The Parable Of The Wedding Feast, Part 4of4, Pastor Phil Sessa

Matthew 22:12-14, 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’14“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Kingdom judgment is FINAL

Humanity has created a vast number of ways in which to torture others. It seems that over the years, humanity has created more and more gruesome ways in which to torture one’s enemies. Some of these torturous methods use water, fire, lack of oxygen, harmful/poisonous gases, physical beatings, sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, overstretching of limbs and body, etc…. Yes the kingdom of this world has created some vicious ways to torture people, but can it really compare with the eternal torture pronounced by the Kingdom of God? This may sound strange, because you may think, like many, that God is a God of love and would never send anyone to Hell, or allow them to suffer for all eternity. However, one must not look to ones feelings, but rather to Scripture to validate if God would indeed judge humanity.

In part 3 of this series we left off with the focus of the wedding garment being rejected by the ONLY one that did not wear the wedding garment, who stood speechless before the King when questioned about it. This next part looks at what the Kings response is to this man’s rejection of the King’s gift of a wedding garment to him. The king summoned once again his servants. Recall that previously some of his servants were killed, but he vindicated his servants by destroying their persecutors and burning their persecutors city to the ground. Now as he calls his servants to stand before him he commands them to respond to the garmentless guest. He commands them, “Bind him hand and foot.” Now there is NO way he can put a garment on at all! Then he commands, “take him away,” now the king will not have to look upon this man that rejected the king’s free gift of a garment any longer. Finally he says, “cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This certainly does not sound like a good thing. But where is this place that he is referring to? This speaks of inconsolable grief and unremitting torment. Jesus commonly used the phrases in this verse to describe hell (cf. 13:42, 50; 24:51). The kingdom of this world cannot and its most horrific torture cannot compare to the eternal torture of an eternal Hell! Once again, I realize that there are those that would say, “My God would never create hell.” Those who say that are right: their “god” would never create hell, because he couldn’t. He doesn’t exist. He is a figment of their imagination, a god they have created to suit themselves. It’s called “idolatry,” and it’s the oldest sin in the Book. Idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God. The one true God, however, could and did create hell for those who reject His mercy. They will reap His just wrath. Hell is a reasonable punish from a Holy King. Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body [the world’s torture] , but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Hell is real!

The Evidence Bible states, “Obviously, those who flippantly say such things don’t believe in the biblical concept of hell. Their understanding of the nature of God is erroneous. The slowwitted criminal thinks that the electric chair is a place to put up his feet for a while and relax. It may be wise therefore to speak with him for a few moments about the reasonableness of a place called hell. Reason with him by saying, “If a judge in Florida turns a blind eye to the unlawful dealings of the Mafia, if he sees their murderous acts and deliberately turns the other way, is he a good or bad judge? He’s obviously corrupt, and should be brought to justice himself. If he is a good judge, he will do everything within his power to bring those murderers to justice. He should make sure that they are justly punished. “If Almighty God sees a man rape and strangle to death your sister or mother, do you think He should look the other way, or bring that murderer to justice? If He looks the other way, He’s corrupt and should be brought to justice Himself. It makes sense then, that if God is good, He will do everything in His power to ensure justice is done. The Bible tells us that He will punish murderers, and the place of punishment—the prison God will send them to—is a place called hell. “God should punish murderers and rapists. However, God is so good, he will also punish thieves, liars, adulterers, fornicators, and blasphemers. He will even punish those who desired to murder and rape but never took the opportunity. He warns that if we hate someone, we commit murder in our hearts. If we lust, we commit adultery in the heart, etc.” Then take the time to tell him of the reality of hell. Sinners like to picture hell as a fun, hedonistic, pleasure-filled place where they can engage in all the sensual sins that are forbidden here. But Jesus said that it is a place of torment, where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched (Matthew 9:45-47). We tend to forget what pain is like when we don’t have it. Can you begin to imagine how terrible it would be to be in agony, with no hope of relief? Many human beings go insane if they are merely isolated for a long time from other people. Imagine how terrible it would be if God merely withdrew all the things we hold so dear—friendship, love, color, light, peace, joy, laughter, and security. Hell isn’t just a place with an absence of God’s blessings, it is punishment for sin. It is literal torment, forever. That’s why the Bible warns that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. God has given His Law to convince men of their sins, and unless a sinner is convinced that he has sinned against God, he won’t see that hell is his eternal destiny. He may consider it a fit place for others, but not for himself. That’s why we mustn’t hesitate to open up the Law and show that each individual is personally responsible for sin, and that God’s wrath abides on him because of it. Ask him to consider why you would say such things to him if it wasn’t true. Tell him to examine your motives. You are so concerned for his eternal welfare that you are prepared to risk offending him. Then ask him if he would sell an eye for a million dollars. Would he sell both for ten million? No one in his right mind would. Our eyes are precious to us. How much more then is our eternal soul worth?

Annihilationism and Soul Sleep are false doctrines

There are those who accept that hell is a place of punishment, but believe that the punishment is to be annihilated—to cease conscious existence. They can’t conceive that the punishment of the wicked will be conscious and eternal. If they are correct, then a man like Adolph Hitler, who was responsible for the deaths of millions, is being “punished” merely with eternal sleep [soul sleep]. His fate is simply to return to the non-existent state he was in before he was born, where he doesn’t even know that he is being punished. However, Scripture paints a different story. The rich man who found himself in hell (Luke 16:19–31) was conscious. He was able to feel pain, to thirst, and to experience remorse. He wasn’t asleep in the grave; he was in a place of “torment.” The Seventh Day Advents and the cults of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormons hold to these doctrines.

If hell is a place of knowing nothing or a reference to the grave into which we go at death, Jesus’s statements about hell make no sense. He said that if your hand, foot, or eye causes you to sin, it would be better to remove it than to “go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:43–48).

A biblical description of Hell

The Bible refers to the fate of the unsaved with such fearful words as the following:

“Shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2)
“Everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46)
“Weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:51)
“Fire unquenchable” (Luke 3:17)
“Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish” (Romans 2:8,9)
“Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord” (2Thessalonians 1:9)
“Eternal fire…the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude vs. 7,13)

Revelation 14:10,11 tells us the final, eternal destiny of the sinner: “He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone…the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night.”

Please, if you are reading this and you have never repented of your sin and trusted Christ alone for your salvation do it NOW. Likewise if you are a Christian then please with all the compassion you have in Christ Jesus, please use the Law of God (The Ten Commandments) to warn others both those you know as well as strangers you meet of the coming judgment. Do it for someone you love, even loving your enemies.

Until the nets are filled…
Blessings,

Phil Sessa, Evangelist Soulfishing Ministries <><