Austin Bible Church
The human race is divided into two groups - the believer who has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and the unbeliever who has rejected Jesus Christ as Savior. John 3:36.
““He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”“ (John 3:36, NASB)
The unbeliever goes through life with only one birth. He has only a body and a human soul. No new birth, therefore no human spirit. His human spirit is dormant, not active. When the unbeliever dies, his soul remains alive, leaves the body and goes to a place called Torments - a compartment of Hades or Sheol. This is a temporary place of suffering of the soul (no second chance) until the final disposition of the body at the Last Judgment. Torments is not Purgatory. Purgatory is not mentioned in the Word of God. The unbeliever’s rejection of Jesus Christ becomes a permanent decision at physical death. There is no second chance.
For the believer in eternity there is no more sorrow or tears or suffering. Rev. 21:4.
“and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”“ (Revelation 21:4, NASB)
In the case of the unbeliever, the soul will sorrow eternally. Luke 16:19-24. This is the “weeping” mentioned in Matthew 22:13, Matthew 24:51, Matthew 25:30, and Luke 13:28.
““Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’“ (Luke 16:19-24, NASB)
““Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’“ (Matthew 22:13, NASB)
“and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:51, NASB)
““Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30, NASB)
““In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.” (Luke 13:28, NASB)
At the second resurrection (unto damnation – the Great White Throne), the soul of the unbeliever will be resurrected with some kind of body for the flames of the Lake of Fire. Matt. 10:28.
““Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28, NASB)
From then on, the soul and the body suffer, for the unbeliever is then cast into the Lake of Fire, which has already been prepared for Satan and his angels. Matt. 25:41. This is the second death - eternity in the Lake of Fire. The second death, in Rev. 20:14, is a perpetuation of spiritual death into eternity. It is eternal separation from God.
““Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;” (Matthew 25:41, NASB)
“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14, NASB)
In John 5:29, the second resurrection is called a resurrection of judgment or condemnation.
“and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:29, NASB)
The unbeliever is resurrected in his body of corruption so that he might receive his final judgment (wrath) from Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment. The unbeliever’s judgment to the Lake of Fire will not be for all of his good deeds, but for his rejection of Jesus Christ. Rom. 2:5.
“But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,” (Romans 2:5, NASB)