The word 'PERISH' has nothing to do with separation from God or annihilation of a soul.
The word "PERISH" isn't even a spiritual term. It's a literal term to describe the death associated with those 1st century Jews who would die in the fires of AD70 if they didn't trust Christ and abandon the Old Covenant Law before it was too late.
Notice Jesus' words below to THEM (not us) warning THEM of perishing in a literal death.
Also, remember the word "you" isn't talking to you. It's talking to a specific reading audience in the 1st century, it's not talking to you and me in the 21st century.
Luke 13: 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?
What did they suffer? Pilate murdered them.
3 I tell YOU, no; but unless YOU repent YOU will ALL LIKEWISE perish.Likewise how? They will be murdered.
4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and KILLED THEM, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless YOU repent YOU will ALL LIKEWISE perish.”Likewise how? A physical death by the sword. He was warning THEM about THEIR coming destruction in AD70. The Romans literally murdered 1.3 million Jews in Jerusalem. The Jews that heeded Jesus' message and fled Judea when the Romans surround Jerusalem were the ones 'saved' from the massacre.
We see the same thing in Mark 4:38 when the disciples were frustrated with Jesus because they feared they would DIE.
There is no sense here of them going to a place called hell.
They feared drowning.
"and he himself was upon the stern, upon the pillow sleeping, and they wake him up, and say to him, 'Teacher, art thou not caring that we perish?' (YLT)"They were afraid of dying. This is not an afterlife statement.
If you'll look the word 'PERISH' up in different translations, you'll find the words 'DIE' 'STARVE' 'MURDERED' 'DROWNED' in several of them instead of the word 'PERISH'.
I usually use 'Biblehub.com' and use their word search bar. Just type in 'perish' and you'll see tons of examples.
You'll see how it plainly stands for words like 'die/starve/drown/murdered'.
List of scriptures:
Genesis 41:36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land PERISH not through the famine.Last but not least.. (and this is my own hyper-literal translation)Ezekiel 5:12
A third of your people will die of the plague or PERISH by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword.Numbers 21:30
So we overthrew them; Heshbon, as far as Dibon, PERISHED; and we laid waste as far as Nophah; fire spread as far as Medeba.”Judges 5:31
"So may all your enemies PERISH, LORD! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength." Then the land had peace forty years.Matthew 8:32
And He said to them, "Go." So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and PERISHED (drowned) in the water.Matthew 26:52
But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will PERISH(die) by the sword.Luke 11:51
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who PERISHED(died/was murdered) between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.Luke 13:33
Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should PERISH(die) outside of Jerusalem.Luke 15:17
But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I PERISH(die/starve) with hunger!
"LOVE is the revolution." |
