gradated punishment?

[Tyler22]

Hi I don't understand the Bible easily, but I am going to post a quote from gotquestions.org and ask you to help me understand what "gradated" punishment means HERE, but PLEASE read the verses FIRST.  thanks so much.

 

Quote : In addition to fire, the New Testament describes hell as a bottomless pit (abyss) (Revelation 20:3), a lake (Revelation 20:14), darkness (Matthew 25:30), death (Revelation 2:11), destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9), everlasting torment (Revelation 20:10), a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30), and a place of gradated punishment (Matthew 11:20-24; Luke 12:47-48; Revelation 20:12-13).

[Neighbor]

38 minutes ago, Tyler22 said:

Hi I don't understand the Bible easily, but I am going to post a quote from gotquestions.org and ask you to help me understand what "gradated" punishment means HERE, but PLEASE read the verses FIRST.  thanks so much.

 

Quote : In addition to fire, the New Testament describes hell as a bottomless pit (abyss) (Revelation 20:3), a lake (Revelation 20:14), darkness (Matthew 25:30), death (Revelation 2:11), destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9), everlasting torment (Revelation 20:10), a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30), and a place of gradated punishment (Matthew 11:20-24; Luke 12:47-48; Revelation 20:12-13).

Gradation in general is measure. In every sense of the word it is a measure, a degree, and  I add of my own understanding it is also a limit.

Example: an eye for an eye is not a demand for an eye to be taken for an eye lost, but instead is a limit to payment for damages done. One does not take a life for an eye as example. Recompense is limited. 

God will punish severely anyone that exceeds proper recompense, as He did those that severed the hackles of oxen in their own rage and sense of  justice with retribution. God is just, He is also more. He is fair, but He is also more.  He is also generous in mercies. For God paid the price of all injustice and all sin against Him done by the very people He has given to Jesus and called out  to be His elect. He offered His own Son  and His Son willingly  became the sacrificial price paid  in full for the sins of the saints. All so that  God may be fully just and fully merciful to an undeserving and fallen creation. Seems God's punishment is graduated, but His love is overflowing beyond measure.  Only God can reconcile the two.

That is my own understanding that I share for whatever it is worth.

Edited July 20, 2017 by Neighbor

[Willa]

This is somewhat the same as the message in Romans 2.  Those who know right from wrong and are taught the law of God but do wicked things will get more punishment than the person who does good even though he was never taught right from wrong.  So the unsaved Jews who know the law and do evil will have harsher punishment than those who do good but have never heard of the law.  Both will go to hell because neither is perfect or has received the Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Those who know that Jesus is the Christ and willfully reject Him also receive a harsher punishment than those who have not heard of Him.  Only the saved will have their names written in the Book of Life and dwell with God.  But in hell there will be harsher punishment for those who know better and still willfully refuse to good or accept Christ.  

Even the saved with have their works judged.  Their sins will be forgiven and wiped clean, forgiven.  But some will have done many good works, used mightily by God to save thousands, while others of us have not exercised our gifts much to God's glory and will receive only small rewards.  But in the end we cast all our rewards at the feet of Jesus because we know that in our flesh, our selfish life, is no good thing, and that we would not so much as be saved or do anything good if not for Jesus residing us and working in our lives.

[missmuffet]

I believe because of Revelation 20:12 not everyone will get the same punishment in hell or the lake of fire. It will all be very, very bad but like those in heaven who will get different rewards those in hell will get a different punishment.

[Neighbor]

I do need to add that I do not see "gradation of punishment" within the verses mentioned; especially not in Rev 20:12.

 See verse Rev. 20:15. 

[missmuffet]

21 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

I do need to add that I do not see "gradation of punishment" within the verses mentioned; especially not in Rev 20:12.

 See verse Rev. 20:15. 

" And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books". My post was in reference to this. This tell me that those who are judged in the great white throne judgement will be judged according to what they have done on this earth. A little old grandma who was loving and kind and did many things for others but was not a believer in Jesus Christ will get a different punishment than Hitler. 

[Neighbor]

1 hour ago, missmuffet said:

" And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books". My post was in reference to this. This tell me that those who are judged in the great white throne judgement will be judged according to what they have done on this earth. A little old grandma who was loving and kind and did many things for others but was not a believer in Jesus Christ will get a different punishment than Hitler. 

But Miss Muffet, the standard of God is perfection, and the following passage includes verse 15 which states that those not found in the book of life are what?  Are some gently wrapped in foil and placed carefully  over gentle heat? Or does it state all are  thrown into the fire? Seems to me fire is fire to those that are in it. And so I do  not reach the concussion that judged according to their deeds equals differing penalty. It simply means to me that  lacking the perfection that is God's standard one comes up short no matter what the degrees of faults and is thrown into the fire. You and I know that our mutual Lord and saior Jesus has already paid our penalty in full, making us appear white as snow in the eyes of the Father. Praise God for that.

So we differ in our understanding on degree, whether that be heat or punishment. I can live with that knowinhg that for us it is not an issue that will cost either of us harm.

 It is an interesting subject, one that can bear more study, and is also the subject of many a piece of art too, leading to many concepts of the mind.

Thanks for sharing of your view and vantage, it helps me. I enjoy it hope you do too.

 The passage:

Judgment Before the Great White Throne

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

 

Edited July 21, 2017 by Neighbor

[missmuffet]

8 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

But Miss Muffet, the standard of God is perfection, and the following passage includes verse 15 which states that those not found in the book of life are what?  Are some gently wrapped in foil and placed carefully  over gentle heat? Or does it state all are  thrown into the fire? Seems to me fire is fire to those that are in it. And so I do  not reach the concussion that judged according to their deeds equals differing penalty. It simply means to me that  lacking the perfection that is God's standard one comes up short no matter what the degrees of faults and is thrown into the fire. You and I know that our mutual Lord and saior Jesus has already paid our penalty in full, making us appear white as snow in the eyes of the Father. Praise God for that.

So we differ in our understanding on degree, whether that be heat or punishment. I can live with that knowinhg that for us it is not an issue that will cost either of us harm.

 It is an interesting subject, one that can bear more study, and is also the subject of many a piece of art too, leading to many concepts of the mind.

Thanks for sharing of your view and vantage, it helps me. I enjoy it hope you do too.

 The passage:

Judgment Before the Great White Throne

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

 

No, I told you that hell is all very very bad. All those in the lake of fire will suffer an eternal conscience torment and judgement. Some less that others? God knows the details I do not. That is what the passage in Revelation tells me. 

 

What

[Neighbor]

Maybe we will all know very soon more than we do today. If the take over of the Temple Mount by the Israel's means anything.

[brakelite]

I am not an advocate for eternal torment, and everyone there affected by the heat differently. My reading of all scripture informs me that sinners enter 'hell' together, after the second resurrection,  each one suffering according to their degree of guilt, until they are finally destroyed.