What is Satan's Fate?
Argument III
A Respecter of Persons
QUESTION:
If God is not a respecter of persons, how could He have one judgment for defiant humans (death) and a different judgment for defiant angels (eternal torment)?
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When defending the belief that Satan and his demons will ultimately die, some COG leaders offer an interesting theory. According to them, God’s dispensation of justice is the same in both the physical and spiritual dimensions. Therefore, because the wages of sin is death in the material world, this must also be the case in the spirit realm.
Here is how two particular COG fellowships express this view followed by my response.
Advocates of the New Doctrine:
“Throughout the Scriptures we are repeatedly shown that the wages of sin is death (Gen. 3:3, Ezek. 18:4, Rom. 6:23). We are also told that God is not a respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11, Acts 10:34). Do such verses only apply to that which is physical, or do they also apply to that which is spirit?”
“…As Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death.” God does not have one law for some, and a different law for others (Heb. 13:8; Mal. 3:6; Ex. 12:49). He is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). God’s law applies to everyone—both human and spirit.”
“…The end result of sin is death, and this fate is not the consequence of man’s sin alone. Satan is the original unrepentant sinner. He too is subject to God’s law. Death will come upon every being in God’s creation who continues in sin, including those in the spirit world.”
Support from Others
Another COG offered their support of this teaching as follows.
“The principle of Scripture which governs God's punishment for all SIN is found in Romans 6:23, where we read: "The WAGES of SIN is DEATH; but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.6:23). Sin by definition is lawlessness or rebellion against God (I John 3:4). The penalty of sin, in the Court of Heaven, is simply DEATH – not burning and torment forever and ever and ever, ages without end!”
My Response:
Although many believe the verses just cited apply to both mankind and spirit beings, this is NOT the case at all. But don’t believe me, believe those who wrote them. What follows is the Plain Truth regarding each citation in the order it was presented.
1) Genesis 3:3: In this verse the threat of death is leveled directly at human beings—Adam and Eve. God told them that if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they were as good as dead (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:3). Contrary to what some assert, there isn’t even an oblique reference to the spirit world in God’s warning.
Something to Think About
At this point it is interesting to note that the apostle Paul once wrote on the subject of death and specifically stated that it (death) came by Adam—NOT Satan (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). This is significant when one considers that Satan had already rebelled against God prior to Adam’s creation and subsequent sin. As a result of this defiance, he (Satan) was removed from his position in God’s government and expelled from heaven (See: Ezekiel 28:14-16). If death was the consequence of Satan’s actions, as advocates of this new doctrine assert, then it would have been by him, not Adam, that it (death) originated.
2) Ezekiel 18:4: This verse declares “the soul that sins shall die.” The word used for “soul” in it is nephesh and is rendered “a living being, with life in the blood” (See: Strong’s H5315). It has also been rendered “a physical, living, breathing creature.” In truth, Ezekiel’s words actually contradict this entire argument. In essence, they are proclaiming: “the physical living breathing creaturethat sins shall die.” At no time do they even remotely address spirit beings.
3) This now brings us to Romans 6:23. Consider carefully what Paul writes.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Those who employ this verse in defense of their new doctrine are making a HUGE mistake. In truth, Paul is NOT making any observation about the angelic kingdom or the fate of Spirit Beings. This entire chapter (Romans 6) only addresses God’s human family and how sin enslaves it. Paul actually stated that his words were “after the manner of MEN because of the infirmity of your FLESH” (verse 19). In other words, he was writing to human beings, about human beings. When doing so he addresses their struggle with sin as well as their ultimate victory through Christ. His words don’t have a thing to do with angels or how God administers justice to them—and to suggest otherwise is nothing other than a desperate attempt to manipulate Scripture.
The point God’s Apostle was making was that because of God’s grace, the sin His people fight against every day will not prevail against them. He concludes by exhorting them to take hope in one enduring truth: in the corruptible world of the flesh, the wages of sin is death, but to those who overcome there is a wonderful gift—INCORRUPTION (eternal life).
Is God a Respecter of Persons?
4) When it comes to the argument that claims because God is not a respecter of persons, all sin demands the same consequence, Romans 2:11 and Acts 10:34 were cited. However, once again, these Scriptures say absolutely nothing about angels—nor were they ever intended to do so. Both Romans and Acts address God’s impartiality with respect to His human family—specifically Jews and Gentiles. The point here is that God will not allow one race to morally preempt the other when it comes to entrance into His Church or His kingdom—nothing more, nothing less.
5) With respect to Exodus 12:49 the same is true. Here, God is specifically addressing the ancient nation of Israel. When doing so, He declared that the law He gave them applied to everyone within their camp—both Israelite and non-Israelite (See: Deuteronomy 29:14-15). Once again, there is NOT a hint that God was referring to the four living creatures or the twenty-four elders when giving this decree. For anyone to suggest that these verses somehow prove that God’s administration of justice is the same for both human beings and spirit beings is like saying it is the same for both human beings and animals. It just isn’t the case.
A Final Thought
Argument IV