstood, it i3 proper to have a correct idea of his panishment, notwithstanding that it will be so very different from that of humanity's.

The phrase, "N^erer shall be Quenched." though held up in so frightful a form by the Advocates of Eternal Burning, constitutes, nevertheless, quite a modification of their doctrine, even as regards the punishment of the devil, for, to Quench, means to totally extinguish. Therefore, though '* the fire never shall be quenched" until the object for which it was or shall be created, shall have been accomplished, it could be slackened to any extent whatever; and therefore, to the devil, who is a supernatural being, the torment spoken of may prove to be ten hundred million times less punishment than that which the Advocates of Eternal Burning so eagerly and earnestly Eroclaim as the offspring of Divine Justice, cherished and held in store for erring umanity, by a God of Love.

*The righteous will behold them, as David says, consuming into smoke. A sick^ ening sight frill it be ; and therefore, an abhorring unto them.

the preceding, when he says : " They shall look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me."

And now, having sifted the fact from the phraseology, it will be seen that the phrase, " Their worm dieth not," simply denotes their Everlasting Death. For were it so that a man could be punished by being deprived of life for one day, the punishment would cease at the end of the day, and he would live again ; and if he were thus punished for a year, the result would be the same at the end of the year. But were he sentenced to unlimited death, the punishment would be Everlasting;- and therefore his punishment would not cease, notwithstanding that he were destroyed for ever; for this being destroyed for ever, would be his punishment.

THERE SHALL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.

I shall now give attention to a part of the Xlllth chapter of Luke, commencing at the 24th verse: " Strive to enter in at the strait gate : for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying. Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are : Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out."

Here, in the 27th verse, we see that the workers of iniquity will be commanded to depart; and, in 28th verse, we see that " there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, 2 when they shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, they themselves thrust out."

If this passage did not sho\v an interval between their beins: cast out, and their final destruction, that misrht be overlooked, it would not be of importance enough to require particular notice, in connection with the subject of Eternal Torment. For, in realitv, it amounts to nothins: more than their giving of vent to their agony upon realizing their utterly lost condition, when commanded to depart as the workers of iniquity.

Xow, that " there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when they shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and they themselves thrust out,'' surely, is nothing strange I For who would not weep and gnash their teeth, when once they were certain that they should be destroyed in a lake of fire and brimstone ? Tea, who would not ! And will not such destruction be terrible enousfh ? Surelv, it will! And the fact is obvious that there will be plenty of time between the command to depart, and the final destruction, for this weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So, as all that is mentioned in connection with this matter, precedes their being cast into the lake of fire, we see that all that this weeping and gnashing of teeth has to do with Eternal Burning, exists in the misled minds, or in the evil hearts of its advocates.

THE RICH MAX AXD LAZARUS.

In compliance with the arrangement which I have determined upon, that is, of fairly confronting all the passages that are held up as teaching Eternal Torment, I now turn to the XYIth chapter of Luke ; and shall, before proceeding to the consideration of any part of it, record all of the last paragraph of that chapter.

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and line linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table : moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried, and said. Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his linger in water, and cool my tongue ; for I am tormented in this flame. 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. And besides 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. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house : For I have -Q-ve brethren ; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torm^ent. Abraham saith unto him. They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham : but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."