The Eternal State
- We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt:25:46"And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."; John:5:28-29; John:11:25-26; Rev:20:5-6 [5] But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. [6] Blessed and holy [is] he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. , Rev:20:12-13 [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. [13] The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. )
- We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke:23:43And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."; 2 Cor:5:8We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.; Phil:1:23; Phil:3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev:20:4-6 [4] And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then [I saw] the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received [his] mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. [5] But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. [6] Blessed and holy [is] he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. )
- We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Matt:25:41-46 [41] "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
[42] 'for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
[43] 'I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'
[44] "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'
[45] "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do [it] to one of the least of these, you did not do [it] to Me.'
[46] "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
; Mark:9:43-48; Luke:16:19-26 [19] " There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
[20] "But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
[21] "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
[22] "So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
[23] "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
[24] "Then 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.'
[25] "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
[26] 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'
; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude:1:6-7 [6] And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
[7] as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
; Rev:20:11-15 [11] Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
[12] And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
[13] The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
[14] Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
[15] And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
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