PART I (Chapters 1-10)
Old Testament Evidence
1. Conditionalism Versus Immortal Soulism |
17 |
I. Purpose and Scope of This Vital Quest |
17 |
1. Fundamental Questions That Demand an Answer |
17 |
2. Sole Source of Reliable Information |
18 |
3. Author’s Personal Declaration of Faith |
18 |
4. Scope of the Ground Covered |
19 |
5. Basic Definition of Conditionalism |
19 |
II. Consistency and Obvious Soundness of Conditionalism |
20 |
1. Adam’s Potential for Immortality Was Conditional |
20 |
2. Conditionalism Harmonizes Divine Goodness With Human Freedom |
21 |
3. Conditionalism Attested Biblically, Logically, Historically |
22 |
III. Eternal Torment Involves Pagan “Dualism” Postulate |
23 |
2. Man Created in the Image of God |
29 |
I. Introductory Survey of Record of Creation |
29 |
II. Creation in “Image of God” Not a Valid Argument |
31 |
1. “Image of God” Does Not Connote “Immortality” for Man |
31 |
2. No Valid Reason for Singling Out Immortality |
32 |
3. Fundamental Fallacy Revealed by Parallel Syllogisms |
33 |
III. “Living Soul” Does Not Connote Immortality |
34 |
1. Living Soul Not a Separate Entity |
34 |
2. Innate Deathlessness Not Part of Original Endowment |
35 |
IV. “Breath of Life” Equated With “Spirit” and “Spirit of God” |
36 |
1. “Breath”—“Breath of God”—“Spirit”—“Spirit of God” |
36 |
2. “Breath of Life,” “Spirit of Life”—Same Principle of Life |
36 |
3. “Spirit,” or “Breath, Never Identified With Soul |
37 |
4. Possessors of “Breath of Life” Subject to Death |
38 |
V. Clarifying Distinctions Between Soul and Spirit |
38 |
1. “Soul” Dependent Upon Presence of “Spirit” |
39 |
2. Spirit and Soul Have Series of Contrasts |
39 |
3. “Spirit” Returns to God Who “Gave It” |
40 |
4. To “Save a Soul” Is to Save a Man |
40 |
5. Biblical Portrayal of Death |
40 |
3. Prohibition, Probation, Temptation, and Fall |
42 |
I. One Prohibition Placed Upon Man in Eden |
42 |
II. Freedom of Will, Is Moral Accountability |
44 |
1. Freedom of Will Is Essence of Being |
44 |
2. Endless Defiance Would Thwart God |
45 |
3. Ultimate Destruction for Incorrigible Defiance |
46 |
III. Temptation at Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil |
47 |
IV. Satan Himself the Undercover Tempter in Eden |
48 |
V. Lucifer’s Rebellion in Heaven Transferred to Earth |
50 |
1. Pride and Jealousy Fomented Rebellion in Heaven |
50 |
2. Eden Becomes the New Battleground |
51 |
3. Lucifer: Highest Angel Becomes Lowest Devil |
52 |
4. Satan’s Dual Lie Had But Single Point |
54 |
VI. Essence of Fall Was Believing Satan’s Lie |
55 |
4. The Gospel of Genesis 3:15 Proclaimed |
57 |
I. The Doom of Death and the Hope of Life |
57 |
1. The Terrors of Disobedience |
57 |
2. The First Glimmer of Hope |
58 |
II. Glorious Gospel Provisions Begin at Gates of Eden |
59 |
1. Becomes Father of Race Under New Probation |
60 |
2. Tree of Calvary Becomes Third Tree of Eden |
60 |
3. Placed on Probation, Given Second Chance |
61 |
III. Promised Seed Is Master Key to Atonement Mysteries |
61 |
1. “Highway of the Seed” Begins |
62 |
2. Conflict of the Ages Begins |
62 |
3. Personal Application of the Fall to Us |
62 |
IV. “Coats of Skins” Typified Righteousness of Christ |
63 |
1. Divine Propitiation Provided |
63 |
2. Deeper Mysteries of Atonement Enfolded |
64 |
V. Christ’s Central Place in Gospel of Eden |
64 |
1. Becomes Son of Man to Restore Lost Man |
64 |
2. Assumes His True and Central Place |
66 |
3. Processes and Provisions of Redemption and Restoration |
67 |
4. Enabling Provisions of Redemption |
68 |
5. The Penalty of Death for Disobedience |
69 |
I. A Second Chance Provided for the Sinner |
69 |
1. A Reprieve Granted Adam and Eve |
69 |
2. Significance of Probation for Race |
71 |
II. Adam Died Judicially cm Day of Transgression |
71 |
1. Rhetorical Figure of Prolepsis Employed |
72 |
2. Other Instances Are Not Misunderstood |
72 |
3. Sands in Time’s Hourglass Begin Falling |
73 |
4. Finality of Death Imposed Not Specified |
73 |
III. Encompassing Involvements of Death Penalty |
73 |
1. “Death” Embraces Total Punishment for Sin |
74 |
2. Justice Requires Penalty Be Understood |
74 |
3. “Second Death” Completes the Death Penalty |
75 |
4. “Second Death” Is Loss of Life, Not Continuance |
76 |
5. Doom Applies to Man as a Whole |
77 |
IV. Supreme Argument Against Eternal Torment |
77 |
1. Death Penalty Steins From Law and Authority |
77 |
2. Question Settled at Highest Level |
78 |
V. Sleep the Beautiful Euphemism for Death |
79 |
1. First a Sleep, With Resurrection Awakening |
79 |
2. Implications of the Metaphor of Sleep |
79 |
3. Time Obliterated to the Sleeper |
80 |
4. “Sleep” Is Undeviating Synonym for “Death” |
80 |
6. Redemption in the Period of the Sacrificial Altar |
83 |
I. Cain and Abel Tested by Sacrificial Offering System |
83 |
1. Fatal Lack in Cain’s Bloodless Offering |
85 |
2. Larger Involvements of Sin, Death, and Salvation |
86 |
II. Unfolding Portrayal to Abraham Included Resurrection |
87 |
1. Abraham’s Test of Faith in Gospel Provision |
88 |
2. Provision of Resurrection Recognized by Patriarchs |
89 |
3. Only the Dawn; Not Yet the Noontide |
90 |
III. Two Ways to Glory—Translation and Resurrection |
92 |
1. Enoch and Elijah Translated Without Dying |
93 |
2. Moses’ Resurrection: First to Break Bonds of Death |
94 |
IV. Annual Round of Tabernacle Services Typified Gospel Realities |
95 |
1. Yearly Enactment of Plan of Redemption |
96 |
2. Justice and Mercy Met in Type at the Ark |
97 |
3. Sin and Righteousness, Death and Life, Portrayed |
97 |
4. Penal Punishment Death Not Life Imprisonment |
98 |
5. Sinner Incurred Doom of Death |
99 |
6. Entire Sacrificial System Fulfilled in Christ |
99 |
7. Christ Actually and Truly Died in Atonement |
100 |
8. Death Penalty Under the Divine Law |
101 |
V. Christ, Prophesied First Fruits, Rose on Precise Day |
101 |
1. First Fruits a Fixed Part of Annual Service |
102 |
2. “Every Man in His Own Order” |
102 |
3. First Fruits Resurrection Fulfilled on Very Day of Type |
103 |
7. Eternal Destruction Is Decreed Doom of Wicked |
105 |
I. Utter Destruction Ultimate Fate of Intractably Wicked |
105 |
1. Scores of Old Testament Verbs Signify “Destroy” |
106 |
2. Imposing Array of Literal English Equivalents |
106 |
3. Galaxy of Figurative Expressions Support the Literal |
107 |
4. Iterated and Reiterated in Key Chapters |
107 |
II. Multiple Terms Signify Complete Destruction of Being |
108 |
III. Eternal Torment No Part of Death Penalty |
111 |
1. Torture No Part of Jewish Sacrificial Rite |
112 |
2. Torture No Part of Mosaic Penal Code |
112 |
IV. Eternal Destiny Revolves Around Intent of “Life” and “Death” |
113 |
1. Life and Death—Keys That Unlock Inspired Intent |
113 |
2. Platonic Perversion of Death as Perpetual Life |
113 |
3. Innate-Immortality Postulate Reverses True Exegesis |
114 |
4. Christ’s Death, Not Sufferings, Constituted Atoning Sacrifice |
114 |
5. Destruction Not Eternal Torment the Punishment |
115 |
V. Stock Objections Invoked Collapse Under Scrutiny |
115 |
1. Isaiah 33:14—Contention Collapses Under Scrutiny |
115 |
2. Isaiah 66:24—Carcasses, Undying Worm, Unquenchable Fire |
117 |
3. Deprived of Life, Not Consigned to Misery |
119 |
4. Daniel 12:2—Resurrections to Life and to Judgment |
120 |
5. Conclusion: Contentions of Three Citations Collapse |
120 |
8. Prophetic Witness Concerning the “Last Things” |
122 |
I. The Two Advents Focal Points of All Prophecy |
122 |
1. Master Key to Man’s Destiny |
122 |
2. Issues of Time and Eternity |
122 |
3. Key to Divine Movements of the Ages |
123 |
4. Only True Philosophy of History |
123 |
II. Outline Prophecies Mark Out Highway of the Centuries |
125 |
1. Continuity, Comprehensiveness, and Repetition |
125 |
2. Destiny of World Powers of History Portrayed |
126 |
3. Course of Empire Gives Way to God’s Kingdom |
127 |
4. Now Living in “Time of End” |
127 |
5. Sublimity of Revelation Surpasses Human Comprehension |
128 |
III. Significance of “Day of Lord” and Cognate Terms |
131 |
1. Transcendent “Day of the Lord” |
131 |
2. Second Advent to Terminate “Latter Days” |
131 |
3. Resurrection Is Climactic Feature of Advent |
132 |
4. Eternal Restoration Is Reward of Righteous |
134 |
5. Wicked to Receive Punitive Destruction |
134 |
IV. Solemn Procession of Prophetic Witnesses Testify |
135 |
1. Panoramic Survey of Old Testament Witnesses |
135 |
2. Constant Succession of Eschatological Glimpses |
136 |
V. Isaiah—Star Witness on Inspiration’s Witness Stand |
138 |
VI. Major Results Spring From “Day of the Lord” |
140 |
1. Scenes of Judgment Dominate Closing Portrayal |
140 |
2. New Earth Becomes Eternal Home of Redeemed |
141 |
3. Obliteration of Sin Eventuates in Clean Universe |
142 |
4. Resurrection and Millennium Clarified in New Testament |
142 |
5. Barren Condition of Earth During Millennium |
143 |
9. Technical Terms and Usages Preclude Innate Immortality |
145 |
I. Must Understand Key Old Testament Terms Through Usage |
145 |
II. Meaning of Nephesh in the Hebrew of the Old Testament |
146 |
1. “Nephesh” Has Several Common Meanings |
146 |
2. A General Definition of Nephesh |
147 |
3. Basic Idea That of Individual Himself |
147 |
III. Nephesh as Translated in the English Versions |
148 |
1. English Translation Reveals Significant Facts |
148 |
2. Interesting Variations in R.S.V |
150 |
3. Problems Confront the Translators |
150 |
4. Three Clear Conclusions Concerning “Nephesh” |
151 |
IV. “Ruach” and “Neshamah” Have a Variety of Meanings |
152 |
1. Context Must Indicate Best Translation |
152 |
2. “Neshamah” and “Ruach” in Poetic Parallelism |
153 |
3. The Life, Principle That God Imparts |
154 |
4. “Ruach” Has No Separate Conscious Existence |
155 |
V. Relation of “Spirit” or “Breath” to Life and Death |
155 |
1. “Breath of Life” and “Spirit of God” the Cause of Life |
155 |
2. Spirit Distinct From Life It Produces |
156 |
3. Restoration of Spirit at Resurrection |
157 |
VI. Fundamental Distinction Between Man and Beast |
158 |
1. Immortality Not Conferred by Inbreathed “Breath” |
158 |
2. Totally Different From Brute Creation |
158 |
10. Weak Arguments Formulate Unworthy Platform |
160 |
I. “She’ol’s” Most Suitable Rendering Is “Gravedom” |
160 |
1. Difficulty Created by Variant Translations |
160 |
2. “Hell” a Wholly Unsuitable Translation |
161 |
3. “Gravedom”—Most Suitable Rendering for “She’ol” |
162 |
4. Suspension of Life in “She’ol” Awaiting Resurrection |
162 |
5. Darkness of “She’ol” Dissipated by Light of Resurrection |
163 |
6. “She’ol“: Place of Death, Not Life |
164 |
7. “She’ol” and “Death” Are Frequently Synonymous |
164 |
II. Origin of “Gehenna” (Ge Hinnom) Symbol of Final Destruction |
165 |
1. Historical Background of “Gehenna” |
165 |
2. Associated With Upsurge of Necromancy |
166 |
3. Josiah Transforms Valley Into Refuse Pit |
167 |
III. Three Supporting Citations Break Down Under Scrutiny |
168 |
1. Recourse to Weak Arguments an Unworthy Procedure |
168 |
2. Jonah Not Dead: So Case Is Dismissed |
169 |
IV. Isaiah’s Parabolic Taunting Ode on King of Babylon |
170 |
1. Personified Trees Rejoice Over Fallen Monarch |
171 |
2. Paths of Glory Lead but to Grave |
172 |
V. Ezekiel’s Parabolic Dirge Over Pharaoh of Egypt |
172 |
1. “She’ol” Contrasted With State of Living |
173 |
2. Parabolic Scourge Not Construed Literally |
173 |
VI. Saul Deceived by Necromancy of Medium of Endor |
174 |
1. Evil Spirits Personating the Dead |
175 |
2. Saul’s Recourse to Forbidden Craft of Necromancy |
176 |
3. Saul Deceived; Slain for His Transgressions |
177 |
4. Crux of the Whole Portrayal |
177 |
5. Cruel Hoax and Its Modern Counterpart |
179 |
6. Grandeur of God’s Wondrous Provision |
179 |