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MORE BIBLICAL PROOFS OF THE CONSCIOUS AWAKING OF THE UNSAVED AT JUDGMENT DAY

Updated - 6/18/10

There are a lot of verses that indicate that the unsaved that have previously died from this world must awake to consciousness at Judgment Day.

This study contains more groups of passages or proofs that show that the unsaved who have previously died from this world, whose bodies are now sleeping in the dust, must “awake” to consciousness. Additional studies are being prepared that show more proofs of this truth. The eternal character of the conscious suffering for sin is shown in another study.

1. God uses the Hebrew word “bahal” a number of times to indicate that He will consciously “trouble” or “vex” all of the unsaved. This requires the unsaved to awake to consciousness to fulfill these verses.

Here are some examples of how this Hebrew word “bahal” is used in the Bible:

Genesis 45:3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled <0926> at his presence.

Judges 20:41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed <0926>: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

1 Samuel 28:21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled <0926>, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

2 Samuel 4:1 And when Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled <0926>.

2 Chronicles 32:18 Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble <0926> them; that they might take the city.

Ezra 4:4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled <0926> them in building,

Job 4:5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled <0926>.

Psalms 6:2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed <0926>.

Psalms 6:3 My soul is also sore vexed <0926>: but thou, O LORD, how long?

Isaiah 13:8 And they shall be afraid <0926>: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

Daniel 4:5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled <0927> me.

Daniel 5:9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled <0927>, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

Daniel 7:28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled <0927> me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

These are some of the verses with this Hebrew word “bahal”. In all of the above examples, this word signifies a conscious affliction of some kind. In every verse with this Hebrew word, it always signifies some form of conscious affliction.

This Hebrew word “bahal” is always used to indicate a conscious troubling or affliction or being hurried, which is also a conscious experience.

In 1 Corinthians 2:13 God declares that He defines words and phrases by how He uses them in other parts of the Bible.

We remember that 1 Corinthians 2:13 directs us that God defines words by how He uses them in the Bible. We are not free to form our own definition. Rather, we must study how God uses words in the Bible to obtain the Biblical definition. God is defining this Hebrew word “bahal” so that it always signifies conscious affliction or experience. It is never applied to inanimate objects such as bones or dust.

Therefore, God is defining this Hebrew word “bahal” to signify conscious affliction.

We see this Hebrew word used to speak about the unsaved in the following verses:

a. Psalm 2:1-5:

1 ¶ Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex <0926> them in his sore displeasure.

In Psalm 2:1-5 God is speaking to all of the unsaved throughout time.

The “heathen” or nations have always “raged” against God.

The statements of verses 1 to 5 apply to all of the unsaved throughout time. They especially apply to the nation of Israel in the days of Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the “anointed” of the LORD (verse 2).

God promises that He will “vex” them. He is talking to all of the unsaved throughout time.

This word “vex” is the same Hebrew word “bahal” that we have seen always signifies conscious affliction.

God quotes Psalm 2:1-2 in Acts 4:25-26 confirming that Psalm 2:1-5 applies to the time of Jesus and, in fact, to all times

We read in Acts 4:23-30:

23 ¶ And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

In Acts 3 & 4, the apostles had healed a lame man and preached the Gospel in front of the temple. Then the religious rulers became angry with the apostles and took them into their counsel and told them not to speak about the Lord Jesus anymore.

However, the apostles said they had to continue to speak about the Lord Jesus. Finally, the religious rulers decided to let them go.

Then, in Acts 4:23, the apostles are let go and returned to their own company. This verse also says that the apostles reported to their company what had happened. Then, in verses 24 to 30, God puts words in the mouths of the apostles’ company.

In verses 25 & 26 God guides the people in the apostles’ company to quote Psalm 2:1-2. This confirms that Psalm 2:1-5 applies also to the unsaved religious rulers in Jesus’ day. It also confirms that Psalm 2:1-5 is speaking about all of the unsaved throughout time.

Therefore, God is tying the statements of Psalm 2:1-5 to the time of Jesus. This means that the promised affliction of Psalm 2:5 must come upon the unsaved religious rulers of Jesus’ day also.

Another question we might consider:

We can wonder if somehow Psalm 2:5 will be fulfilled in this world, that God will “vex” the unsaved before they die from this world.

The Bible indicates that Psalm 2:5 and similar verses that speak of promised affliction to the unsaved are not fulfilled in this world. It is possible for the unsaved to have a very peaceful time in this world and die from this world without pain. We see this teaching in the following passages:

We read in Psalm 73:1-12:

1 ¶ <<A Psalm of Asaph.>> Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.

3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.

8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

Notice how in Psalm 73:1-12 that God says that unsaved people can enjoy this world very much and have very few problems. Also, as indicated in verse 4, the unsaved can die from this world without suffering.

We read in Job 21:7-15:

7 ¶ Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.

12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

Job 21:7-15 has a similar theme as Psalm 73:1-12. We read in Job 21 that the unsaved can have many blessings in this world. As a result, they do not care about God. This is shown in verses 14 & 15.

In verse 13 God says that the unsaved can die from this world peacefully.

We read in Luke 16:19-22:

19 ¶ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

This rich man enjoys his sojourn in this world without any statement of difficulties.

In these three passages, we see that the Bible teaches that the unsaved can enjoy this world without significant suffering and can die from this world in peace. Therefore, the “vexing” promised to the unsaved by God in Psalm 2:5 is not fulfilled by their sojourn in this world.

Acts 4:25-26 show that Psalm 2:1-5 also applies to the unsaved religious rulers of Jesus’ day. As a result, we can know that it applies to the unsaved of all time.

Therefore, Psalm 2:5 requires that the unsaved must “awake” to consciousness at Judgment Day to experience this conscious affliction. At that time, God will “speak unto them in his wrath”.

We see more verses with this same Hebrew word “bahal”.

b. We read in Psalm 6:8-10:

8 ¶ Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed <0926>: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

Verse 10 has this same Hebrew word “bahal” which is again translated “vexed” in this verse.

Psalm 6:8-10 is talking about all of the unsaved throughout time. All of the unsaved throughout time are the enemies of God. Note that they will be ashamed. That agrees with Daniel 12:2 which teaches that all of the unsaved throughout time will awake to be shamed at Judgment Day.

Notice in verse 10 that God says “let them return”. What does God mean by the statement “let them return”?

We read in the next part of verse 10 that they will “be ashamed suddenly”. When will the unsaved “be ashamed suddenly”?

From Daniel 12:2 we learn that the unsaved will “be shamed” at the resurrection or awaking of the last day.

Because of the references to “returning” and to “shame” we can know that the context of Psalm 6:10 is at the end of the world. It is at that time that the unsaved will “return to be shamed” before God as indicated in Daniel 12:2.

Therefore, when God says concerning the unsaved “let them return”, God is talking about the resurrection or awaking of the last day. Judgment Day is the time when the unsaved will “return” to consciousness or awake to consciousness.

Psalm 6:10 is teaching that on Judgment Day, the unsaved will “return” to consciousness or awake to consciousness to be “shamed” and to be “sore vexed”. The Hebrew word translated “vexed” always signifies conscious affliction.

Psalm 6:10 also says that the unsaved will be “sore” vexed. The Hebrew word translated “vexed” always signifies conscious affliction. God also added the word “sore” to place more emphasis on the vexed. This Hebrew word translated “sore” is most frequently translated “very” or “greatly”.

God is insisting that the unsaved will be greatly or very vexed at Judgment Day. This requires that they “awake” consciously to experience this “sore vexing”.

Job 21:7-15, Psalm 73 and Luke 16:19-31 declare that the unsaved can live and die from this world without any affliction. So, the fulfillment of this verse must be on the other side of the grave.

c. We read in Psalm 83:1-4 & 14-18:

1 ¶ <<A Song or Psalm of Asaph.>> Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

…

14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;

15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid <0926> with thy storm

16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.

17 Let them be confounded and troubled <0926> for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:

18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

All of Psalm 83 is one context.

In verse 2 God introduces about whom He is talking. God is talking about His “enemies”. This includes all of the unsaved throughout time.

This context of referring to all of the unsaved is carried throughout the whole Psalm.

The Hebrew word “bahal” appears twice in this passage, translated as “afraid” in verse 15 and “troubled” in verse 17.

We already covered verse 17 in another study. Verse 17 is significant because it indicates that the confounding (shame) and troubling (vexing) will go on forevermore.

Verse 15 also has this Hebrew word, “bahal”. Verses 14 & 15 together are significant. The word “as” in verse 14 and the word “so” in verse 15 are in the Hebrew text, further tying these two verses together.

Verse 14 talks about the burning of wood. God talks about the burning of wood in connection with His judgment against the unsaved in Jeremiah 5:14. We read there:

Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

The wood identifies with the unbelievers and the fire identifies with God and His wrath (Hebrews 12:29).

It is argued that the fire of God’s wrath is simply a physical fire that burns up the bodies of the unsaved. However, verse 15 gives definition to what God means by the fire of His wrath. All of the unsaved will be “persecuted” and be made “afraid” (or “vexed / troubled”). This word signifies conscious affliction.

Psalm 83:14-15 provides definition for what it means to endure the fire of God’s wrath. It includes the conscious experience of being “afraid”.

Psalm 83 is talking about of all the unsaved throughout time. Verses 14 & 15 declare that the fire of God’s wrath will make all of the unsaved “afraid”, a conscious affliction. Therefore, the unsaved must “awake” to consciousness at Judgment Day to experience this affliction.

In verse 16 we read about shame coming upon the unsaved.

From Daniel 12:2 we know that the unsaved will awake to consciousness at Judgment Day to experience shame. The reference to shame in verse 16 helps to set the context of Judgment Day for verses 14-18.

The unsaved will seek God

We also read in verse 16 that the unsaved will seek God. We might think that this means that the context of verse 16 is set before the end of the world. However, that is not the case. In Luke 16:24 the rich man in hell is seeking a drop of water. He is seeking God for some mercy. However, there is no mercy for those in hell.

At Judgment Day, when the unsaved awake to consciousness, they will seek God, crying out for mercy. However, at Judgment Day, God says there will be no mercy (Psalm 59:5, Isaiah 9:17, Isaiah 27:11, Jeremiah 13:14, James 2:13).

Verse 16 fits perfectly with the rich man who is suffering in hell.

These above verses promise that God will “vex / trouble” the unsaved for their sins.

God indicates that the unsaved can enjoy their sojourn in this world and die from this world without experiencing any affliction. The Bible teaches in Job 21:7-15, Psalm 73 and Luke 16:19-31 that the unsaved can live and die from this world without any affliction or problems.

How, then, are the above verses fulfilled? These verses require that the unsaved “awake” to consciousness at Judgment Day to experience the affliction promised.

This agrees with the Bible declaration that the unsaved will awake, they will hear his voice and come forth. But, they will be completely separated from God, who is life. They will remain dead in sins, both in body and soul. But, they will awake to consciousness to experience the suffering indicated in Psalm 83:14-18.

2. God promises sorrow to all of the unsaved

We read in Psalm 32:10

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

In Psalm 32:10 God is promising blessings upon all of the saved throughout time.

This verse is not promising blessings to some of the saved. Rather, Psalm 32:10 promises blessings to those that trust in the LORD. That includes all of the true believers.

Likewise, God is promising “many sorrows” to all of the unsaved that have ever lived throughout time.

Psalm 32:10 contrasts the condition of all of the saved to the condition of all of the unsaved. God talks about the blessings that will come upon the saved, all of the unsaved. Likewise, God talks about “many sorrows” that will come upon the unsaved, all of the unsaved.

The word translated “sorrows” in Psalm 32:10 is the Hebrew word “makowb”. It is used about 16 times in the Bible and it always signifies a conscious affliction of some kind.

Here are some verses with this same Hebrew word:

Exodus 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows <04341>;

2 Chronicles 6:28-29:

28 If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:

29 Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief <04341>, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:

Psalms 69:26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief <04341> of those whom thou hast wounded.

Jeremiah 45:3 Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow <04341>; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

Lamentations 1:12 Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow <04341> like unto my sorrow <04341>, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

By the fact that God always uses this Hebrew word “makowb” to signify conscious affliction, God is providing definition for this word. It signifies conscious affliction.

Therefore, when God uses this same Hebrew word in Psalm 32:10 to say that “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked”, God is promising conscious affliction to the unsaved.

Psalm 32:10 is a part of the law of God.

God promises that for the true believer, including all true believers throughout time, that “mercy shall compass him about.” This is part of the law of God.

In the same way, God promises that for the unsaved, including all of the unsaved throughout time, that “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked”. This is also a part of the law of God.

We saw in Psalm 73:1-12, Job 21:7-15 and Luke 16:19-22, that God teaches that unsaved people can go through this world without significant problems or sorrows and die from this world peacefully.

Therefore, the unsaved must awake to consciousness at Judgment Day for Psalm 32:10 to be fulfilled.

3. Revelation 18:6-8 promises conscious affliction to all unsaved church people throughout the new testament era because they have glorified themselves rather than god.

We read in Revelation 18:6-8:

6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

When we study “Mystery Babylon” of Revelation 17 & 18 we find that it represents the tares or the unsaved in the churches and local congregations.

Before we can understand Revelation 18:6-8 we must back up to the beginning of Revelation 17 to learn more about this harlot that is talked about in these two chapters.

We read in Revelation 17:

1 ¶ And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

7 ¶ And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

14 ¶ These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

God introduces us to this whore or harlot in verse 1.

Notice in verse 1 that God starts out this chapter by talking about His “judgment” that is upon this harlot or great whore that is described in Revelation 17 & 18. Right from the beginning of Revelation 17 & 18, God is talking about His judgment.

Unsaved mankind is called a harlot because they have committed spiritual fornication against their husband, the law of God (Romans 7:1-4). Every time unsaved man sins he is committing harlotry against his husband, the law of God. This includes the unsaved people in the churches, which are the focus of Revelation 17 & 18.

In Revelation 17 & 18 there are various proofs that this woman or harlot represents the tares or the unsaved in the churches. We will not develop all of these proofs here. However, we read in verse 4 that she is arrayed with purple. Purple is the color of a king or queen. The true believers are the queen, married to the king, the Lord Jesus. She appears to be married to the king, the Lord Jesus, and claims that also in Revelation 18:7. But, she is not married to Christ. She represents those that are still unsaved in the churches.

She is clothed in scarlet which is the color for blood. It appears that her sins have been covered by the blood of Christ, but they have not been.

She is clothed with gold, precious stones and pearls. Those refer to the precious nature of the Gospel. Again, she appears to be saved, but she is not. She is a harlot.

The gold, precious stones and pearls can also refer to the true believers (1 Corinthians 3:12). The harlot is not a true believer, but she is identified with the true believers because she was in the churches and appeared to be saved.

There are other proofs of the fact that this harlot represents the unsaved in the churches, the tares.

In verse 3 the beast that carries her is satan. The unsaved or tares in the church are carried along and ruled by satan.

Revelation 17 teaches that this harlot represents the unsaved in the church throughout the New Testament era and not just those during the Great Tribulation.

This is a very important point.

God has provided a key proof in Revelation 17 that this harlot represents the unsaved in the church throughout the whole New Testament era.

We will examine that now.

We read in verse 12:

And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

God is describing the 10 horns that were on the beast that carried this harlot.

We notice that verse 12 says that these 10 horns represent 10 kings. These 10 kings have not yet received a kingdom. But, in the future, they will receive authority as kings for one hour.

Revelation 17 describes this woman before the one hour comes in which the 10 kings receive power or authority as kings with the beast (satan).

This one hour represents the 23 year Great Tribulation period from 1988 through 2011.

We read in Revelation 8:1:

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

We read about silence in heaven for about half an hour. That half hour represents the first part of the Great Tribulation, the first 2300 days in which almost no one was saved.

We also read in Revelation 13:1:

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Revelation 13 discusses the Great Tribulation, the last 23 years before Judgment Day.

In verse 1 we see that this beast, who represents satan, also has 10 horns. In Revelation 13 the 10 horns are crowned. This signifies that Revelation 13 is describing the Great Tribulation, the time when satan is given rulership in all the local congregations. This is the one hour to which Revelation 17:12 refers.

The one hour in which the 10 horns are crowned is the 23 year Great Tribulation period.

Notice in Revelation 17:3 that these horns on the beast are not crowned. Also, verse 12 indicates that these 10 horns represent 10 kings that have not yet received authority as kings.

Revelation 17 describes this harlot riding on the beast. That beast has 10 horns but those horns do not yet have crowns. Verse 12 teaches that those 10 horns represent 10 kings that will receive authority for one hour. That one hour is the Great Tribulation.

The description in Revelation 17 has the harlot on the beast when the horns are not yet crowned. The fact that those horns are not yet crowned means that this picture of the harlot upon the beast represents the unsaved in the churches before the Great Tribulation.

This is a very important point.

Revelation 17 describes this harlot before the Great Tribulation. In Revelation 17 this harlot represents the unsaved in the churches before the Great Tribulation, before 1988.

When we got to the Great Tribulation, as described in Revelation 13, the horns became crowned.

This is a very important.

The Harlot in Revelation 17 includes the unsaved before the Great Tribulation. Therefore, it includes all of the unsaved in the churches throughout the New Testament era.

Therefore, Revelation 17 is describing this harlot throughout the church age, before we came to the Great Tribulation in 1988.

God is teaching that this harlot includes all of the unsaved in the churches throughout the New Testament era. This is very important information as we examine more about what God says about this harlot in chapter 18.

Next, we look at Revelation 18:1-8:

1 ¶ And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

In verse 2 God says “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen”.

In verse 2, Babylon is a reference to all of the churches and local congregations during the Great Tribulation. At the start of the Great Tribulation in 1988, satan was appointed ruler of all of the churches and local congregations. They became part of His dominion, which is typified by the name Babylon.

This happened in 1988 at the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

Verse 2 continues that this Mystery Babylon became the habitations of devils and unclean birds. That represents all of the unsaved that remain in the churches and congregations.

Verse 4 is the command that God has given to the true believers to leave the churches. This command was first given in 1988 at the start of the Great Tribulation.

In verses 5 & 6 God says that He will punish her for her sins. God is referring to this harlot that was introduced back in chapter 17 and represents all of the unsaved throughout the New Testament era.

In Revelation 17:1 God talks about His judgment upon the harlot which represents all of the unsaved throughout the church age. Then, starting in Revelation 18:5, God describes the punishment that comes upon her because she is under the judgment of God.

Notice that Revelation 18:3 & 5 are written in the past tense. They are looking back at the sins of the harlot in Revelation 17. This harlot includes all of the unsaved throughout the church age.

In verse 7 God explains what sins she has committed and why she is being punished.

Let’s examine closely what God says about His Judgment program in verses 7 & 8. We will begin with verse 7.

We read in Revelation 18:7:

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

The “she” refers back to the harlot introduced in Revelation 17. We saw in Revelation 17 that this harlot represents all of the unsaved church people throughout the New Testament.

From the account of the 7 churches in Revelation 2 & 3 and from the parable of the wheat and tares in Matthew 13 we know that throughout the church age there have been many unsaved people in churches and congregations. They are all represented by this harlot described in Revelation 17 & 18.

Verse 7 is very important because it discloses the sins for which this harlot is being punished. For what sins does God fault this harlot in verse 7?

Verse 7 says that this harlot, who represents the unsaved church people, have “glorified” themselves. Is this true of all of the unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era?

Yes. It is true for all unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era have glorified themselves.

Sadly, throughout the New Testament era unsaved church people have “glorified” themselves in many ways. One of the big ways is through the “do-it-yourself” salvation program. The Biblical salvation program gives God all of the glory because it teaches that God did everything to accomplish the believers’ salvation.

However, the “do-it-yourself” salvation program gives some glory to man through his contribution to his salvation.

The “do-it-yourself” salvation program has been held by the vast majority of church goers throughout the New Testament church history.

Throughout the New Testament era the unsaved church people have “glorified” themselves through their “do-it-yourself” salvation program and through other wrong doctrines as well.

Anytime we hold a wrong doctrine or live contrary to the Bible, we take glory away from God. Ultimately, we are glorifying ourselves because we are following our own will and our own desires.

God also faults the unsaved church people because they have “lived deliciously”.

The Bible does not give much definition for this phrase “lived deliciously”.

This term “lived deliciously” is one Greek word. It is only used in two verses. In this verse and in Revelation 18:9. We read there:

And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

Revelation 18:9 does not provide much more definition for this Greek word.

There is a very close noun found in Revelation 18:3.

We read there:

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

The noun is this word translated “delicacies”.

Here, we get some idea of what God means by these two related words “lived deliciously” and “delicacies”

In Revelation 18:3 the “merchants of the earth” are those bringing the Gospel. They are made rich in the Gospel through the word of God, the Bible. God has given an abundant word of God, the Bible, to mankind.

These Greek words translated “lived deliciously” and “delicacies” identify with the Bible.

If we examine the term “kings of the earth” in four verses we can see a further tie between Revelation 17 & 18.

The term “kings of the earth” is often used to speak about the people of God. Sometimes it is speaking about the eternal people of God, the true believers.

Sometimes it is talking about the tares in the churches and congregations. People who appear to be true believers but are not saved.

Let’s look at four verses with this phrase “kings of the earth”. For these verses we can at least say that the “kings of the earth” refer to those identified with the Gospel; either the eternal people of God or the tares.

Revelation 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Revelation 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Revelation 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Revelation 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

Let us first consider Revelation 17:2. Remember we learned that the harlot in Revelation 17 refers to the unsaved in the churches during the church age.

This agrees with Revelation 17:18. Revelation 17:18 says that this harlot was the great city that reigns over the “kings of the earth”. During the church age, the churches did rule over those within them. To some degree they ruled over the whole world because they had the Bible which does have authority over the whole world.

In Revelation 17:2 the “kings of the earth” have committed fornication with the harlot by following her wrong teaching. Those identified with the Gospel were in the churches during the church age and whenever they followed wrong teaching of the church, that was spiritual fornication, following another god.

Revelation 17:2 ties into Revelation 18:3 and 18:9 because all 3 verses are talking about the fornication of the “kings of the earth”. Revelation 17 talks about the sins of the unsaved in the churches throughout the church age. Then, when we get to Revelation 18, God is talking about His wrath being poured out upon the church people because of their lack of obedience.

The “kings of the earth” upon whom God’s wrath falls are all of those talked about in Revelation 17:2, which includes the unsaved church people during the church age. We found that the harlot in Revelation 17 was the unsaved church people during the church age.

Through the appearance of the phrase “kings of the earth” in the 4 verses in Revelation 17 & 18, God is tying together the sins of the unsaved during the church age of Revelation 17 with the punishment that comes upon them in Revelation 18 at Judgment Day.

Let’s examine Revelation 18:7 again. We read there:

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

For two reasons God’s wrath is upon this harlot, who represents the unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era:

1. The unsaved church people have glorified themselves rather than God. A major way in which unsaved church people glorify themselves rather than God is through their “do-it-yourself” salvation programs.

This problem of the man’s self glorification by the “do-it-yourself” gospel has been a big problem throughout the church age.

2. The unsaved church people have “lived deliciously”. This probably ties into the fact that they have had the Bible and yet never trusted it with all their heart. This agrees with Luke 12:47-48 in which those that have known the master’s will, the whole Bible, and yet never became saved will be beaten by more stripes that those that never had the Bible.

Notice God is not specifically faulting the end-time unsaved church people for knowing the date of the Rapture.

Also, they say in their hearts “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.”

The queen is wife to the king. The Lord Jesus is king of kings and all the unsaved church people, who are regular confessing members, think that they are the bride of Christ, the wife of the king. That would make them a queen.

They believe that they are not a “widow”. A widow is someone without a husband. All of the unsaved church people believe that the Lord Jesus is their husband. So that, they feel secure that they shall see “no sorrow”. They believe that they are safe and secure in the Lord Jesus.

The sin criteria that God gives in Revelation 18:6 applies to all unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era. Therefore, this verse, that dictates the conscious afflictions of “torment” and “sorrow”, applies to all of the unsaved throughout the church age.

Notice that God is not faulting this harlot for a specific sin like knowing the date of the Rapture and not listening. No. God faults this harlot for glorifying herself, rather than God.

Let’s examine verse 7 in more detail. We read there:

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

The accusation of Revelation 18:7 applies to all of the unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era. They all have been guilty of glorifying themselves rather than God.

Let’s remind ourselves: Who is the “she” in verse 7?

God introduces us to this woman or harlot in Revelation 17:1 and we saw the God indicates that she represents all of the unsaved in the churches starting at the beginning of the church age.

In verse 7 God is saying that as much as all of the unsaved church people, represented by this harlot, have “glorified” themselves, give them so much “torment” and “sorrow”.

Sadly, all of the unsaved church people are guilty for having “glorified” themselves through their “do-it-yourself” salvation program and through other wrong doctrines. As a result, God says that He will give them “so much torment and sorrow”.

Revelation 18:7 is saying that all of the unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era must receive “so much torment and sorrow” in accordance with how much they have glorified themselves. They have glorified themselves through their wrong doctrines, rather than glorifying God.

In this chapter God is talking about this one woman. However, she represents all of the unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era. Finally, the punishment for sin comes upon individuals for their own sins. It does not come collectively upon a group.

According to Revelation 18:7, each unsaved church person that has “glorified” himself instead of God, which includes all of them throughout the church age, must receive “so much torment and sorrow” according to how much he has “glorified” himself.

The Greek words “torment” and “sorrow” are always used to signify conscious affliction.

Here are some example verses with these words:

The family of words translated “torment”:

Matthew 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments <931>, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Matthew 8:6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented <928>.

2 Peter 2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed <928> his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

Revelation 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented <928> five months: and their torment <929> was as the torment <929> of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

Revelation 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented <928> them that dwelt on the earth.

Revelation 12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained <928> to be delivered.

All the uses of words from this family of Greek words signify conscious affliction.

Verses with this Greek word translated “sorrow”:

James 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning <3997>, and your joy to heaviness.

Revelation 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning <3997>, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow <3997>, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

For some more examples, we list the verses that use the Greek verb that is equivalent to this Greek noun translated “sorrow”. These verses are:

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn <3996>: for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 9:15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn <3996>, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

Mark 16:10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned <3996> and wept.

Luke 6:25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn <3996> and weep.

1 Corinthians 5:2 And ye are puffed up, and have <3996> not rather mourned <3996>, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

2 Corinthians 12:21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail <3996> many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

James 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn <3996>, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

God does tie the Greek noun and verb together by using both in James 4:9 as can be seen from the above lists.

As we examine the verses with these Greek words translated “torment” and “sorrow” in Revelation 18:7 we see that they always signify conscious affliction.

From our examination of Psalm 73:1-12, Job 21:7-15 and Luke 16:19-22, we saw that the unsaved can pass their time in this world without any significant afflictions and die from this world without pain.

Also, we saw that Revelation 18:7 is speaking to all of the unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era. They all are a part of the harlot first described in Revelation 17.

Revelation 18:7 is saying that these unsaved church people that have died from this world throughout the New Testament era must also experience the conscious afflictions of “torment” and “sorrow”.

Therefore we can know that the unsaved will “awake” to consciousness at Judgment Day.

Let’s consider Revelation 18:8. We read there:

Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

First, we notice the word “death”. This makes people think of annihilation or of a corpse.

However, the Biblical definition of death for mankind is separation from God who is life. For a detailed study on this question, please see the study of the Biblical definition of life and death for mankind.

Please see the study on the Biblical definition of life and death for more information

Yes. The unsaved church people will receive the plague of death, which is to be eternally and completely separated from God, who is life.

Revelation 18:8 provides a key time reference. It says that these “plagues” will come in “one day”. That is Judgment Day. This does not mean that Judgment Day is one day of 24 hours. Rather, there is one Judgment Day at the end of the world and that is when the “plagues” will come.

These “plagues” also include “torment” and “sorrow” that we saw in the previous verse. These are plagues of conscious affliction that must come upon this harlot talked about in Revelation 17 & 18, who represents all of the unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era.

Therefore the must awake to consciousness in that “one day”, Judgment Day, at the end of the world, to experience this affliction that God has declared must come to pass.

This word “plague” always signifies conscious affliction.

Here are some verses with the same Greek word translated “plague” in Revelation 18:8:

Luke 10:30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded <4127> him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

Luke 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes <4127>, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Acts 16:23 And when they had laid many stripes <4127> upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Acts 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes <4127>; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

2 Corinthians 6:5 In stripes <4127>, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes <4127> above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

Revelation 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues <4127>: and they repented not to give him glory.

Revelation 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague <4127> of the hail; for the plague <4127> thereof was exceeding great.

In Revelation 18:8, God is promising that “plagues” will come upon the unsaved church people because they have glorified themselves instead of God. This includes all unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era. They are all part of this harlot that does not listen to the Bible. Therefore, they must awake to consciousness to receive these “plagues”.

In Revelation 18:8, God also promises that these plagues include “mourning” by the unsaved church people.

The word “mourning” is the same Greek word translated “sorrow” in the previous verse that we have already studied. We found that this Greek word always signifies conscious affliction.

So, God is doubling up on that Greek word translated “mourning / sorrow”. By doubling, God is placing extra emphasis upon that word. God wants us to listen to what He is saying

Revelation 18:7-8 is promising conscious affliction to all of unsaved church people that have “glorified” themselves throughout the New Testament era.

God promises that the conscious affliction will come at Judgment Day. Therefore, we can know that the unsaved will awake to consciousness on Judgment Day.

4. ISAIAH 65:11-14 TEACHES THAT ALL OF THE UNSAVED PEOPLE OF GOD, INCLUDING THOSE IN NATIONAL ISRAEL, WILL EXPERIENCE CONSCIOUS AFFLICTION BECAUSE OF THEIR SINS.

We read in Isaiah 65:1-4 & 11-15:

1 ¶ I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

3 A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;

4 Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

…

11 ¶ But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.

12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.

13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:

14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.

15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:

Verses 5 to 10 continue the same theme but were left out for the sake of space.

We must ask the question: To whom is God speaking in Isaiah 65:2-11?

Historically, there is an application to the unsaved people in National Israel.

God gives a key proof in the Bible that Isaiah 65:2-11 is also speaking about the unsaved people in National Israel more than 2,000 years ago.

We read in verse 1:

I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

This is talking about the salvation that would come to those who were not called the people of God, even to those who had not sought a relationship with God in the past.

Then we read in verse 2:

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

In verse 2 God is contrasting those becoming saved in verse 1 to His people who have been rebellious to Him.

God quotes Isaiah 65:1-2 in Romans 10:20-21.

We read in Romans 10:17-21:

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Romans 10 is talking about the Gospel going out into the world during the New Testament era.

In verse 17 God says that faith or salvation comes by hearing the Bible, the Word of God.

Then, in verse 18, God quotes Psalm 19:4. Psalm 19 teaches that all mankind to some degree have received the witness of God and His law.

But, then in verse 19, God gets more specific. God talks about National Israel hearing the word of God.

In Romans 10:20-21 God quotes Isaiah 65:1-2 and applies it to the discussion of Romans 10.

In Romans 10:19 God is faulting Old Testament Israel for not trusting the Word of God that they heard. This verse is quoting Deuteronomy 32:21. We read there:

They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

We read how God is telling National Israel that He will provoke them to anger or jealousy with a foolish nation.

God shows us that He fulfilled this prophecy with the Gospel going to the gentles at Pentecost in 33AD. We read in Romans 11:11:

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

In Romans 11 God is continuing to talk about His dealings with National Israel at the beginning of the church age in 33AD and forward.

We can see that Romans 11 is talking about National Israel when we read verse 1:

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

In Romans 11:1 God is saying that He has not cast away all of his people. God is still talking about National Israel at the time of the cross and forward. We can see that because God uses the example of the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul was from National Israel and God saved him. Therefore we can know that the discussion of Romans 11 is talking about National Israel at the time of the cross and forward.

In verse 11, God says that He provoked National Israel to jealousy by bringing the Gospel to the gentiles, which were the “foolish nation” according to the Bible. This started in a big way in 33AD.

This shows that Romans 10:19 was fulfilled with the Gospel going to the gentles in a big way starting with the church age. God continues in verse 20 by saying that the gentles were those that found God, or rather were found by God. We read in verse 20: “I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.” In Romans 10:20, God is talking about the gentles hearing the Gospel in a big way starting in 33AD.

God continues to talk about National Israel in Romans 10:21. That verse then leads into Romans 11, which continues the discussion of National Israel.

Therefore, we have seen abundant proof that Romans 10:21 is talking about National Israel. Since God is quoting Isaiah 65:2 in Romans 10:21, God is teaching that National Israel is included among those talked about in Isaiah 65:2-15

In Romans 10:20 God gives the good news that in the New Testament era there would be those who were not God’s people and who had not sought Him in times past, but yet would finally become saved. This applies to the gentles that first heard the Bible preached.

Isaiah 65:1-2 and Romans 10:20-21 have an application to the church age and it’s final failure. However, God also applies them to National Israel and the beginning of the New Testament era.

In the light of the above discussion, let’s look at Isaiah 65:1-2 again. We read there:

1 ¶ I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

We saw that God quotes Isaiah 65:1 in Romans 10:20. In Romans 10:20 God indicates that from the beginning of the New Testament era, there would be those who had not “sought” God in times past, yet would become saved.

This happened at the beginning of the New Testament era as the Apostle Paul and others brought the Gospel into Asia minor and into other regions. This has continued through our day when God is seeking many who were never identified with the Bible in times past.

We saw that verse 2 applies to the unsaved in National Israel as they were God’s corporate people, yet never became saved. It continues to apply to the unsaved in the churches in the New Testament era. The unsaved people of God are “a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts”.

With the help of Romans 10, we can see that the context of Isaiah 65:1-15 includes the unsaved among God’s people going back to National Israel and continuing into our day.

Ask we continue to examine the language of Isaiah 65:3-12 we see that it is talking about all of the unsaved among God’s corporate people going back to National Israel.

Throughout time the unsaved among God’s people have been “a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face” as we read in verse 3.

Whenever we sin, we provoke God to anger.

Throughout time, the unsaved church people have been the “ye” about which God says in verse 11: “But ye are they that forsake the LORD”.

When we hear the Bible and go our own way, we “forsake” God. This applies to unsaved church people throughout time.

God continues to discuss His wrath against the unsaved among His people in verses 3 to 7 and 11 to 15.

Now, Let’s look at verse 12 more closely. We read there:

Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.

The “sword” to which God numbers the unsaved is the Word of God, the Bible, that brings judgment (Ephesians 6:17).

We read the word “slaughter”. This makes us think of a corpse or annihilation.

The word “slaughter” means to “kill”, a massive “killing”.

Let’s examine another verse where God talks about the “killing” of mankind.

We read in Romans 7:9-11:

9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

God is using the Apostle Paul as an example to represent all mankind.

In verse 9 we read that when Adam sinned, the Apostle Paul and all of mankind “died”. This agrees with many other verses that teach that unsaved mankind is already “dead” in body and soul.

When we read these verses we say in our minds “spiritually dead” because in our minds we have equated “death” to an unconscious corpse or to annihilation.

However, God never says “spiritually dead”.

The Bible indicates that unsaved man already is dead, both in body and soul.

We read:

Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

1 Corinthians 15:29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

Both Romans 8:10 and 1 Corinthians 15:29 teach that the believer’s body is still dead. If the believer’s body is dead, then the unbeliever’s body is dead.

Unsaved man is dead, both in body and soul, according to the Bible. He is separated from God, who is “life”. He is not energized by God nor indwelt by God. For more information, please see the study on the Biblical definition of “life” and “death” for mankind.

Please see the study on the Biblical definition of life and death for more information

Let’s go back to Romans 7:11. We read there:

For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

Romans 7:11 says that God “slew” all mankind at the beginning because of sin.

According to the Bible all of the unsaved are already “killed”. God “slaughtered” or “slew” mankind when Adam sinned. Man became separated from God, who is life.

Unsaved man has been “killed” because he is separated from God, who is “life”. God does not indwell him (Romans 8:9) nor does God energize him (Philippians 2:12-13).

People will change verses like Romans 7:11 to say that man was “spiritually killed” even though the Bible does not say that.

Romans 8:10 and 1 Corinthians 15:29 teach that the body of man is also dead. Likewise, Romans 7:11 is teaching that the unsaved are “killed”. They are “killed” both in body and soul.

According to Romans 7:11 and other verses, this world is full of “slain” or “killed” people. Unsaved people who are separated from God, who is “life”.

When we read the words “slaughter” or “kill” we think about a corpse. However, if we study the Bible carefully, the words “slaughter” or “kill” mean to be separated from God, who is “life”. This goes against the way we think, but it is Biblical.

We saw that God says in Romans 7:11 that He slew Adam and the whole human race the day that Adam sinned. Mankind became separated from God, who is life.

The unconscious corpse is a body sleeping in the dust. That occurs the second time that man dies, both in body and soul.

We have prepared two studies that examine these questions:

Please see the study on the Biblical definition of life and death for more information

Please see the study on A BODY “SLEEPING IN THE DUST” VERSUS “DEATH”

Therefore, when we read about the “slaughter” in Isaiah 65:12, God is teaching that for the unsaved there is a coming eternal separation from God, who is “life”, a coming eternal “death” of separation for mankind. Unsaved mankind will be eternally separated from God, suffering in the lake of fire. How sad.

As we examine more about what God says in Isaiah 65:13-14 about the punishment for these unsaved, we will see that it is a punishment that includes conscious affliction.

Let’s look at the rest of verse 12. We read there:

Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.

God faults the unsaved people of God for not answering and not listening to God. Sadly, this has been a common sin of the people of God starting with National Israel and continuing through the church age.

We read more of what God has to say to the unsaved people of God in verse 13. We read there:

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:

The end of verse 13 says that these unsaved church people will be “ashamed”. This agrees with Daniel 12:2 that says that the unsaved will awake at Judgment Day to shame.

God says that the true believers, His eternal servants, will eat and drink the blessings of the Gospel. This is in the new heaven and new earth. This is talking about all true believers.

On the contrary, God says that the unsaved people of God, including back to those in National Israel, will be “hungry” and “thirsty”. This includes people that have died from this world, whose bodies are presently sleeping in the dust, more than 2000 years ago.

This requires the question: Can unconscious bones be “hungry” and “thirsty”?

The answer to this question comes from the principle of 1 Corinthians 2:13 which instructs the believer to compare Scripture with Scripture. God defines words and phrases by how He uses them in the Bible.

This Hebrew word translated “hungry” only speaks about people who are consciously experiencing “hunger”. This word is never used to refer to an object without consciousness, like a bone, that is “hungry”. Nor it is used to speak of people or anything else that is not consciously experiencing “hunger”.

This is also true for the Hebrew word translated “thirsty”. It always speak of the conscious experience of thirst.

Below are example verses with these two Hebrew words:

Hungry:

Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger <07456>, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

2 Kings 7:12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry <07457>; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

Psalms 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger <07456>: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Proverbs 6:30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry <07456>;

Isaiah 29:8 It shall even be as when an hungry <07457> man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

Isaiah 44:12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and

fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry <07457>, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.

Jeremiah 42:14 Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger <07456> of bread; and there will we dwell:

Thirsty:

Exodus 17:3 And the people thirsted <06770> there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst <06772>?

Judges 4:19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty <06770>. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

Judges 15:18 And he was sore athirst <06770>, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst <06772>, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

Ruth 2:9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst <06770>, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

2 Samuel 17:29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty <06771>, in the wilderness.

Psalms 42:2 My soul thirsteth <06770> for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Psalms 63:1 <<A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.>> O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth <06770> for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Psalms 104:11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst <06772>.

Isaiah 29:8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man <06771> dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

Isaiah 41:17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst <06772>, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty <06771>, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

Psalm 42:2, 63:1, Isaiah 41:17 and 44:3 are particularly interesting for their direct application to “thirsting for the Word of God”.

Isaiah 65:13 ties into Luke 16:24 in which the rich man in hell is begging for a drop of water to cool his tongue.

The rich man is “thirsty” for the waters of the Gospel. Only the waters of the Gospel can cool the fires of the wrath of God.

We read there:

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The rich man in hell is now thirsty. This matches Isaiah 65:13. Once the unsaved are cast into the lake of fire, they will be thirsty for the Gospel.

Isaiah 65:13 is another proof text that the unsaved who have previously died from this world must awake to consciousness at Judgment Day to experience the promised “hunger” and “thirst”.

Let’s continue by examining verse 14. We read there:

Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.

Verse 14 has promises of blessings for the true believers. But, sadly, it has curses promised for all of the unsaved people of God, starting back with National Israel.

Notice that God is promising conscious afflictions for the unsaved of His people and from Isaiah 65:1-2, we know that God has specifically included National Israel among those to whom God speaks in this chapter.

There is something noteworthy in verses 13 and 14 that we do not see in our English Bible. In these two verses God specifically added the pronoun “ye” in the Hebrew text. This is not necessary nor normal in the Hebrew Bible. As in other languages, the pronoun in Hebrew is implied from the verb conjugation.

However, from time to time, God adds this Hebrew pronoun “ye” or another Hebrew pronoun to make an extra point. In verses 13 and 14, God has specifically put that pronoun in the verses.

By adding the un-required Hebrew pronoun, “ye” to verses 13 and 14, God is making a point that He is talking to all the “ye” of the unsaved of His people, going back to National Israel and including the whole church age.

Let’s look at verse 14 again. We read there:

Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.

God talks about the “heart” of man. That is the very nature of man himself. Also, his “spirit” is part of his nature. God is talking about the unsaved being sorrowful in their very essence, in their “heart” and in their “spirit”.

For the Hebrew word translated “sorrow”, here are some example usages:

Genesis 34:25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore <03510>, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

Job 2:13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief <03511> was very great.

Job 14:22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain <03510>, and his soul within him shall mourn.

Psalms 69:29 But I am poor and sorrowful <03510>: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

Jeremiah 15:18 Why is my pain <03511> perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

Here are some verses with the Hebrew word translated “howl”:

Isaiah 13:6 Howl <03213> ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Isaiah 15:3 In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl <03213>, weeping abundantly.

Isaiah 16:7 Therefore shall Moab howl <03213> for Moab, every one shall howl <03213>: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.

Jeremiah 4:8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl <03213>: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

Jeremiah 48:31 Therefore will I howl <03213> for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

Micah 1:8 Therefore I will wail and howl <03213>, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.

Verse 14 describes conscious affliction that the unsaved people of God must endure. God says that in their “heart” and in their “spirit” they will experience these afflictions. God has tied Isaiah 65:1-2 to Romans 10:20-21 so that we know that He is talking about the unsaved in National Israel also.

Therefore, verse 14 is also a proof of the conscious awaking of the unsaved at Judgment Day. The unsaved of National Israel 2,000 years ago must experience in their “heart” and “spirit” the conscious affliction promised in verse 14.

Let’s examine verse 15 also. We read there:

And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:

We read the word “slay” and maybe that makes us think of annihilation or of a corpse. Perhaps, God wrote the Bible this way as another testing program.

When we study the Bible closely, we find that the Bible teaches that God is life and that life for mankind has to do with man’s relationship to God. Death for mankind is separation from God, who is life. This goes against our intuitive way of thinking. However, it agrees with the Bible.

As we read earlier in Romans 7:11, God slew mankind when Adam sinned. Mankind became separated from God, who is “life”,

We have prepared two studies to help show these truths:

Please see the study on the Biblical definition of life and death for more information

Please see the study on A BODY “SLEEPING IN THE DUST” VERSUS “DEATH”

In Isaiah 65:4 God teaches that He identifies the unsaved in this world as already being “in the grave”

In Isaiah 65:4 God makes an interesting statement.

We read there:

Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

God is talking about His people that are in rebellion against Him and we read that they remain “among the graves”.

This translation is incorrect. It should be translated “in the graves”. The preposition used in Isaiah 65:4 is always translated as “in the graves” or “into the graves” when it talks about someone in a grave.

Here are some verses with this same Hebrew word translated “grave”, “sepulchre” or “burying place” with this same preposition that we find in Isaiah 65:4:

Genesis 50:5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.

2 Samuel 2:32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

1 Kings 13:30 And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!

2 Chronicles 24:25 And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.

The translators probably did not understand that God represents the unsaved by a corpse as we read about the corpse of Lazarus in John 11.

In Isaiah 65:4 God is picking up the theme that the unsaved are represented by a corpse by making reference to the unsaved as those who are “in the graves”.

Unsaved man is represented by a corpse or a corpse in a grave because he is separated from the energizing of God, who is “life”. He is not indwelt by God.

We can look at a corpse and see that this corpse is not energized by God nor is it indwelt by God. God is using that illustration to teach us that before salvation we are not indwelt by God nor energized by God, who is “life”.

Isaiah 65:4 is a further help for us to understand passages that talk about corpses and corpses in graves at Judgment Day. According to John 11 and Isaiah 65:4, the unsaved are already a corpse or a corpse in a grave. They are separated from the energizing of God, who is “life”. The unsaved “remain in the graves”.

5. 2 THESSALONIANS 1:6-8 TEACHES THAT THE UNSAVED THAT LIVED DURING THE DAYS OF THE THESSALONIAN CHURCH 1,900 YEARS AGO MUST AWAKE TO CONSCIOUSNESS AT JUDGMENT DAY TO EXPERIENCE TRIBULATION.

We read in 2 Thessalonians 1:4-8:

4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

5 ¶ Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

In this passage, God is talking to all mankind throughout time. However, God is also taking to the people of the Thessalonian church about 1,900 years ago.

When we read books like 2 Thessalonians, God is laying down principles that apply to all of mankind and to all churches. However, in the first instance, God is also speaking to the people in those churches.

In this case, 2 Thessalonians is also talking to the people in that church that lived about 1,900 years ago.

Let’s look at the passage 2 Thessalonians 1:4-9 very carefully.

Verse 4 teaches that the people in the Thessalonian church endured persecutions and tribulations. This is true for all people that serve the Lord Jesus. In addition, specifically this passage is teaching that those people in that church about 1,900 years ago endured persecutions and tribulations.

Verse 5 teaches us that this suffering is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God. That was true for the suffering they endured 1,900 years ago and is true for the suffering of true believers throughout time.

Now, let’s consider what God says in verse 6.

We read there:

Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

This verse applies throughout time. However, it also applies to those in the Thessalonian church.

Verse 6 is telling us that about 1,900 years ago there were those that troubled the people of that church.

God says that He will “recompense tribulation” to those that troubled the people in the Thessalonian church.

The word “recompense” means to pay back. The Greek word translated “tribulation” in this verse is always used to signify conscious affliction.

Here are verses with this same Greek word:

Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted <2347>, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation <2347>, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

The Great Tribulation is a time of great affliction as people must leave their local congregations.

John 16:21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish <2347>, for joy that a man is born into the world.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation <2347>: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Here, Tribulation is contrasted to peace.

Acts 7:10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions <2347>, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

Acts 11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution <2347> that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

Acts 20:23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions <2347> abide me.

Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations <2347> also: knowing that tribulation <2347> worketh patience;

1 Corinthians 7:28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble <2347> in the flesh: but I spare you.

2 Corinthians 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble <2347> which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

2 Corinthians 2:4 For out of much affliction <2347> and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

Colossians 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions <2347> of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation <2347> ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

In each of the above verses we see that this Greek word translated “tribulation” in 2 Thessalonians 1:6 means conscious affliction. This is true for every usage of this Greek word in the Bible.

In 1 Corinthians 2:13 God declares that He defines words by how He uses them in the Bible. By the way God uses this Greek word, translated “tribulation” in 2 Thessalonians 1:6, God has defined that this word always means conscious affliction.

We ask another question:

When will God recompense “tribulation” or conscious affliction to the unsaved?

Maybe we think that God will recompense this tribulation of affliction to the unsaved in this world.

However, earlier in this study we examined Psalm 73:1-12, Job 21:7-15 and Luke 16:19-22 and found that the Bible teaches that the unsaved can pass their sojourn in this world without afflictions and die peacefully from this world.

The Bible teaches that the unsaved can pass through this world without significant afflictions. Therefore, any promised afflictions must be on the other side of the grave.

Actually, verse 7 indicates when God will “recompense tribulation” to the unsaved people that were troubling the Thessalonian church people 1,900 years ago. God will recompense tribulation to those people “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven”. That is Judgment Day.

Let’s look at verse 6 in more detail. We read there:

Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

The verse begins with the phrase “righteous thing”.

God always does the “righteous thing”.

If we read verses 6 & 7 carefully, we see that the “righteous thing” of which God speaks is actually composed of two things.

Let’s look at verses 6 & 7 together. We read there:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

The first part of the “righteous thing” is that God will “recompense tribulation to them that trouble you”. The second part of the “righteous thing” is that “to you who are troubled rest with us”. At the end of verse 7 God tells us when this will happen “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven”.

According to verse 6 the “righteous thing” is to recompense tribulation to the unsaved, including the unsaved that were troubling the people in the Thessalonian church 1,900 years ago.

Yet, according to Psalm 73:1-12, Job 21:7-15 and Luke 16:19-22, the unsaved can have passed their sojourn in this world without “tribulation” or affliction.

Therefore, 2 Thessalonians 1:6 requires that the unsaved that were troubling the Thessalonian believers 1,900 years ago awake to consciousness on Judgment Day to experience the promised “tribulation” of conscious affliction.

The Bible gives more clues that this “tribulation” or conscious affliction will be experienced at Judgment Day.

We see clues in 2 Thessalonians 1:4-9 that this promised conscious affliction of “tribulation” will be experienced by the unsaved at Judgment Day.

Let’s examine verses 6 & 7. We read there:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

When we examine verse 6 with verse 7, we receive confirmation that tribulation will be recompensed to the unsaved at Judgment Day.

At the end of verse 7, God talks about “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven”. That is the Rapture and Judgment Day.

The end of verse 7 gives the timing of the fulfillment of verses 6 & 7.

Verse 7 talks about the “rest” that the believers receive when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven. That is the time of the Rapture.

When the Rapture comes, the believer’s salvation will be completed in every sense, both in body and soul. The believers will receive complete “rest” from the problems of this world. That happens at the end of the world, at Judgment Day.

From the context of verses 6 and 7 we can see that the end of the world is also when the fulfillment of verse 6 occurs. That is the time when God will “recompense tribulation” to the unsaved. As we found, this Greek word translated “tribulation” is always used in the Bible to speak of conscious affliction.

The word “recompense” means to pay back. Here are verses with this same Greek word:

Luke 14:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense <467> thee: for thou shalt be recompensed <467> at the resurrection of the just.

Romans 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed <467> unto him again <467>?

1 Thessalonians 3:9 For what thanks can we render <467> to God again <467> for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

God says in verse 6 that He will recompense or pay back “tribulation”, or conscious affliction, to the unsaved people who troubled the Thessalonian church people 1,900 years ago.

The Bible gives further information about when God will “recompense” affliction to the unsaved in the days of the Thessalonian church and to the unsaved of any day.

We see the same Greek word translated “recompense” in these two significant verses:

Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay <467>, saith the Lord.

Hebrews 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense <467>, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

In Romans 12:19 this Greek word is translated as “repay”.

Hebrews 10:30 talks about God judging His people. We know that this has it’s complete fulfillment in the Great Tribulation right before the end of the world.

In these two verses, God talks about bringing “recompense” when He brings “vengeance”.

God uses this same Greek word translated “vengeance” in the following two verses that confirm the time when God will bring His “vengeance” or “recompense”:

Luke 21:22 For these be the days of vengeance <1557>, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge <1556> our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Luke 21:22 talks about the end of the church age and Judgment Day. It is talking about the end of the world.

Revelation 6:10 is talking about the saints in heaven. They are talking about Judgment Day when God will “avenge” or bring “vengeance” upon the unsaved.

According to Luke 14:14, God will “recompense” good to the true believers at the end of the world. We read there:

And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense <467> thee: for thou shalt be recompensed <467> at the resurrection of the just.

We have seen several proofs that God will bring His “recompense” or bring “vengeance” upon all of the unsaved at the end of the world.

If we compare 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 to Hebrews 10:30 we see that God shows again the time when He will recompense conscious affliction to the unsaved that lived during the days of the Thessalonian church.

We read in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 and Hebrews 10:30:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Hebrews 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

In Hebrews 10:30 we saw that God ties His “recompense” for sin to the unsaved with His “vengeance”. We can see that those two words are talking about the same thing; Judgment Day.

In 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 we see the same two Greek words.

In verse 8 we see that God will bring “vengeance” upon the unsaved at Judgment Day, when Christ is revealed.

In verse 6 we see that at that time, God will “recompense” conscious affliction to the unsaved from the days of the Thessalonian church 1,900 years ago.

Hebrews 10:30 ties together God’s “recompense” to God’s “vengeance”, which occurs at the end of the world, when Christ is revealed. So, we have more confirmation that God’s “recompense” of conscious affliction to the unsaved who lived during the days of the Thessalonian church will occur at the end of the world, at Judgment Day. This is the time of God’s “vengeance”.

We have seen many proofs that at Judgment Day God will bring His “vengeance”, which includes a “recompense” of conscious affliction upon the unsaved that lived in the days of the Thessalonian church 1,900 years ago.

Therefore, the unsaved must awake to consciousness to experience this promised affliction.

In verse 9 we read about “everlasting destruction”. Often when people read the word “destruction” they think of annihilation. However, we must remember that the Bible defines it’s own terms. In Deuteronomy 28:15-68 God uses a common Hebrew word translated “destroy” 7 times to speak of an on-going destroying of conscious affliction of the unsaved. Please see the study on 10 proofs of the conscious resurrection of the unsaved for more information.

PLEASE THE STUDY OF 10 PROOFS OF THE CONSCIOUS RESURRECTION OF THE UNSAVED

We have also prepared another study that examines how God uses words like “destroy”, “consume”, “perish”, etc. in the Bible in relationship to mankind. Please see that study for more information on this topic.

PLEASE THE STUDY OF WORDS LIKE “PERISH”, “DEATH”, “DESTROY”, “CONSUME”, ETC.

6. ISAIAH 28:1-19 TEACHES A PUNISHMENT OF CONSCIOUS AFFLICTION FOR THE UNSAVED CORPORATE PEOPLE OF GOD, INCLUDING MANY WHO HAVE ALREADY DIED FROM THIS WORLD. THEY MUST AWAKE TO CONSCIOUSNESS TO EXPERIENCE THIS PROMISE OF GOD.

We read in Isaiah 28:15-19:

15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

Notice in verse 18 we read about an “overflowing scourge” that will come upon this people. In the same verse, we read that they “shall be trodden down”. Also we read in verse 19 that the people will be subject to a “vexation”.

In this study, we are going to examine two important questions:

1. To whom is this passage speaking? Specifically, does it include people who will have died before May 21, 2011, whose bodies are presently sleeping in the dust?

2. Does this passage speak of conscious affliction that these people must endure?

To answer these questions, we are going to start in verse 1 of Isaiah 28 to help us determine to whom this passage is speaking. An important part of this question is if this Isaiah 28:1-19 is speaking to people who will have died from this world before May 21, 2011.

We read in Isaiah 28:1-4:

1 ¶ Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:

4 And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

In verses 1 & 3 God talks about the “drunkards of Ephraim”. This is a name that God assigns to the people of whom He is speaking in Isaiah 28.

The name “Ephraim” refers to one of the 13 tribes of Old Testament Israel and is a name that is commonly used to refer to Israel or to the New Testament people of God.

The word “drunkards” refers to the fact that the people are the unsaved corporate people of God that are “drunk” on their wrong gospels.

The true believer is supposed to drink of the pure water of the Gospel (John 4:13, 7:38). The Bible also uses wine at times to represent the Gospel (Genesis 14:18, 27:28, Deuteronomy 11:14).

Also, God uses wine to represent false gospels (Deuteronomy 32:33, 38).

With the term, “drunkards of Ephraim”, God is talking about His unsaved corporate people that are drunk on their false gospels. That is, they have been listening and obeying their false gospels and are going the wrong direction.

The “drunkards of Ephraim”, which represent the unsaved corporate people of God, have existed throughout the New Testament era and also during the days of Old Testament Israel.

God talks about His New Testament corporate people, the churches and congregations, in Revelation 17 & 18. God talks about His people committing “fornication” when they have broken the law. When God’s people break the law of God by following other gospels, they are committing “fornication” against the law of God and finally they become “drunk” on those wrong gospels. We read three significant verses:

Revelation 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Revelation 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

These verses talk about being “drunk” and about committing “fornication”. A careful study of Revelation 17 will show that the harlot in that chapter represents the unsaved corporate people of God throughout the New Testament era. Please see the earlier study on Revelation 18:6-8 for more information.

The three verses above are talking about the unsaved corporate people of God throughout the New Testament era being “drunk” on their false gospels and committing “fornication” against the law of God by their sins.

Now, let’s go back to Isaiah 28 and tie these ideas together.

As we examine Isaiah 28:1-19, we are going to continually ask the question: In this passage, is God only speaking to His unsaved corporate that are here on May 21, 2011?

The warning of Isaiah 28:1-4 and the term “drunkards of Ephraim” applies to God’s unsaved corporate people throughout the New Testament era. It also fits perfectly for the unsaved people of Old Testament Israel.

As we can see from Revelation 2 & 3, from the start of the New Testament era there have been a lot of tares, or unsaved people, in the local congregations. They were the “drunkards of Ephraim” that were drunk on their wrong gospels.

In fact, there is nothing in Isaiah 28:1-19 that excludes the unsaved of Old Testament Israel from being part of the “drunkards of Ephraim” to whom God speaks.

In Isaiah 28:1 & 3 God also talks about “crown of pride”. Pride is always a problem with mankind throughout time, and that includes the unsaved corporate people of God throughout the New Testament and the Old Testament.

The rest of Isaiah 28:1-4 talks about God’s wrath coming upon His people.

We read in Isaiah 28:5-8:

5 In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,

6 And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.

7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

8 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

In verse 5 we have some encouraging words for the true believer. The “that day” to which God refers is the Rapture and Judgment Day when the true believer receives his glorified spiritual body.

Verse 5 applies to all true believers throughout time that are the “residue of his people”. All believers throughout time will receive a new glorified spiritual body at the Rapture.

Just like verse 5 speaks to all believers throughout time, the rest of Isaiah 28:1-19 speaks to all of the unsaved corporate people of God throughout time.

Verse 6 says that God’s wrath will be upon him that “sitteth in judgment”. That includes all of God’s unsaved corporate people throughout time. All unsaved mankind is guilty of “sitting in judgment”.

Verse 6 does not say that God’s wrath is upon some that “sitteth in judgment”. Rather, in Isaiah 28:1-19, God is talking to those that “sitteth in judgment”. That includes those unsaved people who have already died from this world, whose bodies are sleeping in the dust.

Verse 5 speaks about all God’s true people throughout time. Likewise, verse 6 applies to all God’s unsaved corporate people throughout time.

In verses 7 & 8, God uses the figure of a drunkard to teach about those that are drinking of their wrong gospels instead of drinking of the Gospel of the Bible. They have become drunken on their false gospels. This accusation applies to all of the unsaved among God’s corporate people throughout the New Testament era and also includes the unsaved of Old Testament Israel.

In Revelation 2 & 3, we learn that from the beginning of the church age, the New Testament corporate people of God were departing from the truth and becoming “drunk” on their wrong gospels.

We read in Isaiah 28:9-13:

9 ¶ Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

In verses 7 & 8, God was faulting His corporate people for having the wrong gospel. Then, in verses 9 & 10, God explains how He teaches truth. The “precept” and the “line” refer to the Bible. God instructs us to keep studying the Bible and we learn “here a little, and there a little”. Little by little, we learn more truth from the Bible.

The rules for teaching truth in verses 9 & 10 apply throughout time. This further helps us to see that Isaiah 28:1-19 to speaking to the unsaved of God’s corporate people throughout time, not just those at the end of time.

In verse 12, God talks about His promised rest of salvation for those that trust His word.

But, the problem is recounted in the last part of verse 12 where God says “yet they would not hear”. Throughout time, in both the New Testament and the Old Testament, most of God’s corporate people would not listen to the Bible. In this passage, God is talking to all of them throughout time.

As a result, verse 13 teaches that the Bible brings judgment upon them.

In the middle of this passage, in verse 11, God gives an important statement that shows that this passage must apply to His corporate unsaved people during at least the past approximately 100 years.

1 Corinthians 14:21 quotes parts of Isaiah 28:11-12. Let’s examine these verses together:

Isaiah 28:11-12:

11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

1 Corinthians 14:21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 14:21 God quotes parts of Isaiah 28:11-12. God modifies the verses a little in the quotation but this is a common practice God follows in the Bible. It is clear that 1 Corinthians 14:21 is a quotation of parts of Isaiah 28:11-12.

In Isaiah 28:11 the “this people” refers to the “drunkards of Ephraim”, described in Isaiah 28:1-19. God talks about the same “this people” in 1 Corinthians 14:21 and defines them in that chapter as the tongue-speakers, who are a growing group in the past 100 years.

Therefore, by quoting Isaiah 28:11-12 in 1 Corinthians 14:21, God is defining the unsaved tongue-speaking, who are a growing group during the past 100 years, as part of the “drunkards of Ephraim” described in Isaiah 28:1-19.

1 Corinthians 14 talks about the phenomenon of speaking in tongues that occurred in the church of Corinth until the Bible was completed in about 95AD.

We can learn more about 1 Corinthians 14:21 by reading the context. We read in verses 18-23:

18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

21 ¶ In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

In these verses God is giving more details about speaking in tongues. In the church of Corinth a person could receive a message from God in an unknown language called a “tongue”. Then another person in the congregation would interpret that message so that it could be understood. That message was from God. Therefore, it was part of the word of God.

This phenomenon from God came to an end when the Bible was completed in about 95AD. When God came to the last chapter of the Bible, near the end of the chapter, in Revelation 22:18-19, God said that there were to be no additions to or deletions from the Bible. The word of God was completed in about 95AD. Therefore, there would be no more messages from God. Since the tongues phenomenon was a message from God, then it had to end also.

However, some people are not satisfied with the Bible alone. They want a special message from God. They read 1 Corinthians 14 and then they desire a message from God in a heavenly language called a “tongue”. They want the tongues phenomenon, as described in 1 Corinthians 14, to occur in their lives. But, today God is not giving any more special messages. The whole word of God is in the Bible.

But, some people are not satisfied with the Bible alone. They want a special message in a tongue. God allows satan to come with messages in tongues and that becomes a testing program.

The desire for a special message from God has been present throughout the New Testament era. A very big denomination has claimed they have received special messages from God for hundreds of years.

However, this false tongues phenomenon started to be more common about 100 years ago and in the past 50 years has grown to a high degree.

In 1 Corinthians 14:21, God makes a very important statement. In that verse, God defines what he is talking about in Isaiah 28:11.

We read again in Isaiah 28:11:

For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

Through the help of 1 Corinthians 14:21, God is telling us what He means by “another tongue” in Isaiah 28:11.

With the help of 1 Corinthians 14:21 we know that the “another tongue” in Isaiah 28:11 includes the wrong tongues phenomenon. Therefore, God is linking Isaiah 28 to the tongues speakers that have been growing in numbers during the past 100 years.

Therefore, we have firm confirmation that Isaiah 28 is also talking to church people that have been wrongly speaking in tongues since the Bible was completed. This group of people started to grow about 100 years ago and over the decades has grown substantially.

Many of these people that have participated in this wrong tongues phenomenon over the past 100 years have already died from this world and will never get to May 21, 2011.

Based upon the reference to “another tongue” in verse 11, we can know that Isaiah 28 is speaking about tongues followers and their leaders which have increased in numbers during the past 100 years. Therefore, Isaiah 28 is speaking about many people who will have died from this world before May 21, 2011

Let’s continue in this passage. We read in Isaiah 28:14-18:

14 ¶ Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

God is continuing to talk to the unsaved among His corporate people. In verse 14 there is particular direction to the leaders. Those that teach and lead have more accountability before God. We see this in Matthew 23 as Christ talks about the rulers of the Jews before He went to the cross.

Before we examine this passage, we want to make one note. We see the word “hell” in verses 15 & 18. It is said that “hell” is the grave. We have a study that shows that God has more to say about hell than that it is just the grave.

PLEASE THE STUDY ON DOES “HELL = GRAVE”?

We read about “death” in Isaiah 28:18. Does that mean annihilation?

We read the word “death” in Isaiah 28:18. It is said that “death” for mankind is a cessation of existence. This seems reasonable. However, a careful study of how God uses the word “death” will show that death for mankind is separation from God, who is “life”. We have prepared two studies to help investigate this question.

Please see the study on the Biblical definition of life and death for more information

Please see the study on A BODY “SLEEPING IN THE DUST” VERSUS “DEATH”

Let’s now examine verses 15 & 18 closely. They have similar phrases.

Verse 15 talks about the peoples’ trust in their gospel to protect them from the wrath of God. They believe that they have made a “covenant with death” so that it cannot touch them. They also trust that “with hell are we at agreement”. They have their own gospel and because of their gospel, they trust that neither death nor hell can touch them.

In verse 15, God is faulting His unsaved corporate people for their “do-it-yourself” gospels.

When we examine the language of verse 15 carefully, we see that God is faulting his unsaved corporate people for their “do-it-yourself” gospels.

God tells them “Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death …”. God is effectively telling them “Because ye have your own ‘do-it-yourself’ gospel … ”. The language of verse 15 is the language of a free-will gospel.

God is faulting His unsaved corporate people for their free-will gospels. Sadly, this has been a problem throughout the whole New Testament era. Verse 15 further confirms that Isaiah 28:1-19 is speaking to all of the unsaved corporate people of God throughout time and not just those on May 21, 2011.

Then, in verse 18 God uses very similar language and says that their “covenant” and “agreement” will fail. Then God talks about an “overflowing scourge” that will come upon them.

Below is list of all of the verses with this same Hebrew word translated “scourge”:

1 Kings 12:11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips <07752>, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

1 Kings 12:14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips <07752>, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

2 Chronicles 10:11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips <07752>, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

2 Chronicles 10:14 And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips <07752>, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

In the above 4 verses, Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, is talking to the people. He is making a foolish statement that will result in him losing most of the kingdom and in the division of Israel and Judah.

Rehoboam makes reference to his father, Solomon, chastising the people with “whips”. This is the same Hebrew word translated “scourge” that we found in Isaiah 28. These verses help to show that the scourge is really a reference to a whip.

Solomon chastised the people with whips. This was probably to help motivate the people in building the temple and the other buildings that Solomon built.

In 1 Kings 12:4 the people ask Rehoboam to lighten the “yoke grievous” that his father had put on them.

We can see from the language of 1 Kings 12 that this Hebrew word translated “scourge” or “whip” refers to conscious affliction. Solomon put the people under affliction to motivate them to work on his buildings.

Job 5:21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge <07752> of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

In Job 5:21, God makes reference to the “scourge of the tongue” using this same Hebrew word. People can certainly afflict with their tongue by the words that they use and how they say them.

Job 9:23 If the scourge <07752> slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

In Job 9:23 the “scourge” is so severe as to destroy the man’s body and kill him.

Proverbs 26:3 A whip <07752> for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.

A whip is used to correct the horse and keep him going in the desired direction. It is a conscious affliction for that horse.

Isaiah 10:26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge <07752> for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

The “slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb” ties back to Judges 7:25 in which the enemy was destroyed on the rock of Oreb and killed. Having your body destroyed on a rock is a conscious affliction.

Nahum 3:2 The noise of a whip <07752>, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.

The whip here points to a horseman whipping his horse to get it to run into the battle.

Each of the verses with this Hebrew word translated “scourge” in Isaiah 28:18 always involves conscious affliction. 1 Corinthians 2:13 teaches that God defines words by how He uses them in the Bible. God has defined this Hebrew word to mean conscious affliction.

The Hebrew word translated “overflowing” is often used in the context of flowing water. God uses the flowing of water to point to the flood of Noah’s day which was God’s judgment upon sin.

Here are some verses with this Hebrew word translated “overflowing” in Isaiah 28:18:

Psalms 69:2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow <07857> me.

Psalms 69:15 Let not the waterflood overflow <07857> me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

Psalms 124:4 Then the waters had overwhelmed <07857> us, the stream had gone over our soul:

Isaiah 10:22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow <07857> with righteousness.

Isaiah 28:2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing <07857>, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

Jeremiah 8:6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth <07857> into the battle.

Jeremiah 47:2 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing <07857> flood, and shall overflow <07857> the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.

Ezekiel 13:11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing <07857> shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.

Ezekiel 13:13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing <07857> shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.

Ezekiel 38:22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing <07857> rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

As we can see from the above verses, this Hebrew word translated “overflowing” signifies judgment or something great. Combined with the word “scourge” signifies a whipping of judgment or a great whipping.

Let’s look at Isaiah 28:18 again:

And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

God is speaking to His corporate people who are holding to their wrong gospels. The emphasis of verses 15 & 18 is the “do-it-yourself” gospels of salvation in which man can take actions to contribute to his salvation. The “do-it-yourself” or free-will gospels fit the language of Isaiah 28:15 & 18.

God’s corporate people, throughout the New Testament, and even in the Old Testament, had their “do-it-yourself” or free-will gospels. They trusted in actions they took to get themselves saved. This accusation of God applies to His unsaved corporate people throughout time.

The language of Isaiah 28:18 fits the free-will gospels. Notice the people have made a “covenant with death”. Also, they have an “agreement with hell”. But, God says that these will fail.

Next, God says that when the “overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it”.

The “overflowing scourge” that is coming is the wrath of God. God has defined this phrase “overflowing scourge” as meaning conscious affliction.

God is telling His unsaved corporate people that they “shall be trodden down by” this conscious affliction of an “overflowing scourge”.

We want to ask again: About whom is God speaking in Isaiah 28:1-19?

The language of Isaiah 28:1-19 applies to God’s unsaved corporate people throughout time. God gives further confirmation of this truth by including the reference to “another tongue” in verse 11. By this, God has shown that the people to whom this passage speaks must include the tongues-speakers, a growing movement in the past 100 years.

Therefore, we know that Isaiah 28:1-19 is not only speaking to people that will be here on May 21, 2011. Rather, it includes people that have already passed away many years ago.

The question is raised: How is the promise of the conscious affliction of an “overflowing scourge” fulfilled for those people that are already passed away, whose bodies are sleeping in the dust?

Some might propose that this conscious affliction is fulfilled while the unsaved are in this world. However, earlier in this study we examined Psalm 73:1-12, Job 21:7-15 and Luke 16:19-22 and found that the Bible teaches that unsaved people can pass their sojourn in this world without significant problems and die from this world peacefully.

Any promised punishments of affliction for sin must be on the other side of the grave. Therefore, the unsaved must “awake” to consciousness on the last day to experience the “overflowing scourge” that God has prophesized.

By carefully studying Isaiah 28:1-18 we have seen that included among those to whom it refers are those that speak in tongues. Many of these people have died from this world in the past decades. They, and finally all of the unsaved, must “awake” (Daniel 12:2) to consciousness on the last day to experience the promised conscious affliction of the “overflowing scourge”.

Let’s examine the next verse, Isaiah 28:19:

From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

Verse 19 continues to describe the nature of the punishment for God’s corporate people that remain unsaved. Because verse 14 makes reference to those that rule over the God’s corporate people, there is a special emphasis on the rulers of God’s corporate people in this passage.

In verse 19, God talks about a “vexation” that will come to these unsaved people.

Below are a listing of all of the verses with this same Hebrew word translated “vexation” in Isaiah 28:19:

2 Chronicles 29:8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble <02113>, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.

Jeremiah 15:4 And I will cause them to be removed <02113> into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 24:9 And I will deliver them to be removed <02113> into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.

Jeremiah 29:18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed <02113> to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:

Jeremiah 34:17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed <02113> into all the kingdoms of the earth.

In 2 Chronicles 29:8 God talks about “trouble” and other conscious affliction that came upon Judah and Jerusalem for their sins. This Hebrew word in 2 Chronicles 29:8 signifies conscious affliction.

In the rest of the verses this Hebrew word is translated as “removed”. In each of these verses, God is pointing to the historical illustration of Judah being carried away captive. The context of each of these verses includes much conscious affliction that the people endured. To be forcibly removed from your home to another place against your will is a great affliction.

So, we see that God always uses this Hebrew word translated “vexation” in Isaiah 28:19 to signify conscious affliction. This is further proof that the unsaved corporate people of God who are presently “sleeping in the dust” must awake to consciousness at Judgment Day to experience this promised affliction.

The last phrase might cause some confusion. We read there “to understand the report”.

This Hebrew word translated “report” is used several times to refer to a report from God’s Word or a warning of judgment from God. We see this same Hebrew word used in the following verses:

Jeremiah 49:14 I have heard a rumour <08052> from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.

Jeremiah 49:23 Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings <08052>: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

Jeremiah 51:46 And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour <08052> that shall be heard in the land; a rumour <08052> shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour <08052>, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.

Ezekiel 7:26 Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour <08052> shall be upon rumour <08052>; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.

Ezekiel 21:7 And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings <08052>; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD.

In the above verses, this Hebrew word translated “report” in Isaiah 28:19 refers to a warning of judgment from God.

Likewise, when the unsaved are enduring the wrath of God in the lake of fire, finally they will “understand the report” of God’s wrath that has come upon them.

Isaiah 28:19 provides help in understanding the phrase “day and night” found in verses like Revelation 20:10.

In Isaiah 28:19 God continues to describe the character of His wrath that comes upon His unsaved corporate people. We see that God talks about His wrath coming by day and by night.

This reminds us of Revelation 20:10:

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

We see the phrase “day and night” in Revelation 20:10. That relates to the day and night of Isaiah 28:19.

Because we see “day and night” in Revelation 20:10, people say that the torment or conscious affliction must end when the literal day and night of this universe ends.

However, God uses the term “day and night” in Isaiah 34:10 and Revelation 7:15 to speak of something that goes on forevermore. Also, God uses other time figures from this universe to speak of things in eternity future. Please see the study on the phrase “day and night” more information on this subject.

Please see the study ON THE PHRASE “DAY AND NIGHT”

If we study the Bible carefully, we see that God uses figures like “day and night” and other figures from this universe to speak about events that go on forevermore.

In the case of the phrase “day and night” we can see that God does use that phrase at times to refer to events going on continuously.

Isaiah 28:19 uses day and night and morning by morning to speak of a continuous affliction. God is tying into the “day and night” of Revelation 20:10 and other verses.

We read similar language of an on-going affliction as punishment for sin in Deuteronomy 28:66-67:

66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:

67 In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

In Deuteronomy 28:66-67 we see the same figures of day and night and morning to morning.

To learn more about Deuteronomy 28 and what it teaches about the punishment of the unsaved, please see the study of the 10 proofs of the conscious resurrection of the unsaved.

PLEASE THE STUDY OF 10 PROOFS OF THE CONSCIOUS RESURRECTION OF THE UNSAVED

Both Isaiah 28:19 and Deuteronomy 28:66-67 use figures of morning to morning and “day and night” to teach an on-going affliction. They explain the language of “day and night” that we read in Revelation 14:11 and 20:10.

Isaiah 28:1-19 is speaking to God’s unsaved corporate people throughout time about their sin, including their free-will gospels. Verse 11 shows that included are the tongue-speaking people, a growing group in the past 100 years.

Isaiah 28:18-19 promises that these people must receive the conscious affliction of an “overflowing scourge” and “vexation”.

This requires that these unsaved people that have previously died, whose bodies are sleeping in the dust, must awake to consciousness to experience this affliction.

7. PSALM 16:4 DECLARES THAT SORROWS SHALL BE MULTIPLIED FOR THOSE THAT GO AFTER ANOTHER THAN THE LORD JESUS.

We read in Psalm 16:1-5:

1 ¶ <<Michtam of David.>> Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;

3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

Verses 1-3 & 5 talk about the true believers. In verse 4, God talks about the unbelievers.

Verse 4 talks about unsaved man that goes or “hastens” after another god. The word “god” is in italics indicating that it is not in the Hebrew text. However, the context of Psalm 16:4 shows that the verse is referring to going after “another god”. In the second part of verse 4, God talks about “their drink offerings”. That is the drink offerings of the unsaved. People make drink offerings to their god. The “drink offering” has to do with serving a god. These people are going after their god and they are serving that god. It is “another god” than the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the Bible.

Below are some verses with this same Hebrew word translated “hasten” in Psalm 16:4:

Proverbs 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste <04116> to shed blood.

Proverbs 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift <04116> in running to mischief,

Isaiah 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste <04116> to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

These verses describe the nature of unsaved man. These passages are not directed to particularly sinful people. Rather, they refer to all of us before salvation. We appear decent and moral in our own sight, but in God’s sight, we are very sinful.

Unsaved man goes or hastens to do his own will, which is sinful in the sight of God. We look at our fellow man and at ourselves and cannot see great sin. However, God sees perfectly the whole nature of man. God sees the heart of man and He sees much sin there.

We ask the question: Who are those that hasten or go after another god?

Actually, all unsaved people throughout time have gone after other gods. Mankind has his various religions. Mankind serves other gods through his religion. Sometimes, man’s god is his money or other things of this world. Man also can serve some form of drugs as his god. Sometimes, man is his own god. He trusts in himself and he becomes his own god to some extent. All unsaved people throughout time have “hastened after another” god.

Therefore, Psalm 16:4 is speaking about all of the unsaved throughout time, and not just those who will be here in 2011.

Psalm 16:4 talks about the “sorrows shall be multiplied” for the unsaved.

We see this Hebrew word translated “sorrows” in Psalm 16:4 used in the following verses:

Job 9:28 I am afraid of all my sorrows <06094>, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

Psalms 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds <06094>.

Proverbs 15:13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow <06094> of the heart the spirit is broken.

Job was enduring much affliction from God and in Job 9:28 he speaks of the fear he had about the sorrows that he received from God. Psalm 147:3 talks about the binding up of wounds. Wounds that need to be bound up cause pain and affliction. In Proverbs 15:13, God contrasts “merry heart” versus “sorrow”. They are opposites.

The verb form of this Hebrew word translated “sorrows” in Psalm 16:4 is used more frequently. Below are some verses with the verb form of this Hebrew word:

Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow <06089> thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

1 Samuel 20:3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved <06087>: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

1 Chronicles 4:9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow <06090>.

Isaiah 14:3 And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow <06090>, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

Daniel 6:20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable <06088> voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

The fact that this Hebrew word is used a number of times in the verb form helps us to confirm the meaning of the word.

We can see from the above verses that this Hebrew word translated “sorrow” indicates exactly that, sorrow, a conscious affliction.

In Psalm 16:4, the Hebrew word translated “multiplied” signifies exactly that. It means a multiplication or increase of the item in question. Here are some verses with this same Hebrew word:

Genesis 1:22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply <07235>, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply <07235> in the earth.

Exodus 1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied <07235>, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Numbers 35:8 And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many <07235>; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

Joshua 13:1 Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much <07235> land to be possessed.

Isaiah 9:3 Thou hast multiplied <07235> the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

Zechariah 10:8 I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase <07235> as they have increased <07235>.

The verses above show how this word “multiplied” in Psalm 16:4 is used in the Bible. It indicates an increase or multiplication of whatever is in view.

In Psalm 16:4 God is saying that the unsaved that have lived throughout time will have sorrows multiplied to them.

It might be argued that these sorrows come from the problems of this world, or that they come from ones own sin. However, earlier in this study we examined Job 21:7-15, Psalm 73:1-12 and Luke 16:19-22 and found that these passages clearly teach that unsaved people can pass their sojourn in this world without noteworthy problems or afflictions. They are following another god, but yet they pass their sojourn in this world without noteworthy sorrow.

It is possible for decent, moral unsaved people to pass their sojourn in this world without noteworthy difficulties. That is what Job 21:7-15, Psalm 73:1-12 and Luke 16:19-22 declare. Yet, they, like all unsaved people, are serving other gods. If we’re not saved, we are serving other gods. We are not serving the God of the Bible.

Therefore, any promised afflictions or sorrows are not fulfilled in this world. It is necessary that the unsaved awake to consciousness at Judgment Day (Daniel 12:2) to experience the “multiplied sorrows” promised in Psalm 16:4.

Job 21:7-15, Psalm 73:1-12 and Luke 16:19-22 teach that unsaved people can pass their sojourn in this world without noteworthy problems. Therefore, the promise of “multiplied sorrows” for the unsaved in Psalm 16:4 requires that they awake to consciousness on the last day to experience this conscious affliction.

8. PSALM 59:13 TEACHES THAT ALL THE UNSAVED, INCLUDING THOSE OF KING SAUL’S DAYS, AT JUDGMENT DAY WILL FINALLY COME TO KNOW THAT GOD RULES OVER THEM.

In Psalm 59 God talks about His wrath against the unsaved.

We read in verse 1:

<<To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.>> Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

We can see from verse 1 that the historical application of this Psalm is to the time when King Saul was trying to kill David and David had to flee. Through David, God is talking about the unsaved among King Saul’s men. In fact, Psalm 59 is talking about all of the unsaved throughout time.

Verse 1 shows us that Psalm 59 is speaking about the unsaved in the days of King Saul that were persecuting David. However, We will see that Psalm 59 is also speaking about all of the unsaved throughout time.

We read in verses 2-5:

2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.

4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.

5 Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.

The language of verses 2 to 5 applies to unsaved that were pursuing David and it also applies to the unsaved throughout time.

Through the voice of David in verse 5 God says that He will not be merciful to “any wicked transgressors”. That is speaking about the unsaved of David’s day and all of the unsaved throughout time.

The language of verses 2 to 5 apply to the unsaved throughout time.

Verse 5 specifically identifies this Psalm as talking to all of the unsaved throughout time with the language of “any wicked transgressors”.

Verses 6 to 12 continue to talk about the unsaved.

God says in verse 12:

For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.

Verse 12 gives God’s perception of the nature of the unsaved throughout time. We look at decent, moral people around us or we look at ourselves and we don’t see this in their or in our behavior. However, God sees the heart of man and God sees all actions in the light of His perfection.

The statements of verse 12 and the whole Psalm are speaking about all of the unsaved throughout time, even though we may not be able to see this from our sin-tainted perspective.

Then, God talks about His wrath coming against all of the unsaved in verse 13.

We read in Psalm 59:13:

Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

Verse 13 is a statement from David to God Himself. However, David was speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, this verse is a statement from God Himself.

The command of verse 13 is to “consume” the unsaved.

Some people read the word “consume” and they conclude that it must mean that the unsaved are annihilated.

However, the word “consume” can mean an instantaneous “consuming” which is annihilation. Or, it can mean an on-going “consuming” which is perpetual suffering. We must study the rest of the Bible for the answer.

When we examine the Bible to see how God uses words like “consume”, “destroy”, “perish”, etc., we find that God frequently uses these words in ways that cannot mean annihilation, but rather signify on-going affliction. We have prepared a study that examines how God uses words like “consume”, “destroy”, “perish”, etc.

PLEASE THE STUDY OF THE WORDS “DESTROY”, “CONSUME”, “PERISH, ETC.

The word “consume” that appears twice in Psalm 59:13 is the Hebrew word “kalah”. This Hebrew word is translated “consume” in a number of verses. It is also translated “end”, “finish”, “fail”, “accomplish”, and in other ways also.

We have prepared a detailed of how God uses this specific Hebrew word “kalah”, which is translated “consume” in Psalm 59:13. Please see that study for more information.

PLEASE THE STUDY OF THE PHRASES “FULL END”, “CONSUME”, “UTTER END”, ETC.

In this study, we will look at just a few verses that have this same Hebrew word translated “consume” that appears in Psalm 59:13. Please see the detailed studies for more information.

We find this Hebrew word in the following verses:

Psalms 31:10 For my life is spent <03615> with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

Psalms 39:10 Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed <03615> by the blow of thine hand.

Psalms 69:3 I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail <03615> while I wait for my God.

Psalms 73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth <03615>: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Psalms 84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth <03615> for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

Psalms 119:81 CAPH. My soul fainteth <03615> for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.

Psalms 119:82 Mine eyes fail <03615> for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?

Psalms 119:123 Mine eyes fail <03615> for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.

Each of the above verses has this same Hebrew word that appears twice in Psalm 59:13 and is translated “consume”.

In each of the above verses we see that God uses this word “consume” in the sense of an on-going “consuming” of conscious affliction.

God defines words by how He uses them in the Bible. We see that at times God does use this Hebrew word translated “consume” to indicate an on-going conscious affliction. Therefore, this word in a verse is not a proof text of annihilation.

Let’s examine more of this verse. We read in Psalm 59:13:

Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

In the beginning of this verse, God is talking about what He is going to do. God will “Consume them in wrath”.

Then, in the second part of the verse, God tells us two things that will happen to the unsaved as a result of God consuming them.

Psalm 59:13 is written telling what God will do and then two things that will happen to the unsaved. We cannot change the order of the phrases in the verse. It is giving a “cause-and-effect” statement about God’s pouring out of His wrath on the unsaved and two things that happen to them as a result.

We read about two things that will happen to the unsaved as a result of experiencing God’s wrath:

1. they may not be

2. let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth.

We will examine these two phrases:

First, we read regarding the unsaved that “they may not be”.

That sounds like a cessation of existence. However, the Biblical rule is that we must compare Scripture with Scripture to understand what God is teaching.

We find the same Hebrew word that is translated “they may not be” in Psalm 59:13 in Genesis 5:24.

We read in Genesis 5:24:

And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

The phrase “he was not” in Genesis 5:24 is the same Hebrew word translated “they may not be” in Psalm 59:13.

After God took Enoch, “he was not”. Enoch did not cease to exist. Rather, “he was not” in the earth anymore. He was in heaven.

God wrote Genesis 5:24 in an unusual way. However in doing so, God is giving definition to this Hebrew word translated “he was not” or “they may not be”.

In Genesis 5:24, God is saying that Enoch “was not” in this world because God took him.

In the same way, at Judgment Day, when God removes the unsaved from this world and casts them into the lake of fire, they will “not be” in this world. This world will be recreated into a new world without the unsaved.

In the same way that Enoch “was not” when God took him from this world, at Judgment Day, the unsaved will “not be” in the new world, because God will remove them into the lake of fire. But, the unsaved will continue to exist like Enoch will continue to exist.

In Job 23:8 we also find this same Hebrew word translated “they may not be” in Psalm 59:13.

We read in Job 23:8:

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

When we read the context of Job 23:8 we learn that in this verse Job is the “I” that is speaking and the “he” or “him” for whom Job is searching is God Himself.

The phrase “he is not” in Job 23:8 is the same Hebrew word translated “they may not be” in Psalm 59:13. The word “there” in Job 23:8 is not in the Hebrew text.

In Job 23:8, Job is not saying that God does not exist. Rather, Job is saying that God “is not” there with Job. The translators added the word “there” to convey that meaning, even though that word is not in the Hebrew text.

In the same way, Psalm 59:13 is not saying that the unsaved don’t exist. Rather, the unsaved “may not be” in the world anymore. They have been removed into the lake of fire.

We will look at one more example:

We read in 1 Kings 20:40:

And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.

The phrase “he was gone” is the same Hebrew word that is translated “they may not be” in Psalm 59:13.

In 1 Kings 20:40 the translators selected “he was gone”. However, to be consistent, “he was not” is a more accurate translation.

1 Kings 20:40 is teaching that the missing man “was not there”. In the same way, at Judgment Day, the unsaved “will not be” in the earth anymore. They will be removed into the lake of fire.

When we compare Scripture with Scripture, we find that the phrase “they may not be” in Psalm 59:13 does not teach annihilation. Rather, it means that the unsaved will be removed from the new earth that the believers will receive. This understanding is confirmed when we consider the next phrase.

The next phrase that we read in Psalm 59:13 is “let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth.”

The Hebrew verb translated “let them know” is most often translated “they shall know” and it always has the meaning that those in question will, for certain, know whatever is in view. It is not that maybe they will know. This verb with this spelling always signifies that they will know.

We find the same Hebrew verb with the exact same spelling in these verses:

Exodus 7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

Exodus 29:46 And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

Numbers 14:31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.

1 Samuel 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

Isaiah 9:9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,

Isaiah 49:26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Jeremiah 44:28 Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.

Ezekiel 39:28 Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.

The underlined portion is the same Hebrew verb, with the same spelling, that we find in Psalm 59:13 in the phrase “let them know”.

The most accurate translation of the second part of Psalm 59:13 is “they shall know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth.”

The tense & spelling of this verb always indicates that they will know for certain. The English phrase “let them know” could imply that they might not know. But, the spelling of this verb in Hebrew indicates that “they shall know”.

We remember that verse 1 indicates that in the first instance this Psalm was directed to King Saul and those that sought to kill David. Also, verse 5 refers to all of the unsaved. In His discussion, God is not excluding “any wicked transgressors”. He is talking about all of the unsaved. Therefore, God is saying that all of the unsaved that have lived throughout time shall know that God rules over them. This happens when they awake to consciousness at Judgment Day.

The verb spelling in verse 13 indicates that the unsaved shall know, for certain, that God rules over them. Verse 5 and the introduction in verse 1 indicate that this Psalm is speaking to all of the unsaved throughout time, including King Saul and his people. Unsaved man can pass his sojourn in this world without any regard to God. Therefore, verse 13 requires King Saul and all of the unsaved to awake to consciousness at Judgment Day so that they can know that God rules over them.

The second part of Psalm 59:13 is saying that the unsaved will finally know that God rules over them. Right now, unsaved mankind can frequently ignore God. He can go his own way and not be concerned about what God says to him in the Bible. He does not recognize that God rules over him.

However, the second part of Psalm 59:13 says that at Judgment Day, all the unsaved that have ever lived, including King Saul, will finally know that God rules over them. They will awake to consciousness at Judgment Day and know that God rules over them.

Unconscious bones do not know that God rules over them. This is another proof that the unsaved will “awake” to consciousness at Judgment Day. At that time, they will know that God rules over them. Psalm 59 is directed to all of the unsaved throughout time.

Verses 14 & 15 continue to describe the enduring or “consuming” of God’s wrath upon the unsaved, using parabolic language. We will take a quick look at these two verses to gain some understanding, but certainly not a complete understanding.

We read in Psalm 59:14-15:

14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.

In verse 14, God says about the unsaved “at evening let them return”. The word “evening” refers to the lack of the light of the Gospel. Judgment Day is “evening” for the unsaved because there will be no Gospel. This agrees with Matthew 24:29 that talk about the sun being darkened at Judgment Day.

The unsaved “return” to consciousness when they awake at Judgment Day (Daniel 12:2).

Next, verse 14 says that the unsaved will “make a noise”. This same Hebrew word is used in Isaiah 59:11 where it is translated “roar“. We read there:

We roar <01993> all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.

At Judgment Day, the unsaved will roar about the wrath of God that is coming.

Verse 14 also refers to the unsaved as a “dog”. The dog was a unclean animal. God represents the unsaved as unclean animals.

Verse 14 talks about a “city”. The important city is the eternal Kingdom of God. The bride of Christ is also called the holy city in Revelation 21:2. Psalm 59:14 says that the unsaved will “go around” the city. It does not mention that they will enter the city. This agrees with the Bible that says that at Judgment Day the unsaved will never be able to enter the Kingdom of God, which is the City of God.

In verse 15, we read regarding the unsaved, “Let them wander up and down for meat”. The “meat” that man needs is the bread of life, the Lord Jesus. Those in the lake of fire, will not be able to receive the “meat”, the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will be like the rich man in hell in Luke 16 who is asking for the water of the Gospel, but cannot receive it.

The last part of verse 15 says that the unsaved will not be “satisfied”. Only the Gospel can satisfy men’s need for salvation. Those in the lake of fire will never be “satisfied” by the Gospel.

This was a brief explanation of verses 14 and 15. The important verse to consider is verse 13.

Let’s return to our examination of Psalm 59:13. We read there:

Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

Psalm 59:13 is describing the pouring out of God’s wrath upon the unsaved. We learned from verse 1 (the introduction) that the historical application for this Psalm is to Saul and those that sought to kill David. This Psalm applies to those people. However, this Psalm is laying down the law of God for all of the unsaved. The language of Psalm 59 applies to all of the unsaved throughout time.

At Judgment Day, God will “consume” the unsaved in His wrath. God uses the word “consume” two times. The principle laid down in Genesis 41:32 is that when God doubles up, then He is placing extra emphasis on this is what He is going to do.

We saw that this Hebrew word translated “consume” can describe an on-going consuming of conscious affliction.

The first part of Psalm 59:13 is describing what God will do. God will “consume” the unsaved.

Then, the second part of the verse describes two things that happen to the unsaved. This verse is describing a “cause-and-effect” relationship. We cannot change the order of action here without changing the Bible. God is telling what He will do and then telling two things that will happen to the unsaved.

God lists two things that will happen to the unsaved when God “consumes” them:

1. they may not be

This is the same Hebrew word used in Genesis 5:24 to talk about the Rapture of Enoch. We found this same Hebrew word in Job 23:8 referring to God and in 1 Kings 20:40 referring to the prisoner that escaped. This phrase means that the unsaved will be removed from the earth. The unsaved are removed from an earth that is being recreated for the true believers.

Because the second part of Psalm 59:13 describes conscious experience for the unsaved, we receive further confirmation that the phrase “they may not be” does not mean annihilation. The rest of verse 13 teaches that the unsaved will come to “know” that God rules over them.

2. let them know [or they shall know] that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth.

An important point is that this Hebrew verb with this spelling always signifies, for certain, that the people will know. There is no doubt that the unsaved will know that God rules over them. This includes all of the unsaved throughout time.

The English language “let them know” could make us think that the unsaved might not know that God rules. However, this verb spelling in the Bible is always indicates that they will know.

Therefore, verse 13 is saying that the unsaved, all of the unsaved including King Saul, will finally know that God rules over them. This happens when they are being “consumed” by the wrath of God at Judgment Day.

When they are being consumed by God’s wrath, they will finally know that God rules over them.

The unsaved can pass their sojourn in this world without any attention to God. But, at Judgment Day, all the unsaved, including King Saul, will finally “know” that God rules over them. Verse 5 confirms that this Psalm is directed to all of the unsaved throughout time. Since Psalm 59 is talking about all of the unsaved throughout time, verse 13 teaches that the unsaved must awake to consciousness to know that God rules over them. When they are being “consumed” by the wrath of God, they will finally know that God rules over them. How sad.

9. REVELATION 3:9 TEACHES THAT THE TARES FROM THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT ERA, INCLUDING THOSE IN THE CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA, WILL COME TO WORSHIP OR ACKNOWLEDGE GOD’S RULERSHIP. THEREFORE, THE UNSAVED MUST AWAKE TO CONSCIOUS AT JUDGMENT DAY TO DO THIS.

We read in Revelation 3:9:

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

In Revelation 3:9, God is talking to the people of the church of Philadelphia that existed back in the first century. Specifically, God is talking to the true believers of that church because He says to them “I have loved thee”.

There was an actual church in Philadelphia back in about 95 AD and God is speaking to the people of that church in Revelation 3:7-13. God is also speaking to all churches throughout the New Testament era.

We read in Revelation 3:7-13:

7 ¶ And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The Greek word translated “angel” in verse 7 can be translated “messenger”. The messenger of the church could be the church leaders or the people themselves. God is speaking to the people of the church.

We can see that God is talking to an actual church that existed back in about 95AD. In this passage and in all of Revelation 2 & 3, God is also speaking to all churches throughout the New Testament era. We will see more evidence of that later in this study.

Verse 8 shows that the people back there did have works that God knew about. In verse 10 we learn that many of them “kept the word of my patience”. They continued to follow the law of God. God also promised them protection in the day of judgment, called the “hour of temptation”. The true believers in the church of Philadelphia in 95AD, as well as all true believers throughout time, are protected from Judgment Day.

We read in Revelation 3:11 that the Lord Jesus will “come quickly”. That phrase might make us think that Christ is only talking about His second coming at Judgment Day. If that were true, then it might mean that this passage only refers to the church at the end of the world.

However, we find these same two Greek words in Revelation 2:5 where God is talking about the church of Ephesus. That church back in 95AD was having trouble and Christ was threatening to abandon them. The Lord says to them in Revelation 2:5:

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come <2064> unto thee quickly <5035>, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

We see the same two Greek words translated “come quickly” in this verse also. The Lord is warning the people of the Ephesian church that if they do not repent that He will “come quickly” and remove their candlestick.

The candlestick is the light of the Gospel. If the Lord Jesus does not bless the Gospel in a church, then it’s candlestick is taken away. Without God’s blessing in a church, there is no light of the Gospel. There is no candlestick in that church. This could happen anytime during the church age when a church departed sufficiently from the truth so that God’s judgment came upon that church.

Throughout the church age, Christ could “come quickly” and remove the candlestick, the light of the Gospel, from a church that departed from the Bible.

We see this with the church at Sardis. Christ called that church dead (Revelation 3:1). Christ had already “come quickly” and removed their candlestick. Therefore the phrase “come quickly” does not only identify with Judgment Day. Rather, throughout the church age, Christ could “come quickly” and bring judgment upon a church that fell away.

Let’s return to the discussion of the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13.

An examination of Revelation 3:7-13 shows that God is talking to actual people of the church in Philadelphia in 95AD. What God says in Revelation 3:7-13 applies to those people who lived back in about 95AD.

Also, we notice in verse 13 that God adds “let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” This means that Revelation 3:7-13 is speaking to all churches throughout the New Testament era. In fact, all of Revelation 2 & 3 are directed to all churches throughout the New Testament era. We see this phrase “what the Spirit saith unto the churches” after the message to each church in Revelation 2 & 3. God is saying that the message of Revelation 2 & 3 is directed to all churches throughout the New Testament era.

The church of Philadelphia was an actual church back in the first century AD and God is speaking to those people back then, in addition to all church people throughout the New Testament era.

God makes an important statement in verse 9 that we want to examine. We read there:

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

God talks about some people who were part of the “synagogue of Satan”. These are unsaved people, because they are part of Satan’s “synagogue” or gathering.

All of the unsaved people in the church of Philadelphia were a part of the “synagogue of Satan” because unsaved man is still under the authority of satan. Therefore, verse 9 is speaking to all of the unsaved people in that church. These people are called “tares” in Matthew 13.

These people believe they are saved and say that they are saved because the say that they are “Jews”. In Romans 2:28-29, God teaches that the true “Jew” is the true believer. These people are not saved because God says that these people say that they are true believers (Jews) but do “lie”.

In Revelation 3:9 God is talking about all of the unsaved people in the church of Philadelphia back in 95AD who claimed to be true believers but were not saved. This verse also applies to similar people throughout the New Testament era. This verse is talking about the “tares”.

In Revelation 3:9 God declares two things that He will make these unsaved people do:

1. “to come and worship before thy feet”

2. “to know that I have loved thee”

Let’s examine these two statements with the question in mind: Does the fulfillment of these statements require those unsaved people from 95AD to awake to consciousness?

Or, have the statements of Revelation 3:9 already been fulfilled by those unsaved people who lived back in 95AD?

First, we are going to examine the phrase “worship before thy feet”.

The first statement says that these unsaved church people from 95AD will “worship”. The question is: Does this Greek word translated “worship” require that the worshipper be conscious? Or, could unconscious bones or ashes “worship” God?

We obtain the answer to this question by following the Biblical rule of 1 Corinthians 2:13. We must examine each verse that has the same Greek word translated “worship” in Revelation 3:9 to see how God uses this Greek word everywhere else in the Bible. God defines words by how He uses them in the Bible.

This Greek word translated “worship” is used 60 times in the Bible and is always translated “worship”.

Below are some example verses with this same Greek word:

Matthew 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship <4352> him.

Matthew 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship <4352> me.

Mark 5:6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped <4352> him,

John 4:20 Our fathers worshipped <4352> in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship <4352>.

Acts 7:43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship <4352> them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

Hebrews 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let <4352> all the angels of God worship <4352> him.

Revelation 5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped <4352> him that liveth for ever and ever.

Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped <4352> the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped <4352> the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

In the above verses, this word “worship” always signifies a conscious action. It is the conscious knowing and acknowledging that someone rules over you as your god. This is true for every usage of this Greek word translated “worship” in Revelation 3:9.

To save space in this study, every verse is not listed. However, every verse has been examined and all of the verses with this Greek word translated “worship” use this word to signify a conscious knowing and acknowledging that someone rules over you as your god.

Every use of this Greek word translated “worship” in Revelation 3:9 always signifies a conscious acknowledgment of a god that rules over the person. According to 1 Corinthians 2:13, God defines words by how He uses them. God has defined this Greek word to signify conscious acknowledgment.

However, those that remained unsaved in the church of Philadelphia never did acknowledge that Christ rules over them. Unsaved man, including the tares in the local congregations, do not worship Christ. They actually worship another god. They do not recognize that Christ rules over them.

Those that remained unsaved in the church of Philadelphia, that are now sleeping in the dust, have never worshipped Christ. They have never acknowledged that He is the God that rules over them. Revelation 3:9 has not yet been fulfilled for them.

God tells the true believers in the church of Philadelphia that the unsaved people of the church of Philadelphia will “worship before thy feet”

This gives us important additional information regarding these tares in the church of Philadelphia back in 95AD.

Revelation 3:9 says that the tares will be at the feet of the true believers. Since the true believers are with Christ and Christ rules over them, effectively, this verse is saying that the tares will be at the feet of the Lord Jesus.

To be at the “feet” of someone at least means to be humbled or subject to that person. This phrase is also used at times to indicate victory or rulership.

We see this truth in these verses:

Joshua 10:24 And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.

Psalms 47:3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

Romans 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Hebrews 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

Because Christ rules over the true believers, the tares will worship Christ before the feet of Christ.

The fact that these tares are at the “feet” of the true believers and Christ, means, at least, that the tares have been humbled before Christ and acknowledging that Christ rules over them.

Throughout the New Testament era, the tares that remained unsaved, never acknowledged that Christ rules over them. Revelation 3:9 has not yet been fulfilled for them.

Because of the reference to worshipping “before the feet” of the true believers, we know that Revelation 3:9 is talking about the acknowledging that the Lord Jesus rules over the tares, and not the worship of a false god.

So, in that sense, the unsaved will be at the “feet” of the true believers.

Does the fact that these tares are “worshipping” God mean that they became saved? Is it possible that a person can “worship” God even though he is not saved?

We do see an example of this word “worship” used in worshipping God even though the person was not saved.

We read in Matthew 18:26:

The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped <4352> him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

This is the parable of man who would not forgive his neighbor. God is teaching that if we do not forgive others, the evidence is that we have not been forgiven.

In this verse, the Lord is God Himself. The servant is unsaved. We see in verse 34 that this servant was sent to the tormentors to be punished for his sins. That means that he never became saved.

Yet, in Matthew 18:26, we read that this man “worshipped” the Lord, who is God. This man recognizes that God rules over him. That why he says “Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all”.

Notice that the man refers to God as his “lord”. That, in itself, is a form of worship.

This is parallel to the unsaved tares at Judgment Day in Revelation 3:9. They will have to acknowledge that God rules over them. He is their “lord”.

Revelation 3:9 is not talking about a false worship that the tares in the church may do in their church services.

We might ask the question, is it possible that Revelation 3:9 could be talking about a false worship that the tares do in their church services?

The answer is no. We can tell that the answer is no because God is not saying that these unsaved people are worshipping God presently.

Rather, God is saying that He, God Himself, “will make them to come and worship”. This is written in the future tense.

God will make them come and worship Him. God is taking the action. The tares will come and worship before the feet of the true believers. That means that they will be worshipping the Lord Jesus.

God is not talking about them worshipping God at the time He gave this warning to the church. God says that in the future, he will make them to come and worship Him.

Also God says “I will make them”. God is taking the action. Revelation 3:9 is not talking about the people of themselves coming to worship God.

God is going to make them worship Him. God will not make the tares do a false acknowledgment of Him. If God makes them worship Him, they will know that He is God.

Could Revelation 3:9 be talking about a remnant of the tares that became saved?

We can answer this question if we read the verse very carefully.

We read “I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie”

Who are the ones that are “of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie”?

These are all of the unsaved or tares in that church. All of the unsaved are part of the “synagogue of Satan” because Satan has dominion over all mankind until salvation. All of the tares in the church say that they are “Jews”, which means to be a true believer from Romans 2:28-29. All of these tares do “lie”, because they claim to be saved, but are not saved.

Therefore, we can know without a doubt that God is speaking to all of the tares or all of the unsaved that were in that church back in 95AD.

If God had said “I will make some of them of the synagogue of Satan”, then we could believe that God was talking about a remnant of the tares that became saved. But, God is talking about all of the unsaved in that church.

Revelation 3:9 is talking about people who remained unsaved. These people have not yet worshipped Christ before the feet of the true believers. The promise of this verse has not yet been fulfilled.

Revelation 3:9 is teaching that God will make these tares that remained unsaved to come and “worship” God. They will finally have to acknowledge that God rules over them. As we saw, the Greek word translated “worship” in Revelation 3:9 always signifies conscious acknowledgment.

Since those that remained unsaved in that church, have not worshipped Christ yet, Revelation 3:9 requires that at Judgment Day, God will wake up the unsaved to consciousness that are presently sleeping in the dust and they will finally have to acknowledge that God rules over them.

These tares are not worshipping God now. The unsaved are worshipping other gods, but not the God of the Bible, which is the God of the true believers, before whose feet they will worship at Judgment Day.

Revelation 3:9 cannot be teaching that unconscious bones will “worship” Christ at the feet of Christ and the true believers because this Greek word translated “worship” is always used to indicate conscious acknowledgment.

We see verses in the Old Testament that talk about the unsaved bowing before God. Sometimes the Hebrew word translated “bow” can apply to a corpse falling down.

However, God defines words by how He uses them in the Bible. The Greek word translated “worship” in Revelation 3:9 is never used to refer to something without consciousness.

Revelation 3:9 declares that the unsaved will “worship before thy feet”. It does not mean that the unsaved are worshipping the true believers. They will worship the Lord Jesus by acknowledging that He rules over them.

The fact that the unsaved worship “before” the feet of the true believers does not mean that they are actually worshipping the true believers.

This same Greek word translated “before” in Revelation 3:9 is found in the following verses:

Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence <1799> of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Acts 27:35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence <1799> of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

2 Corinthians 8:21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight <1799> of the Lord, but also in the sight <1799> of men.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before <1799> many witnesses.

In these verses, it is translated as “in the presence of” and “in the sight of”.

So, the phrase “worship before thy feet” does not mean that the unsaved will worship the true believers at Judgment day.

Rather, they will worship God by finally having to recognize that He rules over them. The unsaved will be “before” the true believers in the sense that they will be “in the presence of” and “in the sight of” the true believers. The true believers will know that judgment has finally come upon the unsaved.

The unsaved will be at the “feet” of the true believers in the sense that Christ is the victor over the unsaved and the true believers are also victors over the unsaved because they are with Christ.

The unsaved will “worship before” the true believers in the sense that the unsaved will have to recognize that God rules over them and this will be “in the sight of ” the true believers.

So the phrase “worship before thy feet” in Revelation 3:9 teaches that the unsaved tares in the Philadelphia church in 95AD, along with all of the unsaved, will awake to consciousness at Judgment Day and finally have to acknowledge that Christ rules over them. That is an act of worship.

Let’s consider the next phrase that we find in Revelation 3:9.

We read concerning the unsaved people in the church of Philadelphia that they will “know that I have loved thee”. The “thee” in this verse, in the first instance, is the true believers that were in the church of Philadelphia back in 95AD.

In the first instance, God is saying that He will make the unsaved people to know that God has loved the true believers.

God will make the unsaved people who were a part of the church of Philadelphia back in 95AD to “know” that God loves the true believers which were in that Church.

An important question is: Does this word “know” signify consciousness knowledge or can unconscious bones “know” that God has loved the true believers?

This Greek word translated “know” in this verse is used about 200 times in the Bible. Every verse with this Greek word has been checked. In each case, the word signifies a conscious knowledge.

This Greek word translated “know” in Revelation 3:9 is never used to refer to an inanimate object, like a bone, “knowing” something.

According to 1 Corinthians 2:13, God defines words by how He uses them in the Bible. God has defined this Greek word translated “know” to always signify a conscious knowledge. It is never used in the setting of a inanimate object, like a bone or dust, “knowing” something.

Before are some example verses with this same Greek word:

Matthew 1:25 And knew <1097> her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Mark 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know <1097> the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Luke 7:39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known <1097> who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

John 8:32 And ye shall know <1097> the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew <1097> God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Hebrews 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know <1097> the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know <1097> him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

An argument might be raised that the language of Revelation 3:9 only applies to unsaved church people that are here on May 21, 2011.

That argument does not agree with the Bible, because in Revelation 3:7 God says that He is talking to the church of Philadelphia. There was a real church back in about 95AD in Philadelphia to whom God is speaking.

To make sure that we know that this same message applies to all churches throughout the New Testament era, God says in Revelation 3:13 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

God is talking to all the churches back then, and throughout time.

Therefore, if we follow the Bible, we know that Revelation 3:9 is directed to the unsaved people of the church of Philadelphia back in 95AD and to all unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era.

Let’s consider a question that might be raised about Revelation chapters 2 and 3.

There are two verses in Revelation 2 & 3, namely Revelation 2:22 and 3:3, that may appear to only relate to the end of the world. Therefore, some people might think that there is language in these two chapters that is only speaking of the end of the world.

Let us now examine these two verses.

We read in Revelation 2:22 concerning the church at Thyatira:

Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

We read in this verse about “great tribulation” and we think about the Great Tribulation that will come right before Judgment Day. Therefore, it appears that this verse is only directed to those churches near the end of the world.

However, we have to examine this phrase “great tribulation” more carefully. These two Greek words are only found in 4 verses in the Bible. These verses are:

Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great <3173> tribulation <2347>, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Acts 7:11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great <3173> affliction <2347>: and our fathers found no sustenance.

Revelation 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great <3173> tribulation <2347>, except they repent of their deeds.

Revelation 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great <3173> tribulation <2347>, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb

In Acts 7:11, the word “tribulation” is translated as “affliction”, but it is the same Greek word.

We see the phrase “great tribulation” and we normally think only of the time right before Judgment Day. However, they are clues in these verses that indicate that the phrase “great tribulation” does not necessarily have to do with only the time right before Judgment Day.

In Matthew 24:21, Acts 7:11 and Revelation 2:22, the Greek text has the phrase “tribulation great”. In Greek and Hebrew, as in many languages, the noun comes before the adjective.

However, in Revelation 7:14, God wrote it a little differently. Literally, God wrote “the tribulation the great”.

God put the definite article “the” as if to focus upon a specific “great tribulation”. In fact, God even doubled up, by putting the word “the” two times. This is legal in Greek, but a little unusual. God is putting extra emphasis that the “great tribulation” talked about in Revelation 7:14 is “The Great Tribulation”.

Revelation 7:14 describes the great multitude that are saved right before the end of the world.

In Matthew 24:21, God again talks about the “great tribulation” that comes right before the end of the world. However, notice that God gives some more description. God says it is a “great tribulation” that is “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

This last phrase can be read in different ways. However, this phrase can indicate that there may be “great tribulation” at various times in various places throughout history, but finally, at the end there will be a “great tribulation” that will be so bad, that it will be like it never was at any other time.

That would agree with the statement of Revelation 7:14 that at the end of the world, we finally come to a “great tribulation” that is “the tribulation the great” or “The Great Tribulation”.

In Acts 7:11, God is describing the time when Jacob and his family had to leave the land of Canaan to go into Egypt because of the famine. They had to leave the land of Canaan which was the land given to the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as a picture of the Kingdom of God. To leave that land was a picture of having to leave the churches during the Great Tribulation right before the end of the world.

That time was called “great tribulation” because God is tying the date of the entrance into Egypt of Jacob and his family in 1877BC to the “The Great Tribulation” in our day.

However, if we think about it, the departure of Jacob and his family from the land of Canaan was, in itself, also a “great tribulation” because God assigned that title to it.

We see that God uses the term “great tribulation” to not only speak of our day. In Acts 7:11 and Revelation 2:22 applies this term to events before the end of the world.

However, finally in our day, we arrive to a “great tribulation” that is so bad and so complete that God calls it, “The Great Tribulation”. To use the language of Revelation 7:14, it is “the tribulation the great”.

We can think of it this way:

1. tribulation - occurs whenever we have affliction. For example we read in John 16:33:

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Problems bring tribulation for us. The word “tribulation” refers to any kind of affliction that comes to us.

2. great tribulation - occurs whenever we have affliction related to the Kingdom of God. Acts 7:11 teaches that Jacob having to leave the promised land was “great tribulation”. The promised land was given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was a picture of the Gospel promise to the true believers. To have to leave that land is “great tribulation”, a great affliction related to the Gospel promise.

Revelation 2:20 is a warning to the churches. If they fall away, God will bring judgment. God will remove the candlestick, the light of the Gospel, if a church does not repent (Revelation 2:5). To have the candlestick removed, means that God is not blessing the Gospel there. It means that there will be a famine of the Gospel in that church. That is like the famine that was in the land of Canaan that required family of Jacob to leave.

That famine of the Gospel is called “great tribulation” in Acts 7:11, and that is the same thing to which God refers in Revelation 2:22 when He uses the term “great tribulation”. If the church in Thyatira did not repent, God would take away their candlestick. That would cast them into “great tribulation” because of the famine of the Gospel.

3. The Great Tribulation - or - The Tribulation The Great - occurs right before Judgment Day in which God’s judgment falls upon every local congregation and there is a great famine of the Gospel in every church. This is “The Great Tribulation” because it is upon all churches and local congregations.

Therefore, when Revelation 2:22 talks about “great tribulation” that would come upon the church at Thyatira if they did not repent, it does not mean that God is only talking to the churches at the end of time.

At the end of time, we finally came to the “The Great Tribulation” or “the tribulation the great”. But, throughout the New Testament era, whenever a church departed from truth, like the church at Thyatira, God could take away it’s candlestick. God could remove His blessing from the preaching of the Bible in that church. That became “great tribulation” for that church.

A careful study of Revelation 2:22 and the term “great tribulation” shows that it is not limited to just the time of the end. But, rather, it applies to any church throughout the New Testament era that departed from the Bible and God’s judgment came upon it.

Now, we will look at the second verse that may seem to have an end-time only application.

We read in Revelation 3:3 concerning the church at Sardis:

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

This verse indicates that the church people should “watch” for the return of Christ. If they do not “watch” then Christ will come upon them as a “thief” and they won’t know the “hour” that Christ will come.

We have learned from Daniel 12:4 & 9, and from other verses, that the timing of the end would not be known by the true believers until just before the end. Therefore, someone could look at Revelation 3:3 and conclude that it only applies to the church near the end of the world.

However, we must read Revelation 3:3 carefully.

Revelation 3:3 is talking to all churches throughout the almost 2,000 years of the New Testament era.

God is telling the churches that if they do not watch, then Christ will come upon them as a thief and they will not know what hour He will come.

Revelation 3:3 is not promising that if they do watch, that they will know when He will come. This verse is saying that if they do not watch, then Christ will come upon them as a thief and they will not know what hour He will come.

We have to read Revelation 3:3, and all verses, very carefully.

Revelation 3:3 is only assuring us that if we do not watch, then Christ will come upon us a thief and we will not know when He will come. It is not telling us that if we do watch, we will know the time.

Other rules apply to what the believers can know about the timetable of Christ’s return. Daniel 12:4 & 9 teach that end time truths, including the time of Christ’s return, are sealed up until the end.

We read in those two verses:

Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Daniel 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Daniel 12:4 & 9, along with other verses, teach us that no one could know the timing of Christ’s return until we got close to the end of the world.

Revelation 3:3 teaches us that if we are not watching for Christ’s return by searching the Bible carefully, then Christ will come upon us as a thief and we won’t know when He will come.

Christ will not come as a thief to those church people throughout the New Testament era that were watching.

We read about the coming of a thief in John 10:10:

The thief <2812> cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

In John 10:10 God provides definition for what a thief comes to do. He comes to steal, kill and destroy.

Revelation 3:3 is teaching all of the church people throughout the New Testament era that if they are not watching for Christ’s return, that He will come upon them to steal, kill and destroy. That is an indication that those people are not saved.

For those unsaved church people in 95AD, Christ came upon them as a thief and took them in death.

Revelation 3:3 is effectively teaching that those church people, throughout the New Testament era, who were not watching for Christ’s return were not saved.

God tells the true believers throughout the New Testament era that they were to watch for Christ’s return.

For example we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6:

1 ¶ But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 ¶ Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

God is talking about the wrath that will come upon the unsaved at Judgment Day in verses 2 & 3. Then, in verse 4, God says that the believers will not be in darkness about the coming of Judgment Day.

Then, in verse 6, God gives a command to all believers throughout the New Testament era that they were to “watch” for Christ’s return.

Throughout the New Testament era, the true believers were to watch for Christ’s return, even though Daniel 12:4 & 9, and other passages teach, that they could not know anything about the timing of His return until we got to the end.

However, throughout the New Testament era, the true believers were to watch for Christ’s return. They would not be able to learn much detail about Christ’s return until we got to the end.

We have seen that Revelation 3:3 must be read carefully. When it is read carefully, we see that it is speaking to the church of Sardis back in 95AD, and it is speaking to all churches throughout the New Testament era.

If we read Revelation 3:3 carefully, we find that it was speaking to the church of Sardis back in the first century and to all churches throughout the New Testament era. Revelation 3:3 assures us that if we are not watching for Christ’s return in the Bible, then He will come upon us as a thief and we won’t know when He will come.

Other passages in the Bible declare that even the true believers who have been watching for Christ’s return cannot know the details of that until we get near to the end of the world.

We have looked at both Revelation 2:22 and 3:3 to see if they are only speaking to the church near the end of the world. After studying both verses carefully, comparing Scripture with Scripture, we have found that both apply to their respective churches that existed back in 95AD, and they both apply to all churches throughout the New Testament era.

Therefore, there is nothing in Revelation 2 or 3 that would indicate that all of the message in these two chapters is not also directed to those 7 churches back in 95AD.

We have carefully examined Revelation 3:9 and have found that it is talking about unsaved people in the church of Philadelphia. It is also talking about all unsaved church people throughout the New Testament era. It says that God will make them to “worship” God. This word “worship” always signifies conscious submission.

Many tares have died from this world without ever worshipping or acknowledging that Christ rules over them. Therefore, Revelation 3:9 teaches that God will wake them to consciousness at Judgment Day to fulfill this promise.

Summary:

We have seen more proofs from the Bible that the unsaved whose bodies are sleeping in the dust, will awake to consciousness at Judgment Day to experience the afflictions of the lake of fire.

God avoids using the word “life” to speak about the eternity of the unsaved not because they don’t exist. Rather, God defines “life” for mankind in terms of his relationship to God, who is “life”. The unsaved are eternally and completely dead; that is they are eternally and completely separated from God, who is life, and from His blessings, yet they are resurrected or awake to conscious existence.

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