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196 mean never-ending' by specifically using, it in contrast with that which does end. For example, in 2 Cor. 4:18 we read, “While we look not on the things which are seen, but, the things which are unseen: for the things which are seen are temporal (liter ally, fo r a season ) ; but the things Iwhich are not seep are eternal.’’ Here the whole point is that the unseen things in distinc tion from the seen which are fo r a season are for a never ending period. But even allowing that thè word accord ing to its usage could be used of that which,., though it lasts throughout an age, or ages, .has an end ; even if thqt were true (which it is not), then th'e meaning of the word in any given instance would have to be determined by thé context in which it is found. Now what is the con text in the passage which we are studying? Let us read it again, “And these shall go away into eternal punishment : but the right eous into eternal ; life.” The same Greek adjective is used in connection with pun ishment and with life, j (In the Authorized Version it is differently rendered, but in the Greek and in the Revised Version it is..exactly the same). Certainly this quali fying adjective must mean the same in the one half o f the sentence that it means in the other half of the sentence: W e must, at, least admit that Jesus Christ was an honest man, and He certainly was too 'honest to jugglé with words : He would not use a word to mean one thing in one half o f a sentence and something utterly different in the other half. H e evidently sought to convey the impression * that the punishment of the unsaved was o f the same duration ¡as the life o f the saved. No one questions that the life is endless. It would be the destruction o f all our hopes if it were not endless, therefore, if we are to deal honestly with our Lord’s words, He taught that the punishment of the unsaved was to be endless. We have exactly the same reason in God’s Word for believing in endless punishment that we have for believing in,endless life. If you give up the one you must give up the other, or
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else deal dishonestly with the words of Jesus Christ. 2. W e might rest the case here»and call it proven, but let us turn to another pass age, Rev. 14:9-11, “And another angel, a third, 'followed them, saying with a great voice; If any man wdrshipeth the beast and his image, and reeeiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, he also shall drink of the wine' o f the wrath o f God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup o f His anger ; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence o f the Lamb: and the smoke o f their torment, goeth up fo r ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso reeeiveth the mark o f his name.” Here we have another expression for the duration o f the punishment and suffering o f the impeni tent, the expression rendered " fo r ever and ever: Theré are in the Greek two slightly differing forms of, expression that are so translated. The one form o f expression literally rendered is “unto the ages of the ages,” .the pther form is “unto ages of ages.” What thought do these expressions convey. It has beèn said by those who seek to escape the, forcé o f these words as referring to absolute endlessness, that the expression,“is a Hebraism for the supreme one pf its class,” and as an illustration of the same alleged Hebraism the expressions, “Lord o f Lords” and “ Holy o f Holies” are cited. But this is not so. • In the first place, the form of, neither o f the two expressions is the same ; and, in the second place, that is hot the1 meaning o f the expression “The Lord o f Lords” .or the meaning o f the expression “The Holy of Holies.” The expression “Lord o f Lords” does not mean, merely the supreme Lord, but one who is Himself Lord o f all other Lords, and this expression “unto the ages o f the ages” never means merely the ages whiph are the -supreme ages in distinction from other ages (nor as another puts it, the ages which come out' o f the other ages, i. e., the7closing ages before eternity): The
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