PAGES FROM THE PAST

October 1, 1987 Issue

M. Lynwood Smith

THE UNJUST

(No. 3) continued from 9/1/87

H.C. Harper
Apostolic Way
December 1923

Let us notice Matt 10:28 again. Jesus says: "And fear not them that kill the body, but are not to kill the soul; but rather fear him that is able to destroy both body and soul in hell."

I have already called attention to the fact that the word here rendered "Hell" is gehenna in the original. In fact there are three distinct Greek words that are each rendered "hell" in the Common version; namely, gehenna, hades and tartarus; and this has given deceivers vantage ground from which to attack the truth.

For example, J.F. Rutherford, materialistic Russellite, tells us in his book, "The Harp of God," that "No man has a soul." (p.28) And he juggles with the word "hell" as cunningly as did Russell, who howled long and loud on "to hell and back," as though he had found a way out of hell (gehenna), when in truth the word hell (hades) is the word used in the Greek where he quotes "hell" to prove "to hell and back."

Has a man a soul? Yes, and it might be as truthfully said that no man has a body as to say that "No man has a soul." Listen! "God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." (Luke 12:20)

Hades-hell is not the place of eternal punishment of "the devil and his angels" and those "on the left hand." (Matt 25:31-46) But these deceivers (and they are deceivers) can play a siren tune on "hell" because hades and gehenna are each translated hell; and thus they lure men to destruction-"into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels," the gehenna- hell of Matt 10:28, the "hell" into which the unjust go "both soul and body."

Rutherford says: "The fact that He (Christ) did not remain in hell is proof conclusive that hell is not a place of eternal torture."

Rutherford here shows that he is either an ignoramus or a deceiver.

As a matter of truth, the "hell" to which Christ went, is not the hell (gehenna) of "eternal torture." Christ went to hades-hell, "the common receptacle of disembodied spirits." (see Acts 2:27, 30, 31 and Thayers Unabridged Lexicon, page 11)

All go to hades-hell- the just and the unjust, so far as the spirit of man is concerned, while the bodies, which are mortal (Rom 6:12) go to earth-some in tombs, some in graves, some in the sea, and some to rest on the lap of the earth, which receives them all. (see Rev 20:13) And just as sure as Christ is the "Rock" (Matt 16:18), just that sure it is that the "gates of" hades-hell did not prevail against him- he came back a mighty conqueror; and he says, "I am that liveth, and was dead, and behold, I live forever more; and have the keys of death and of hades (hell)." (Rev 1:18)

Yes, Christ has the keys of hades (hell) and he is going to empty it of every soul (Rev 20:13). And the "spirit" and the "body," which were separated (and "the body without the spirit is dead"-James 2:26) will be reunited when the body is "raised incorruptible." (1 Cor 15:52) "And when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O Hades (hell) where is thy victory?" (1 Cor 15:54,55) "For he (Christ) must reign till all enemies are put beneath his feet; the last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Cor 15:25,26)

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God... And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into he lake of fire." (Rev 20:11-15) "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be to him a God; and he shall be to me a son. But the fearful and unbelieving, and defiled with abominations, and murder ers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake of fire which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Rev 21:7,8)

"And the devil, who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are; and they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Rev 20:10)

"When the son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, ..." (Matt 25:31,32) "Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels... And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matt 25:41-46)

"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath for the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his works: to them that by patient continuance in well doing seek for honor, and glory, and immortality, eternal life; but to them that are contentions, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, tribulation and anguish, wrath and indignation, on every soul of man that doeth evil," (Rom 2:4-9)

Fear Him-yes, "Fear him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (gehenna)." Destroy: "to devote or give up to eternal misery." (Thayers Unabridged Lexicon, p. 64) Yes, cast into gehenna (hell) with the devil and his angels, and tormented "forever and forever." "Both soul and body." No coming back from gehenna (hell), no coming back from the "much worse punishment" than death, a physical death. (see Heb 10:28.29)