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Question

What do Jesus' judgment parables and associated imagery teach about the fate of the wicked? Focus on: Matt 13:24-30,36-43 (wheat & tares / furnace of fire), Matt 13:47-50 (dragnet), 'outer darkness' (Matt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30), 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' (7 occurrences), and the fire/furnace vocabulary.

Topics

JUDGMENT

-THE GENERAL 1CH 16:33; JOB 14:17; 21:30; 31:13-15; PSA 9:7; 50:3-6; 96:13; 98:9; ECC 3:17; 11:9; 12:14; EZK 18:20-28; DAN 7:9,10; AMO 4:12; MAT 3:12; 7:22,23; 8:29; 10:15; 11:22; 12:36,37,41,42; 13:30,40-43,49,50; 16:27; 22:11-13; 23:14; 25:1-46; MRK 4:22; 8:38; 13:32; LUK 3:17; 10:10-14; 11:31,32; 12:2-5; 13:24-29; 19:12-26; 20:45-47; JHN 5:22; 12:48; ACT 2:19-21; 10:42; 17:31; 24:25; ROM 2:5-10,12-16; 14:10-12; 1CO 3:13; 4:5; 6:2; 2CO 5:10; 2TH 1:7,8; 2TI 4:1,8; HEB 6:2; 9:27; 10:27; 1PE 4:5,7; 2PE 2:4,9; 3:7,10-12; 1JN 4:17; Jude 1:6,14,15,24; REV 1:7; 6:15-17; 11:18; 20:11-15; 22:12

-ACCORDING TO OPPORTUNITY AND WORKS GEN 4:7; JOB 34:11; PRO 11:31; 12:14; 24:11,12; PSA 62:12; ISA 3:10,11; 5:1-6,15,16; 24:2; 28:24-28; 59:18; JER 17:10,11; 32:19; EZK 7:3,4,27; 9:4-6; 16:59; 18:4-9,19-32; 33:18-20; 39:24; HOS 4:9; 12:2; AMO 3:2; ZEC 1:6; MAT 10:14,15; 11:24; 12:37; 21:33-36; 23:14; 25:14-30; MRK 6:11; 14:21; LUK 9:5; 10:12-15; 11:49-51; 12:47,48; 13:6-9; 19:12-27; 20:47; 21:1-4; JHN 3:19,20; 5:45; 9:41; 12:48; 15:22,24; ROM 2:5-12,27; 1CO 3:8,12-15; 4:5; 2CO 2:15,16; 11:15; GAL 6:5-10; EPH 6:7,8; COL 3:25; 1TI 1:13; 2TI 4:14; HEB 2:2,3; 10:26-30; 12:25; JAS 2:12,13; 1PE 1:17; 2PE 2:20,21; REV 2:23; 20:12,13

See also: GOD, JUDGE; JESUS, JUDGE; PUNISHMENT, ACCORDING TO DEEDS

Key verses for this study: Matt 3:12; 7:22,23; 8:29; 10:15; 13:30,40-43,49,50; 22:11-13; 25:1-46; Luke 3:17; 13:24-29

FURNACE

-Use of - For refining silver: EZK 22:22; MAL 3:3 - For refining gold: PRO 17:3 - For melting lead and tin: EZK 22:20

-For capital punishment: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego cast into, by Nebuchadnezzar: DAN 3:6-26

-FIGURATIVE - Of affliction: DEU 4:20; 1KI 8:51; PSA 12:6; ISA 48:10; JER 11:4 - Of lust: HOS 7:4 - Of hell: MAL 4:1; MAT 13:42,50; REV 9:2

Note: The figurative "of hell" references are the core texts for this study. Mal 4:1 uses "oven/furnace" (H8574 tannuwr) and says the wicked "shall be stubble" that the day "shall burn them up...it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Matt 13:42,50 use kaminos (G2575) in the phrase "furnace of fire." Rev 9:2 uses kaminos as a simile for the smoke from the bottomless pit.

FIRE

-Literal uses: Signal in war (JER 6:1); furnaces of (DAN 3:6); children caused to pass through (2KI 16:3; 17:17)

-Miracles connected with: Consumes Abraham's sacrifice (GEN 15:17); David's sacrifice (1CH 21:26); Elijah's sacrifice (1KI 18:38); Solomon's sacrifice (2CH 7:1); consumes conspirators with Korah (NUM 16:35); captains of fifties (2KI 1:9-12)

-Torture by: LEV 21:9; JER 29:22; EZK 23:25,47; DAN 3

-Pillar of fire: EXO 13:21,22; 14:19,24; 40:38; NUM 9:15-23

-FIGURATIVE - Of inspiration: ISA 6:6,7 - Spiritual power: PSA 104:4; JER 20:9; MAT 3:11; LUK 3:16 - Judgments: DEU 4:24; 32:22; ISA 33:14; JER 23:29; AMO 1:4,7,10,12,14; 2:2; MAL 3:2; LUK 12:49; REV 20:9 - Of the destruction of the wicked: MAT 13:42,50; 25:41; MRK 9:44; REV 9:2; 21:8 - EVERLASTING FIRE: ISA 33:14; MAT 18:8; 25:41; MRK 9:44

-A SYMBOL - Of God's presence: GEN 15:17; in the burning bush (EXO 3:2); on Sinai (EXO 19:18); tongues of, on the apostles (ACT 2:3)

Note: Nave's categorizes fire in judgment as "destruction of the wicked" -- the category heading itself uses destruction language, not torment language. The everlasting fire passages (Isa 33:14; Matt 18:8; 25:41; Mark 9:44) are listed separately.

DARKNESS

-Over the face of the earth: GEN 1:2; JOB 38:9; JER 4:23 -Called NIGHT: GEN 1:5 -God creates: ISA 45:7

-Miraculous: In Egypt (EXO 10:21,22; PSA 105:28); at Mount Sinai (EXO 20:21; HEB 12:18); at the crucifixion (MAT 27:45; MRK 15:33)

-FIGURATIVE - Of judgments: PRO 20:20; ISA 8:22; 13:10; JER 4:28; 13:16; LAM 3:2; EZK 32:7,8; JOL 2:2,10; AMO 4:13; 5:18,20; 8:9; MIC 7:8; MAT 24:29; MRK 13:24; LUK 23:45; REV 8:12; 9:2 - Outer darkness: MAT 8:12; 22:13; 25:30 - Power of darkness: LUK 22:53; EPH 6:12; COL 1:13; 1TH 5:5; REV 16:10 - Of spiritual blindness: ISA 9:2; 42:16; 50:10; MAT 4:16; 6:22,23; 8:12; LUK 1:79; JHN 1:5; 3:19-21; 8:12; 11:9,10; ACT 26:18; ROM 1:21; 13:12,13; 1CO 4:5; 2CO 4:6; 6:14; EPH 5:8,11; 1TH 5:4,5; 1PE 2:9; 1JN 1:5-7; 2:8-11

Note: "Outer darkness" appears only 3 times, all in Matthew (8:12; 22:13; 25:30). The broader category of darkness-as-judgment has extensive OT background, particularly the "day of the LORD" passages (Joel 2:2,10; Amos 5:18,20; Zeph 1:15). Also see 2 Pet 2:4,17 and Jude 6,13 for darkness reserved for the wicked.

TORMENTS

  • Of the wicked: LUK 16:23-28; REV 14:10,11
  • See WICKED, PUNISHMENT OF

Note: Nave's only lists two passages under TORMENTS: the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16) and Revelation 14:10-11. Neither of these passages is among our study's focus texts (the judgment parables and associated imagery). The judgment parables do NOT appear under the TORMENTS topic.

PARABLES

  • Of the trees: JDG 9:8-15
  • Of the lamb: 2SA 12:1-6
  • Of the woman of Tekoa: 2SA 14:5-12
  • Of the garment torn in pieces: 1KI 11:30-32
  • Of the prisoner of war: 1KI 20:39-41
  • Of the thistle and cedar: 2KI 14:9
  • Of a vine of Egypt: PSA 80:8-16
  • Of the vineyard: ISA 5:1-7; 27:2,3
  • Of the husbandman: ISA 28:23-29
  • Of the skins filled with wine: JER 13:12-14
  • Of the vine: EZK 15; 17:5-10; 19:10-14
  • Of the two eagles: EZK 17
  • Of lions' cubs: EZK 19:1-9
  • Of Aholah and Aholibah: EZK 23
  • The boiling pot: EZK 24:3-5
  • The gourd: JON 4:10,11
  • See JESUS, PARABLES OF; See SYMBOLS; See TYPES

Note: For Jesus' parables specifically, see the "JESUS, PARABLES OF" topic. The parables in this study are the wheat & tares (Matt 13:24-30, 36-43), the dragnet (Matt 13:47-50), the wedding feast (Matt 22:1-14), and the talents (Matt 25:14-30).

RETRIBUTION

  • See SIN, PUNISHMENT OF
  1. FURNACE "of hell" -- Nave's categorizes Matt 13:42,50 under FURNACE, figurative of hell, alongside Mal 4:1 and Rev 9:2.
  2. FIRE "of the destruction of the wicked" -- Nave's categorizes the same Matt 13:42,50 under FIRE as destruction imagery, using the heading "destruction of the wicked."
  3. TORMENTS -- Only lists Luke 16:23-28 and Rev 14:10,11. The judgment parables (Matt 13, Matt 22, Matt 25) are NOT listed under TORMENTS.
  4. JUDGMENT "the general" -- Lists the full sweep of judgment passages including all our study texts.
  5. DARKNESS "outer darkness" -- Specifically catalogued as a sub-category under DARKNESS, figurative of judgments.

This categorization pattern is significant: Nave's places the judgment parables under JUDGMENT and FIRE/FURNACE (destruction language), not under TORMENTS.