The Fate of the Wicked

SERMON OUTLINE

“THE FATE OF THE WICKED”

4-14-12

I. BIBLE STUDY ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION.

A. WHICH OF FOLLOWING ARE NOT IN THE BIBLE?

1. CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL?

2. CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS.

3. GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES.

4. WE ARE AS PRONE TO SIN AS SPARKS THAT FLY UPWARD.

5. MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.

6. HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY.

(ANSWER: NONE OF THESE IS FOUND IN THE BIBLE AS QUOTED ABOVE.)

II. WHAT ULTIMATELY HAPPENS TO THE WICKED?

A. BURN ETERNALLY?

B. BURN UP INTO ASHES?

C. VANISH?

D. GO TO SOME INTERMEDIATE STATE?

III. WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT FOR SIN? ROM. 6:23. “FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.”

IV. HOW LONG WILL THE FIRE AND TORMENT LAST? REV. 14: 10,11. THE WICKED WILL SUFFER THE TORMENT OF FIRE, AND THEIR SMOKE ASCENDS FOREVER. (NOTE: FOREVER IS FROM THE GREEK WORD “AION” WHICH MEANS: A SPACE OF TIME OR A CYCLE OF TIME,” NOT WITHOUT END.)

A. HOW LONG IS “FOREVER” UNDERSTOOD TO BE WHEN REFERRING TO THE HEBREW SERVANT? EX. 21:6. (AS LONG AS THE SERVANT LIVES.)

B. HOW LONG DID SAMUEL’S MOTHER LEND HIM TO THE LORD? (FOREVER MEANS AS LONG AS HE LIVED) 1 SAM. 1:22-28.

C. HOW LONG WAS JONAH IN THE WHALE’S STOMACH? (JONAH 2:6, “FOREVER.” MATT. 12:40 EXPLAINS THAT IT WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.)

V. SUCH MISLEADING TRANSLATIONS ARE ALSO FOUND AT OTHER PLACES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

A. THE HEBREW WORD “OLAM” IS TRANSLATED IN THE KING JAMES BIBLE AS “FOR EVER” 330 TIMES AND AS “EVERLASTING” 66 TIMES EVEN THE HEBREW MEANING DOES NOT MEAN “WITHOUT END.”

1. THE WORD “OLAM,” WHICH STRONG’S CONCORDANCE GIVES THE NUMBER 5769, MEANS “LONG DURATION, ANTIQUITY, FUTURITY.” BROWN-DRIVER-BRIGGS DEFINE THE WORD IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.

2. MATT. 3:12- “UNQUENCHABLE FIRE.”

3. MATT. 25:41- “EVERLASTING.” (NOTE: THE FIRE IS CALLED EVERLASTING (UNTIL THE OBJECT IS BURNED UP) BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE PUT OUT.

4. SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE BURNED UP WITH “ETERNAL” FIRE. JUDE 7. (OF COURSE, THESE CITIES ARE NOT NOW BURNING BUT WERE FULLY DESTROYED BY GOD’S FIRE.) SEE 2 PETER 2:6. THESE CITIES BECAME ASHES.

VI. THE WICKED WILL BECOME ASHES WHICH BE WALKED ON BY THE RIGHTEOUS. MAL. 4:3.

VII. ROM. 6:23- WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.

VIII. CONCLUSION: THE WICKED WILL BE BURNED UP INTO ASHES. PHILIPP. 4:7- ULTIMATE PEACE COMES THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.

IX. INVITATION: I INVITE YOU TO BOW YOUR HEAD AT THIS MOMENT AND ASK CHRIST TO FORGIVE YOUR SINS AND CLEANSE YOU FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, SO THAT YOU WILL BE READY TO MEET HIM AT ANY MOMENT.

PASTOR FILLMER HEVENER, ED. D.