“But this I confess unto you, that after the Way which they call a sect,
so serve I the God of our fathers,
believing all things which are according to the law,
and which are written in the prophets;
having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for,
that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust.”
(Acts 24:14-15)
The resurrection of the unjust, as we have previously seen, does not occur at the same time as the just. The resurrection of the righteous will be first and the resurrection of the unrighteous will be last. We have those remarkable words of Revelation chapter twenty:
"Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." (vs. 6; kjv)
Those who are resurrected last will be forever under the power of the second death. So we read in that same chapter:
“The sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” (Rev. 20:13-14)
So, how do we reconcile this second death (an eternal never ending death) with the words of the same apostle who recorded these words:
"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." (21: 4)
The answer is that the promise of "no more death" is what comes after the millennial age of the kingdom of God and only applies to the redeemed family of God and to those who will be the new citizens of a new human race. The second death is for those who will be cast body, soul, and spirit into "the lake of fire" and not for the chosen people nor for the sheep nations. So the text reads:
"12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20: 12-15 nkjv)
By "the dead" in this passage are they who are raised in the second or last resurrection, which is, as the context shows, along with many other bible passages, the resurrection of the unjust. All these are judged by their works, and do not have their names written in the Book of Life, and all of them are condemned to suffer eternal torment in the Lake of Fire, which is the same as "Gehenna." In the earlier chapters of this series, we pointed out the distinctions between the three Greek words in the new testament that are called "hell." They were Hades (equivalent to the Hebrew "Sheol" as we previously proved), Tartarus, and Gehenna. The above text differentiates between "Death" and "Hades" and "the lake of fire."
By "death" is meant the grave, the place in the earth where dead bodies are placed. Also, "the sea" giving up the dead denotes a coming to conscious life in a resurrected body. By "Hades" is meant the place where disembodied spirits go when they die; And, since the death and resurrection of Christ, only lost souls go there. By "the lake of fire" denotes the place where the condemned will be sent after their trial and they will go there in body, soul, and spirit. In earlier chapters we showed how "Hades" was a temporary place of confinement, like a "jail," whereas "the lake of fire," or "Gehenna," was the permanent prison.
Jesus refers to Gehenna/hell several times (Matthew 10:28; Mark 9:43; Luke 12:5), as well as to it as an “outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12; 22:13). As we saw in earlier chapters, Hades is a Greek word used in the New Testament to denote the realm of conscious departed spirits and never refers to the grave. Sheol is a Hebrew word in the Old Testament that is generally equivalent to Hades. While Hades never refers to the grave, on very rare occasions Sheol seems refer to the grave. There are separate Greek and Hebrew words for grave. When Sheol is used, it rarely speaks of the body going there. On the other hand, no one is in Hell (gehenna) now, and no one goes there as a disembodied spirit but goes there in body and soul (spirit). Let me cite some of the places where the Lord spoke of Gehenna (which is the same as "the lake of fire") and show how there is always mention of the body going there.
“If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.” (Matt. 5: 29-30)
“If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire.” (Matt. 18: 9)
“Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” (Matt. 10: 28)
Albert Barnes in his commentary rightly says of the latter passage:
"This passage proves that the bodies of the wicked will be raised up to be punished forever."
JBF commentary says on it:
"A decisive proof this that there is a hell for the body as well as the soul in the eternal world; in other words, that the torment that awaits the lost will have elements of suffering adapted to the material as well as the spiritual part of our nature, both of which, we are assured, will exist for ever."
John Gill says this in his commentary:
"but he is able to "destroy", that is, to torment and punish both body and soul "in hell", in everlasting burnings; for neither soul nor body will be annihilated; though this he is able to do. As the former clause expresses the immortality of the soul, this supposes the resurrection of the body; for how otherwise should it be destroyed, or punished with the soul in hell?"
So, when we read that Death and Hades are cast into the Lake of Fire, or into Gehenna, we see that this involves both body and soul (or spirit) going to Gehenna and suffering there.
Scripture Witness
“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.” (Dan. 12:2)
We cited this text in earlier chapters but cite it now because it is an affirmation of the resurrection of the bodies of the wicked dead. What are the wicked resurrected to? "To shame and everlasting contempt." So, just what does that mean? First, consider the fact that the shame and contempt primarily refers to what will characterize the resurrected bodies of the wicked. Their disembodied spirits, in Hades during the intermediate state, were already in a state of shame and contempt. So, what will a shameful and contemptible body look like? It will be unlike the righteous bodies of the saints which will be beautiful and radiant, having no defect. Their bodies will be ugly and unattractive. Their bodies will be corruptible and dishonorable. So the apostle Paul affirmed when he said:
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Gal. 6: 7-8 nkjv)
When is the reaping of this text? In the present life? In the afterlife? Or, in both? The latter no doubt. Those who sow to the flesh will reap "corruption" in this life and in the afterlife, yea, even forever while an inmate in the fiery prison of Gehenna (i.e. in the lake of fire). Of the righteous dead it is said that "the body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption." (I Cor. 15: 42) But, with the wicked dead we may say "the body is sown in corruption, it is raised in corruption." Likewise, of the righteous it is said "It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory." (vs. 43) Of the unrighteous we may rather say "It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in dishonor," it lacking any glory. (vs. 43) Likewise, of the righteous it is said "It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." (vs. 43) But, of the wicked it may be said "It is sown in weakness, it is raised in weakness." Likewise, of the righteous it is said "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." (vs. 44) But, as regards the wicked dead, we may say "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a natural body."
Another text which we have previously cited and which also speaks of the resurrection of the wicked dead is this text:
“Marvel not at this: for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs 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 judgment [damnation—KJV].” (Jn. 5:28-29)
How are we to interpret the Genitive "resurrection of judgment"? Does it mean a resurrection that comes from judgment or unto judgment? Or, is it one of several other kinds of Genitives? Based upon a reading of Revelation chapter twenty and seeing the resurrection and judgment of the wicked dead therein narrated, it means "resurrection unto judgment and/or damnation." That chapter says the resurrection of the wicked dead is followed by them being judged before the great white throne and sentenced to an eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone. Also, the obverse of the resurrection unto judgment is the resurrection of life, which Genitive means there "resurrection unto life," i.e. unto eternal life in body and spirit.
Where The Worm Dies Not
"43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell (Gehenna), into the fire that shall never be quenched-- 44 where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell (Gehenna), into the fire that shall never be quenched-- 46 where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell (Gehenna) fire-- 48 where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.' 49 "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." (Mark 9: 43-50 nkjv)
The great teacher here purposefully repeats two phrases several times; 1) "the fire that shall never be quenched," and 2) "where their worm does not die." The term “worm” (skolex) denoted that type of worm that preys on dead bodies (Thayer, 580).
In addition, the present tense form of the verb “die” together with the negative “not” demonstrate that the gnawing anguish will neither decrease nor end.
The original word "Gehenna" is "derived from the Hebrew Ge Hinnom, meaning “valley of Hinnom.” It originally was a valley west and south of Jerusalem where children were burned as sacrifices to the Ammonite god Moloch. This practice was carried out by the Israelites during the reigns of King Solomon in the 10th century BC and King Manasseh in the 7th century BC and continued until the Babylonian Exile in the 6th century BC. Gehenna later was made a garbage centre to discourage a reintroduction of such sacrifices." (Britannica)
This burning garbage dump was a miniature likeness to Gehenna and the lake of fire and brimstone where all the unsaved dead will be imprisoned, tormented, and punished without end. Viewing Gehenna as the antitypical burning dump where the trash is taken to be burned fits in with the scriptural picture of the wicked dead as being the refuse, trash, of humanity. They are weeds that need to be burned in the fire. (Matt. 13: 30) Also, John the Baptist had this to say about it:
“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matt. 3: 12)
“His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:17)
When Christ says that this Gehenna garbage dump has fire that will never be quenched and worms that never stop feeding on the resurrected bodies the main idea is that the punishment is without end.
In closing this chapter on the resurrection bodies of the unrighteous dead, we might ask the reader to think about this question: "Will the resurrected bodies of the wicked still have their genitals?" If they do, for what purpose? Will they be able to have sex with the other inmates of Gehenna? My answer, of course, is no, because they will not have genitals either, just as the glorified bodies of the righteous. Gehenna will offer no pleasures for its inmates. So, does that mean the inmates can't socialize with each other? Will each inmate be in solitary confinement? If they can socialize, can they comfort each other? Can they play games as inmates in human prisons are able to do? These are not easy questions and belong perhaps to what is called "speculative theology." Still, that is not condemned by the Lord. What is condemned is being too dogmatic in such.
We are nearing the end of this long series on the afterlife and life in eternity. I contemplate about three concluding chapters. The next chapter will deal with showing how the beneficial effects of the new covenant are only experienced in part during the church age, while the complete realization of them will be in the ages to come. I will then have a chapter on the question of whether the immortals will be able to sin and be lost, which question involves the question of whether the immortal saints will have "free will" in any sense. Following that we will address some lingering questions and try to sum it all up.
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