Escaping The Pit
1. An Unbroken Chain of Blindness
2. A Trinity of Errors
3. The Evidence of the Literal Text
4. The Sovereign Success of God
5. The Mechanics of Restoration
6. The Refiner's Fire and The Touchstone of Truth
7. The Death of Death
Appendix: Literal Greek Glossary
Epilogue: The Restoration of All Things
1. An Unbroken Chain of Blindness
Fleeing Blind-Guide Denominations While Keeping Their Error-Filled Bibles Still Leads to a Pit
A massive migration is underway in American Christendom. Disillusioned by the rigidity, corruption, and dead traditions of legacy institutions, millions are rightly fleeing the "Blind-Guide Ivory Towers" of Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics and many other spiritually bankrupt denominations. They seek refuge in the rising tide of non-denominational assemblies, hoping to find a faith that is authentic, stripped of human invention, and rooted solely in Scripture.
This exodus may be a necessary step toward truth. However, the migration remains dangerously incomplete.
While these believers have successfully stripped the labels from their church signs, they still unknowingly carry the virus of the old systems right through the front door. They have rejected the names of the denominations, yet they cling tightly to the tools forged by them: the many and varied flawed English Bible translations.
The Poison in the Well
The average congregant in a modern church assumes their Bible—be it the NIV, ESV, NASB, or NLT—is a neutral, objective rendering of God’s Word. They are woefully mistaken. These translations were not dropped from heaven; they were crafted in the committee rooms of the very seminaries and denominational hierarchies from which many of these believers are now escaping.
When a translation committee meets, it is rarely a gathering of unbiased linguists dedicated to the raw, literal force of the Greek text. It often is a political coalition of denominational scholars. Each arrives with spiritually barren doctrines of men and centuries of theological baggage. They do not ask, "What does the Greek say?" They ask, "How can we render this so it fits our systematic theology?"
The result is not a translation, but an interpretation masquerading as one. They smooth over the "rough" edges of the text where the literal Greek contradicts their traditions. They replace concrete, specific terms with vague religious jargon. They vote on the Word of God as if Truth were a democracy.
Disseminating the Doctrines of Men
When a pastor stands in the pulpit and reads from these compromised texts, he is not preaching God's Word. He is preaching a text that has already been pre-digested and filtered through the doctrinal filters of flawed men.
- Ecclesiology: They translate ekklesia as "church"—a word loaded with institutional, architectural, and hierarchical baggage—rather than the literal "assembly" or "called-out ones," thereby preserving the power structure of the clergy.
- Offices: They fabricate titles like "Office of the Bishop" or "Deacon" where the Greek speaks simply of "overseers" and "servants," creating a ruling class that Scripture never established.
- Theology: They soften hard truths and inject theological bias into prepositions and verb tenses to support Calvinist, Arminian, or Catholic frameworks, effectively deciding what the reader is allowed to believe before the reader even finishes the sentence.
The Trojan Horse of Tradition
The tragedy is that while the packaging has changed, the product remains not just tainted, but filled with errors. A church may meet in a warehouse and wear jeans, but if its authority is derived from a text corrupted by centuries of denominational bias, it is still tethered to the failed "doctrines of men."
"Leave them: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into a pit" (Matthew 15:14).
Those who accept these translations without question, allow the blind guides of the past to continue leading them into a pit. Those finding a haven in non-denominational churches may have changed their church, but they have not changed their guidebook, and as a result they remain mired hopelessly in darkness.
The Call for Literalism
To truly break free from the errors of the blind-guide denominations, we must break free from their error-filled translations. One cannot build a house of truth on a foundation of compromise. The only remedy is a return to the earliest known Greek Text of the New Testament and a rigorous, unyielding literalism—a translation philosophy that refuses to bow to tradition, refuses to smooth out the text for modern sensibilities, and refuses to co-mingle distinct Greek words as if they were identical.
Until we embrace a text that actually says what the earliest Greek version of the New Testament says—word for word, without the filter of the failed ivory-tower seminaries—we are merely rearranging the furniture on a sinking ship. The keys to our freedom have been in the Greek text all along, hidden under layers of perverted English tradition and error-filled translations.
2. A Trinity of Errors
A Case Study in Mistranslation: Aiōn, Gehenna, and Pro-orizein
A most outrageous mechanism of control occurs when a committee translates a concrete Greek word into an abstract theological concept. At this juncture they are no longer translating; they are interpreting and then forcing that interpretation on the reader as if it were the original word.
Nowhere is this deception more damaging than in the translation of three specific words that form the foundation of modern fear-based theology. Consider these three words, the mistranslation of which physically and linguistically distorts the character of God.
1. Aiōn (G165)
Standard Translation: "Eternity" or "Forever."
Literal Meaning: An eon; an age; a specific duration of time.
The Error:
The logic here is irrefutable: You cannot have a plural of "eternity." Yet, the Greek text frequently refers to tous aiōnas ("the eons" - plural) or tōn aiōnōn ("of the eons"). If aiōn means "eternity," then the Bible speaks of "eternities of eternities," which is nonsensical.
By translating this as "eternal" or "forever," translators hide God’s plan of the ages (dispensations). They turn a series of specific time periods with a beginning and an end into a static, unending state.
2. Gehenna (G1067)
Standard Translation: "Hell."
Literal Meaning: The Valley of Hinnom (Ge-Hinnom).
The Error:
This is a proper noun—a geographical location south of Jerusalem. To translate "Valley of Hinnom" as "Hell" is equivalent to translating "Wichita Falls" as "The City of Corruption." One is a map location; the other is an opinion or a theological construct.
When Jesus spoke of Gehenna, his Jewish audience pictured the burning city dump outside the city walls where refuse and the bodies of criminals were consumed—not a metaphysical underworld of Dante’s Inferno. By changing a place name into a theological concept, translators inject pagan mythology (the underworld) into Hebrew geography.
3. Pro-orizein (G4309)
Standard Translation: "Predestine."
Literal Meaning: To mark out boundaries beforehand (Pre-horizon).
The Error:
The root word here is horizō (G3724), from which we get the English word "horizon." It literally means to define a boundary or a limit. Adding the prefix pro simply means to do this beforehand.
"Predestination" carries heavy baggage from Augustine and Calvin regarding who goes to heaven and who goes to "hell." However, pro-orizein strictly means designating a specific scope, boundary, or function for a group (like the believers) before the event occurs. It is about setting the horizon of a plan, not fatally determining the inescapable doom or glory of every individual soul.
The Theological Consequence
By mistranslating these three words, denominational Blind-Guide committees construct a terrifying theology that does not exist in the literal text:
- Gehenna becomes a place of torture.
- Aiōn makes that torture last "forever."
- Pro-orizein claims God decided who goes there before they were born.
If you translate them literally, this bogus theology collapses, and a different picture of God emerges.
3. The Evidence of the Literal Text
Dismantling the Strongholds of Tradition
In the previous chapters, we exposed the systemic corruption of the Blind-Guide "Ivory Tower" translation committees and identified three specific Greek words they have twisted to agree with their failed doctrines. But abstract concepts are easy to ignore until we see them applied.
To understand the magnitude of the deception, we must look at the verses themselves. We must place the popular, committee-approved readings side-by-side with the earliest literal Greek. When we strip away the theological overlays, we do not just get a clearer sentence; we get a completely different theology.
Here are three critical examples where the Blind Guide "Ivory Tower" translation obscures the truth of God’s plan.
1. Matthew 25:46 – The Pillar of Eternal Torture
This verse is frequently cited as the "proof text" for the doctrine of eternal conscious torment. It is the weapon used to terrify congregants into submission. However, when you repair the translation of aiōnion and kolasin, the doctrine of endless torture dissolves into nothing.
Greek Text:
Kai apeleusontai houtoi eis kolasin aiōnion, hoi de dikaioi eis zōēn aiōnion.
Blind Guide (NIV): "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Literal Translation: "And these will go away into correction eonian (of the age), but the righteous into life eonian (of the age)."
The Critical Differences:
- Not "Eternal" (Aiōnion): As established, the adjective cannot mean "eternal" if the noun (aiōn) means an age. You cannot have an "eternal-ish" age. The text refers to a duration of time with a beginning and an end. The experience applies to that specific age.
- Not "Punishment" (Kolasin): The Greek language has a specific word for vindictive, retributive punishment: timōria. That is not the word used here. Matthew uses kolasin.
Etymology: Kolasin is derived from a horticultural term meaning "to prune" (cutting back branches so the tree bears fruit).
Meaning: It implies corrective discipline or chastening for the good of the one being corrected. It is functional, not merely penal.
The Result: The Blind Guide "Ivory Tower" translation presents a God who tortures people forever without purpose. The Literal Text reveals a God who "prunes" or corrects them for the duration of the coming age.
2. Ephesians 1:5 – The Foundation of Arbitrary Selection
This verse is the bedrock of Calvinistic doctrine, teaching that God arbitrarily chooses some individuals for heaven and discards the rest before they are born.
Greek Text:
proorisas hēmas eis huiothesian dia Iēsou Christou...
Blind Guide (ESV): "He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ..."
Literal Translation: "Having marked out boundaries beforehand [of] us into son-placing through Jesus Christ..."
The Critical Differences:
- Not "Predestined" (Proorisas): This is not about fatalistic destiny regarding the salvation of a soul. It is about horizons (horizō). God drew a circle (a boundary) beforehand. He determined that anyone inside that circle—anyone "in Christ"—would receive a specific position. It is a plan for a group, not a lottery for individuals.
- Not "Adoption" (Huiothesian): In modern English, "adoption" implies taking a child who is not biologically yours and making them part of the family. This obscures the Greek meaning.
Literal Meaning: Huios (Son) + Tithemi (Place/Set).
Context: In the ancient world, "son-placing" was a ceremony where a natural-born child was officially recognized as a mature son, granting him full inheritance rights and authority over the estate.
The Result: God did not arbitrarily pick winners and losers. He set a boundary beforehand that those "in Christ" would not just be children, but would be placed into the position of mature sons with administrative authority.
3. Matthew 5:22 – Geography vs. Mythology
Finally, we look at how a specific place on a map was turned into a pagan mythology.
Greek Text:
...enochos estai eis tēn Gehennan tou pyros.
Blind Guide (KJV): "...shall be in danger of hell fire."
Literal Translation: "...liable will be into the Valley of Hinnom of the fire."
The Result: Jesus was not introducing a metaphysical underworld of demons and torture. He was warning his Jewish audience about a physical judgment and a shameful death—being cast into the burning city dump (Gehenna) where trash and the bodies of criminals were consumed. By translating a map location as "Hell," the committees injected pagan mythology into Hebrew geography.
Conclusion
When we read these verses literally, the "Monster God" of the denominations disappears. He is replaced by a God who prunes rather than tortures, who plans for maturity rather than arbitrarily damning souls, and who speaks in concrete realities rather than pagan myths.
To remain in a church that uses these flawed translations is to remain under the teaching of errors that slander the very nature of the Creator.
4. The Sovereign Success of God
Refuting the Myth of a Defeated Creator
Perhaps the most devastating consequence of the Blind Guide "Ivory Tower" translations is the false creation of a "defeated God."
Standard theology presents a tragic paradox: God is love, and God desires all men to be saved. However, God is apparently unable to accomplish this desire because of the "free will" of man or the power of sin. In this framework, man’s will is stronger than God’s will. Satan succeeds in capturing the majority of humanity, while God succeeds in rescuing only a "little flock."
If this were true, God would be the greatest failure in the universe.
But the earliest literal Greek text does not describe a God who "tries" and fails. It describes a Sovereign Operator who wills, achieves, and restores. When we strip away the doctrines of men, the text reveals a perfect symmetry: the "ALL" who are lost are the exact same "ALL" who are saved.
Here are three critical passages where the literal text confirms the Universal Reconciliation of all creation.
1. The Will of God (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
Most modern translations weaken this verse to suggest God merely "wishes" or "hopes" for a certain outcome, leaving the actual results up to us. The Greek is far stronger.
Greek Text:
...hos pantas anthrōpous thelei sōthēnai kai eis epignōsin alētheias elthein.
Blind Guide (NIV): "...who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
Literal Translation: "...who wills (thelei) all (pantas) men to be saved (sōthēnai) and into a realization (epignōsin) of truth to come."
The Logic: The Greek word thelei implies distinct purpose and intent, not a passive wish. If God is Sovereign, and He wills it, it must happen. To teach that God wills all to be saved, yet fails to save them, is to teach that sin is more powerful than the Savior. The literal text permits no such defeat.
2. The Symmetry of Adam and Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22)
Theology often engages in "grammatical gymnastics" here. They teach that the "All" in the first half of the verse is universal (everyone dies), but the "All" in the second half is limited (only believers are made alive). The grammar does not allow for that switch.
Greek Text:
hōsper gar en tō Adam pantes apothnēskousin, houtōs kai en tō Christō pantes zōopoiēthēsontai.
Blind Guide (EASY): "As people, all of us belong to Adam's family. So all of us must die. But all people who belong to Christ will live again after death."
Literal Translation: "For even as in the Adam all (pantes) are dying, so also in the Christ all (pantes) will be made alive (zōopoiēthēsontai)."
The Logic:
- Mathematical Symmetry: If the "all" in Adam includes every human being who ever lived (which it undeniably does), then the "all" in Christ must include every human being who ever lived. You cannot arbitrarily shrink the second "all" to fit a theological preference.
- Beyond Existence: Zōopoiēthēsontai implies more than just resurrection; it means to be quickened with life—vitality beyond mere existence.
3. The Universal Acclamation (Philippians 2:10-11)
Tradition often paints this scene as a forced submission—conquered enemies kneeling in terror before being thrown into "hell." The Greek word for "confess" suggests otherwise.
Greek Text:
...kai pasa glōssa exomologēsētai hoti kyrios Iēsous Christos...
Blind Guide (KJV): "...and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord..."
Literal Translation: "...and every tongue should acclaim (exomologēsētai) that Lord [is] Jesus Christ, into glory of God [the] Father."
The Logic: The word exomologēsētai is intensive. It means to agree fully, to confess out of the heart, or to give thanks and praise. It is the same word Jesus uses in Matthew 11:25 ("I thank thee, O Father"). This is not the forced submission of rebels grinding their teeth in hate; it is a willing, joy-filled acclamation of truth by a reconciled creation.
The "Apokatastasis" (Restoration)
The earliest Greek fathers (like Origen and Clement) understood these verses through the lens of Acts 3:21:
"...whom it becks heaven indeed to receive until times of restoration (apokatastaseōs) of all things (pantōn)..."
The "restoration of all things" is the end game. It is not the destruction of the many and the saving of the few, but the restoration of the entire created order to God, so that God may be "all in all" (panta en pasin - 1 Cor 15:28).
If God leaves even one soul in an eternal hell, He is not "all in all"; He is "all in some," and evil maintains an eternal foothold in His universe. The literal text declares a total victory.
5. The Mechanics of Restoration
Understanding Apokatastasis: The Smoking Gun
In the courtroom of theology, there is one technical term that stands as the irrefutable evidence for the salvation of all. It is the linguistic "smoking gun" that proves the ultimate goal of God’s plan is not the annihilation of the wicked nor the eternal containment of evil, but the complete and total healing of the entire created order.
That word is Apokatastasis.
Found in Acts 3:21, this single word destroys the foundation of eternal torment. To understand why, we must strip away the English veil and look at the mechanics of the Greek itself.
1. The Etymology: A Mechanical Breakdown
Apokatastasis (G605) is a triple-compound word. It is not a vague religious sentiment; it is a precise description of a mechanical action. When you disassemble the word, the meaning becomes undeniable.
- Apo: From / Back (Indicates a return to a previous state).
- Kata: Down (An intensifier; implies doing something thoroughly, exactly, or completely).
- Stasis: Standing / Stance (From histemi, to stand or to place).
Literal Translation: "A standing back down again."
Functional Meaning: Restoring something to its original, correct position or condition.
2. The Usage: Medical vs. Theological
To understand what the Holy Spirit meant by selecting this specific word, we must look at how it was used in the secular Greek world at the time the New Testament was written. It had two primary uses, both of which support the doctrine of Universal Reconciliation and refute the doctrine of eternal ruin.
A. The Medical Use (Hippocrates)
In ancient Greek medicine, apokatastasis was the technical term for setting a dislocated bone or joint.
The Implication:
A dislocated shoulder is useless, painful, and "out of harmony" with the body. The doctor performs an action—which may be painful or "judgmental" in the moment—to force the bone back into its socket.
- The bone is not cut off (Annihilationism).
- The bone is not left dislocated forever to throb in pain (Eternal Torment).
- The bone is restored. Once the apokatastasis is complete, the limb is functional again.
B. The Political Use (Josephus)
The Jewish historian Josephus used this word to describe the return of exiles to their homeland.
The Implication:
The citizens were banished due to rebellion (judgment), but the apokatastasis was the legal act of bringing them home and restoring their citizenship. The banishment was temporary and corrective; the restoration was the final goal.
3. The Verse: Acts 3:21
Here is the literal translation of Peter’s sermon. Note the absolute scope of the restoration.
Greek Text:
hon dei ouranon men dexasthai achri chronōn apokatastaseōs pantōn hōn elalēsen ho Theos...
Blind Guide (NIV): "...until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised..."
Literal Translation: "...whom it behoves heaven indeed to receive until times of restoration (standing-back-again) of all things (pantōn), of which spoke the God..."
4. The "Doctrines of Men" Conflict
The Blind Guide "Ivory Tower" translators face a massive logical problem with Apokatastasis Pantōn (Restoration of All Things).
If Gehenna is a place of "forever" torture, then "all things" cannot be restored. To protect their tradition of Hell, they must dilute the meaning of Apokatastasis. They often teach that:
- "All things" refers only to "all things spoken of by the prophets" (limiting the scope).
- It refers only to a new physical earth, while billions of human souls remain in the "dislocated" state of the Lake of Fire.
However, the Greek is absolute. Pantōn (All) implies the entire created order.
- If one soul remains lost, the Apokatastasis is incomplete.
- If one being remains in torment, the "bone" is not set.
- If evil exists eternally in a dungeon, the harmony is not restored.
Conclusion: The literal Greek word demands a return to the original state of creation (Genesis 1:31), where everything God made was "very good." Any theology that ends with a permanent "Hell" is a theology that denies the Apokatastasis—the very promise God spoke through the mouth of all His holy prophets.
6. The Refiner's Fire and The Touchstone of Truth
Why God's Fire is Constructive, Not Destructive
The Blind Guide "Ivory Tower" theologians have successfully weaponized the word "fire." To the modern churchgoer, fire is a symbol of God's unquenchable anger—a weapon of torture used to inflict pain on the wicked forever.
But the literal Greek text presents a completely different function for God's fire. It is not a tool of destruction; it is a tool of assaying (testing the purity of metal).
There is a definitive passage in the New Testament that distinguishes between a man's works (which can be burned) and the man himself (who is preserved). It proves that the purpose of the fire is to save the person by consuming the corruption to which they cling.
1. The Context: 1 Corinthians 3:13-15
In this passage, the Apostle Paul is discussing the judgment of believers and the testing of their life's work.
Greek Text (v15):
ei tinos to ergon katakaēsetai, zēmiōthēsetai, autos de sōthēsetai, houtōs de hōs dia pyros.
Blind Guide (NIV): "If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames."
Literal Translation: "If of anyone the work will be burned down, he will forfeit [it], he himself but will be saved, thus yet as through fire (dia pyros)."
2. The Function of the Fire (Pyr)
In verse 13, Paul says the fire will test (dokimasei) the quality of each man's work. The choice of this Greek verb is critical.
- Word: Dokimasei (G1381).
- Definition: To assay; to prove; to test metals.
- The Metallurgy: You do not put gold into the fire to destroy the gold. You put it in the fire to destroy the dross (impurities) attached to the gold.
The Result: The fire separates the false materials (wood, hay, stubble) from the true materials (gold, silver, precious stones).
The Theological Implication:
The fire is not a punishment for the person; it is a favor to the person. It burns away the "fleshly" works, the lies, and the "doctrines of men" they built their life on.
- The loss (zēmiōthēsetai) is the painful realization that their life's work was worthless.
- The salvation (sōthēsetai) happens because the fire stripped away the false layers, leaving only what is of God.
3. "Saved Through Fire"
The phrase dia pyros ("through fire") indicates the medium of salvation, not just a hazard one barely escapes.
- If you walk "through" water (baptism), you are washed.
- If you walk "through" fire, you are purified.
This aligns perfectly with Hebrews 12:29: "For our God is a consuming fire."
If God is fire, and we are to be "saved," we must be immersed in God. This immersion burns away everything that is not God (sin, ego, death, false doctrine), leaving the person fully restored—"set" like the broken bone in the apokatastasis.
Conclusion: Therefore, the "Lake of Fire" in Revelation is not a torture chamber; it is a Refiner's Fire. It is the unmitigated presence of God, into which all ungodliness is cast to be consumed, so that the people may be saved. The fire hurts the "wood, hay, and stubble" of our ego, but it liberates the "gold" of our created identity.
Redefining "Torment" and "Brimstone"
In the previous section, we established that God’s fire is an assaying tool designed to separate gold from dross. But there are two words in the Book of Revelation that seem to contradict this hopeful view. Those words are "torment" and "brimstone."
Revelation 14:10 says the wicked will be "tormented with fire and brimstone." The Blind Guide "Ivory Tower" translations rely on this English phrasing to conjure images of medieval torture chambers, racks, and thumbscrews. They paint God as a cosmic inquisitor who inflicts pain for the sake of pain.
However, when we trace the Greek words back to their roots, the torture chamber vanishes, and the assaying office reappears.
1. The Etymology: Basanos (The Touchstone)
The Greek verb translated as "torment" is basanizo (G928). To understand the verb, we must look at the noun it comes from: basanos (G931).
In ancient Greece, a basanos was not a whip or a dungeon. It was a specific tool used by merchants and jewelers: a touchstone.
- The Object: It was a dark, slate-like stone (Lydian stone).
- The Function: When a merchant wanted to test if a coin was pure gold or a cheap counterfeit, they would rub the gold against the basanos. The color of the streak left on the stone revealed the true purity of the metal.
Therefore, the primary literal meaning of basanos is "a test of purity" or "a means of proving truth."
2. The Verb: Basanizo
From the noun (the stone), we get the verb basanizo. Originally, it simply meant "to rub on the touchstone" (to test for purity).
Over time, the meaning expanded metaphorically.
- In legal settings, it came to mean "cross-examination" or "interrogation"—questioning a witness intensely to strip away lies and get to the truth.
- Because this process (both checking gold and interrogating prisoners) could be stressful or painful, the word eventually acquired the secondary sense of "distress" or "pain."
The Blind Guide "Ivory Tower" Error:
These corrupt translators ignore the primary, root meaning (testing for truth) and exclusively use the secondary, emotional meaning (pain). They translate the result (it hurts) while ignoring the purpose (revealing the truth).
3. The Substance: Theion (Brimstone vs. Divinity)
If the mistranslation of "torment" is tragic, the mistranslation of "brimstone" is catastrophic. This is one of the most profound "hiding in plain sight" realities of the earliest Greek New Testament. The word for the substance associated with judgment is indistinguishable from the word for God's own nature.
A. The Identical Spelling
- The Noun: Theion (θεῖον) = Sulfur / Brimstone.
- The Adjective: Theion (θεῖον) = Divine / Of God (Neuter form of Theios).
To a Greek ear in the 1st Century, the "Lake of Fire and Brimstone" sounded like the "Lake of Fire and Divinity."
B. The Cultural "Why": The Cleanser
Why would the ancients name a smelly, burning rock "Divinity"? Because in the ancient world, sulfur was believed to have a magical ability to purify.
- Fumigation: If a house had disease, mold, or a "bad spirit," the Greeks burned sulfur inside it. The smoke was acrid and choking, but it killed the corruption.
- Ceremonial Cleansing: Pagan priests used sulfur to purify a temple before a sacrifice.
The Literary Proof:
In Homer's Odyssey (Book 22), after Odysseus kills the suitors who had corrupted his house, he does not just wash the floors. He calls out: "Bring me sulfur (theion), old woman, the cleanser of pollution..." He used "divinity" (sulfur) to purge the evil from his home so it could be a home again.
4. Re-Reading Revelation
When we apply these literal definitions to the blind guide scary passages in Revelation, the meaning shifts from torture to medical sterilization.
Revelation 21:8 Comparison:
Blind Guide (NIV): "...their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur."
Literal Translation: "...the part of them [is] in the lake burning with fire and divinity."
The Theological Implication:
The "Second Death" is not a dungeon. It is a hospital operating room.
- The Fire: The consuming presence of God (Hebrews 12:29).
- The Brimstone (Theion): The divine fumigation agent.
God is immersing the sinner in His own Holy Spirit (Fire) and His own Divine Nature (Brimstone). This atmosphere is toxic to sin ("the virus") but curative to the soul ("the patient"). It chokes out the ego, the pride, and the flesh, acting as the ultimate Catharsis (cleansing).
5. Summary of the Mechanism
You now have the complete picture of the "Lake of Fire" mechanism through literal translation. It is not designed to destroy the person, but to restore them.
- Torment (Basanizo): Touchstone Testing. Function: To test/rub against truth to expose the real metal.
- Fire (Pyr): Assay Fire. Function: To burn away the dross/impurities found by the touchstone.
- Brimstone (Theion): Divinity. Function: To fumigate/purify the vessel so it is holy again.
The Result: Apokatastasis (Restoration).
Conclusion:
God does not "torment" people because He hates them. He "touchstones" them because He demands truth. The pain is real, but it is the pain of a dislocated bone being set, not the pain of a limb being severed. It is the necessary crisis that leads to clarity, confession, and ultimately, restoration.
7. The Death of Death
The Final Victory of Life
We have arrived at the final hurdle to the truth of what God's Word actually means and says.
Even after seeing the literal meaning of aiōn (age), kolasin (correction), and theion (divine cleansing), many believers stumble at the phrase "Second Death." Traditional theology teaches that this is the final extinguishing of the soul or an endless state of dying.
However, when we view this phrase through the lens of the literal Greek words we have recovered—Basanizo, Theion, Apokatastasis—a completely different picture emerges. The "Second Death" is not the death of the person; it is the death of the death that is in them.
1. The Definition of Death (Thanatos)
To understand the remedy, we must define the disease. Biblically, death is not the cessation of existence; it is separation.
- Physical Death: Separation of the soul/spirit from the body.
- Spiritual Death: Separation of the soul from the life of God (Ephesians 2:1).
The sinner arrives at the Lake of Fire already "dead" in trespasses and sins. They are carrying "death" around inside them—the carnal mind, the ego, the rebellion, and the corruption of the flesh.
2. The Mathematics of the "Second" Death
If you kill death, what remains? Life.
Consider the logic of a double negative:
- First Death: The separation of man from God (Adam's legacy).
- Second Death: The death of that first death.
In Revelation 20:14, we encounter a statement that defies the logic of physical burning:
"Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death."
The Logic:
How can you throw "Death" (an abstract concept or state) into a fire? You cannot burn a concept with physical heat. This is symbolic language telling us that Death itself is being destroyed.
If the Lake of Fire is the "Second Death," and "Death" is thrown into it, then the Lake of Fire is the mechanism that ends death. It is the Death of Death.
3. The Baptism of Fire
This aligns perfectly with the chemical and metallurgical processes we discussed in previous chapters.
- The Medical Analogy: If a doctor kills a cancer (a "second death" for the tumor), the patient lives.
- The Spiritual Reality: If God kills the "old man" (the carnal nature) in the Lake of Fire, the "new man" is liberated.
Paul describes this process in Romans 6 for the believer: we are "baptized into his death." We die voluntarily now—crucifying the flesh—so that we can live.
For the unbeliever who refused to die to self in this life, the Lake of Fire forces that death upon their ego in the next age. The "Second Death" is the forced, painful death of the carnal nature via the Basanizo (touchstone) of Truth.
4. The Final Result: No More Death
This literal interpretation is the only one that allows Revelation 21:4 to be technically true:
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death..."
Blind Guide View: "No more death" only applies to the saved in heaven. In hell, death (separation from God) continues forever. Thus, death is never actually abolished; it is just quarantined.
Literal View: If death is truly abolished (katargeō - rendered inoperative), then it cannot exist anywhere in the universe. The "Second Death" has successfully consumed all death, leaving only Life.
Summary of the Literal Gospel
When you assemble the literal translations of all the words we have discussed, the "Gospel" (Good News) becomes significantly better than the "Good News" of the corrupt, blind guide, Ivory Tower theologians.
- God tries to save all but fails vs God wills (thelei) all to be saved and succeeds.
- Hell is a place of torture vs Gehenna is a garbage dump; the Lake of Fire is a Refiner's crucible.
- Torment is pain for pain's sake vs Torment (Basanizo) is testing for purity.
- Brimstone is a fuel for burning vs Brimstone (Theion) is Divine cleansing.
- Eternity is endless time vs Aiōn is an age with a purpose and an end.
- Second Death is the end of hope vs Second Death is the end of death.
Appendix: Literal Greek Glossary
A quick reference guide for correcting the errors of the blind guide "Ivory Tower" theologians.
Eternity / Forever: Aiōn (G165) - An Age / Eon. A specific segment of time with a beginning and an end. It is not endlessness.
Hell: Gehenna (G1067) - Valley of Hinnom. A geographic location used as a city dump. Refers to shameful physical death, not a metaphysical underworld.
Predestine: Proorizō (G4309) - Pre-horizon. To mark out a boundary beforehand. God setting the scope for a group, not fatalistic choice of individuals.
Punishment: Kolasis (G2851) - Pruning / Correction. Inflicting pain/loss for the purpose of correction and growth, not retributive vengeance.
Torment: Basanizō (G928) - Touchstone Testing. To rub metal against a touchstone to test purity. Painful exposure to truth to reveal/remove impurities.
Brimstone: Theion (G2303) - Divinity / Divine Fire. Represents God's nature applied to the sinner to purge corruption.
Fire: Pyr (G4442) - Fire (Assay). Assaying agent to consume dross while preserving the metal.
Restoration: Apokatastasis (G605) - Standing Back Again. Setting a dislocated bone. Resetting creation to its original state.
Wills / Desires: Thelō (G2309) - Determines / Wills. Active resolve. God's sovereignty guarantees the outcome.
Confess: Exomologeō (G1843) - Acclaim / Agree Fully. Willing, joyful acknowledgment, not forced submission.
All: Pas / Pantes (G3956) - All / Every. Without exception. Symmetrical application in Scripture.
Epilogue: The Restoration of All Things
The End of the Matter
We began this journey with a critique of the failed denominational institutions and the error-filled translations they produced. While the modern movement to leave these denominations is a noble pursuit of truth, it remains hampered by the very tools it inherited from them. We end this journey with a vision of what true freedom looks like when we finally set those tools aside.
When we strip away the political biases of the committees and return to the raw, literal earliest Greek, the "Monster God" of the denominations vanishes. In His place stands the Sovereign Creator who actually succeeds in doing what He wills.
The Great Unveiling
We have seen that the blind guide "Ivory Tower" theologians built its theology on a foundation of mistranslation. They took concrete, functional terms and turned them into abstract terrors.
- They took Gehenna (a city dump) and built a pagan underworld.
- They took Aiōn (an age) and stretched it into an endless nightmare.
- They took Kolasis (pruning) and turned it into vindictive torture.
- They took Theion (divinity) and turned it into a fuel for burning.
- They took Basanizo (a touchstone) and turned it into a rack for pain.
By correcting these errors, we do not merely change a few words; we change the entire narrative of the cosmos.
The Literal Narrative
Here is the story of the Bible, told through the lens of literal translation:
God created All Things (Pantōn) very good. But man fell into the corruption of death and the illusion of separation. God did not respond with a plan to save a few and discard the rest; He responded with a will (Thelei) to save all.
To accomplish this, He established the Eons (Aiōnas)—specific ages of time designed to educate and mature humanity. He sent His Son to defeat the root cause of the problem: Death.
For those who reject this truth in the present age, there is a judgment to come. But this judgment is not an endless dungeon; it is a Crisis of Truth. The wicked will face the River of Fire (Pyros)—the very presence of God Himself.
In this fire, they will be Touched (Basanizo) by the Truth. The Divinity (Theion) of God will act as a fumigant, choking out the virus of sin and the ego of the "old man." This process is the Second Death—the death of the death that is in them.
Once the "wood, hay, and stubble" are consumed, the person remains—purified, humbled, and corrected (Kolasis). They bow the knee not in terror, but in Acclamation (Exomologēsētai), realizing that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.
The end result is not a split universe of eternal joy and eternal screaming. It is the Apokatastasis—the setting back into place of everything that was disjointed. Death is abolished. Tears are wiped away. And God becomes "All in All."
The Final Challenge
To the believer currently relying on a Bible crafted by the failed denominations you fled: It is time to complete your migration.
You left the building; now leave the translation. You rejected the label; now reject the dogma. Do not settle for a "better" version of the old error. Press on to the high calling of the literal Greek text.
The truth is far better than we were told. The victory is far greater than we dared to hope. And the Savior is far more successful than the blind guide "Ivory Tower" denominational leaders ever allowed Him to be.
Let the truth of God's Word (illuminated by the earliest Greek text) set you free from the pit you were led into by the false teachers of failed denominations of men.
author: Jerry Dan Deutschendorf