The Intermediate State

The souls of mankind are conscious both in the intermediate state (between death and the resurrection) and in the eternal state (after the resurrection). Let's examine several examples of New Testament teaching on both these points.

Do the wicked dead undergo punishment in Hades?

We know the traditional meaning of Hades included the conscious existence of the souls and the ongoing punishment of the wicked. We have seen "pagan" writers describing the torment evildoers experience in Hades.

The Jews divided Sheol into compartments (Deut 32:22, Psalms 86:13). The lower parts of Sheol were reserved for the wicked. The righteous went to the upper compartment, also known as Abraham's bosom, the near and intimate enjoyment of happiness with Abraham in the other world. To be in Abraham's bosom is to the Jew to be in Paradise.

The ancient pagans divided Hades into Elysium and Tartarus as the Jews put both Abraham's bosom and Gehenna in Sheol or Hades. The Jews believed that Gehenna and Paradise or Abraham's bosom were close together.

Jesus uses these rabbinic phrases to make a point:

Luke 16:19-31 And there was a certain rich man; and he was accustomed to don a purple robe and fine linen, making merry in luxury day by day. And there was a certain poor one named Lazarus who had been laid at his porch, being plagued by sores, and longing to be filled from the crumbs that were falling from the table of the rich one. But coming, even the dogs licked his sores.

And it happened, the poor one died and was carried away by the angels into the bosom of Abraham. And the rich one also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hell, lifting up his eyes, he sees Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosoms. And calling he said, Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering in this flame.

But Abraham said, Child, remember that you fully received your good things in your lifetime, and Lazarus likewise the bad things. But now he is comforted, and you are suffering. And besides all these things, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those desiring to pass from here to you are not able, nor can they pass from there to us.

And he said, Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house; (for I have five brothers, so that he may witness to them, that they not also come to this place of torment).

Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them.

But he said, No, father Abraham, but if one should go from the dead to them, they will repent.

And he said to him, If they will not hear Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if one from the dead should rise.

The discomfort of the wicked is expressed as sensual discomfort so we can easily relate to it. This discomfort may be highly symbolic and simply refer to the mental anguish souls would experience when perpetually cut off from God just as Adam and Eve were cut off from God after their sin in the Garden.

If it were not Jesus describing this situation, we would readily believe that it could be Aeschylus or another "pagan" writer. From our earlier beliefs, it is clear that Jesus described the torment of the wicked in Hades as if He were a pagan.

Peter Support Punishment in Hades

Peter indicated that he wicked are punished while they are being kept awaiting their judgment.

2 Pet 2:9 But the Lord knows to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unjust for a day of judgment, being punished,

Peter indicates that God is able "to keep" the wicked, using the present, active, infinitive terein, a form of tereo, to indicate a continuous keeping, here of the unjust. The "being punished" comes from the Greek kolazomenous, present passive participle of kolazo and emphasizes the continunity of punishment.

The Theif in Paradise

The righteous are also conscious in the intermediate state. Here, Jesus tells the thief on the adjoining cross that he would be with Jesus in Paradise.

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.

Jesus promised the thief immediate and conscious fellowship after death with Christ in Paradise which is a Persian word for enclosed park or pleasure ground. It also was used as a alternate name for Abraham's bosom. We know Paradise must be in Hades because Jesus descended into Hades after death (Acts 2:27, 31).

The Misplaced Comma?

Much has been said about the "misplaced" comma. It is practically only those who support soul sleep and the annihilation of the wicked who support the reading as "Truly I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise."

How Soon to be with Christ?

Paul in these next two verses indicated that he felt pressed upon by two sides, to remain in the body and also to leave the body and be with or join Christ. There is no thought here of a delayed arrival. Nor is there any evidence here that Paul was indicating a longing for the resurrection. In fact, he specifically mentioned being away from his bodily home. He fully expected to be conscious with Christ just after his departure of the flesh.

2 Corinthians 5:8 we are fully assured, then, and are pleased rather to go away from home out of the body, and to come home to the Lord.

Philippians 1:23 For I am pressed together by the two: having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better,

The intermediate state is one of consciousness. There is no evidence that Jesus or the Apostles believed it to be a state of sleep or unconsciousness.

Eternal State

The Physical Only believers make much of the difference between eternal punishment and eternal punishing. They claim that the punishment of the wicked is to be burned up, destroyed or annihilated; the punishment wil not consist of eternal life in an ever burning hell fire. Is this consistent with the thoughts expressed in the New Testament?

What is Worse than Destruction?

Jesus pictured the end of the wicked as worse then simple destruction. It involves a punishing torment that Jesus described by pointing to the Valley of Hinnom where the fires burned garbage placed there. The only difference is that the punishment Jesus described would last forever.

Mark 9:43-44 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 (Gehenna), into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Asbestos is the Greek word used to describe the unquenchable fire. It occurs often in Homer. Our English word asbestos is this very word. It represents a substance that does not burn up and survives the flames.

The Valley of Hinnom had been desecrated by the sacrifice of children to Moloch so that as an accursed place it was used for the city garbage where worms gnawed and fire burned. These rabbinic phrases together with the concept of asbestos present a vivid picture of eternal torment.

Next is a picture of the flames working to meet out of justice to those that do not know God. Often described by fire that cannot be quenced, the endless torture and inconceivable misery of the damned is probably just a physical picture of what the actual condition of the wicked will be.

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 in flaming fire giving full vengeance to those not knowing God, and to those not obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Isa. 66:15; Jer. 10:25) who will pay the penalty: everlasting destruction from the face of the Lord, "and from the glory of His strength," (Isa. 2:20)

This fate is for those who have at least two strikes against them: (1) They do not know God, that is, they do not recognize and give praise to God for the mercies they receive from him, and (2) They reject the righteousness, life, and salvation of Christ.

Everlasting Destruction

Everlasting destruction, olethron aionion, does not mean here annihilation, but, as Paul proceeds to show, separation from the face of the Lord. This phrase does not appear elsewhere in the NT, but is in IV Macc. 10:15 "ton aionion tou turannou olethron" represents the eternal destruction of the tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes.

That the wicked are punished forever is clear in Revelation. This passage describes those who worship the Beast. They are tormented and the fire of their torment lasts, using a classic rabbinic expression, "for ever and ever." Not only that, but they will never experience rest from this torment.

Rev 14: 9-11 And a third angel followed them, saying in a great voice, If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or in his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the anger of God having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented by fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. And those worshiping the beast and its image have no rest night and day, even if anyone receives the mark of its name.

This torment, basanisthesetai, as by a touchstone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the color of the streak it produced when rubbed on either metal. It means in general to apply torture or vex with grievous pains of body or mind. The manner of torture is an allusion to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but this torture with give those who worship the beast and its image no rest from their agony.

Now recall the final required observation necessary to support the belief in the theory of extinction or annihilation of the wicked after their judgment. It is:

Eternal punishment is described in Scripture only as the consumption or destruction of all aspects of man; there is no external punishing, but the eternal punishment of destruction.

There is clearly enough evidence to support the view that this statement is not completely accurate. Rather the revelations of NT writers indicate a conscious existence in the intermediate state and a future time of unending suffering of the wicked in the eternal state.

We have now dealt with all the required observations that were needed to support Physical Only beliefs.

The following summarizes this material and draws conclusions about our study.

Summary

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