What is Satan's Fate?
Argument IV
Killing the Soul
QUESTION:
If God can kill the spirit in man in the lake of fire, why would anyone think He couldn’t kill a spirit being such as Satan and his demons in the same place?
~~~
Several years ago a prominent atheist claimed to be able to prove that God was mortal. He did this by proffering a stream of logic not unlike that presented by many who argue that spirit can die. This is what the atheist advanced as his proof.
“I once had a dog whose name was ‘Spirit.’ A few years ago he was hit by a car and died. The Bible says that God is a Spirit. Therefore, if He gets hit by a car, he will die too.”
It is doubtful that anyone with even a modicum of intellectual honesty would ever accept the atheist’s argument as reasonable—including those who believe Satan will die. In truth, this unbeliever’s syllogism is nothing other than a cynical attempt to mock the Creator of all that exists. However, it does illustrate how logic can be manipulated to “prove” something that is totally false. Unfortunately, God’s people can use it incorrectly as well—and that is exactly what takes place in this particular argument attempting to prove the mortality of angels. According to many adherents of this new doctrine, because man has a spirit that can be permanently extinguished in the Lake of Fire, angels can be extinguished there as well because they are “ministering spirits” (See: Hebrews 1:7, 14).
This argument is based on a premise that assumes there is no distinction between two very different things—HAVING a spirit and BEING a spirit. This, despite the fact that the Scriptures make a VERY clear distinction between the two and declare that one is a POWER while the other is a PERSON.
Here is how this view was expressed in a comprehensive paper supporting the belief that all Spirit Beings in the angelic Realm are capable of death. For the sake of clarity I have arranged this argument into two parts. The first part asserts that mankind possesses a power of mind that is “unique” to the human family and that this power is produced by an invisible spirit that comes directly from God. In part II, the author(s) then imply that because Jesus stated that only God can destroy man’s spirit (See: Matthew 10:28), that spirit must be composed of something that places it beyond the laws governing the molecular realm. They then conclude that because angels are also composed of something that is beyond the molecular realm, God must have the power to totally eradicate them as well.
Each argument is presented independently followed by my response. As you follow this thread, the truth will become READILY APPARENT.
Part I:
Defining the Spirit in Man
Advocates of the New Doctrine:
“Consider the spirit in man. The Scriptures reveal that man does not have an immortal soul (Ezek. 18:20). The word soul is the word “nephesh” in the Hebrew, and it simply means a physical, living, breathing creature. In this respect, man is like the animals (Ecc. 3:19, Gen. 2:7, 19). He is subject to death.
“However, humans possess something that other physical creatures do not. God has given mankind an element of invisible spirit that works in conjunction with his physical brain. That spirit gives man the power of mind—a unique intelligence that grants us far greater understanding than the animals which sometimes possess larger brains (Job 32:8).”
My Response:
Contrary to what this argument asserts, animals also have a spirit. Furthermore, their spirit performs the same function as the one man has. This is a fact that can be conclusively demonstrated by both scientific data as well as God’s Word. In truth, EVERY living being has a spirit—whether it be man, animals, angels or even God Himself (Ezekiel 11:5). The spirit in all living beings is cognition—the power to process and disseminate information. In a very real sense it is the operating system of the one who has it. Additionally, it is unique to that person—no two are exactly the same.
The Old Testament refers to the spirit as the “mind” (See: Proverbs 29:11, Ezekiel 11:5). In the New Testament it is primarily referred to as the “soul” but is also rendered “mind” as well (See: Philippians 1: 27, Hebrew 12:3). In short, the spirit in man is the seat of his intellect as well as his personality and emotions. This remarkable power processes and stores every aspect of a person’s life and contains the essence of who he is. When it comes to the human family, that spirit makes it possible to solve complex problems, translate languages, compose music, alter environments, build architectural wonders, and even fly. Imagine that! Man can soar above the clouds and even into the darkness of space. And all of this is made possible because of the spirit (mind) his Creator gave him (See: Zechariah 12:1).
What about Animals?
When it comes to animals the same is true. Their spirit enables them to analyze situations and even solve problems. It provides them with the ability to perceive danger and appreciate comfort. That spirit also makes it possible for them to build colonies, establish organizational hierarchies within groups, and teach their young. This is because it facilitates learning. It is what enables pets to comprehend instructions as well as develop a variety of behaviors that can actually go contrary to their own nature. If you doubt this you have never house-broken a dog, or taught it to not jump on friends, bark at neighbors, chase cars in the street, or bite the mailman.
Animals have also been trained to perform a variety of vital services. They work with law enforcement in locating illegal narcotics. They have been instrumental in search and rescue operations as well as. trained to serve as eyes for the blind and ears for the deaf. Additionally, they have learned to be invaluable partners to hunters, ranchers and sheep herders. Animals can be taught to fetch, sit, stay, roll over, play dead, and countless other behaviors—all of which are skills that had to be developed. They were able to master these skills because they could COMPREHEND the connection between reward and behavior. Animals even know how to communicate—and although their language may be less sophisticated than man’s, it is very real. There are even academic disciplines dedicated to studying the language of animals.
The Point
The point here is that animals have been given the ability to think, reason and learn—just like man. The only real distinction one can make in this regard is the level of cognition they possess. Theirs’ is vastly inferior to the level enjoyed by the human family. However, the fact that man has far greater cognitive powers no more proves animals don’t have a spirit than the fact that God has far greater cognitive powers proves man doesn’t have a spirit. In truth, God put an invisible spirit (mind) in both of them. This now brings us to the BIG difference.
The Big Difference
There clearly are similarities between the spirit in man and the spirit in animals. However, there is one significant difference and the Scriptures bear this out. God’s Word reveals that upon the death of its host the spirit in animals goes down to the earth while the spirit in man goes back to God (See: Ecclesiastes 3:21, 12:7, Job 34:14-15). This now brings us to a very important question. Why do these spirits go to different places? The answer is very revealing.
First, let’s examine the spirit in animals. Clearly that spirit becomes extinct upon the death of the one in whom it resided. This is because the spirit cannot survive apart from its host unless God specifically preserves it for later use. However, the Almighty does not do this with an animal spirit. He simply allows it to pass away. But, why wouldn’t God retrieve the spirit in animals like He does the spirit in man? The answer is really quite simple: because animals will not be resurrected to life again. When they die, that’s it. God does not have a plan of salvation for the myriad of creatures that dwell on the earth. In other words, they were specifically created to function in a corruptible world. Therefore, their spirit perishes with them.
The Incredible Human Potential
However, this is not the case when it comes to mankind. The human family was specifically created with the potential to enter into an incorruptible realm as fully born members of God’s Family (See: John 3:3 & I John 3:2). In order to be a part of that family every person who has ever existed will be resurrected to life and reunited with the mind (spirit) he or she had as a human being in this life. There is not one exception to this rule (See: John 5:28, Luke 14:14, Acts 24:15).
The bottom line is this: upon the first death, God retrieves man’s thoughts and his capacity to reason. He does so because He knows that man will live again (Job 14: 14-15). When that day comes, the Almighty will return to him the power to think, as well as all the experiences he accumulated during his lifetime. At this point, it is important to understand that if God simply allowed man’s spirit to go down to the earth, it would perish just like the one in animals. In other words, there is nothing about the spirit in man that is incorruptible of itself. That alone makes it VASTLY different from a SPIRIT BEING (angel).
Reuniting the Spirit with Its Host
In accordance with God’s MASTER PLAN, as expressed in His Word, the resurrection of the dead occurs in phases. The first phase takes place at the last trump when those who are called in this life, also known as “the dead in Christ” and “firstfruits” are raised and take on immortality as fully born children of God (1 Corinthians 15: 51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17). The Scriptures refer to this as a “better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35)—and to be certain it most assuredly is. Those who are a part of it will be composed of incorruptible spirit (I Corinthians 15: 42-44, 53-54) and rule with Christ throughout the millennium and on into eternity. In that capacity they will assume positions of great authority and distinction in God’s ETERNAL KINGDOM (See: Revelation 5:10, 20:4, Daniel 7:18, 27). Without the power to reason (cognition) they couldn’t even function, let alone govern. Therefore, when they are raised, their spirit (mind) is returned to them.
A Second Resurrection
Then, approximately one thousand years later, the billions of people who never knew the true God, will be raised to life and given an opportunity to learn of Him and His way (Revelation 20: 4-5). At this time, they will enter into a world that has enjoyed a thousand years of uninterrupted millennial peace and prosperity where the knowledge of the TRUE God will have literally covered the earth (See: Isaiah 11:9). Furthermore, that knowledge will continue to FLOURISH throughout this phase of His PLAN as well. When speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, God described this second resurrection like this: “And all will know that I am the ETERNAL.” Included in this knowledge will be the value of repentance and redemption through the atoning sacrifice of His Son and their Savior. The point here is that God will not deprive anyone of knowing about Him and His way. This is done in order to ensure that all mankind will be treated with equity (fairness) and be given a real opportunity to receive God’s gift of Salvation and have their names written in the “Book of Life” prior to their final judgment.
At this point, it is important to understand that those who are a part of this second resurrection are raised to a mortal fleshly existence. In other words, unlike those in the first resurrection who were judged in this life and received immortality those in this second resurrection remain physical human beings (See: Ezekiel 37). However, once again, God returns their spirit to them in order to facilitate the acquisition and dissemination of information. That spirit will give them the capacity to LEARN as well as to grow in grace and KNOWLEDGE (2 Peter 3:18) and most importantly will provide them with the best opportunity for citizenship in His Eternal Kingdom which will be bestowed at their FINAL judgment.
But when will that judgment occur? Read on...
Is Anyone Left?
Tragically, there are actually some who will remain in the grave throughout this period. This is because at some point during their earthly life they willfully forfeited any chance at redemption (See: Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:29, Luke 12:10, See also: Hebrews 6:4, 10:26 & 1John 5:16). The Scriptures do not indicate their number but it does reveal the gravity of their trespass and even goes so far as to identify some of those who will suffer the consequences for it. The Messiah once soberly warned that there are sins that are so egregious they cannot be forgiven even by God Himself and those who commit them must ultimately meet their final justice—but not yet.
Satan Released
God’s Word reveals that at some time after the second resurrection commences, Satan will be released from his confinement in “a great abyss” for “a little season” (See: Revelation 20:3). Then, at this point he will unleash unimaginable devastation on God’s KINGDOM, His PEOPLE, and His PLAN. He will begin with the greatest campaign of deception in human history—one that will literally span the entire globe (See: Revelation 20:8). But it doesn’t end there.
The Great Showdown
As the last chapter of human history begins to play out, the devil directs all his attention to the destruction of what the apostle John affectionately refers to as the “BELOVED CITY.” He begins by mobilizing his forces in a vicious attack against it (Revelation 20: 7-9). At this point, the spectrum of destruction will be so massive that God Himself will be forced to intervene. He does so by launching a counter attack that will strike an overwhelming blow against mankind’s greatest adversary and the forces of darkness who joined him in this final rebellion. During this counter attack the Almighty will literally rain down fire from heaven to repel the attackers. The scriptures do not reveal the number of casualties but they will be unquestionably significant. One thing is for certain, Satan’s permanent defeat is now imminent. At this point he will literally be hurled into a massive inferno (the Lake of Fire) where he will begin to serve a sentence of torment that will never end (verse 10). However, at this point one thing remains.
A Great White Throne Judgment
As Satan languishes in this inferno prepared for him and his demons (See: Matthew 25: 41), a GREAT WHITE THRONE appears from which Christ will preside over the final judgment of God’s CREATION (Revelation 20:11). At this point, a THIRD and FINAL RESURRECTION takes place in which every human being who has ever lived, will physically appear before the GREAT JUDGE (verses 12-15). God’s born again saints will certainly be in attendance but will not be subject to this SENTENCE because they were already judged (and REDEEMED) in this life (1 Peter 4:17). In other words, this “third resurrection” pertains to everyone who has ever lived throughout human history, with the exception of the saints who will already have been installed as citizens and leaders in God’s Eternal Government. (See: Daniel 7:18, 1 Corinthians. 15: 51-52, I John 3:1-2). The great prophet Daniel once wrote of a time when all who have died will be raised and receive God’s Eternal JUSTICE. This is that time and those who are a part of it include the following:
1) Everyone who died in this life having committed the unpardonable sin (mentioned earlier). Tragically, their fate has already been sealed. Now it will be carried out and their final sentence (the second death) will be administered by way of a GREAT INFERNO—LAKE OF FIRE (See: Revelation 20:14).
2) Joining them in this final judgment will be those who lived during the millennium. During that thousand-year period they will be introduced to God’s law and invited to be a part of His FAMILY. Eventually, during this millennial period these citizens will pass away and sleep awaiting their resurrection to a final judgment (life or death).
3) Finally, those who lived and subsequently perished during the second resurrection will appear before Christ as well (Revelation 20:7-10). They too will learn of His way after which they will be evaluated according to God’s LAW with some entering into life in His Eternal Kingdom and some to eternal death in the Lake of Fire. (See: Daniel 12:2)
A Brief Review
The Third Resurrection
At this point a brief review may be helpful. During this Third (and FINAL) Resurrection literally tens of billions of people appear before Christ and hear their fate directly from the Supreme Lawgiver of the Universe (See: Revelation 20:11-13). Furthermore, they will be able to fully comprehend His judgment because their spirit (cognition) will have been returned to them. There will be no misunderstanding or confusion in the matter. Christ will speak with great clarity and there won’t be one drop of uncertainty with respect to His judgment and the reason for it. At that time, those whose names which appear in the “Book of Life” will be invited to become incorruptible members of God’s Eternal Realm. In that state they will no longer be comprised of flesh and blood, but rather of incorruptible spirit. In other words, they will be changed.
However, those whose names that are not written in the “Book of Life,” because they defiantly refused to claim Christ’s sacrifice through heartfelt repentance, will be sentenced to death (Romans 6:23). It is then that they will be cast into a Lake of Fire—only this time God will not retrieve their spirit. Like the spirit in animals it will perish with them (Revelation 20:14-15).
The point here is that the difference between the spirit in man and the one in animals is not what it is made of or even how it works—it is where it ultimately goes. If its host dies permanently, it will perish with it. If its host continues on forever, its spirit will as well.
Part II
Jesus Christ and Killing Man’s Spirit
We now come to part II of this particular argument. In it, some attempt to manipulate Jesus’ clear intent regarding the spirit in man. They do this by implying that because the Messiah indicated that man was incapable of killing the soul (spirit), it must be made of something beyond the physical plane. With this as their premise, they then reason that because only God can destroy man’s spirit in the Lake of Fire He must also be able to do the same to fallen angels because they too, are composed of something beyond the physical plane. This argument is offered even though Jesus NEVER even hints that His Words pertain to the angelic realm.
Here is how the leaders of a prominent COG employ them anyway in an attempt to blur the lines between having a spirit and being a spirit followed by my response. Notice that these advocates return to the false predicate that God can destroy anything He makes even though His Word says something quite different (See: Argument II).
Advocates of the New Doctrine:
“God is all powerful. He is omnipotent, and can destroy anything that He creates. Therefore, the Almighty can destroy the spirit in man as well as spirit beings. The purpose of the lake of fire can only be to eliminate both flesh and spirit. Jesus Christ actually confirms this truth as He warns us with these words:”
“Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
“The word “soul” in this verse is “psuchē” in the Greek. This unique word means “breath,” or by implication the “spirit.” The word “destroy” means to “fully destroy,” or “to perish.” Therefore, Jesus is plainly telling us that, while man is able to kill the physical body, only God can destroy spirit.”
My Response:
According to this argument, the Greek word for “soul” (“psuche”) has the “implied” meaning of ‘spirit.’” This of course, is true. However, it then suggests that this spirit must be made of something that is beyond the physical realm—because it CAN’T be destroyed by man. Regrettably, this understanding is TOTALLY FALSE. Furthermore, both the Scriptures AND Jesus’ own Words bear this out.
Defining “Psuche”
The word “psuche” in the New Testament has several meanings, each of which helps us understand what it is, as well as what it is not. According to Strong’s Concordance, this term has been rendered in the Scriptures as “soul,” “life,” “mind,” and “heart.” Strong’s also defines it as the “seat of feelings, desires, affections, and aversions.” It is where the term “psyche” originates. A person’s “psyche” is his mind. Psychology is the study of the mind.
However, there is something that is essential to understand about man’s spirit. Nowhere does the Bible remotely hint that it is an independent functioning self-actualized entity, let alone comparable to a SPIRIT BEING (angel). On the contrary, the Scriptures reveal that the spirit in man can’t even function apart from its host. The book of Psalms categorically states that upon man’s death his spirit is actually incapable of thought (Psalm 146:3-4, See also: Psalm 6:9 & Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10). That’s right! The very thing that enables man to think, feel, dream, create, reason, remember, communicate, hope, and a thousand other things, can’t do any of them apart from the person (HOST) it resided in. In other words, without the body, the spirit doesn’t work. In truth, until man is raised from death and reunited with his spirit, that spirit resides in a state of TOTAL dormancy.
A Stunning Reality about Spirit
For those who believe that a person’s spirit is some kind of special entity that requires supernatural power to destroy, consider the following: GOD ALSO HAS A SPIRIT. Furthermore, His spirit performs the same function as man’s spirit—it facilitates reason, thus making it possible to learn. The apostle Paul wrote of God’s spirit and compared it directly to the spirit in man. When doing so he revealed that both spirits are identical with one NOTABLE exception. The spirit in man makes it possible to comprehend the physical world (I Corinthians 2:11) while God’s spirit makes it possible to comprehend spiritual matters (same verse). By the way, it is not by accident that when explaining this truth, Paul uses the same word for both spirits. Furthermore, he never addresses what the spirit is comprised of but rather what it does. The point here is that contrary to what this new doctrine argues, the term “spirit in man” is NOT referring to its composition, but rather its function.
But there’s more.
When writing to God’s Church at Thessalonica, Paul makes another observation that bears greatly on this particular argument. According to him, God’s spirit CAN ACTUALLY BE ERADICATED. That’s right; it can be totally eliminated from a person’s mind. Furthermore, it is MAN HIMSELF THAT CAN ELIMINATE IT. Notice the admonition Paul gives to God’s people. His sober words are brief but POWERFUL.
“Quench not the spirit.”
I Thessalonians. 5:19
The Greek word for “quench” in this verse is sbennymi and means to “extinguish,” or to cause something “to go out.” (Strong’s G4570). As hard as it might be to believe, Paul is stating that man CAN actually destroy spirit. This now brings us to another very important question. If it is possible for man to extinguish God’s spirit, can he also extinguish God Himself? After all, God is a spirit (John 4:24), and according to this new doctrine, spirit is spirit. The answer to this question should be obvious. God CANNOT be destroyed. He is immortal—a fact that every true believer would readily concede. However, there is another question that bears greatly on this matter. If man can extinguish God’s spirit, why can’t he extinguish man’s spirit?
There can be only one answer
And it has absolutely nothing to do with what
those spirits are made of.
Protecting the Spirit
The reason human beings are incapable of destroying the spirit in man is not because of its composition, but rather because God will not permit him to do so. The very instant a person dies God retrieves his mind (spirit), and there isn’t a thing anyone can do about it. On the other hand, if a person refuses to repent, he will ultimately be cast into a Lake of Fire—only this time God won’t retrieve his mind (spirit). As a result, it will go down to the earth and perish, just like the spirit of an animal—and there isn’t a thing anyone can do about that either. The point here is that unlike angelic beings who were created immortal, the spirit in man was not created that way. It CAN be extinguished. In other words, the spirit in man CAN die, spirit beings CAN’T.
The Real Meaning of Matthew 10:28
The point Jesus was making in this verse is that although the fear of physical death can exert a huge influence on our behavior, its threat is not as severe as one might think. This is because only God has the power of total control over the human family. It is true that although man can kill the body, thus rendering all of its vital organs unworkable, he is powerless to destroy the soul (thought and reason)—things that truly define who a person is. When it comes to God this is not the case—He can direct the total destruction of every facet of mortal beings—body and mind (spirit)
A Final Thought
Finally, as much as some claim that the spirit in man is comparable to the great angelic creatures God fashioned so very long ago, it just isn’t true. Angels are real beings with a mind (spirit) of their own. Furthermore, they were created for a specific purpose and reside in an infinite realm where death has no power. When Jesus spoke of God’s ability to bring about the complete and utter destruction of man and His soul, He wasn’t making the slightest reference to anything but the human family—and any teaching to the contrary is nothing other than an act of DESPERATION offered by those who advance it.
Argument V