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Study 14: Judgment Passages

Eight Major Texts on the Final Judgment

A Note on How to Study

Throughout this series, we distinguish between what the Bible explicitly says and what people infer from the Bible. These are not the same thing.

  • Explicit: You can point to a verse and quote it. The text directly says this.
  • Inference: Someone claims the Bible teaches something, but no single verse says it. They have drawn a conclusion — possibly a good one, possibly not — but the conclusion itself is not in the text.

This distinction is critical in this study. These eight passages are among the most frequently cited texts on the final judgment. The question is: what words do they actually use for the fate of the wicked?

Section A: Revelation 20:11-15 — The Great White Throne

  1. Read Revelation 20:12-13. What standard is used to judge the dead? What phrase is repeated twice?

  2. Read Revelation 20:14. Death and hell (hades) are cast into the lake of fire. What does the text call this? Does the text use the word "torment" or the word "death" to identify what the lake of fire is?

  3. Read Revelation 20:15. Those not found in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire. Does this verse use any torment vocabulary (such as basanizo) for these human subjects, or does it simply state they are cast in?

Section B: Matthew 25:31-46 — The Sheep and the Goats

  1. Read Matthew 25:41. Who was the "everlasting fire" originally prepared for? Was it prepared for humans?

  2. Read Matthew 25:46. What two outcomes does Jesus describe? What is the word translated "punishment" in the original Greek — is it basanismos (torment) or kolasis (punishment/penalty)?

  3. The Greek word kolasis (G2851) occurs only twice in the entire New Testament: Matthew 25:46 and 1 John 4:18. It is derived from kolazo, meaning "to curtail, prune, restrain." Does this word describe an ongoing process of torment, or does it describe a penalty/infliction?

Section C: Daniel 12:2 and Isaiah 66:24 — The Old Testament Pair

  1. Read Daniel 12:2. What two outcomes does the resurrection produce? The word translated "contempt" is the Hebrew dera'on (H1860). It occurs only twice in the entire Old Testament — in Daniel 12:2 and Isaiah 66:24. What does this rare word connection suggest about how these two passages relate?

  2. Read Isaiah 66:24. The subjects of the worm and fire are called "carcases" — the Hebrew word peger. Look at how peger is used throughout the Old Testament (22 occurrences). Does peger ever refer to living persons, or does it always mean dead bodies/corpses?

  3. Read Isaiah 66:16-17 (the context just before verse 24). What happens to the transgressors before their carcasses are viewed in verse 24? Are they "slain" and "consumed," or are they kept alive?

Section D: John 5:28-29 and 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

  1. Read John 5:29. What are the two resurrections called? The word translated "damnation" in the KJV is the Greek word krisis (G2920). Does krisis mean "torment," or does it mean "judgment/decision"?

  2. Read John 5:24. What two states does Jesus contrast? What does He say the believer has passed from, and passed to?

  3. Read 2 Thessalonians 1:9. What does Paul say the punishment is? The Greek word is olethros (G3639). Olethros appears four times in the New Testament (1 Cor 5:5; 1 Thess 5:3; 2 Thess 1:9; 1 Tim 6:9). In every occurrence, what does it mean?

Section E: Hebrews 10:26-31 and Romans 2:5-11

  1. Read Hebrews 10:27. What will happen to the adversaries? The word "devour" (katesthio) means to consume or eat up. Is this destruction vocabulary or torment vocabulary?

  2. Read Hebrews 10:39. What two alternatives does the author present? What is the word translated "perdition" — is it basanismos (torment) or apoleia (destruction)?

  3. Read Romans 2:7. What must people seek in order to receive eternal life? Is immortality described as something humans already possess, or something they must seek?

  4. Read Romans 2:12. What does Paul say will happen to those who have sinned? The Greek word is apollymi — what does it mean?

Section F: The Vocabulary Pattern

  1. Across all eight judgment passages, how many use the word basanizo (torment) or basanismos (torment) for human subjects? What vocabulary do these passages actually use instead?

  2. Four of the eight passages use explicit destruction/death vocabulary for the fate of the wicked. Which four passages and which words do they use?

Explicit or Inference?

For each statement below, decide: Does the Bible explicitly say this (you can point to a verse), or is it an inference (a conclusion someone draws that no verse directly states)?

A. "Revelation 20:14 calls the lake of fire 'the second death.'" - [ ] Explicit — the Bible says this - [ ] Inference — someone concluded this

B. "The 'everlasting punishment' of Matthew 25:46 is eternal conscious torment." - [ ] Explicit — the Bible says this - [ ] Inference — someone concluded this

C. "Isaiah 66:24 describes worms and fire acting on carcasses (dead bodies)." - [ ] Explicit — the Bible says this - [ ] Inference — someone concluded this

D. "The 'everlasting contempt' of Daniel 12:2 means the wicked are consciously aware of their shame forever." - [ ] Explicit — the Bible says this - [ ] Inference — someone concluded this

E. "None of the eight major judgment passages uses the word basanizo (torment) for human subjects." - [ ] Explicit — the Bible says this - [ ] Inference — someone concluded this