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The Human Shape of the Holy Land

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The Human Shape of the Holy Land
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Mr Rodger Tutt And His Opposing View

In the face of the overwhelming evidence of a ENDLESS HELL, many like Rodger Tutt will try to twist the scriptures into saying that there is no eternal torment for the lost. They may use arguments such as the following:


1. They may point out 1 Timothy 2:4, which refers to God "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." The Greek word translated "will have" in this verse is "thelo" which means "to have in mind" or "to desire" or "to intend". But just because God desires something, does not mean that he forces it to happen. After all, he desires that we refrain from sin, yet we do sin.

2. Quoting Romans 11:26 they may say "... all Israel shall be saved ...." However, they are ignoring the fact that Paul says in Romans 9:6, "... they are not all Israel, which are of Israel ...." Only those with circumcised hearts will be saved, not merely circumcised flesh.

3. They may refer to passages such as 1 Timothy 1:15, "... Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ...." Certainly, He will save many sinners, but to conclude that He will save them all, is logically flawed. For example, if you say you are going to the store to buy beans, you do not mean that you are going to buy them all.

4. Some may dispute the translation of the Greek word "aionios", which is most often translated "eternal" or "everlasting" in the King James Version of the Bible. They argue that this word does not mean "eternal", but that it just means "a long time". Let us examine this word more closely to see if this view has any credibility.

The prophecy in Matthew 25:46 provides two examples of the use of this word. At the end of the great tribulation, Jesus Christ will divide the Gentile tribulation survivors into two groups. Then He will say, "And these shall go away into everlasting (aionios) punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (aionios)." Here, the English words "everlasting" and "eternal" are each translated from the same Greek word "aionios". Over and over, the word "aionios" is also used to describe the punishment of the lost. For example, Matthew 25:41 says, "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting (aionios) fire, prepared for the devil and his angels ...." Some other examples are Matthew 18:8, Mark 3:29, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Hebrews 6:2, and Jude 1:7. Also, the word "aionios" is used over and over to describe the life of those who receive salvation. For example, Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal (aionios) life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Some other examples are John 6:47, Acts 13:48, Romans 5:21, 1 Timothy 1:16, Titus 3:7, 1 John 5:11, and Jude 21. Therefore, those who argue that the punishment in the lake of fire for the wicked will one day end, must also argue that the life of those who are saved will one day end.


The word "aionios" is used 71 times in the Bible, and every time it is used, it is describing something that is eternal. The word "aionios" is also used to describe the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14), salvation (Hebrews 5:9), redemption (Hebrews 9:12), the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11), the honor and power of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:16), God's glory (1 Peter 5:10), and our immortal bodies that we will one day receive (2 Corinthians 5:1). Those who argue that the punishment in the lake of fire for the wicked will one day end, must also argue that all of these will one day expire.


Finally Romans 16:26 says, "But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting (aionios) God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith ...." The word "aionios" is used here as an adjective directly describing God Himself. So, those who argue that the punishment in the lake of fire for the wicked will one day end, must also argue that God Himself will one day cease to exist! Obviously, God is everlasting, and so is the torment of the lost.


Besides all of this, there are many Bible passages which make it clear that the punishment of the lost is eternal without even using the word "aionios".

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