Book of Revelation: Chapter 14:10-11 Is Judgment on the Beast Worshipers Endless Torment In Hell?

Okay, good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome to All Things Will Feel. I am William Bell and it's good to see you, Eric. I was browsing through your book the other, actually last night and again, interesting comments. I like how succinctly you put these things together and say a lot with a few words. One of these days I'm going to be able to do that. Welcome to you, and for all the others, I hope that this is being streamed on both the personal page as well as the All Things Will Feel page. I've been working, trying to get that sorted out. We used to have all of that working before and then for some reason, I lost the ability to do that. But concept of this endless torment based on Revelation chapter 14 and verse 13, whether or not it refers to an endless torment in hell. I've done some lessons on that before and I still am having people ask me questions about it. So, I thought that I would touch on it a little bit more from where we went last week and then we'll pick up and talk about the other verses coming up next week. But we recall that at the beginning of this section was the time of Babylon's fall. And Babylon, of course, is Jerusalem. It is the great city where the Lord was crucified. Those of us who are preterists understand that concept very well. We still have those who are futurists who are yet not fully aware of it or at least still trying to make arguments that the great city in the book of Revelation is Rome. We were studying Jeremiah and you even have a reference to Jerusalem as the great city in the book of Jeremiah. I think that's maybe in chapter 21 of Jeremiah, but you can check that chapter out. It can't be any further than I'd say chapters 20 or 21. But in Revelation 11 and verse 8, the text says, and their dead bodies shall lie in the street of that great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And that just definitely marks the place of the great city as Jerusalem. The scripture says in Luke chapter 13 and 33, it could not be that a prophet perishes outside of Jerusalem. And that is just simply showing that the authority for the murders, the persecutions, et cetera, that the church and the Lord, et cetera, his apostles received was coming from that authority in Jerusalem. Just as we see Paul appealing to the chief priests and elders for authority to go and persecute the people during the time of the persecution in the New Testament. But even in the Old Testament as well, Jesus charged them with the murder of the prophets. And you find that in, I want to say it's first Kings 19 and verse 11, but clearly in Revelation 18 verses 20 and 24, the reason that mystery Babylon, which is the great city. And again, that is Jerusalem was being persecuted was because of their murder of the apostles, the prophets, and the saints. And Jesus charged that to the people of his generation in Matthew chapter 23 verses 34 through 37, where he tells them to fill up the measure of their father's guilt, that they were the sons of those who murdered the prophets and that he was going to send to them wise men scribes. And some of them, they were going to persecute from city to city. They were going to scourge them or beat them in their synagogues. And some of them, they were going to kill that upon them would come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barakai, whom they had murdered between the temple and the altar. And Jesus said, surely all of these things will come upon this generation. And then he says, Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who stones the prophets and kills those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing behold, your house is left to you desolate. So we can't be any more specific, precise exacting than what the Lord says. And even Paul in first Thessalonians chapter two, 14 through 16, he brings an indictment against the Jews for killing their own countrymen, just as the Judeans had done, who murdered the Lord Jesus, kill their own prophets, persecuted us, forbid us to speak to the Gentiles. And they were contrary to all men and they bring upon themselves the wrath of God to the uttermost. So it's well-defined in scripture. And this is something that people should acknowledge. And that would bring a lot more clarity to their understanding in the book of revelation. So it cannot be America. America is a country. It could not be Rome. Rome never killed any of their prophets. And I'm well aware that people say, well, you know, Rome was responsible for killing Christ. But the blame is according to the scripture laid at the feet of the Jews. When you look on the day of Pentecost and the scripture says that you have by wicked hands persecuted and slain primarily, he's talking about the Jews and all through the book of Acts, you will see that that charge is laid upon him. They were the ones who conspired to do it. It was a plan of Caiaphas and the high priest and others from John chapter 11. And it makes it very clear who the perpetrators were. Many earlier died in that destruction that came from worshiping the beast. And so when we look in revelation chapter 14, this is what was taking place. This was the judgment that was being spoken of in these verses in revelation chapter 14 verses 10 and 11. So let's look at those for just a moment. And he says, he himself also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb. So this judgment was a judgment for those who had worshiped the beast, who received the mark of the beast. And again, this is something that was occurring in the first century. I know that there are people who are scared out of their wits that they're going to receive the mark of the beast and that this is something that is coming in their future. But that is another one of the beauties and blessings of studying covenant eschatology and the events that occurred surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem. It eliminates a lot of the fear that people have over false interpretations and impressions about the time of the end. And because of these who refused and rebelled against the Messiah, who rejected him, who would not obey him and therefore succumb to the worship of the beast and receive the mark of the beast. These were the ones who were subject to this judgment. Now, primarily that were the ones who never obeyed the gospel, but there were also some who defected and went back into the old covenant. Just as the scripture says of Demas in 2 Timothy 4 and verse 10, for Demas have forsaken me having loved this present age. Well, that age is tied to the old covenant world and therefore the things of the old covenant. So you even had some of the believers who defected. As a matter of fact, the scripture says that during that time that many of them would fall away and go back into the old covenant world. And this was a warning that they were warned against. And so they succumbed again, as we said, to the mark of the beast. Now, their fate mentioned in verses 9 and 10 was the receiving of this cup of wrath. And this is commonly spoken of in several passages in the Old Testament that use the cup of wrath to talk about God's judgment on a nation. And you have passages, and I won't go through these, but I'll just mention them. Psalm 75 and verse 8, Isaiah 51 and 17, Lamentations 4 verse 21, and also Ezekiel chapter 23 verses 31 through 34. And typically the cup begins with Jerusalem and then was passed around to the heathen nations around her. We can find that in Jeremiah chapter 25 in terms of the judgment being particularly on Jerusalem, but there were also other nations that are mentioned when he says the judgment will come upon all nations as well, but it would be poured out without mixture, undiluted upon Jerusalem and Judea and all that follow the beast. And again, you can see that in Luke chapter 21 verses 20 through 24, when he says, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart and let not those who are in the countries enter her. For these are the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Clearly, you know, the Bible marks that time period out as the time when the Romans surrounded Jerusalem in 70 AD. That would be the time when all things written were fulfilled, but that's also the time of the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles or the war that was going on against Jerusalem. And you see that in Revelation chapter 11 and verse two as well. And so it is something that we should consider related to that. Now they would be tormented as a result of worshiping the beast with fire and brimstone. And so that text calls to mind that we on last week, we went to Isaiah chapter 34, looking at the verses in that context, because it has a direct bearing on the text. But you know, when we hear fire and brimstone, the first place that probably occurs in our mind would be Sodom and Gomorrah. And so the scripture says that they received destruction by fire and brimstone. But what is said of them sheds light on this verse, because again, when we start talking about fire and brimstone, people start thinking endless fiery burning hell, you know, an endless torment for people who worship the beast, for people who disobey God, and that their ultimate fate is to burn in a fiery hell. And unfortunately, many people still labor under this concept. But you know, that's like the language of Isaiah 66 and verse 24, where it says, and they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against me, for their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched, they shall be in abhorrence to all flesh. Now there's a lot loaded in that verse. But I want to look at the one when he mentions fire and brimstone talking about Sodom and Gomorrah, so that we can get a little bit more clarity on that particular one. In Jude chapter 1, verse 7, Jude says the same of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He says, as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Now, people take this word, Ionias, which is a reference to a limited period of time, an unknown period, I should say. But nevertheless, they take that term because they see the word eternal, and they make it be an endless period of suffering. And from this text, in its use, they would say this has to be referring to judgment and punishment after death, that it is an endless fiery torment in the fires of hell. However, looking more carefully at the verse, notice that Jude says that these people of Sodom and Gomorrah, having gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Now, how were they an example of suffering the vengeance of eternal fire? In suffering that vengeance, were the people of Sodom and Gomorrah suffering torment in an eternal burning hell? Was it a fire and burning that everyone could see from the time of their destruction? Can you look back anywhere in the world today, or even in scripture, from the time that they were destroyed, and see them burning in an eternal fire? Now, we would have to be able to see that if they were to be an example for all the world, for everyone thereafter, in making that, or in the Bible stating that, that they were an example. It has to be something that you would see. An example for all generations from the time of their destruction to the time of the first century, at least, until the time that was written. But, he says, to all that would come after. And so, as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to this strange flesh, to sexual immorality, etc., and being set forth, whatever they were to be an example of, was seen by others. So, what is it that we see? Who can say that they've seen the people of Sodom and Gomorrah suffering an eternal, fiery, burning, hell, torment, and punishment? I don't think anyone could say that that is, in fact, what occurred. What has anyone seen in the example of the people in Sodom and Gomorrah was simply the fact that God brought them to destruction. He rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, and that out of the heavens, according to Genesis 19, verse 24 and 25. Notice what the text says. So, He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. Clearly, this was a judgment that took place during the lifetime of these people while they were on earth. It says nothing about what happens after they die. That is how we can see it as an example, and it had results that we could see then, or that they could see then, and that all the people who live thereafter could see. All we have to do is bring up the mention of it, and images of our minds of what occurred in Genesis 19, 24, and 25 are apparent. So, it was a judgment that could not be averted. It was a judgment that came upon them. It was a fire and brimstone that destroyed them and all the cities of the plain, and that was the judgment that was set forth as an example of all of those who would live thereafter. Now, when you think about that, and you compare it with what is happening in the wrath of God being poured out upon the people of Jerusalem in 70 AD, you can see very clearly that it served quite as an example of what actually took place. But we want to look at some other examples in that as well. When you go back to the Old Testament, and you look at what God said concerning the judgments that were made on the people during that time, not once in all the Scripture does the Scripture mention an eternal burning fiery hell as punishment for the sins of the people. When we take, for example, Adam. Adam was told that the day he ate, he would die. The Scripture says he ate, and on that very day, he died. He lost his innocence. He lost his status in the work of God in his dominion. He lost his place being cast out of the Garden of Eden, and all of that occurred, was separated from God. And you have to think about this. This was the, you know, it was a great sin in disobeying God from that perspective. But the Scripture says, the day that you eat, you will surely die. It says nothing about being destroyed in a fiery burning hell. So, where do we get these concepts from? Where did this idea come from? Because it's not in the punishment that God gave to Adam. He did mete out some things that he was supposed to experience. He said he would return to the ground, for out of it was he taken. Thus you are, and to dust you shall return. He said he would eat by the sweat of his brow. Those were the things that God is saying to him, but not one mention of any hellfire in that example. Then let's go to Cain. Another example, and here was one who committed murder. These are one of the seven things that God hates. The Bible said he slew his brother Abel, committed one of the greatest sins of mankind, and that is shedding of innocent blood over and over and over again. Throughout the Old Testament, the Bible condemns the shedding of innocent blood. Even later in the book of Genesis, in chapter 9, in verse 6, God said, whosoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. And so, Cain's punishment after the murder of Abel, it was said to be greater than he could bear, but it was all on the earth. It says, when you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be noticed on the earth, Genesis 4 and 12. And Cain said to the Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear. What punishment? This was the punishment for sin. Stephen says, where would you read in the Old Covenant about Sodom and Gomorrah and think, oh wow, these people are suffering eternal punishment. But you do read of their physical destruction with fire and brimstone as punishment for their sins. That is exactly and precisely correct, Stephen, and that's what we're communicating today. And so, he says, surely you have driven me out this day from the face of the ground. I shall be hidden from your face. I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me. Does that sound like something that's taking place in hell? Does that sound like the punishment that God gave for the murder of Abel on behalf of Cain? If Cain's punishment was endless hellfire, how could one who killed Cain have a punishment that increased sevenfold greater than his own? It is obvious that Cain's punishment was all on the earth. But notice in verse 15, and the Lord said to him, therefore, when Cain was fearful that anyone finding him would kill him, the scripture says, therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance, now this is God taking vengeance, just like we're seeing in the book of Revelation, we've seen in Luke 21, et cetera, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. That judgment was a judgment in this life, in this world. It was a judgment of Cain on the earth, not a judgment after his death. And therefore, we could see what occurred there. Then we have a case with the flood. Now, in terms of the flood, the Bible says these people were wicked and fully corrupt. Every thought and the imagination of their heart was only evil continually. And the Bible says that it repented the Lord that he had made them and that he was going to bring a flood as their judgment. This is what he was going to do in punishment for the people whose heart was wicked and they had filled the earth with violence. So the earth is full of violence as a result of them. They are corrupt. Their hearts are evil continually. And what does God say he would do to them? It says that he would bring a flood in this life. That was the judgment upon them. And so the waters prevail exceedingly on the earth. When you look at the detail of how God describes the punishment on the people of Noah's day, the generation of Noah's day, he said that the waters prevail exceedingly on the earth and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed 15 cubits upward and the mountains were covered. What is he describing? He's describing the judgment of the flood. And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth and every man, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on dry land died. So he destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground, both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. So it seems obvious that the flood was used to bring about the death of those. It was a physical destruction on them. And that was the punishment for the people living in the time of Noah. Now, what's interesting is that when Jesus talks about the time of the end, when he talks about his coming in Matthew chapter 24 verses 37 through 39, what does he say? He says, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the days of the coming of the son of man. That's precisely what we're dealing with in Revelation chapter 14. It's the time of the coming of the son of man. You will see in the latter verses, which we'll speak on next week and beyond, where he talks about the son of man sitting on the cloud. He has a golden crown on his head and has a sickle in his hand to harvest the earth. This is the time of the son of man coming on the clouds. All of your coming on the cloud passages found in the New Testament, where it speaks of Christ coming on the clouds, that's what it's referring to in Revelation chapter 14 and verse 14 following. Well, Jesus said, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the days of the coming of the son of man. He says they were eating in the days before the flood. They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage till the flood came and took them all away. It didn't say they took them to hell. Didn't say that they took them to, and by hell, I mean this concept that we have, some of us have of an eternal, endless burning fire and torment for people who suffer that. No, it says it came and took them all away. None were cast into this burning hell fire. And for 2,500 years since the time of Adam all the way up to Moses, there is not one example of punishment or claim by God that people are going to go to this endless torment of hell. Nothing is said about it whatsoever. So none of the patriarchs had any idea of it. None of them were told about it. God never even hinted at it. And yet people have walked away with that concept from the scripture. As we mentioned, all of them were given specific punishments for the sins that were committed and those were all judged while they were on earth. Now, the period under the law describes Israel as a nation. And with Israel as a nation, we can see both national and individual judgments, but never does one of them mention an endless torment. In the curses of Deuteronomy 28, 15, and these are the curses which are being played out in the book of Revelation. Wow, the time has gone by so quickly. I had no idea that the time had moved on so quickly. Let me see. We might touch on just maybe one of these additional points and we'll have to pick up again on next week. In the period under the law with Israel in their national existence after they had become a nation, either for the nation or for their individual judgments, never is an endless torment in hell mentioned. Take, for example, the curses in Deuteronomy 28, 15, and also Leviticus chapter 26, verse 15 forward. Now, these are the curses that are being meted out in Revelation. We spoke about them several times in Revelation chapter 6, in chapter 7, chapter 9, and chapter 13, etc. And they'll continue to be mentioned as we move forward. But these are the plagues. These are the curses. These are the things that God said would come upon Israel for their disobedience. So, let's take a moment and just survey a few of those things from Deuteronomy chapter 28 and we'll end in Leviticus 26 because that's, like I said, we're already over time and so I'm kind of fudging here to get these things in. So, if you start in Leviticus chapter 28 and look at verse 15, notice it says, but it shall come to pass if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God to observe carefully all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. Now, this is spoken to the nation of Israel. And he says all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. But look at what the curses are. Cursed shall you be in the city and cursed shall you be in the country. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. That's talking about their food. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land and the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock. So, now it's talking about reproduction in terms of their offspring as well as that of their flocks and even the produce of the land. Cursed shall you be when you come in and cursed shall you be when you go out. Are they going to come in and out of endless torment? I don't think so. The Lord will send you on you cursing confusion and rebuke and all that you set your hand to do until, now watch this, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken me. Isn't that God telling them what the punishment is? The Lord will make the plague cling to you until he has consumed you. Now, how long did it take to consume them? The scripture says the plague would be upon them, that's the curse of the law, until they were consumed from what? From the land which you are going to possess. Well, God took them off the land in 70 AD. That's how long the curse of the plague would be upon them. And then it says the Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish and your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust from the heaven. It shall come down on you until you are destroyed. How many times over and over again is he saying until you are destroyed? The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You should go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them and you should become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beast of the earth and no one shall frighten them away. Well, that's a reference also to or that's the point of reference for Isaiah 66 24 where the people would look upon the carcasses of them who had perished. The Lord will strike you and that's also Mark 9 43 through 48. The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt with tumors and with scab and with the itch from which you cannot be healed. The Lord will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart and you will grope at noonday as a blind man gropes in the darkness and you shall not prosper in your ways. You should only be oppressed and plundered continually and no one shall save you and he talks about those, you know, raping their wives etc and all of the things happening to their sons and daughters that they would eat their own flesh. All of this is the judgment the consequence of their disobeying him and so when you see that this is what we should understand for that. Let's look at verse 59. The scripture says in verses 58 59. If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book that you may fear this glorious and awesome name the Lord your God then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants watch extraordinary plagues great and prolonged plagues and serious and prolonged sicknesses. Moreover he will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid and they shall cling to you. Also every sickness and every plague which is not written in this book of the law will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed. You see they're they're living all of these things would come upon them until they were destroyed and they would be left few in number. So this is not a judgment of an eternal well even the word eternal would not be the appropriate word of an endless fiery torment on Israel. Let's take a look at Leviticus 26 very quickly and then we will we will close the lesson. Leviticus chapter 26 starting in verse 14. He starts with the same statements basically but if you do not obey me and do not observe all these commandments and if you despise my statutes or if your soul abhors my judgments so that you do not perform all my commandments but break my covenant and so this is covenant wrath this is covenant judgment for the people. Now if fiery torment of hell had been a part of their punishment it should have been in the covenant but we didn't see it during the time of the patriarchs and we're not seeing it during the time of the law. He says I also will do this to you I will even appoint terror over you wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sour of heart and you shall sow your seed in vain or your enemies shall eat it. I will set my face against you you shall be defeated by your enemies those who hate you shall reign over you and you shall flee when no one pursues you. Now watch verse 18 and I'll read a few of these and then we'll close and after all this if you do not obey me then I will punish you. Now watch seven times more for your sins. God says it's going to be a punishment seven times more for their sins but never once does he say endless fiery torment in a burning inferno of hell. In verse 21 then if you walk according or contrary to me and are not willing to obey me I will bring on you seven times more plagues according to your sins. These are punishments for their sins. Verse 24 then I also will walk he says if by these things you are not reformed by me. Why would God be talking about reforming them in an endless torment of hell? Some people actually hold such a view they think that maybe they get punished for a little while and then they reform I guess and go on to heaven but he says then I also will walk contrary to you. If you're not reformed but walk contrary to me then I also will walk contrary to you and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. That means hell is going to get seven times hotter for them like the fiery furnace in Daniel chapter three and four. He says I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant. We just read about the vengeance of the covenant in Luke chapter 21. These are the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled. So if that were the case then the fiery punishment should have been going on but we've seen that it didn't take place with Sodom and Gomorrah and it's not occurring in this particular case as well. He says this would happen when you are gathered together within your cities and I will send pestilence among you and you should be delivered into the hand of the enemy. Then I also will walk if you do not obey me verse 27 contrary to you in theory and I even I will chastise you seven times for your sins. So this is God saying he's going to do this to them in punishment of the law of Moses. Now I've got more to bring but let me go ahead and put this passage in just so it's there. In Hebrews the second chapter verse 2 the Bible says in verse 1 we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip. Why? For every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward. God said every sin that was committed received a just recompense of reward. Now where do we see endless torment as a just recompense of reward for the sins of the people? We do not. When we talk about an unquenchable fire or an eternal judgment, eternal judgment as the word Ionios is used, it just meant as Eric is saying here unstoppable. They couldn't avert it. Their sins had filled up the cup of iniquity so that the judgment had to come. Nothing they could do could avert it. So when we study these judgments in the Bible that's what we're looking at. We'll pick up on this next week because we have some more to talk about. We're going to look at a few individuals as well and see what the punishment was and then we can understand very clearly. For those of you who are not subscribers I encourage you to subscribe to our All Things Fulfilled newsletter and it is free. There is no charge for you. You can cancel at any time but you will get weekly lessons that help you to delve deeper into the study of the end times, learn more about the coming of the Lord in 70 AD and the fulfillment of all things so that you're not living under this fear that people are perpetrating today. That you don't have misconceptions about the, what's the word I wanted to use, about the Zionist movement calling themselves the Israel of the Bible. You're not, you know, supporting this fake Israel if you please, thinking that they are the people of Scripture. You will have a better understanding of what God has blessed you with and certainly will give you the peace of mind that you deserve through the gospel of Christ and we hope that you will become a servant of God if you are not and that you will remain one if you are. These are the things that you will learn from a study of eschatology. So please click the link and subscribe. We encourage the rest of you to share the message and with that I am going to say good morning to you and you have a good morning and a blessed day and we hope the lesson was beneficial to you and enlightening and encouraging. So with that, if it gave you some enlightenment and a better understanding, then our aim has been fulfilled. I'm William Bell saying you have a very pleasant good morning.