Eternal Judgement Examined

In his book The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis wrote concerning hell, “There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power.”[1] At the heart of this subject is the question of eternity. While most of us would desire some form of ultimate justice, the thought that this might be eternal is difficult to cope with. Can a just and loving God condemn humans to an eternity of conscious suffering? As a character in a play once stated, “Eternity is a terrible thought. I mean, where’s it going to end?”[2] If eternity means what it says, then it never will end. This subject then should be seriously contemplated by unbelievers and believers alike: unbelievers so that they might escape eternal judgement, believers so that they might warn about it compassionately “with tears, if not in our eyes, then in our hearts.”[3]

The highest authority[4]

The reality of judgement is established by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. He claimed that all judgement had been given to Him (John 5:22), and that all will face either “the resurrection of life”, or the “resurrection of judgement” (John 5.29). He makes clear that there is a specific location where this judgement will be experienced by warning of “the condemnation of hell” (Matthew 23:33); of “the everlasting fire” (Matthew 25:41); and  of going “to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched” (Mark 9:44).

In John 5:29, the Lord Jesus indicates who will be included in each resurrection: those who have done good will be included in [the resurrection of] life; those who have done evil will have part in [the resurrection of] condemnation [= judgement] and will therefore go to the place He calls hell. In case we begin to consider that we will be counted among the “good”, we need to understand what He meant by that term. In John 6:29 He tells us: "This is the work of God [in other words, ‘this is what is good’], that you believe in Him whom He sent", that is, in Jesus Christ. This follows on from an earlier statement in John’s gospel which makes clear that the alternatives of eternal life or eternal judgement are rooted in whether we have a relationship with Jesus Christ: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36).

Through some of His parables, the Lord Jesus vividly describes the end of those who rebel against Him. Such statements as, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13) and, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41) leave us in no doubt that Jesus was warning of a terrible judgement to come.

Such statements also tell us something of the character of the place of judgement. For our purposes here, it is unnecessary to establish whether these statements are figurative or not because, even if Jesus is using figures of speech, the reality must be something terrible.

• Loneliness – “outer darkness” (Matthew 22:13).
• Regret, or perhaps even anger against the One who gave the sentence – “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Luke 13:28).
• Suffering – “where ‘their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’” (Mark 9:48).
• Eternality – as well as graphic language of eternal suffering in the reference from Mark ch.9 above, Jesus makes the clear statement, “And these will go away into everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46).

Is eternity forever?

When faced with the prospect of what the Lord describes, it is natural to recoil and ask, is it possible that it might not literally be forever? While it is true that the Greek word used does occasionally mean an “undefined but not endless” duration, it is clear throughout the New Testament that the usual meaning is a duration that is endless. A. H. Strong comments about the Greek words translated eternal, everlasting, or forever, “If, when used to describe the future punishment of the wicked, they do not declare the endlessness of that punishment, there are no words in the Greek language which could express that meaning”[5]

This [sense of “unending” or “eternal” for the Greek word] is emphasised by its use in contrast to things that are temporal [such as “our light affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17,18, and “our earthly house (5:1)] and, perhaps most powerfully, when it is used to describe the eternal nature of the God who is from “everlasting to everlasting” (Romans 16:26 with Psalm 90:2).

Straightforward statements

On at least five occasions the Bible links the word “eternal” with another that means “judgement”.

Matthew 25:41: "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels”.

From the beginning of the Bible, when an angel held a flaming sword to bar Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, to the end, where it speaks of the lake of fire, fire is used to represent or symbolise judgement. Revelation 20:10 further describes the end for the devil and leaves no doubt that this is something that is forever, for which there is no respite, “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever”. Verse 15 tells us that all those who are “not found written in the Book of Life [will be] cast into the lake of fire”.

Matthew 25:46: "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life".

In this section, the direct contrast to eternal life leaves no room for doubt that the meaning describes the duration of the punishment. If the one means “forever”, when referring to life, so must the other, when referring to punishment. Punishment is the penalty received for something, and the Lord Jesus is clear, in this parable of the sheep and the goats, that the end of those who reject Him will be to experience punishment forever.

2 Thessalonians 1:9: “These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power”.

“These” are described in verse 8 as, “those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”. “Destruction” is the thought of ruin rather than removal from existence. Man was created to live in relationship with God and to delight and share in God’s glory and presence. “Destruction” is therefore to be cut off from the glorious presence of God. As long as God exists, they will be banished from Him. The destruction is forever. For the believer, the contrast is wonderful, as seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, “And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

Hebrews 6:1,2: “Not laying again the foundation of . . . eternal judgment”.

When listing some of the foundational matters of the Christian faith, the writer to the Hebrews includes eternal judgement. This is a sobering warning to those who might seek to minimise or remove such a truth. If God places it among fundamental truths, so should we.

Jude 7: “As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire”.

This final passage again uses fire as an illustration of judgement, this time referencing the fire and brimstone that fell on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. A. McShane comments on the progression of thought in vv.5-7, “we must notice the development in these examples of judgement . . . The apostates also will be destroyed by physical death . . . will be kept in darkness until the judgement of the Great White Throne, and then finally be cast into the lake of fire.”[6] While there are different stages to the judgement of God, the end is eternal.

To these references, we can add the sobering statements of the following verses: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2); “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever” (Revelation 14:11); “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).

We may not like it, but the Bible is clear that there is judgement ahead, and this judgement is eternal.

The afterlife unveiled

In an attempt to minimise the awfulness of this doctrine, many ideas have been suggested that have no foundation in the Bible. In his chapter on eternal punishment in Treasury of Bible Doctrine, E. W. Rogers suggests that the words of the Lord Jesus in Luke 16:19-31 on their own refute many such errors. He unveils the present condition of two men, Lazarus the beggar and an unnamed rich man, to show us the reality of what is beyond the grave, and so help us understand that all the following teachings are false.[7]

Annihilation – It would be a relief to many if eternal judgement simply meant that those who experienced it ceased to exist. Some suggest that the expression “second death” (Revelation 20:14) shows that this is the case. However, in the Bible “death never means cessation, but separation”,[8] and annihilation makes a nonsense of the words used for judgement because no one can experience punishment if they do not exist; indeed, they cannot experience anything. In this account, the Lord Jesus says, “The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes” (Luke 16:22,23). We are left in no doubt of the solemn reality of his continued existence.

Soul sleep – The teaching, that after physical death a person’s soul is not conscious at least until the final judgement day, is clearly refuted by this account. Immediately after death the rich man is described as feeling, speaking, remembering, and reasoning. Despite the death of the body, he was very much conscious of himself, his surroundings, and those he had left behind, along with having an understanding of what Lazarus had gained and he had lost.

Universalism – This is the teaching that all human beings will be saved and enjoy heaven. This is false as the Lord Jesus tells us that not all are in the same place. There are two distinct places: one of rest and blessing, the other of torment and suffering (vv.22,23).

Second chance / purgatory – If God loves everyone then surely there will be a second chance once hell has been experienced for a while? Others teach about Purgatory, “a place that a Christian’s soul goes to after death to be cleansed of the sins that had not been fully satisfied during life.”[9] It is evident from v.26 that the reality of our eternal destiny is determined in this life, not beyond the grave: “‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'” This plainly illustrates the truth stated elsewhere that “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement” (Hebrews 9:27). The rich man seems to acknowledge this for he asks only for some relief from the pain, not for deliverance from it. Or does this go even further to show that, terrible though the place is, there is still no desire to acknowledge God’s authority and to be in His presence? D. A. Carson maintains that this is the case: “Hell is not a place where people are consigned because they were pretty good blokes, but they just didn’t believe the right stuff. They’re consigned there, first and foremost, because they defy their maker and want to be at the centre of the universe. Hell is not filled with people who have already repented, only God isn’t gentle enough or good enough to let them out. It’s filled with people who, for all eternity, still want to be the centre of the universe and who persist in their God-defying rebellion.”[10]

Spiritism (that is, conversing with the dead) / reincarnation – The rich man seemed to understand that there was no chance of him returning to visit his brothers but hoped that Lazarus might be allowed to. This hope is dashed when Abraham says, “'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them'” and, “'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead'” (vv.29,31). Those who have “once died”, do not return, “As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall never return to his house, nor shall his place know him anymore” (Job 7:9,10). C. T. Studd, the famous cricketer and missionary, once said, “only one life, ’twill soon be past”.[11] This life is our one opportunity to prepare for eternity. Let’s not waste it.

Reflecting and responding

We may have many misgivings and objections to the prospect of eternal judgement. It is true that many theological, ethical, and philosophical arguments against it have been raised, but there are adequate responses that “provide a reasonable rationale for the doctrine.”[12]

At the end of an interview defending the biblical doctrine of hell and eternal judgment, J. P. Moreland was asked if there were times when he felt uncomfortable about the existence of hell. “Absolutely . . . But . . . feeling uncomfortable about something is not the same thing as having a rational, considered judgement that it’s wrong . . . what’s the proper response to feeling uncomfortable? It’s not to try to create a view of the afterlife that keeps me from feeling uncomfortable. That’s a terrible way to approach truth. The proper thing to do is to admit hell is real and to allow our feelings of discomfort to motivate us to action.”[13]

In considering the judgement to come, the command from God to the unbeliever is straightforward, “God . . . now commands all men everywhere to repent.” The assurance that there will be a judgement day is given in the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 17:30,31), which is the guarantee of His power to do what He promises in John 5:28,29: “the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth.” No one will be missed for “Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works” (Revelation 20:13). At that time, “anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (v.15), which is the “second death” (Revelation 21:8). If you are reading these words and are not yet a believer in Jesus Christ, do not delay in responding to the good news that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Believers should meditate upon the eternal judgement that they once deserved, and be filled with a deep gratitude for “the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7), through which they have been spared. That same undeserved favour ought to motivate us to an attitude like that of Abraham, Moses, and Paul when they were faced with the prospect of the judgement of God against others of their contemporaries.

Abraham interceded with God on behalf of Lot (Genesis 18:22-33); Moses pleaded earnestly on behalf of the Israelites, “if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written” (Exodus 32:32); and the Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). These men had a heart full of the love of God for those facing eternal judgement. May we ask God to give us hearts like theirs, and, in our evangelistic activity, “remember that people’s response to the gospel is literally a matter of life or death – eternal life or eternal death.”[14]

Notes

[1] C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (Harper Collins Publishers, 2002) pp. 119-120.

[2] Cited in John Blanchard, Whatever Happened to Hell? (Evangelical Press, 2003), p. 249.

[3] Blanchard, Ibid., p. 10.

[4] Throughout this article, I am assuming that the Bible is the Word of God and that what it records can be depended upon. If you are struggling to accept this truth, the following articles may be of some help to you: Can I Trust the Bible? | Understanding the Gospel ; Has God Spoken? | Understanding the Gospel

[5] Quoted in Blanchard, Ibid., p. 247.

[6] Albert McShane, “Jude”, in What the Bible Teaches: 1 Peter–Jude, edited by T. Wilson and K. Stapley (John Ritchie, 2007), p. 309.

[7] E. W. Rogers, “Eternal Judgement”, in Treasury of Bible Doctrine, 2nd ed., J. Heading and C. E. Hocking, eds. (Precious Seed Publications, 1991), p. 432.

[8] Blanchard, Ibid., p. 55.

[9] https://www.gotquestions.org/purgatory.html . Accessed April 2024.

[10] Quoted in, Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ/The Case for Faith, Kindle edition (Zondervan, 2006), p. 615.

[11] C. T. Studd, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last” is the full couplet he is credited with composing.

[12] Lee Strobel, Ibid., pp. 611, 612. In this chapter of The Case for Faith, “Objection #6: A loving God would never torture people in hell”, objections against the idea of hell are examined, pp. 583–616.

[13] Quoted in Lee Strobel, Ibid., p. 612.

[14] Blanchard, Ibid., p. 297.