Excerpt from the Dead Sea Scrolls 1QS
"Manual of Discipline"
Section IV
"And the Visitation of all who walk in this (wicked) spirit shall be a multitude of plagues by the hand of all the destroying angels, everlasting damnation by the avenging wrath of the fury of God, eternal torment and endless disgrace together with shameful >>extinction in the fire of the dark regions.<< The times of all their generations shall be spent in sorrowful mourning and in bitter misery and in calamities of darkness until they are destroyed without remnant or survivor."
There are so many concepts from Babylon mislead translators and church leaders. The Bible clearly says, in its English translation, that the wicked will receive everlasting punishment and torment. The concept roots to Hellenistic times, and there is some truth to it as we see in the quote above.
"Eternal Torment and Endless Disgrace" are couple together. However, they're not alone. They're "together with shameful extinction in the fire of the dark regions." What can we make of this? Is it eternal pain or constant torment, or extinction? Let's keep it simple and use a verse that everyone should be familiar with to hit this point home.
[Jhn 3:16 KJV] 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Who gets everlasting life? Is it a gift to the wicked? No! The wicked will perish... be destroyed.
Revelation makes it clear where this eternal fire and torment is, in the Lake of Fire. What does Revelation have to say about the Lake of Fire?
[Rev 20:14-15 KJV] 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
So, if a name is not in the Book of Life, will it have life after Judgment, or will it partake of the second death, spiritual death, and become extinct, annihilated, and perish?
Let me give you an example.. a fire that burns a match without being quenched does what? It burns until all the fuel for the fire is consumed. That is unquenchable fire.
The word used to express "Eternal" Torment and "Endless" Disgrace needs some clarity. I'd love a Strong's Concordance for the DSS.
Shalom, all.
