The first question one would ask when discussing the “judgment” of saints is, “for what?” Clearly scripture teaches that believers are not judged for their sin[1]. Christ alone received the judgment for sin on the cross. Yet, scripture teaches that believers will undergo judgment. The purpose of judgment for believers will be demonstrated in this section to be a judgment for reward rather than a judgment for punishment. Continue Reading
The resurrection of the dead is a global occurrence, for believers and non-believers alike. The resurrections, however, are conducted in a particular order and at different historical times. Continue Reading
For purposes of this study, this name will be rendered “New Jerusalem,” but it is rendered that exact way only once. There are, however, three renderings of “Jerusalem” in a spiritual and metaphorical useage. Continue Reading
In Hebrew, the term translated “heaven” or “heavens” is shamayim, which is used about four hundred times in the Old Testament. “Heaven” is likewise translated into English from the Greek term ouranos or derivatives of it in the New Testament. Ouranos and shamayim have three distinct meanings in scripture. In both Greek and Hebrew culture and language, heaven was distinguished contextually to be one of three places: Continue Reading
Tarturus is a Greek term found only in 2 Peter 2:4. Tartarus finds its roots in Greek mythology, being the lowest place of confinement in the Greek mythological underworld. Here, Peter uses the already known term in this singular biblical reference.
Interestingly, Tartarus is also mentioned in an extra-biblical book which has relevance in this study in another place; the pseudepigraphal book of Enoch, which describes Tartarus as a place where fallen angels who procreated with human women were confined until the day of Judgment. Continue Reading
This name is noted several places in scripture. It refers to the literal Euphrates River, which begins in Russia and flows through Syria and Iraq, emptying into the Persian Gulf.
The Euphrates is first mentioned in the book of Genesis, being one of the four rivers coming out of Eden. Continue Reading
This phrase occurs four times in scripture, each in the book of Revelation. Being a phrase of several very common terms, the “Lake of Fire” is a simple translation. It is found as “lake of fire and burning sulfur,” with slight variances, in three places, and simply “lake of fire” in the fourth. Variances are slight throughout numerous translations. Continue Reading
Gehenna is a Greek term, yet it comes to the Greek from the combination of two Hebrew terms, Gei and Hinnom.
Gei Hinnom literally means “the Valley of Hinnom.”
· The Valley of Hinnom Continue Reading
· Origins
o “Hell” is an English word from the Saxon “helan,” which means “to cover” or “to hide”. Being an English term, it is somewhat unique in this study, as there is no single underlying Hebrew or Greek term which can be traced biblically to coincide with the use of “Hell” in some translations. Continue Reading