There’s a lot of good scriptual references here, so kudos to you.
This could be a really long post, so I’ll do my best here.
(Matt 25:41) If you start with vs 31, Jesus is explaining the events of final judgement of mankind. Sheep and the Goats. Sheep are those counted worthy, goats those who are not.
Those who are counted worthy during judgement will inherit the kingdom.
Those who are counted unworthy are prepared for an everlasting fire.
Here is what I see in Matt 25:31 “When the Son of man arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.
34 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, YOU who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for YOU from the founding of the world. … … 41 “Then he will say, in turn, to those on his left, ‘Be on YOUR way from me, YOU who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. … … 46 And these will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”
Ok, so “all nations” are gathered, in other words everyone, and they go into one of two categories, sheep or goats. Its important to note that the contrast explicitly stated…EVERLASTING life VS. EVERLASTING fire, from this we can NOT conclude everlasting life vs temporary fire, the everlasting applies to both cases. Also in case you misunderstand this doesnt have to mean a literal fire, its figurative, as v30 and v46 indicate the punishment entails a everlasting separation from God. Everyone either goes to the kingdom or to hell according to this teaching by Jesus.
This is not the first time that this parallel is described. Revelation 19:14 also describes those who were not in the book of life would be cast into a lake of fire.
So does an unrighteous person burn eternally then?
Personally, I look at the logic of it. In the beginning of vs 14, it says that death and hades would too be cast into the lake of fire.
I don’t think it makes sense that death would burn forever, since it’s not a person or a figure. Death is a condition.
Could the Lake of Fire be figurative like most things are in Revelation? As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we say yes.
We believe that the Lake of Fire is symbolic for eternal destruction and permanent death, not as a literal place of torment.
Im guessing you meant Rev 20:14. In that same chapter I noticed this in 20:10 “And the Devil who was misleading them was hurled into the lake of fire and sulphur, where both the wild beast and the false prophet [already were];
and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Again we see a clear reference to eternal punishment “for ever and ever”, no sign at all of a temporary punishment, infact physical human death has no effect on the devil.
As for “death and hades” here is what I see:13 And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Ha´des gave up those dead in them,
and they were judged individually according to their deeds. 14And death and Ha´des were hurled into the lake of fire. **This means the second death, the lake of fire.**15
Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire.
The “second death” is where physical death (what you call “death as a condition”) is destroyed but as v10 and v15 point out it is also the place of eternal punishment for evil doers.
Now that I think about it how can you even believe in a SECOND death? If they are dead (if no immortal soul and their body has already literally decayed that leaves literally nothing left to bring back to life) there is no need to bring them back and elimiate them again. But in v13 it clearly says they will be JUDGED individually, only through an immortal soul can a person who has already died be “judged accordingo to their deeds”.
Catholics believe as the Bible teaches man was made in Gods image, that image was an immortal soul He gave each of us and infused that soul to a physical flesh and bone body, at PHYSICAL death the soul separates from the flesh and bone body.
(cont)
