IV — The Punishment of the Wicked
The truth proclaimed by Jesus, already dwelt upon, that none can obtain life everlasting except through him, affords sufficient data on which to determine, to some extent, the nature of the punishment to which the wicked will be consigned. It proves that they cannot live for ever in a state of either bliss or woe; and thus supplies a principle which renders the doctrine of eternal torments an impossibility.
All men being under sentence of death by reason of their first parents’ transgression, and only the righteous being entitled to unending life, the wicked must inevitably be consigned to unending death, that is, to be blotted out of existence for ever. Were it not that men’s eyes are blinded with the fable of man’s natural immortality, they would see this truth in such statements as the following: — “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life” — (John 3: 16). Only by assuming that all men live for ever in either happiness or misery, and perverting language from its ordinary and correct meaning, can such words as “perish” be interpreted to mean everlasting life in a state of torment. Take away the immortality of the soul as anti-scriptural, and that religious bugbear, the eternal torment of the wicked, vanishes like a myth. It was never taught either by Jesus or his apostles.
Wicked to Be Extinguished
The “prophet like unto Moses”, instead of teaching the necessity for preserving the wicked throughout all eternity either to inflict a punishment upon them out of all proportion to the sins of a short life, or to appease the wrath of an offended God — represents them as being so utterly worthless as to be fit only to be blotted out of existence. He compares them to a “tree that bringeth not forth good fruit”, and which is therefore hewn down and “cast into the fire” — (Matt. 7: 17-19); to “tares” which the reapers will gather together and “bind in bundles to burn” — (Matt. 13: 30) and to the withered “branches” of a tree which men gather and “cast into the fire, and they are burned” — (John 15: 6). On the supposition that the wicked are to be cast into a fire which will be continually burning them, but never consume them, these similitudes can have no force or meaning; for fruitless trees, tares, and withered branches, are all corruptible substances which cannot resist the action of fire. Had the wicked been represented by such durable substances as “gold, silver, or precious stones” there might have been some ground for concluding that they would not be naturally influenced by the action of fire; but as they are symbolised by “tares”, and withered “branches”, it is contrary to all reason and experience to suppose that they will be ever burning, but never burnt. It is true they are to be cast “into the fire that never shall be quenched” — (Mark 9: 43); but this so far from confirming the idea that the wicked are to be preserved for ever, affords evidence against it; for, when a fire is not quenched, it is allowed to burn until all the fuel with which it has been supplied is consumed.
This will be the fate of the wicked; the fire will be allowed to burn until they are utterly consumed. The city of Jerusalem has already been subjected to the operation of a fire which is described in precisely similar terms by Jeremiah: “It shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched” — (Jer. 17: 27). The fire in this case was allowed to operate until all that was combustible was burnt up. Thus will it be with the wicked: to be cast into unquenchable fire is a proof that there will be no reprieve from the punishment threatened; that the fire, instead of being prematurely extinguished, will be allowed to burn until its work is completely accomplished. Well, therefore, might Jesus warn his disciples to “fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” — (Matt. 10: 28).
“The Second Death”
The question as to when this consuming fire will operate has already been determined; namely, not at death, but after the Judgment, which is to take place at the second appearing of Jesus Christ. Then it is that “they that have done evil” come forth “unto the resurrection of damnation” — (John 5: 29); then it is that they are “cast into the furnace of fire”, where “there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” — (Matt. 13: 50); in which they will suffer “many stripes”, or “few stripes”, according to their several degrees of guilt — (Luke 12: 47-48). Then will all who are so unworthy as to be included in this category, realise the prediction of Jesus that “on whomsoever it (the stone which the builders rejected) shall fall, it will grind him to powder” — (Matt. 21: 44); thereby crushing out all life, and mercifully preventing them from living for ever in an uninterrupted state of sin and misery. This will be to them the termination of that “broad way” which “leadeth to destruction” (Matt. 7: 13) — not to eternal torments. To all who will be subjects of “the resurrection of damnation”, it will be the second time they will have been deprived of life. It is, therefore, appropriately termed “the second death” — (Rev. 21: 8).
But between the two deaths there will have been this difference. The former will, in most cases, have been a natural death, such as is common to all mankind generally, whereas the latter will be a violent death, preceded by intense mental and physical suffering, inflicted because of individual and wilful disobedience. The former will have been interrupted by a restoration to life (the resurrection of the “unjust”); but the latter will never be interrupted by any resurrection whatever: it will continue through the countless ages of eternity, with no hope whatever that those who are held in its iron grip will ever be disturbed from their “perpetual sleep” — (Jer. 51: 57). It will thus be to them the most effectual “everlasting punishment” (Matt. 25: 46) which the Almighty could have devised; for it will deprive them of all possible hope or chance of securing that “everlasting life” which was offered to them, and which they had the opportunity of securing; a privilege of which they failed to make a proper use.