And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Deuteronomy 25:1-3
If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked. And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.
How do these passages fit with the conventional understanding that God's Judgment for the wicked is conscious existence and eternal suffering that never ends in a place called Hell?
Would we not expect God's punishment for the wicked to be consistent with His Law and have a limit?
There seems to be a different fate; for instance for the wicked servant in Luke 19:22 as compared with Matthew 18:32. The allegory in Matthew in particular seems to indicate someone who is lost; the parable in Luke separates the fate of losing the talent buried in the ground from the fate of those who would not have Him "rule over them." in verse 27. That would seem to indicate someone perhaps a Jew who physically makes it into the Millennium as a sheep and those destroyed the goats at the judgment immediately after the Tribulation.
To differentiate parables into one category or situation is tempting to due to fit a particular doctrinal viewpoint; but clearly there are applications for all wicked and righteous; as well as various rewards or lack thereof for His saints. There are applications for Israel as a nation; as well as the church. The focus certainly is on Israel as to where the events of the end times will occur; and the affects of what goes on in the end times will be felt throughout the earth.
The original question brought up the idea of how God would judge eternally with stripes as it were which could be metaphorical for punishments in hell; but again chastisement as a concept is opposed to wrath. Since He only chastises His own others are left to reap the reward of their doings. There will be varying degrees of punishment in hell; and no doubt those who are reprobate knowing something about God will have harsher sentences.
In summary; it is better to be disciplined now than suffer in hell; but it for His people there can be suffering inflicted by Satan if we persist in rebellion. ( 1 Cor. 5:5). We can be as the person in Proverbs 5:14 almost ruined in the assembly; or approaching death as in Psalm 88. Therefore we should be as David and quickly repent rather than others who stubbornly refuse correction and reap accordingly (such as Solomon). We all should have the mindset of Luke 21:36 but most believers don't.
This is likely because it is talking about God chastising his own (or His servants); He "scourges every son that He receives" as well as chastising them ( Hebrews 12:6). Better are the wounds of a friend than the kisses of an enemy ( Proverbs 27:6).
We see what appears in Luke to be a discussion of those fellowservants who are warning about the coming of the Lord and are "beaten by their fellow servants" ( Luke 12:45). We see that verse 39 and 46 indicate a house being "broken into" and verse 46 talks about being assigned in a place with the hypocrites and cut into pieces. That would be metaphorical language fitting into missing the Rapture; and going through the fire of the Tribulation from the way I see it.
Isaiah 10:5-6 discusses the "Assyrian" God's method of chastisement (one code word for Antichrist) who is used to judge a "hypocritical nation." Hence there is ample reason to at least ascribe this message to Israel as a rebellious nation who doesn't recognize their King until they realize that the one they trusted in turns against them.
There are ignorant people in churches today who God may still save or make their garments white in the Tribulation. Whether these are left behind believers or new believers as part of the witnessing campaign of the 144,000 it is martyrdom that is the test of all who truly believe in Christ. Those who know better and yet are truly His own of course (as with teachers) have a greater responsibility; hence the Lord will have to deal with them more harshly. I look at the Tribulation as being a massive campaign by God for fruit production; which He will get one way or another to His satisfaction. The word Tribulation apparently is related to "Tribulum" or the wheat being ripened and harvested rapidly in the blistering sun. It is good to look at such events in relation to the big picture; the worst persecution brings the greatest glory; and will be used to turn Israel back to the true Savior ( Zech 12:12; Rev. 1:7).
Luke 12:47,48
And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Deuteronomy 25:1-3
If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked. And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.
How do these passages fit with the conventional understanding that God's Judgment for the wicked is conscious existence and eternal suffering that never ends in a place called Hell?
Would we not expect God's punishment for the wicked to be consistent with His Law and have a limit?
There seems to be a different fate; for instance for the wicked servant in Luke 19:22 as compared with Matthew 18:32. The allegory in Matthew in particular seems to indicate someone who is lost; the parable in Luke separates the fate of losing the talent buried in the ground from the fate of those who would not have Him "rule over them." in verse 27. That would seem to indicate someone perhaps a Jew who physically makes it into the Millennium as a sheep and those destroyed the goats at the judgment immediately after the Tribulation.
To differentiate parables into one category or situation is tempting to due to fit a particular doctrinal viewpoint; but clearly there are applications for all wicked and righteous; as well as various rewards or lack thereof for His saints. There are applications for Israel as a nation; as well as the church. The focus certainly is on Israel as to where the events of the end times will occur; and the affects of what goes on in the end times will be felt throughout the earth.
The original question brought up the idea of how God would judge eternally with stripes as it were which could be metaphorical for punishments in hell; but again chastisement as a concept is opposed to wrath. Since He only chastises His own others are left to reap the reward of their doings. There will be varying degrees of punishment in hell; and no doubt those who are reprobate knowing something about God will have harsher sentences.
In summary; it is better to be disciplined now than suffer in hell; but it for His people there can be suffering inflicted by Satan if we persist in rebellion. ( 1 Cor. 5:5). We can be as the person in Proverbs 5:14 almost ruined in the assembly; or approaching death as in Psalm 88. Therefore we should be as David and quickly repent rather than others who stubbornly refuse correction and reap accordingly (such as Solomon). We all should have the mindset of Luke 21:36 but most believers don't.
We see what appears in Luke to be a discussion of those fellowservants who are warning about the coming of the Lord and are "beaten by their fellow servants" ( Luke 12:45). We see that verse 39 and 46 indicate a house being "broken into" and verse 46 talks about being assigned in a place with the hypocrites and cut into pieces. That would be metaphorical language fitting into missing the Rapture; and going through the fire of the Tribulation from the way I see it.
Isaiah 10:5-6 discusses the "Assyrian" God's method of chastisement (one code word for Antichrist) who is used to judge a "hypocritical nation." Hence there is ample reason to at least ascribe this message to Israel as a rebellious nation who doesn't recognize their King until they realize that the one they trusted in turns against them.
There are ignorant people in churches today who God may still save or make their garments white in the Tribulation. Whether these are left behind believers or new believers as part of the witnessing campaign of the 144,000 it is martyrdom that is the test of all who truly believe in Christ. Those who know better and yet are truly His own of course (as with teachers) have a greater responsibility; hence the Lord will have to deal with them more harshly. I look at the Tribulation as being a massive campaign by God for fruit production; which He will get one way or another to His satisfaction. The word Tribulation apparently is related to "Tribulum" or the wheat being ripened and harvested rapidly in the blistering sun. It is good to look at such events in relation to the big picture; the worst persecution brings the greatest glory; and will be used to turn Israel back to the true Savior ( Zech 12:12; Rev. 1:7).
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