Immortality or Resurrection (Updated) by William West (reading strategies book .TXT) 📖

in which he will judge the world in
righteousness by the man whom he has ordained" [Acts 17:31].
• Also 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9
3) WRATH OF GOD AFTER THE JUDGMENT: There is not one word about the
wrath of God after the judgment. MANY MIX THE FIRST TWO TOGETHER AND
MISAPPLY MOST OF THEM TO THEIR HELL AFTER JUDGMENT DAY which
they must prove at all cost. Is it that they want them burning in Hell while we are in
Heaven? NOTHING IS SAID ABOUT GOD TORMENTING ANYONE AFTER THE
JUDGMENT DAY IS OVER, OR ABOUT HIS WRATH AFTER THAT DAY; BUT IT
IS TAUGHT AS IF IT WERE A GOSPEL FACT. God's wrath will be on the Judgment
Day [Matthew 16:27; Luke 14:4; John 5:27-29; Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Timothy
4:1; 2 Peter 3:7; Malachi 4:1-3]. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT GOD'S
WRATH AFTER THE JUDGMENT IS OVER? NOT ONE WORD.
THE TYPES OF THE JUDGMENT
The types and shadows all teach death, not an eternal life of torment. The
punishment for sin is always death.
1. THE FLOOD 2 Peter 2:5: Eight lived; but for the rest of mankind there was only
death in the flood, not a life of torment. Genesis 7:13-23 "And God said unto Noah, The
END of all flesh is come before me... AND BEHOLD, I WILL DESTROY THEM WITH
THE EARTH...And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to DESTROY
all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth
SHALL DIE...And all flesh that moved on the earth PERISHED, [died, King James
Version] birds, and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the
earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the
breath of the spirit of life DIED. Thus, He BLOTTED OUT [was destroyed, American
Standard Version] every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to
animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were BLOTTED OUT [was
destroyed, American Standard Version] from the earth; and only Noah was left [alive]
and they that were with him in the ark" [New American Standard Version]. DIED,
PERISHED. WAS DESTROYED, BLOTTED OUT, AND NOT LEFT ALIVE WAS
LITERALLY THE END OF THEM, ALL IN WHOSE NOSTRILS WAS THE
BREATH OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE DIED. Does anyone think "birds and cattle and
beasts and every swarming thing..." etc., did not perish when they died, and are living in
some third world somewhere with these evil men that did not perish when they died? The
flood is a type of the judgment. THE WICKED WILL LITERALLY PERISH, DIE, BE
BLOTTED OUT, AND NOT BE LEFT ALIVE; AND ONLY THE SAVED WILL
"REMAINED" ALIVE. "For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of
old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God; by
which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, PERISHED: but the
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heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being
reserved against the DAY OF JUDGMENT AND DESTRUCTION OF UNGODLY MAN"
[2 Peter 3: 5-7]. Just as those outside of the ark were all destroyed by the flood and none,
animals or man, were left alive and tormented, all those outside of Christ will be
destroyed. There is no question or doubt that destroy, perish, die, and end was the end of
all life at the time of the flood. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE [type] OF THE JUDGMENT
TO COME. ONLY THOSE IN THE ARK [Christ] WILL BE LEFT ALIVE.
2. SODOM AND GOMORRAH Jude 7: "ARE SET FORTH AS AN EXAMPLE,
SUFFERING THE PUNISHMENT OF ETERNAL FIRE" [American Standard Version].
GOD "CONDEMNED THEM TO EXTINCTION AND MADE THEM AN EXAMPLE OF
WHAT IS COMING TO THE UNGODLY" [2 Peter 2:6 New Revised Standard Version].
These cities were literally burnt up, not still burning with the people walking around in
torment. THEIR END [EXTINCTION] WAS COMPLETE TOTAL
DESTRUCTION AND ETERNAL; AND IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TOTAL
DESTRUCTION THAT IS COMING TO THE UNGODLY AT THE JUDGMENT.
SODOM HAS CEASED TO EXIST. SO THOROUGH WAS ITS DESTRUCTION
THAT ITS LOCATION IS NOT KNOWN. Some believe it was under what is now the
Dead Sea, some that it was other places. THE ANNIHILATION, END,
DESTRUCTION, EXTINCTION OF THE UNGODLY WILL BE TOTAL AND
ETERNAL, JUST AS IT WAS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH. THEY WILL CEASE
TO EXIST. This is the first use of "fire and brimstone" and the only time it was literally
rained on anyone. It was the total destruction of the two cities, and is later used as a
symbol of total and eternal destruction. [Psalms 11:6; Isaiah 34:9; Ezekiel 38:22;
Revelation 19:20; 20:10; 21:8]. "By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes
he condemned them to extinction and made them an example of what is coming to the
ungodly" [2 Peter 2:6 New Revised Standard Version]. That they were reduced to ashes
and the fire went out is also a part of the example of what will happen to the ungodly.
The fire did not preserve them in eternal torment, but eternity destroyed them. Where is
the revelation that changes this example of total destruction by a fire that went out when
the destruction was complete into an example of destruction that will never be complete
and the fire will never go out?
2 Peter 2:6
• "And if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes HE
CONDEMNED THEM TO EXTINCTION AND MADE THEM AN EXAMPLE
OF WHAT IS COMING TO THE UNGODLY" New Revised Standard Version.
• "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with
an overthrow, HAVING MADE THEM AN EXAMPLE UNTO THOSE THAT
SHOULD LIVE UNGODLY" American Standard Version.
• "He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing
them to ashes, HAVING MADE THEM AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE WHO
WOULD LIVE UNGODLY THEREAFTER" New American Standard Version.
• "He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes,
AND MADE THEM AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE
UNGODLY" New International Version.
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• "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to
destruction, MAKING THEM AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE WHO AFTERWARD
WOULD LIVE UNGODLY" New King James Version.
• "And God also destroyed the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them
until they were ashes. HE MADE THESE CITIES AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT
WILL HAPPEN TO THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST GOD" New Century Bible.
• "And He condemned to ruin and extinction the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah,
reducing them to ashes [AND THUS] SET THEM FORTH AS AN EXAMPLE TO
THOSE WHO WOULD BE UNGODLY" The Amplified Bible.
• "God reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, condemning them to
total ruin AS AN OBJECT LESSON FOR THE UNGODLY IN FUTURE DAYS"
Revised English Bible.
If Sodom and Gomorrah are an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly,
how could the ungodly have an eternal life of torment? These cities were both reduced to
ashes and when there was nothing more to burn, the fire went out. They are an example
of extinction, of total destruction, not of eternal torment.
What is Sodom an example of?
"Condemned them too extinction" -- Sodom -- or an eternal life of torment?
"Condemned them too extinction" -- ungodly - or an eternal life of torment?
Does anyone think Sodom is now being tormented in Hell today? If it is not, then how
is it an example of being tormented in Hell?
WILL THERE BE DEGREES OF PUNISHMENT IN HELL? Christ spoke of the
Day of Judgment for lands or cities.
1. More tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for Chorazin, Bethsaida, and
Capernaum [Matthew 11:21-24, Luke 10:10-12].
2. More tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for the cities that did not receive
those He sent out [Matthew 10:14-15, Mark 6:11, Luke 10:10-12].
There is no mention of eternal punishment of any individual and no mention of Hell in
any of these passages. The punishment spoken of is a punishment of cites and took place
IN THE DAY WHEN GOD JUDGED AND DESTORYED THEM, NOT IN HELL.
HELL OR ETERNAL PUNISHMENT IS NOT MENTIONED IN ANY OF THESE
PASSAGES. Those who believe in Hell read it in. WHEN ARE CITIES AND
NATIONS JUDGED? WHEN IS THEIR DAY OF JUDGMENT TO BE? "And you,
Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades"
[Matthew 11:23]. It was a great city but would go down to hades-the grave. Today, there
are only a few ruins of Capernaum. They went from greatness to non-existence. From
exalted to heaven to the grave [hades].
Nations and cities will not be judged at the judgment at the coming of Christ. Matthew
24 is of the judgment of Jerusalem [Matthew 23:36-38]. ALL THESE CITIES HAVE
HAD A DAY OF JUDGMENT AND WERE BROUGHT DOWN TO THE GRAVE.
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT FOR THEM IS PAST. The destruction of Sodom was quick
and soon over. The destruction of Jerusalem, which saw and rejected Christ was long and
drawn out with much more suffering, therefore, much less tolerable. The Day of
Judgment for a city or a nation is the time when God will cause it to be destroyed. The
Old Testament is full of God's days of judgment on nations and cities.
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"Punished by death and destruction, neither Sodom nor Gomorrah ever again became a
living city. Rather, the two joined as one became a symbol of total destruction as used by Moses
and the prophets (Deuteronomy 29:23; Isaiah 1:9; 3:9; Jeremiah. 49:18; Amos 4:11; Zephaniah
2:9), By Jesus (Luke 17:29), and by the apostles (II Peter 2:6; Jude 7; Romans 9:29)." Homer
Hailey, "God's Judgments and Punishments of Nations and Individuals" Page 30.
"From that day until this day, Sodom and Gomorrah have symbolized God's fierce hatred of all
immorality...The grave of Sodom and Gomorrah is not covered with fertile soil bearing grass,
forests, and crops like other cities of antiquity, No, its grave is covered by the Salt Sea, the Dead
Sea...God has utilized this symbol of his wrath over and over throughout the history of the
world...Sodom represents brazen evil followed by the judgment of God from which none can
escape...Thus, Sodom symbolizes utter ruin and desolation...When God rained 'brimstone and
fire' upon Sodom, He literally turned the city 'into ashes.'" Ron Halbrook, "Sodom and
Gomorrah..." Page 594, Guardian of Truth, October 3, 1991.
"AS AN EXAMPLE" Jude 7: If they are an example, what do they teach if is not that
those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire will no longer exist.
• "They were overthrown in the wilderness" - They died in the wilderness [1
Corinthians 10:5].
• "Fell in one day three and twenty thousand" - Twenty-three thousand died in one
day [1 Corinthians 10:8]. Not “Twenty-three thousand were eternally tormented
in one day.”
• "Some of them made trial, and PERISHED by the serpents" - Those bit by the
serpents died, they were not eternally tormented by the serpents [1 Corinthians
10:9].
• "Some of them murmured, and PERISHED by the destroyer" - They were killed
[1 Corinthians 10:10].
• "Unto the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and
DESTROYED them all" [Luke 17:27]. They died in the flood, not still being
tormented by it.
o "Perished" and "destroyed" means death, not torment.
Some seem to think there will there be a resurrection and judgment of cities? If so,
will the individuals of these cities be judged as individuals or as a part of the cities or
both?