PART ONE - COMPARING MATTHEW 13 AND MATTHEW 24
 


FIRE AND BRIMSTONE RAIN UPON SODOM

n popular teaching and theology, the "furnace of fire" mentioned in Matthew 13:42 is generally thought to be a reference to "hell" or the everlasting fires of Gehenna. It is said that those in Matthew 13:42, upon being cast into this "furnace of fire" "weep and gnash their teeth". These thoughts have led to the erroneous teaching that all references to "weeping and gnashing of teeth" occur in "hell"". Many should be surprised to learn that in no place does Jesus teach that those, in either place which our translators have rendered "hell" (Hades, or Gehenna), weep and gnash their teeth.

A simple study of any exhaustive concordance will bear out the fact that the phrase "weeping and gnashing of teeth" never occurs in the same context as either Hades, or Gehenna. It is this very narrow-minded view which reads "hell" every time the Bible says "fire" which causes men to reach unfounded conclusions which the scriptures simply do not teach. The reaction of most people to these facts is : If the "furnace of fire" spoken of in Matthew 13:42 isn't a reference to "hell" then what is it referring to?

While thoughts like these are understandable given the fact that many of us have heard over and over again that "hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth", they should also alert us to just how much our assumptions can get in the way of true Biblical interpretation.  That "those in hell weep and gnash their teeth" IS an assumption can even be difficult for some to realize.  As I have stated above, the phrase "weeping and gnashing of teeth" is never said to take place in "hell". But the assumptions which would make this "furnace of fire" into "hell" run even deeper. Nothing in Matthew 13 is said about these being "the souls" of those who weep and gnash their teeth, and nothing is said about this taking place "eternally". These are ALL assumptions although those who hold such views can rarely ever see them as such.

The reference to the "furnace of fire" in Matthew 13:42 occurs in Jesus' interpretation of the parable of the Wheat and the Tares:

Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this age. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matt 13:36-42

Jesus also immediately gives the parable of the drag-net expressing the same thoughts:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the age: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matt 13:47-50

There are two very important features of each of these accounts which we need to take notice of:

In both cases the events are described as taking place at the close of the age in which we currently live, and in both it is said that the angels separate the unjust from among the just.

Correct interpretation of any passage can only be obtained by a careful comparison of scripture with other scripture. To properly discern the correct meaning of the events described we must look carefully into Jesus' teaching concerning the events to occur at the close of this age, and not just assume that the "fire" here is "hell". 

As most would admit, no more detailed account of the events which will close this age is to be found than those in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew; for it is here Jesus' disciples expressly asked him:

Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age? Matt 24:3

We should expect then to see parables; For in both cases, Matthew 13, and 24,  Jesus is explaining to his disciples the events which are to take place at the end of the age in which we currently live.
 
Therefore, we must ask ourselves; is their anything in the fair interpretation of the twenty-fourth Chapter of Matthew which would correspond with those events described in the parables of Chapter thirteen? Can we locate the separation of the wicked from among the just, as well as the 'weeping and gnashing of teeth'?

Yes we certainly can, although decades of incorrect interpretation have clouded the minds of many:

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them (the wicked) all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken (the wicked), and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken (the wicked), and the other left.  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites (Gk. hupokrites- a pretender, a counterfeit): there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 24:32-51 emphasis and words in parentheses are mine)

Here we see a parallel, in that we have described for us this same separation of the wicked from among the just, the same as we see in Chapter 13 although many have wrongfully applied this passage to the "rapture" of the church. An interpretation which would seek to make the ones "taken" into those "raptured" can only be made by completely disregarding the context of this passage.

Notice carefully:

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

So, in what follows, Jesus is describing a parallel between the two events; the days of Noah, and his coming.  This parallel can be illustrated in the following table:

The ones "taken" are clearly the wicked in both the case of the flood, and the end time events which Jesus is describing.  We can also find further scriptural evidence that the ones being "taken" here are the wicked, and not the saints in the "rapture". By comparing this passage from Matthew 24 with its parallel in Luke 17, we can see again that this passage simply cannot be describing the "rapture":

I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." "Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather." Luke 17:34-37

The disciples question "where Lord?" can only properly be interpreted as "where are these taken Lord?". There would be absolutely no point in asking "where are the others left?" as the Lord expressly says that they are left "in the bed", "grinding at the mill" etc.

Jesus answers "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather." This is where the wicked are "taken"; to a place of dead bodies, and vultures. To attempt to make Jesus' answer apply to the "rapture" borders on the absurd.

We see that in three separate passages which speak of the end of the age, each one specifically mentions this separation of the wicked from among the just.  As the flood took the wicked away at the end of the previous age, so shall the wicked be taken in judgment at the end of this age.

The nature of these wicked is also shown to be the same in both Matthew 13 and 24. Notice that as the 'tares', or counterfeit wheat in Matthew 13 are burned, it is the hypocrites, or pretenders, which undergo judgment in Matthew 24 as well:
 

Continuing our comparison, we see that the reaction of the wicked to the judgment of God is also the same:

That these are all parallel accounts of events which are to take place at the end of the current age, I do not feel anyone can reasonably deny.  However, it is important that we consider ALL the scriptural evidence regarding these sober warnings to arrive at the truth, and not just make assumptions as to their application.  This parallel is summarized in the following table:

So, the following information regarding these events has emerged:

1) In the end of the current age there is to be a great separation of the unjust from among the just. Jesus likens this event to a harvest. This gathering of the wicked out from among the just is prominently mentioned in all of these passages.

2) Angels are sent forth to sever the unjust from among the just. The just remain in the earth.

3) The wicked are taken to a place which our Lord designates as a "furnace of fire", the "portion with the hypocrites", and one of "vultures" and "carcasses".

4) In the place described the wicked will experience "weeping and gnashing of teeth".

These are facts which are discerned by a simple comparison of scripture with scripture taking into account ALL the evidence. We do not need to make assumptions, or impose our peculiar theological interpretations to arrive at these conclusions.  These passages both specifically speak of the wicked being separated from among the just at the close of the age according to the word's of our Savior himself.

What is most important to realize, is that if these passages are parallel, then the outcome and the fate of the wicked spoken of must also be parallel. For example, if the "furnace of fire" from Matthew 13 is really a reference to hell, then we should expect to see the same parallel in the accounts of Matthew 24 and Luke 17. Is this the case? No it simply is not.  

On the one hand the wicked are cast into "a furnace of fire" where they "weep and gnash their teeth".  In another they are said to be "cut asunder and assigned a portion with the hypocrites" and in still another they are said to be taken to a location where vultures feed upon their dead carcasses.

We need to pause here because this will prove to be a crucial point of our study.  Many readers will be led to believe that these passage then simply cannot refer to the same events, because in their view some refer to "hell" while the other refers to vultures feeding upon carcasses.  However, I plead with the reader to please examine and take note of the fact that such conclusions which make the "furnace of fire" in Mathew 13, or the "portion of the hypocrites" in Matthew 24 into "hell", are based only upon your assumptions, and not upon the word of God.  None of these passages mention "hell".  On the other hand they all DO mention the separation of the wicked from among the just which will take place at the end of the age, according to Jesus himself! 

This is so difficult for some people to see.  We have been told for so long that "weeping and gnashing of teeth" occurs in hell that it may completely escape our notice that the word "hell" is not mentioned within the context of any of these passages!  

If you conclude that these passages are not parallel, because you feel one or more MUST refer to hell, while the others do not, then you really need to ask yourself whether it is the word of God, or your theological assumptions and biases which are leading you to these conclusions.

Please notice how many assumptions must be made in order to make these passages support the doctrine of eternal torment:

1) It must be assumed that these passages apply to the condition of men beyond this life.

2) It must be assumed that these passages ultimately apply to all the wicked throughout time.

3) It must be assumed that the conditions stated here continue  throughout eternity.

Can any of these be proven from the above texts which are cited over and over to describe the torments of the damned in hell?

However, if we drop these assumptions and just take these as parallel accounts of events which are to happen at the end of the age, as Jesus himself has stated, then we would logically conclude that the wicked then living at the end of the age will be gathered to a place which Jesus described as "a furnace of fire" (Matt 13).  They will experience pain and anguish which our savior describes as "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt 13,24), and "cutting asunder" (Matt 24) but they must be killed by these judgments because vultures will come feed upon their dead bodies (Luke 17). 

These conclusions are derived from the FACTS of what the scriptures actually SAY, not from assumptions.  If this is the case then the "furnace of fire" spoken of in Matthew 13 is simply not a reference to "hell" at all but to punishments on earth which are to be meted out upon the wicked then living at the end of the age.  Furthermore, if this be true,  then the weeping and gnashing of teeth also has absolutely nothing to do with the doctrine of hell, but refers to the anguish these same wicked will undergo before they are killed, and not the anguish of 'immortal souls in hell'. 

"Yes" I hear you say, "But does not the Bible speak of a 'Lake of Fire', as well as 'Everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels'?  Do these not logically refer to the same thing as the 'furnace of fire in Matthew 13?"

I answer that these can only refer to the same 'fire' if those who hold this view can find sufficient scriptural proof to support their conclusions. 

In part two of our study we will examine the question of whether or not we can find further scriptural evidence to support our conclusion: that the judgments of God which bring about 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' take place on earth at the end of the age and not in hell. It will be shown that these same events which Jesus described for us (the figure of a harvest, the angels separating the wicked from among the just, the torment by fire, the weeping and gnashing of teeth, and ultimately the destruction of the wicked where the vultures feed upon their corpses) can all be specifically located elsewhere in scripture, and in the exact same order which our Savior gives them to us in the Gospels. In every case it will be shown that the picture is on earth, and not in some subterranean hell. Surely if this can be shown it must stand as the most convincing body of evidence that these passages have been woefully misapplied to the doctrine of eternal torment to any honest and open minded seeker of truth.
 
Finally in part three we will examine whether or not we can find scriptural evidence which would lead us to believe that the 'furnace of fire' in Matthew 13 is not the same fire as the 'lake of fire' from Revelation 20, or 'everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels' from Matthew 25.

Part 2- Comparing Matthew 13 and Revelation 14-19

Part 3- Is the Furnace of Fire an Everlasting Fire?

Detailed Chart-The Harvest and the Winepress of the Wrath of God