Refuting Anti-universalist Prooftexts

     There are many scriptural prooftexts which are often used by non-universalists to ‘refute’ universalism. In a particularly humorous exchange that I once engaged in on the internet, an infernalist quoted Matthew 25:46 (a favorite among anti-universalists) and Matthew 7:21-23 and simply replied, “Universalist debunked!”, to any attempted rebuttals. Unfortunately, the misapplication and misinterpretation of these texts have caused many to doubt the truth of universal salvation, and even to leave the faith because of the perceived injustice of God eternally tormenting unbelievers. This post will serve as a rebuttal to the anti-universalist prooftexts that often crop up in discussion, to prove that there is virtually no scriptural basis for the infernalist position.

    Matthew 25:46 and other ‘eternal’ texts

In two other posts, I already demonstrated that Matthew 25:46 does not refer to either the final judgment of believers or the Lake of Fire (and showed what it does actually refer to, based on its New and Old Testament context), and explained how neither the Greek descriptor αιωνιος (often translated ‘everlasting’ or ‘eternal’) nor εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων (often translated ‘for ever and ever’) truly mean ‘without end’. In fact, the words which do truly indicate everlastingness in Greek (αιδιος and ατελευτος) are conspicuously absent from passages dealing with judgment. This debunks the following anti-universalist ‘prooftexts’ which describe the punishment of unbelievers as αιωνιος or εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων: Matt. 18:8; 25:41, 46; Mk. 3:29; 2 Thess. 1:9; Heb. 6:2; Jude 7; Rev. 14:11; and 20:10.

    “Shall not enter the kingdom of the heavens”

“Not every one who is saying to me Lord, lord, shall come into the kingdom of the heavens; but he who is doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, lord, have we not in thy name prophesied? and in thy name cast out demons? and in thy name done many mighty things? and then I will acknowledge to them, that — I never knew you, depart from me ye who are working lawlessness.” (Matt. 7:21-23)

This passage, along with several others (Jn. 3:3-5; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5), states that not everyone (in fact, very few) people will enter the “kingdom of God” or the “kingdom of the heavens”. Unfortunately, most dynamic-equivalence translations obfuscate the nature of this kingdom by translating it as “the kingdom of Heaven”, which causes many Christians to conclude that it is referring to an ethereal, joyous realm of ‘Heaven’ in contrast to eternal torment in ‘Hell’. However, this is not what Jesus or His Jewish audience would have understood this phrase to be referring to. Instead, they would have understood it as referring to the literal, earthly Messianic kingdom which was prophesied by Daniel and other Old Testament prophets:

“And in the days of these kings raise up doth the God of the heavens a kingdom that is not destroyed to the age, and its kingdom to another people is not left: it beateth small and endeth all these kingdoms, and it standeth to the age.” (Dan. 2:44)

“I was seeing in the visions of the night, and lo, with the clouds of the heavens as a son of man was [one] coming, and unto the Ancient of Days he hath come, and before Him they have brought him near. And to him is given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, and all peoples, nations, and languages do serve him, his dominion [is] a dominion age-during, that passeth not away, and his kingdom that which is not destroyed... and the kingdom, and the dominion, even the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens, is given to the people — the saints of the Most High, His kingdom [is] a kingdom age-during, and all dominions do serve and obey Him.” (Dan. 7:13-14, 27)

Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. (Obad. 21 NKJV)

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Hab. 2:14 NKJV)

And in that day [the coming of Messiah] it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; in both summer and winter it shall occur. And YHWH shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be - “YHWH is one,” and His name one. (Zech. 14:8-9 NKJV)

This fact, that the “kingdom of God” or “kingdom of the heavens” spoken of by Jesus refers to the earthly Messianic kingdom and not an ethereal realm of ‘Heaven’ is confirmed in multiple places in the New Testament:

Happy the poor in spirit — because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. Happy the mourning — because they shall be comforted. Happy the meek — because they shall inherit the land [of Israel]. Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness — because they shall be filled. Happy the kind — because they shall find kindness. Happy the clean in heart — because they shall see God. Happy the peacemakers — because they shall be called Sons of God. Happy those persecuted for righteousness’ sake — because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. (Matt. 5:3-10)

Notice, here, how “the kingdom of the heavens” is paralleled with “the land [of Israel]”.

to [the disciples] also [Jesus] did present himself alive after his suffering, in many certain proofs, through forty days being seen by them, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, [saith he,] “Ye did hear of me; because John, indeed, baptized with water, and ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit — after not many days.” They, therefore, indeed, having come together, were questioning him, saying, “Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?“ and he said unto them, “It is not yours to know times or seasons that the Father did appoint in His own authority” (Acts 1:3-7)

The disciples, after having been taught about the “kingdom of God” for forty days, ask Jesus whether the kingdom will be restored to Israel at this time or in the future. Notice what He does not say in response: “You fools, I just spent forty days teaching you about the spiritual kingdom of God in Heaven, and now you’re asking if it will come to Israel?” Instead, He simply responds that they are not supposed to know the time.

And then they shall see the Son of Man, coming in a cloud, with power and much glory; and these things beginning to happen bend yourselves back, and lift up your heads, because your redemption doth draw nigh... so also ye, when ye may see these things happening, ye know that near is the kingdom of God (Lk. 21:27-28, 31)

This passage and its parallels in the other synoptic gospels confirms that the “kingdom of God” is not something that currently exists, but will begin at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Worthy art thou to take the scroll, and to open the seals of it, because thou wast slain, and didst redeem us to God in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and didst make us to our God kings and priests, and we shall reign upon the earth. (Rev. 5:10)

And the seventh messenger did sound, and there came great voices in the heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of the world did become [those] of our Lord and of His Christ, and he shall reign to the ages of the ages!” (Rev. 11:15)

Again, this confirms that the kingdom of God will appear at Christ’s second coming, and will be a physical polity on earth rather than an ethereal realm of ‘Heaven’.

    Thus, the “kingdom of God” or the “kingdom of the heavens” simply refers to the Messianic kingdom which will appear on earth at Christ’s second coming and be centered in Israel (in fact, Ezekiel 47:13 - 48:29 describes the boundaries of the kingdom in detail). Only true believers and a few Gentile unbelievers will inhabit this kingdom, so it is no surprise that very few people will be allowed to enter into the kingdom at this time. However, since this Messianic age will only last for about a thousand years (Rev. 20:4-6) and be followed by another age of the New Heaven and Earth, whereas scripture tells us that all people will be saved and reconciled only at the end of the ages when Christ’s redemptive work is fully manifested (1 Cor. 15:20-28; Heb. 9:26), there is no challenge to universal salvation in the fact that few will enter into the “kingdom of the heavens”.

    “Narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it”

“Go ye in through the strait gate, because wide [is] the gate, and broad the way that is leading to the destruction, and many are those going in through it; how strait [is] the gate, and compressed the way that is leading to the life, and few are those finding it!” (Matt. 7:13-14)

At first, this passage seems to suggest that few people will have life (that is, be vivified), which would contradict 1 Cor. 15:22. For this reason, it is often considered to be proof that universalism is false. However, the parallel passage in Luke proves that this saying only concerns those who enter the “kingdom of God” and has nothing to do with what happens after the Messianic age:

“Be striving to go in through the straight gate, because many, I say to you, will seek to go in, and shall not be able; from the time the master of the house may have risen up, and may have shut the door, and ye may begin without to stand, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, lord, open to us, and he answering shall say to you, I have not known you whence ye are, then ye may begin to say, We did eat before thee, and did drink, and in our broad places thou didst teach; and he shall say, I say to you, I have not known you whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of the unrighteousness. There shall be there the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth, when ye may see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves being cast out without; and they shall come from east and west, and from north and south, and shall recline in the reign of God, and lo, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.” (Lk. 13:24-30)

The judgment spoken of here is the same as the ‘outer darkness’ or ‘furnace of fire’ judgment, by which unbelievers will be gathered and cast out of the kingdom (see below). As stated above, universalists have no problem with the clear testimony of scripture that very few people will enter the Messianic kingdom, as the final resurrection and salvation of all occurs at the end of the ages, after the Messianic age and the following age of the New Heaven and Earth (1 Cor. 15:20-28).

    The ‘outer darkness’ and ‘furnace of fire’

As an aside, the judgment described by Jesus as “outer darkness” and a “furnace of fire” (Matt. 8:11-12; 13:40-42, 49-50; Lk. 13:28-29) will now be considered. Like Matthew 25:31-46, these passages are often considered to describe the future punishment of unbelievers in ‘Hell’ (the Lake of Fire) following the final judgment. However, if these passages are considered by themselves without any presuppositions as to the nature of judgment, it is clear that they are referring to the same judgment and sentence as Matt. 25:46, that is, forcing unbelievers to live outside of the Messianic kingdom in Israel and be treated as slaves.

    Here are the passages in question:

“I say to you, that many from east and west shall come and recline with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of the heavens, but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth to the outer darkness — there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.” (Matt. 8:11-12)

“As, then, the darnel is gathered up, and is burned with fire, so shall it be in the full end of this age, the Son of Man shall send forth his messengers, and they shall gather up out of his kingdom all the stumbling-blocks, and those doing the lawlessness, and shall cast them to the furnace of the fire; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.” (Matt. 13:40-42)

“so shall it be in the full end of the age, the messengers shall come forth and separate the evil out of the midst of the righteous, and shall cast them to the furnace of the fire, there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.” (Matt. 13:49-50)

“There shall be there the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth, when ye may see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves being cast out without; and they shall come from east and west, and from north and south, and shall recline in the reign of God” (Lk. 13:28-29)

Notice that the timing of this judgment is the “full end of this age”, which is at the second coming of Christ (according to Matt. 24:3, He will come at the end of the age), the same time as the judgment of Matt. 25:31-46. This is just over a thousand years prior to the final judgment of unbelievers at the Great White Throne, and so the “furnace of fire” simply cannot be the same as the Lake of Fire.

    What, then, is the sentence of the wicked and lawless at this judgment? Well, Jesus says that at this judgment, (1) the evil will be separated out from the righteous and (2) cast out of the Messianic kingdom into “outer darkness” or a “furnace of fire”, where they will (3) weep and gnash their teeth as they see Abraham and the prophets in the kingdom and themselves cast out. This cannot be a literal furnace of fire, as it is clearly not fatal, and they are still able to see those inside the kingdom (while they themselves are cast out). Instead, their judgment is to simply be cast outside of the kingdom in Israel.

    This is confirmed by the fact that the sentence of the wicked is paralleled by the righteous “coming from east and west and north and south and reclining in the kingdom”. So while the righteous are entering the kingdom from the ‘corners of the earth’ (so to speak), the wicked are forced to leave the kingdom and disperse to the corners of the earth. Therefore, the judgment of “outer darkness” is the same as the one described in Matt. 25:31-46, by which wicked unbelievers will be cast out of the Messianic kingdom upon Jesus’ return and forced to live as servants of Israel. It is only called a “furnace of fire” in the same way that Matt. 25:41 calls the sentence of the ‘goats’ an “age-during fire”, using this term figuratively for a place of trials and afflictions (Deut. 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Jer. 11:4; Isa. 48:10; Ezek. 22:20).

    Unquenchable fire

“And if thy hand may cause thee to stumble, cut it off; it is better for thee maimed to enter into the life, than having the two hands, to go away to the Gehenna, to the fire — the unquenchable. And if thy foot may cause thee to stumble, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter into the life lame, than having the two feet to be cast to the Gehenna, to the fire — the unquenchable. And if thine eye may cause thee to stumble, cast it out; it is better for thee one-eyed to enter into the reign of God, than having two eyes, to be cast to the Gehenna of the fire — where ‘their worm is not dying, and the fire is not being quenched’” (Mk. 9:43-48)

I plan to write another post solely on the topic of Gehenna and what I believe it to be referring to (edit: this post is now online here). However, for now it will suffice to note that just because a fire is “unquenchable” or “not being quenched” simply means that it is not put out by human means, not that it will never stop burning, as several other examples from scripture demonstrate:

And the fire on the altar is burning on it, it is not quenched, and the priest hath burned on it wood morning by morning, and hath arranged on it the burnt-offering, and hath made perfume on it [with] the fat of the peace-offerings; fire is continually burning on the altar, it is not quenched. (Lev. 6:12-13)

By night and by day she [Edom] is not quenched, To the age go up doth her smoke, From generation to generation she is waste, For ever and ever, none is passing into her. (Isa. 34:10)

And if ye do not hearken unto me to sanctify the day of rest, And so as not to bear a burden, And to come in at the gates of Jerusalem on the day of rest, Then I have kindled a fire in its gates, And it hath consumed the high places of Jerusalem, And it is not quenched! (Jer. 17:27)

“Son of man, set thy face the way of Teman, and prophesy unto the south, and prophesy unto the forest of the field — the south; and thou hast said to the forest of the south: Hear a word of Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am kindling in thee a fire, And it hath devoured in thee every moist tree, and every dry tree, Not quenched is the glowing flames, And burnt by it have been all faces from south to north. And seen have all flesh, that I, Jehovah, have kindled it — it is not quenched.” (Ezek. 20:46-48)

All of the fires spoken of in these passages have long since gone out, so to say that a fire “is not quenched” does not mean that it will never go out, but merely that it will not be put out. The fire may yet go out if it runs out of fuel to burn. Thus, the fact that the fire in Mk. 9:43-48 is “unquenched” and “not being quenched” does not prove the reality of eternal torment or refute universalism.

    The Way, the Truth, and the Life

Jesus saith to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one doth come unto the Father, if not through me.” (Jn. 14:6)

The clear testimony of scripture is that Jesus is the only way to the Father, as this and many other passages demonstrate. However, many non-universalists erroneously associate scriptural universalism with pluralism (the belief that all religions are equally true and valid as ways to get to God). In fact, scriptural universalists do believe that Jesus is the only way to be saved, and as scripture also tells us, it is only in Him that all people are saved (Rom. 5:15-19; 1 Cor. 15:22; 2 Cor. 5:14-19).

    “Once to die, and after this judgment”

it is laid up to men once to die, and after this — judgment (Heb. 9:27)

This verse is often used to prove that it is impossible to be saved or reconciled to God after one’s death, because the only event of consequence after death is the judgment. However, this verse cannot be used to prove that, because although it does say that judgment comes after death (which was never in question), it doesn’t describe anything that comes after the judgment. Even if we assume that non-universalism is true, this passage still does not describe what happens after judgment, because although it says that “it is laid up to men once to die”, we know from elsewhere in scripture that some men will die twice:

and the sea did give up those dead in it, and the death and the hades did give up the dead in them, and they were judged, each one according to their works; and the death and the hades were cast to the lake of the fire — this [is] the second death; and if any one was not found written in the scroll of the life, he was cast to the lake of the fire... “and to fearful, and unstedfast, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the liars, their part [is] in the lake that is burning with fire and brimstone, which is a second death.” (Rev. 20:13-15; 21:8)

Therefore, because this verse does not describe anything that happens after the judgment (for both non-universalists and universalists), it cannot be used as an argument against the eventual salvation of all.

    Destruction and punishment of unbelievers

There are a vast number of passages in scripture which state that many people will be judged, punished, destroyed, enter Gehenna and/or the Lake of Fire, etc. It should not even be necessary to say this at this point, but universalists agree that people will be judged and punished for their actions. Unfortunately, many non-universalists entirely misunderstand scriptural universalism, and think that we believe there will be no punishment for anybody, and all people will immediately go to an ethereal realm of ‘Heaven’ after death - this is not universalism, but religious pluralism (though the two are often confused).

    Conclusion

There is virtually no strong evidence against universal salvation; the traditional doctrine of infernalism is built upon a house of cards. All anti-universalist ‘prooftexts’ fall into one of three categories: either they (1) describe the punishment of the wicked as αιωνιος, which is literally ‘age-during’, not ‘everlasting’ which is αιδιος in Greek, (2) are referring to the thousand-year Messianic kingdom, which will come long before the end of the ages when scripture tells us that all people will be saved, or (3) stem from a misunderstanding of scriptural universalism as religious pluralism.