Everlasting Destruction - Not Exactly
"He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10)
I had a friend who asked me to address some of the passages used to deny the eventual salvation and reconciliation of all, like the verses above. I wanted to say why? Most Christians only believe what they are told by theologians - and I am not one. And they sure don’t believe the clear teaching of the salvation of all, regardless of how many verses I show them that clearly teach it.
But for my friend, and the handful of others who give a damn about the damned, here is the explanation, in context, of the above verses.
Paul is speaking to his fellow JEWS who believed that Jesus was their Messiah. These Jewish believers were being persecuted for their belief, being banned from the synagogues, and the non-believing Jewish leaders wanted them dead. He was not talking to Gentile believers.
"on the day he comes" is referring to the “Day of the Lord” (also known as the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble, and the 70th week of Daniel). It is mentioned often in the Hebrew Scriptures (old testament) and was well known to Jews as the time just before their Messiah appears to restore the Kingdom to Israel on this earth. At that time Jewish believers will be resurrected to rule over the entire earth with Jesus during this period. They are the “holy people”. All the unbelieving Jews will stay dead, along with all dead Gentiles, until the end of that age. They “perish” (stay dead) during that time only. And I mean DEAD, not confined in some mythological underworld of hell. The book of Revelation tells us that this earthy Kingdom will last 1000 years, at the close of which all dead people are resurrected and a New Heaven and Earth created. The Greek word mistranslated "everlasting" is “aionian” which means “pertaining to the age” and in this context is the 1000 year Kingdom age. The “destruction” is referring only to this period of time.
“They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years…” (Revelation 20:4-6)
However, even the unbelieving Jews who had Jesus crucified will eventually be saved when their blindness is lifted:
“Father forgive them, they don’t understand what they are doing…Blindness has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles is come, then ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED” (Luke 23:34; Romans 11:25-26).
God will save all mankind and He will be "All in All" at the close of the ages whether Christians like it or not. (1 Corinthians 15:20-29)
This teaching of the salvation and reconciliation of all is clear but has been hidden by the false teachers for 1700 years. And their students just don’t seem to care enough to question false teaching or study in detail the Bible for themselves. Guess that is part of the plan for now – but they will know someday!
But for my friend, and the handful of others who give a damn about the damned, here is the explanation, in context, of the above verses.
Paul is speaking to his fellow JEWS who believed that Jesus was their Messiah. These Jewish believers were being persecuted for their belief, being banned from the synagogues, and the non-believing Jewish leaders wanted them dead. He was not talking to Gentile believers.
"on the day he comes" is referring to the “Day of the Lord” (also known as the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble, and the 70th week of Daniel). It is mentioned often in the Hebrew Scriptures (old testament) and was well known to Jews as the time just before their Messiah appears to restore the Kingdom to Israel on this earth. At that time Jewish believers will be resurrected to rule over the entire earth with Jesus during this period. They are the “holy people”. All the unbelieving Jews will stay dead, along with all dead Gentiles, until the end of that age. They “perish” (stay dead) during that time only. And I mean DEAD, not confined in some mythological underworld of hell. The book of Revelation tells us that this earthy Kingdom will last 1000 years, at the close of which all dead people are resurrected and a New Heaven and Earth created. The Greek word mistranslated "everlasting" is “aionian” which means “pertaining to the age” and in this context is the 1000 year Kingdom age. The “destruction” is referring only to this period of time.
“They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years…” (Revelation 20:4-6)
However, even the unbelieving Jews who had Jesus crucified will eventually be saved when their blindness is lifted:
“Father forgive them, they don’t understand what they are doing…Blindness has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles is come, then ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED” (Luke 23:34; Romans 11:25-26).
God will save all mankind and He will be "All in All" at the close of the ages whether Christians like it or not. (1 Corinthians 15:20-29)
This teaching of the salvation and reconciliation of all is clear but has been hidden by the false teachers for 1700 years. And their students just don’t seem to care enough to question false teaching or study in detail the Bible for themselves. Guess that is part of the plan for now – but they will know someday!