THE DOCTRINE OF HELL FIRE.
VIII. The Everlasting Fire.
One of the expressions used to prove eternal torment is that of “everlasting” or “eternal” fire. Here are the strongest texts in which the term occurs:— 1. “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matt. 25:41. 2. “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” Jude 7. We need not dwell long upon these texts, for their meaning is readily made plain. 1. The word “everlasting” (“eternal” is the same in the original) does not always or generally mean without end. A more literal rendering of the original (aiōnios) would be “age-lasting.” The Greek word aiōn, even as the Hebrew word olam, means a time not limited; that is, its end or beginning, or both, are concealed from us. So the priesthood of Aaron is said to be an “everlasting priesthood,” tho’ we know it ended when Jesus died upon the cross. The original word, in Hebrew, is olam, in the Septuagint Greek, aiōnia. The term “forever,” it may be well in passing to remark, comes from the same originals. 2. The extent of the meaning of the word is therefore dependent upon the nature of the thing to which it is joined. Applied to God it covers absolutely time without end, unending duration. Applied to that which is temporal the term simply indicates that the end is hidden from us, be the time longer or shorter. It is not in the nature of fire to burn on without ceasing unless continually fed. God’s fire of judgment is kindled for a purpose, and when the purpose is accomplished, the fire will cease. 3. That this fire will accomplish its work and then go out is clearly evident from a number of scriptures of which we mention two: (a) In the punishment of the devil, once the “anointed cherub,” by God’s throne, it is said of his end: “I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. . . . Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.” Eze. 28:18, 19. When the fire shall have met its everlasting purpose upon Satan, it will no longer burn. (b) Take the second text above quoted, Jude 7. Place by the side of it God’s own interpretation of the work of the eternal fire upon those wicked cities of old: “Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly.” 2 Peter 2:6. The “eternal fire” burns up that which it preys upon, and thus fulfills another prophecy: “Behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Jehovah of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root [Satan] nor branch [the soul identified with him].” Mal. 4:1. We know not how utter destruction could be more clearly or more strongly exposed than in the above scripture. The “everlasting fire” is absolutely eternal in its effects. The wicked have abused the life God has given, and God in His justice, yea, and mercy, has taken it away forever. Our next study will be, “The Undying Worm and Unquenchable Fire.”