Looking to the Old Testament as a
whole, I am convinced that it does not carry a methodologically clear teaching
related to the after-life.
I am convinced that Life and
Immortality are brought to light by the revelation of Jesus, after his death
and resurrection, as indicated in 2 Timothy 1: 10.
Still we can find types and
shadows in the OT related to the Universal salvation, in addition to general
declarations related to the nature of God which walks in line with the concept
of Universal Salvation or the principles surrounding it. I choose a few verses
with the complete understanding that I am not an OT scholar and by no means is
this list in any way comprehensive.
Note: all Bible verses are
from the English standard Version except if mentioned otherwise.
Genesis 1: 31
“And God saw everything that
he has made, and behold, it was very good…”
For the God who clearly knows the
future and sees his works from the beginning till the end (see Acts 15: 18
NKJV), to say that He saw everything He made and found it very good is a clear
indication that God is positive about the destiny of His creation and on top of
it is Man, whom He crowned with Glory and majesty (Psalm 8).
For God to be happy with the
creation, indicates that He saw the end result and was pleased with it, which
is definitely not the Eternal torment of the majority of humanity in a place of
ultimate separation from the creator.
Psalm 16: 10
“For you will not abandon my
soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption”
Though the ultimate fulfilment of
this verse is related to the resurrection of Christ, the initial idea that the
writer indicated proves that there was a general understanding in his mind that
Sheol is in no way an end to God’s intervention in human life. Whether Sheol is
used to mean the grave or the state of the dead.
Psalm 30:5
“For his anger is but for a
moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
There is an amazing contrast in
this verse between the anger of God and His favour. The Anger (which some claim
to be reason behind eternal torment) lasts for only a moment compared to his
favour which immeasurably extends to a longer period. The “anger” of God is not
an end in itself, but rather a pruning tool.
Psalm 103: 8-14
The Lord is merciful
and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always
chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal
with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as
high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast
love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the
west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a
father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows
compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our
frame; he remembers that we are dust.
The mentioned verses definitely
reveal that the anger of God will not be kept forever, eliminating the idea of
eternal torment as God’s demonstration of anger against the human sin. There is
a clear statement in the whole paragraph that reflects God’s compassion to
humans, rather than anger and punishment. The major points in the paragraph that
constitute a blast to the eternal torment advocates are:
1. God does not keep his anger forever.
2. God does not deal with the people according to their sins.
3. If a fair God does not deal with Israel according to its sins,
he should be extending the same level of mercy to all other people, otherwise
he is not a just God.
4. God understands the nature of men, and shows mercy based on
that.
Psalm 139: 8
If I ascend to heaven, you are
there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
The Advocates of Eternal torment
usually claim that Sheol/Hades is the place of separation from God. If that was
true, how can God be present in Sheol/Hades with us to extend his presence to
our lives as expressed in these words of the psalmist?
Isaiah 14: 24-27
The Lord of hosts
has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so
shall it stand…For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will
annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?
The Purposes of God come to pass.
As he plans will happen. If his plan of salvation is prepared to save all men,
then definitely this plan of His will pass through. Human freedom can’t stand
against the Divine plan of ages, which is for the benefit and wellbeing of His
creation.
Isaiah 46: 9-10
“Remember the former things of
old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet
done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my
purpose”
God’s purposes will be
accomplished. The remarks mentioned related to the previous paragraph applies
also to this paragraph. With the emphasis that God’s purpose is reflected in
Ephesians 1 of the New Testament, where God’s ultimate will is to gather all
persons and things in Christ.
Jeremiah 31: 34
“And no longer shall each one
teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for
they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares
the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember
their sin no more.”
Prophetically, Jeremiah declares
that all men will know God. There will be no one teaching others, as all people
will know the Lord. The reason being that God will forgive their iniquities.
What a clear indication of the Universal Restoration of Humanity into the
Garden/relationship with God.
Ezekiel 33: 11
“Say to them, As I
live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the
wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn
back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”
Again, the Bible declares God’s
will to all men. God’s will is not for death and destruction but salvation,
life and restoration. If God is not pleased in a certain issue, then definitely
his purpose will come to pass, and His will be done.
Combining this verse with those
mentioned earlier assuring that God’s Purposes will prevail, as in Isaiah 14
and 46 above, the end result is definitely that Salvation will come on these
people and death will lose its power over them.
Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment