THE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO REJECT

REDEMPTION THROUGH JESUS

330.010.000 Torrey: p303, T:I
Topic 10: The Future Destiny of those who do not
believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
330.010.010 Torrey: p303, T:I, P:1
POINT 10: Those who do not believe that Jesus is the
Messiah and Son of God shall die in their sins; where He
goes they cannot come.

John 8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do
not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in
your sins.

Note -- The faith here spoken of is not a mere opinion, but a faith that governs the
life. Compare John's use of faith everywhere, e.g.:

1 John 5:1, 4-5 [1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the
Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his
child as well. [4] for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This
is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. [5] Who is
it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the
Son of God.

330.020.000 Torrey: p303, T:II

Topic 20: The Future Destiny of those who have
done ill.
330.020.010 Torrey: p303, T:II, P:1
POINT 10: All men shall be raised again from the dead,
those who reject Christ as well as those who accept Him, but
to the one it will be a resurrection to life, to the other a
resurrection to judgment.

John 5:28-29 [28] "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is

coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice [29] and
come out -- those who have done good will rise to live, and those
who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ

all will be made alive.

330.030.000 Torrey: p303, T:III

Topic 30: The Future Destiny of the factious, the
disobedient.
330.030.010 Torrey: p303, T:III, P:1
POINT 10: To those who are factious and do not obey the
truth, but obey unrighteous- ness, there shall be wrath and
indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man
that works evil.

Romans 2:5-6, 8-9 [5] But because of your stubbornness

and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against
yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will
be revealed. [6] God "will give to each person according to what he
has done." [8] But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the
truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. [9] There will be
trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for
the Jew, then for the Gentile;

Compare John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Compare John 3:18-19 [18] Whoever believes in him is not

condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned
already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and
only Son.

330.040.000 Torrey: p304, T:IV

Topic 40: The Future Destiny of those who do not
know God and do not obey the Gospel.
330.040.010 Torrey: p304, T:IV, P:1
POINT 10: Those who do not know God and do not obey the
gospel of our Lord Jesus, shall suffer punishment, even
eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the
glory of His might, when He shall come to be glorified in His
saints.

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 [8] He will punish those who do

not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] They
will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the
presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power

Note -- We shall see later the meaning of the term "destruction."

OBJECTION: How could any being that claims to be a 'loving' God condemn
hundreds of millions of people to everlasting punishment for not knowing Him and
not obeying His Son's gospel if they never heard of Him or His Son? What about
people who died before Jesus was born? What about people in India, Asia, Australia,
the Pacific Rim and the Western Hemisphere, where Christianity did not arrive until
centuries after Christ's death?

ANSWER: In this excerpt the term "do not know God" is misleading; do not
confuse it with "do not know of God." Every man knows of the existence
God because God has written such knowledge into the hearts of
men. Romans 2:12-16. A person who does not know God chooses to
ignore this inborn attraction.

Also see the discussion below.

330.050.000 Torrey: p304, T:V

Topic 50: The Future Destiny of those whose
names are not found written in the book of life.
330.050.010 Torrey: p304, T:V, P:1
POINT 10: At the judgment before the great white throne
anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life
shall be cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:15 If anyone's name was not found written

in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
330.060.000 Torrey: p304, T:VI
Topic 60: The Future Destiny of those who neglect
Christ by neglecting His brethren.
330.060.010 Torrey: p304, T:VI, P:1
POINT 10: When Christ comes to judge the nations He shall
say to those on His left hand, i.e., those who have neglected
Him by neglecting their duty to His needy brethren, "Depart
from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared
for the Devil and his angels," and these shall go away into
eternal punishment.

Matthew 25:41, 46 [41] Then he will say to those on his

left, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels." [46] Then they will go away
to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

330.070.000 Torrey: p305, T:VII

Topic 70: The Future Destiny of the fearful,
unbelieving, etc.
330.070.010 Torrey: p305, T:VII, P:1
POINT 10: The fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers (pimps and
madams), and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall
have their part in the lake which burns with fire and
brimstone.

This section is particularly significant, and various translations can lead to different,
sometimes troubling, interpretations; hence, the 'laundry list' is included from several
translations. One must particularly keep in mind that many words had different
connotations in King James' time.

Revelation 21:8, New International

Version But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the
murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the
idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning
sulfur. This is the second death.
 Revelation 21:8, Revised Standard
Version But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted [by
sin], as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all
liars ...

(The New English Bible essentially combines these two.)

Revelation 21:8, King James Version But the
fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have
their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is
the second death.

Revelation 21:8, New American Bible As for the

cowards and traitors to the faith, the depraved and murderers, the
fornicators and sorcerers, the idol-worshipers and deceivers of every
sort -- their lot is the fiery pool of burning sulphur, the second death!

=== DISCUSSION ===

It is important to have a proper perspective on this section. Taken literally, it
excludes pretty much every person. Taken literally, it means you will burn in Hell
forever because your aunt asked if you like the necktie she gave you for Christmas
and you said "It's nice," but you really didn't like the color. Taken literally, it means
you will burn in Hell forever if you are afraid of snakes, mice, rats, or bees, or your
child getting hurt by a street gang. Taken literally, it means that if your pastor says "I
need someone to bring some food to the homeless shelter, would you mind helping
out?" and you say "I'd be glad to," if you really would prefer to watch a football game
you will be condemned to eternal punishment because you lied. Obviously, the correct
interpretation of this section is important.

It should be specifically noted that by choice of words and punctuation the New
American Bible puts the list in a somewhat different light. Each of the other
translations separates each item in the list by commas, seemingly indicating they are
equal and unrelated, e.g., "the fearful ... will ...", "the unbelieving ... will ...", etc.
However, the New American version groups them, e.g., the footnote states "Cowards:
their conviction is so weak that they deny Christ in time of trial and become traitors."
[italics added ]. Deceivers seems to give a much clearer picture of the passage's
meaning than "liars"; "deceit" connotes something sinister, something evil. Only the
simplest of fools would consider "The necktie looks nice." or fear of snakes to be evil
or deceitful.

330.070.012 Torrey: no
POINT 12: We must beware of relying on distinctions that
do not exist. Few people are practicing witches or worship
metal statues, yet many practices that are becoming
commonplace fall under the biblical prohibitions against
"sorcery" or "idolatry." Those who engage in them will be
condemned.

It is important not to underestimate the significance Revelation 21:8.

Most people would say "I don't practice sorcery, witchcraft or Satanism. I don't
worship idols; yes, I have a statue of Buddha at work, but it's just a bookend."

Do you read horoscopes, astrological charts or Tarot cards? Do you seek advice
from 'psychics' or fortune tellers? Do you practice 'visualization' or self-help
techniques which teach that if you visualize yourself as having something you will
obtain it, that you can actually control and affect the world around you simply with
the power of your mind? Do you attempt to contact 'outside intelligences' or 'inner
guides' or 'spirit guides' or 'angels' or even Jesus or the Holy Spirit by the use of
altered states such as meditation, yoga, mantras, hypnotic regression to past lives,
channeling, mediums, or Ouija boards?

Each of these practices comes under the term "sorcery" as it is used -- and
condemned -- in the Bible. According to a number of researchers, contacting the spirit
world is actually quite simple; it basically simply involves concentrating. Recent
studies have shown that even people who don't believe in the existence of the spirit
world have been able to make such contact.

God's angels, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit do not commune with people via altered
mental states; they cannot be 'summoned up' by humans. They set the time, place,
terms, manner, and purpose of the contact, in accordance with God's desire.

There are only two groups of spirits: those that are loyal to God and those that
oppose him. Each group wants to attract humans to its side. Rebellious spirits have no
qualms about using deceit and trickery to accomplish their goals; they will claim to be
'angels', 'flying saucer' aliens (see UFOs in the New Age by William Alnor,
sponsored by the Christian Research Organization), Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or
whatever else works to attract the unwary.
330.080.000 Torrey: p305, T:VIII
Topic 80: Questions Answered.
FIRST QUESTION: Is the fire spoken of as the future penalty of sin literal fire?

Reviser's Note: For centuries, this has been an area of substantial debate among
theologians. By no means is the answer as clear-cut as Torrey makes it appear.
However, I would point out the response of any lawyer: Does it really matter? If a
criminal is sentenced to death, does it really matter whether he is executed by
hanging, firing squad, electrocution, the gas chamber, or lethal injection? The
significant point about hell is that it is an absolutely horrible place to live.

ANSWER: (1) Note the frequency with which the word fire and synonymous
expressions are used:

Matthew 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire.

John 15:6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a

branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked
up, thrown into the fire and burned.

Isaiah 66:24 And they will go out and look upon the dead
bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor
will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all
mankind.

Hebrews 6:8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is

worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be
burned.

Hebrews 10:26-27 [26] If we deliberately keep on

sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no
sacrifice for sins is left, [27] but only a fearful expectation of
judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

Revelation 20:15 If anyone's name was not found written

in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
 Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the
vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic
arts, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of
burning sulfur. This is the second death.

(2) Matthew 13:30, 41-42 Let both grow together until

the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: "First collect the
weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat
and bring it into my barn." [41] The Son of Man will send out his
angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that
causes sin and all who do evil. [42] They will throw them into the
fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In a parable we expect figures, but in the explanation of the parable we expect the
figures to be explained by the literal facts which they are intended to represent. But in
the parable of the tares every item of the parable is explained except the fire; that
remains fire in the interpretation of the parable as well as in the parable itself.

Compare Matthew 13:47-50 [47] "Once again, the

kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and
caught all kinds of fish. [48] When it was full, the fisher- men pulled
it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in
baskets, but threw the bad away. [49] This is how it will be at the
end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from
the righteous [50] and throw them into the fiery furnace, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

330.081.000 Torrey: p306, T:VIII, Q:2, P:DEATH

Topic 81: Death in the Lake of Fire.
SECOND QUESTION: Is the Lake of Fire: (a) a place of conscious torment, (b) a
place of annihilation of being or (c) a place of non-conscious existence?

ANSWER: The punishment of the wicked is spoken of as "death" and "destruction."

What do these words mean in Biblical usage?

330.081.010 Torrey: p306, T:VIII, Q:2, P:DEATH- 1

POINT 10: The word "death" is applied to sinners while still
existing, but existing in a wrong way -- while they have life
in the sense of existence, but not true life, real life, in the
sense of right existence.

1 Timothy 5:6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead
even while she lives.

Ephesians 2:1 [1] As for you, you were dead in your

transgressions and sins,

Compare the Authorized and Revised Versions of 1 Timothy 6:19 In

this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm
foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life
that is truly life.

330.081.020 Torrey: p306, T:VIII, Q:2, P:DEATH- 2

POINT 20: The death which is the final outcome of a life of
sin and unbelief is defined in the Bible as a portion in the
place of torment.

Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the

vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic
arts, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of
burning sulfur. This is the second death.

330.081.030 Torrey: p306, T:VIII, Q:2, P:DEATH- 3

POINT 30: Life is defined in the Bible not merely as
existence but as right existence, knowing the true God, the
life manifested in Jesus Christ. Death, then, is not mere non-
existence, but wrong, wretched, debased devilish existence.

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

1 John 1:2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to

it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father
and has appeared to us.

330.082.000 Torrey: p307, T:VIII, Q:2, P:DESTRUCTION

Topic 82: Destruction
330.082.010 Torrey: p307, T:VIII, Q:2, P:DESTRUCTION-1
POINT 10: When anything is said "to perish" (the verb from
which the noun commonly translated "destruction" and
"perdition" is derived) it is not meant that it ceases to be,
but that it is so ruined that it no longer subserves the use
for which it was designed.

(See Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.)

Matthew 9:17 Neither do men pour new wine into old

wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and
the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new
wineskins, and both are preserved.

Compare Matthew 26:8 When the disciples saw this, they

were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.

At various places the same word is translated "waste", "perdition", and

"destruction."

330.082.020 Torrey: p307, T:VIII, Q:2, P:DESTRUCTION-2

POINT 20: "Destruction " is clearly defined in the New
Testament as the condition of beings in a place of conscious
and unending torment.

Revelation 17:8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now
is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction.
The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in
the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished
when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet
will come.

Revelation 17:11 The beast who once was, and now is

not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his
destruction.

2 Peter 3:16 He writes the same way in all his letters,

speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things
that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people
distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
 Philippians 3:19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is
their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on
earthly things.

2 Peter 3:7 By the same word the present heavens and

earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and
destruction of ungodly men.

Now if we can find what the beast "goes" into, we shall know what "destruction" or
"perdition" means. Turn to the following:

Revelation 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with

him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on
his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received
the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them
were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Revelation 20:7, 10 [7] When the thousand years are

over, Satan will be released from his prison ... [10] And the devil,
who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,
where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will
be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 20:10, Revised Standard

Version [10] [A]nd the devil who had deceived them was thrown
into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet
were, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Here we find the beast and the false prophet still in the lake of fire and being
tormented after a thousand years have passed away.

That "destruction" does not mean annihilation is also evident from the following:

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save
what was lost.

330.082.030 Torrey: p308, T:VIII, Q:2, P:DESTRUCTION-3

POINT 30: The ultimate condition of those who receive the
mark of the beast is described as a condition of unending,
unresting, conscious torment.

Revelation 14:10-11 [10] he, too, will drink of the wine

of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his
wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of
the holy angels and of the Lamb. [11] And the smoke of their
torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for
those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who
receives the mark of his name.

OBJECTION: "This passage does not refer to the eternal state -- it speaks of 'day
and night.'"

ANSWER: (1) Compare:

Revelation 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six

wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his
wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

Revelation 7:14-15 [14] I answered, "Sir, you know."

And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great
tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb. [15] Therefore, "they are before the throne of
God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on
the throne will spread his tent over them.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was

thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false
prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and
night for ever and ever.

(2)

Revelation 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with

him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on
his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received
the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them
were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
330.083.000 Torrey: p309, T:VIII, Q:3
Topic 83: The condition of torment is endless.
330.083.010 Torrey: p309, T:VIII, Q:3, P:
POINT 10: They are tormented day and night for ever and
ever, and they have no rest day nor night.

THIRD QUESTION: Is this condition of torment endless?

ANSWER:

Matthew 25:41 Then he will say to those on his left,

`Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared
for the devil and his angels.

Compare Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived

them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast
and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day
and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment rises for

ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship
the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his
name.

2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 [9] They will be punished with

everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord
and from the majesty of his power [10] on the day he comes to be
glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those
who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our
testimony to you.

What does "for ever and ever" mean?

Literally, "unto the ages of the ages." The expression occurs twelve times in the
Book of Revelation.

Revelation 1:6 [5] ... To him who loves us and has freed us
from our sins by his blood, [6] and has made us to be a kingdom and
priests to serve his God and Father -- to him be glory and power for
ever and ever! Amen.

Revelation 4:9-10 [9] Whenever the living creatures give

glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives
for ever and ever, [10] the twenty-four elders fall down before him
who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever.
They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

Revelation 5:13 Then I heard every creature in heaven

and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in
them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be
praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

Revelation 7:12 [12] saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and

wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our
God for ever and ever. Amen!"

Revelation 10:6 And he swore by him who lives for ever

and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth
and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There
will be no more delay!

Revelation 11:15 The seventh angel sounded his

trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The
kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of
his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment rises for

ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship
the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his
name."

Revelation 15:7 Then one of the four living creatures

gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of
God, who lives for ever and ever.

Revelation 19:2-3 [2] for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by
her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants." [3]
And again they shouted: "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up
for ever and ever."

Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was

thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false
prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for
ever and ever.

Revelation 22:5 There will be no more night. They will not

need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will
give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Eight times it refers to the duration of the existence or reign or glory of God and
Christ. Once to the duration of the blessed reign of the righteous, and in the three
remaining instances to the duration of the torment of the Devil, Beast, False Prophet,
and the wicked.

The word frequently translated "eternal" or "everlasting" means "age-long", and

may be used of a limited period; but the expression "for ever and ever" means "unto
the age of the ages" (Revelation 19:3; 20:10; 14:11), i.e., not
merely throughout an age, but throughout all ages. It is a picture not merely of years
tumbling upon years, but of ages tumbling upon ages in endless succession. It is never
in a single instance used of a limited period. Nothing could more plainly or
graphically picture absolute endlessness.

330.084.000 Torrey: p310, T:VIII, Q:4

Topic 84: FOURTH QUESTION: When are the
issues of eternity settled?
330.084.010 Torrey: p310, T:VIII, Q:4, P:1
POINT 10: Those who die in their sins cannot go where
Jesus is.

John 8:21 Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away,
and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you
cannot come."

OBJECTION: Jesus is God; therefore, He is omnipresent, i.e., present everywhere.

Also:
 Revelation 14:10-11 [10] he, too, will drink of the wine
of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his
wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the
presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. [11] And the
smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day
or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for
anyone who receives the mark of his name.

ANSWER: As pointed out earlier, God is present everywhere, but He is not present
everywhere in the same sense. John 8:21 literally means that sinners cannot
go to Heaven.

330.084.020 Torrey: p310, T:VIII, Q:4, P:2

POINT 20: It is appointed unto men once to die, and after
this judgment.

Hebrews 9:27-28 [27] Just as man is destined to die

once, and after that to face judgment, [28] so Christ was sacrificed
once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a
second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are
waiting for him.

330.084.030 Torrey: p310, T:VIII, Q:4, P:3

POINT 30: All who are in their graves who have done evil
shall be raised unto a resurrection of judgment.

John 5:28-29 [28] "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is

coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice [29] and
come out -- those who have done good will rise to live, and those
who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

330.084.040 Torrey: p310, T:VIII, Q:4, P:4

POINT 40: A great gulf stands between those who pass out
of this world lost and those who pass out accepted by God;
there is no passing from one side to the other. The destinies
of eternity are settled in the life that is now.

Luke 16:26 [26] And besides all this, between us and you a
great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here
to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.
330.085.000 Torrey: p311, T:VIII
Topic 85: FIFTH QUESTION: May those who have
never heard of Christ in this world have another
opportunity?
330.085.010 Torrey: p311, T:VIII, Q:5
POINT 10: God wrote His law into the hearts of men. Each
man has sufficient light to achieve or lose salvation.

Jeremiah 31:33-34 [33] "This is the covenant I will make

with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will
put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be
their God, and they will be my people. [34] No longer will a man
teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the
LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them
to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their
wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

Romans 2:12-16 [12] All who sin apart from the law will
also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be
judged by the law. [13] For it is not those who hear the law who are
righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be
declared righteous. [14] (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not
have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they
are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the
law, [15] since they show that the requirements of the law
are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing
witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even
defending them.) [16] This will take place on the day when God
will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Note: -- The passage quoted here was not given to show, as some strangely imagine,
how men are saved by the light of nature, but how the Gentile is under condemnation
by the law written in his heart, just as the Jew is under condemnation by the law of
Moses. The conclusion of the whole matter is in the following:

Romans 3:19-22 [19] Now we know that whatever the law

says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth
may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. [20]
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing
the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. [21]
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made
known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. [22] This
righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all
who believe. There is no difference,

The truth of this Point is proved by archaeologists and historians of many cultures.
Murder, robbery, adultery, theft, false testimony, bestiality, and many other activities
prohibited in the Old Testament are prohibited by all civilized societies, even those
that have never heard of Jehovah, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

GENERAL CONCLUSION: The future state of those who reject the redemption
offered to them in Christ is plainly declared to be a state of conscious, unutterable,
endless torment and anguish. This conception is an awful and appalling one. It is,
however, the Scriptural conception and also a reasonable one when we come to see
the appalling nature of sin, and especially the appalling nature of the sin of trampling
under foot God's mercy toward sinners, and rejecting God's glorious Son, whom His
love has provided as a Savior.

Shallow views of sin and of God's holiness, and of the glory of Jesus Christ and His
claims upon us, lie at the bottom of weak theories of the doom of the
impenitent. When we see sin in all its hideousness and enormity, the Holiness of
God in all its perfection, and the glory of Jesus Christ in all its infinity, nothing but
a doctrine that those who persist in the choice of sin, who love darkness rather than
light, and who persist in the rejection of the Son of God, shall endure everlasting
anguish, will sanctify the demands of our own moral intuitions. Nothing but the fact
that we dread suffering more than we loathe sin, and more than we love the glory of
Jesus Christ, makes us repudiate the thought that beings who eternally choose sin
should eternally suffer, or that men who despise God's mercy and spurn His Son
should be given over to endless anguish.

330.086.000 Torrey: p312, T:VIII, Q:6

Topic 86: What about our impenitent friends and
loved ones?
330.086.010 Torrey: p3 , T: , P:1
POINT 10:

It is better to recognize facts, no matter how unwelcome, and try to save these
friends from the doom to which they are certainly hurrying than to quarrel with facts
and seek to remove them by shutting our eyes to them. You cannot avert a hurricane
by merely refusing to believe it is coming.

If we love Christ supremely, as we should love Him, and realize His glory and His
claims upon men, as we should realize them, we will say if the dearest friend we have
on earth persists in trampling Christ under foot he ought to be tormented forever and
ever.

Suppose one you greatly love should commit some hideous wrong against one you
love more, and persist in it eternally, would you not consent to his eternal
punishment?

If, after men have sinned and God still offers them mercy, and makes the
tremendous sacrifice of His Son to save them -- if they despise that mercy and trample
God's Son under foot, if then they are consigned to everlasting torment, I say: "Amen!
Hallelujah! True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord!"

At all events the doctrine of conscious, eternal torment for impenitent men is clearly
revealed in the Word of God, and whether we can defend it on philosophical grounds
or not, it is our business to believe it; and leave it to the clearer light of Eternity to
explain what we cannot now understand, realizing that God may have infinitely wise
reasons for doing things for which we in our ignorance can see no sufficient reason at
all. It is the most ludicrous conceit for beings so limited and foolish as even the wisest
of men are, to attempt to dogmatize how a God of infinite wisdom must act. All we
know as to how God will act is what God has seen fit to tell us.

In conclusion, two things are certain. First, the more closely men walk with God and
the more devoted they become to His service, the more likely they are to believe this
doctrine. Many men tell us they love their fellow man too much to believe this
doctrine; but the men who show their love in more practical ways than sentimental
protestations about it, the men who show their love for their fellow men as Jesus
Christ showed His, by laying down their lives for them, they believe it, even as Jesus
Christ Himself believed it.

As Christians become more worldly and easy- going they grow loose in their
doctrine concerning the doom of the impenitent. The fact that loose doctrines are
spreading so rapidly and widely in our day is nothing for them, but against them, for
worldliness is also spreading in the Church.

1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times

some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things
taught by demons.
 2 Timothy 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in
the last days.

2 Timothy 4:2-3 [2] Preach the Word; be prepared in

season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage -- with
great patience and careful instruction. [3] For the time will come
when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their
own desires, they will gather around them a great number of
teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Increasing laxity of life and increasing laxity of doctrine go arm in arm. A church
that lives in self- indulgence during the week, enjoys a doctrine on the Lord's Day that
makes the punishment of the wicked not so awful after all.

Second, men who accept a loose doctrine regarding the ultimate penalty of sin
(Restorantionism or Universalism or Annihilationism) lose their power for God. They
may be very clever at argument and zealous in proselytizing, but they are poor at soul-
saving. They are seldom found beseeching men to be reconciled to God. They are
more likely to be found trying to upset the faith of those already won by the efforts of
others, than winning men who have no faith at all. If you really believe the doctrine of
the endless, conscious torment of the impenitent, and the doctrine really gets hold of
you, you will work as you never worked before for the salvation of the lost. If you in
any way abate the doctrine, it will abate your zeal. Torrey stated that time and again
he came up to this awful doctrine and tried to find some way of escape from it, but
when he failed, as he always did, when he was honest with the Bible and with himself,
he returned to his work with an increased burden for souls and an intensified
determination to spend and be spent for their salvation.

Finally: Do not believe this doctrine in a cold, intellectual, merely argumentative

way. If you do, and try to teach it, you will repel men from it. But meditate upon it in
its practical, personal bearings, until your heart is burdened by the awful peril of the
wicked and you rush out to spend the last dollar, if need be, and the last ounce of
strength you have, in saving those imperiled men from the certain, awful hell of
conscious agony and shame to which they are fast hurrying.

330.086.020 Torrey: no
POINT 20: The popular belief and teaching that God will
forgive sinners an infinite number of times is totally
unbiblical. Those who persist in their sin up to their physical
death can not obtain forgiveness.
 Luke 13:6 [6] Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig
tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but
did not find any. [7] So he said to the man who took care of the
vineyard, `For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on
this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use
up the soil?' [8] "`Sir,' the man replied, `leave it alone for one more
year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. [9] If it bears fruit next
year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'"

330.086.030 Torrey: no
POINT 30: God makes an extra effort to help those who are
unrepentant, in an effort to save each of his children.

Luke 13:8 "Sir," the man replied, "leave it [an unfruitful

tree] alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize
it."

330.086.030 Torrey: no
POINT 40: Even though God sincerely desires that each
person be saved, He is only willing to go so far. He gives
each person more than enough time to bear fruit but,
ultimately, He leaves to each individual the choice of
salvation or damnation.

Luke 13:9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it
down.'"