Of whom then shall we be afraid?

OF WHOM THEN SHALL WE BE AFRAID?

MATTHEW 10:28,  LUKE 12:5

Let’s touch on two widely, as I read, misunderstood texts in Christendom which can bring a more unified clearer picture of the reality of God’s character.  Answering the question of King David in Ps 27:1: “Of Whom then shall we be afraid?”  and of Job in Job 9:24: “if not He than who?”

Mt 10:28:  “Do not be afraid (Gk phobeo) of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid (Gk phobeo) of the one ( God OR Satan?) who can destroy both body and soul in hell.”  And Luke 12:5: “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid (Gk phobeo) of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.  But I will show you whom ( God OR Satan?) you should fear (Gk phobeo);  Fear (GK phobeo) him (The Creator God OR Satan?)  who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.” NIV – (ensuing biblical wordings originate in NIV, ESV, NKJV or KJV unless otherwise noted, in these brackets [ ] will be Strongs Exhaustive Concordance definitions))

Combined phrase 1:   “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more” (that’s man).  Combined phrase 2:  “rather (Wms) I will (TCNT) [warn] you whom [‘one’ NIG,AIT] you should fear (Rhm), be afraid of him who [along with] killing the body has [the right to, the dominion (note Job 1:12), the authority],  and who [is able to] destroy both [heart, mind] and body throwing you into the valley of (ESV) [Heb. Ge Hinnom].”  Yes, the soul [heart and mind] can die, see also Ps 109:31 “For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those who condemn him”; Isa 53:12  ‘He poured out His life soul unto death” (soul = psyche ESV); Ps 56:4,13 In God I have put my trust I will not fear….for you have delivered my soul from death.”  And Christ as the third witness in Mt 26:38. “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death.”  But the foundational question considered here is, ‘do we commonly make a misapprehended assumption as to whom (God Or Satan) these are referring to, thus either misapplying afraid/fear or use the contextual argument for ‘phobeo’ when used with divinity to mean respect, awe while still leaving the Creator God as the active destroyer’.

The valley of Ge Hinnom was a descending 600 foot dry gorge SW of Jerusalem’s wall, into which prisoners and unknowns were buried.  There wayward Jews sacrificed their children in the flaming arms of the Ammonite god Moloch, where general garbage was burned and likely the one hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrian soldiers destroyed by God’s angel were burned. 

The valley of Ge Hinnom (Heb.) in the non inspired inter-testament rabbinic literature had become the stylized symbol of end time destruction under the Greek name Gehenna (now translated “hell”) of the NT.   It was variously called “the accursed valley,” the station “of vengeance” of “future torment,” the pit of destruction,” and the furnace of Gehenna” (see THE FIRE THAT CONSUMES, EW Fudge, 3rd edition 2011 pp 85-115). 

Full, as well as specific truths about God come into clearer focus only as we view His actions from the verity of His totality, which is perpetual, unbroken, unbreakable, everlasting selfless love personified Ge 1:1; Lk 23:34; 1Jn 4:16; Ps 103:17; Jer 31:3; Rev 22:20,21.  Since God is a God of undeniable love who changeth not Mal 3:6 and is the same yesterday, today and forever Heb 13:8 in whom there is no shadow of turning Jms 1:17,  and because true Love [agape] never fails 1Cor 13:8, how then do we understand what is termed His strange act (or acts) Isa 28:21 KJV, or the multiple Biblical references, OT & NT to God’s or the LORD’S wrath / anger,  when as noted in Ps 19:19 that a man of great wrath shall suffer [penalty (S)] punishment, or in 27:4 where wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous, or again when God councils us to get rid of all bitterness rage and anger Eph 4:31, & Ps 37:8 tells us to cease from anger and turn from wrath…it only leads to evil?  In Mt 5:22 God instructs that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement (the phrase “without cause” is not found in many manuscripts, this is consistent with vs.5,7,9  & 1 Cor 13:5 where “easily” (KJV) is not NIG), and Ecc 7:9 informs us that anger tangibly “lies in the lap of fools.”

In a nutshell God’s anger/wrath is more akin to that of the loving parent of a small child, who truely feels far greater pain than does the child to whom they, in deep compassionate love only,  yet respecting their child’s freedom, are applying redemptive, edifying discipline or are allowing the detrimental results of the child’s choice/action to take full or in that love modified effect for the sake of the child’s long term mental, moral, physical health.  This action has a totally different and opposite set of emotions than fallen man’s epitomized anger.  This emotional aspect of God’s anger/wrath is demonstrated in places such as Hosea 11 with “how can I give you up, how can I turn you over, My heart recoils within me…,” or His children attracting anger/wrath in Mt 21:14,15.  “For man’s anger ( wrath NKJV) does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” NIV Jms 1:20.  

Man’s anger is an emotion, possibly leading to an action –  neither of which are born out of overflowing, selfless love, but out of fear, self-defense, self-justification, self exaltation, arrogance, or pride causing the internal release of a witches brew of chemicals that generate internal physiologic havoc to the holders of the emotion. Anger commonly does more reliable damage to the holder of the emotion than to the recipient.  Man’s anger / irritation / aggravation / annoyance / impatience when repeatedly indulged or dwelt in decreases human life by 5-9 years as revealed by decades of multiple longterm medical studies.  God’s final wrath, referred to here in these verses under consideration, is biblically better understood as a heart-breaking turning away, a giving up, handing over [see refs. below] by the removal of His long-suffering, patient protection, seen here as His strange final act starting with Rev 7:1-3 of allowing the reality of the freely made choices of the self-focused and rebellious to take full effect Rev 20:10,15.  This is the final culminating reality occurrence that will happen with the full unveiling of His relational presence Rev 22:20.  A relational presence that began unveiled in Ge 2:2,3, then after sin entered was in love veiled, and is soon to be reinstated in full intimate relational glory.  A time of beginning again at which His desire was/is that all, like Paul, will have invited Christ (His character), to live in them  Co 1:27, allowing each to exist in the everlasting burning of Isa 33:14; 2 Sam 22:13; Ps 18:12; Rev 1:16; Ez 1:4,27; 2 Thes 2:8 9 (splendor = brightness, radiance, glory, forth-shining).

Let’s note a few further realities.  Lk 1:74 & 12:32 tell us God will enable us to “serve Him without fear” and in perfect love 1Jn 4:16 which “casts out all fear” 1Jn 4:18.  And since there is no fear in true agape love, Rev 1:17 tells us “do not be afraid.”  All these echo the immediately following context and text of both, Matthew’s 10:28 and Luke’s 12:5 (the verses under consideration),  verses which tell us God notices even the lives of sparrows “so don’t be afraid.”  

Thus even the immediate context of whom to fear in these texts negates the common exegesis of “God.”   So “of whom then should we be afraid” asks King David in Ps 27:1?   A question Job in searching asked, “If not He then whom?” Job 9:24    The manifest, distinct answer is:  be afraid of your own fallen nature following temptation, and more directly of the one who has/will Ge 3:1-6 temptingly lead you into the paths that will accumulate for you the wages of sin, which is death Jn 10:10, Ro 6:23 – of the life, mind and heart [‘soul’ (S)].  This is the adversary who stole the dominion of the earth from our race and desires our inclusion with him in his rebelliousness and eventual destruction.  Now we see through a glass darkly yet as that glass is cleaned we can see more completely.  It’s been my experience, working at times with inmates in local jails and state prisons that those who are incarcerated, are there in their own minds, rarely because of an act they have committed or been led to commit, but because of the policeman or the judge.  The same misdirected thinking here is telling us to be afraid of the loving Creator, Redeemer, and merciful Judge, and not ourselves being led by, or the “one,” Satan, the Adversary (see Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; 40:15-24; 41:1-34) who led and leads us into destructive behaviors.  Behaviors that destroy via their reality of the temporal wage of the first death and if not repented of, the reality wages of the second or eternal death.  Yes, garnering the reality wages that our loving Creator has kindly, in great patience protected us from, but in respectful freedom will eventually “allow”or “hand (us) over [to]” “give (us) up (eternally) to” (Ez 7:21; 11:9; 16:27,39; 21:31; 23:24; 23:28; Ro 1:24; Ho 11:8; Ro 1:24; 1 Co 5:5; Hosea 11).  Christ Himself used these terms at least a dozen times.  Hand them over to the full force of their freely chosen wages that are the inevitable reality of following the liar Jn 8:44, the deceiver Rev 113:14; 20:10, the thief — the thief who has come and comes to kill and destroy Jn 10:1,10 (yes “in dying you will die” Ge 2:17).   Not by the desire of the One who created life and then who came and comes to bring life and life more abundantly Jn 10:10; 3:16,17,  but by the graciously delayed passive reality that does and will occur in their destruction/annihilation at the eventual unveiling of divinity for full reinstatement of trusting, intimate, growing relationships.   Note that in Isa 33:14,15; Ps 18:12; Rev 1:16;  Eze 1:4,27; 2 Thes 2:8 & Ps 104:1,2  God is described as wrapped in and dwelling in light and everlasting burning, a fire that will destroy sin and sadly any human that by choice remains attached to sin OT Ge 19:21, Isa 33:14 & NT Lk 33:20; 2 Pe 2:6  to “ashes…extinction… example” ESV, when His unveiled presence, His glory, which in love He has hidden around fallen humans Ex 19:18, Job 22:14, Rev 6:16, is opened to view.   A glory which by nature will destroy sin (foundationally selfishness – which by nature harms) and all who choose to remain attach to it.  A reality occurring at His unveiled second coming Rev 20:7-15; 2 Thes 2:8; 1 Ch 16:27; Acts 26:3; 2 Sam 22:12; Isa 62:1 ESV.  It is a deep and deepening re-instated relationship with us that God so passionately desires. A relationship that has inspired Him at infinite expense to Himself to provide a way, and to invite again and again each of His fallen created humans to return to that pure state and life of selfless love that will enable all wiling to live and thrive in joy with Him in that glory, that brilliant splendor of holiness.  Yes, from the Lord comes not death but “escape from death” Ps 68:20.  Notice again that God, instead of using death as a tool, throws death and Hades (Gehenna) into the lake of fire in Rev 20:14!  

There is a time of judgement coming, bringing an end to the earthly reign and presence of evil and thus distress, degeneration, disease sorrow, death – and all its persisting perpetrators in the universe.  That is, for humans, the second or eternal annihilation/death of Daniel 12:2 & Rev 21:8.  Jms 1:15 states: “For each person is tempted by his own desire, thus desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin and sin when it is fully grown brings forth {“gives birth” (Wey), “breeds” (NEB) “produces” (Beck) “means” (Phi)}  death [annihilation].”  The second death from which God has provided a way out for all willing to return to the purity of selfless other centered giving love.   God alone possesses immortality 1 Tim 1:17; 6:16; 1Cor 15: 53,54.  The remains of sin and those stubbornly attached to sin will exist only as ascending smoke Rev 19:3 and ashes under the feet Mal 4:13 both of which we observe for Sodom and Gomorrah in 2 Peter 2:6 & Jude 7, consumed as well noted in Rev 20:9-15.  The final completeness of God’s words in Ge 2:17 & 3:19 will come to fruition.  All tears, death, mourning, or pain gone since these former things have passed away Rev 21:4.  “Tormented” Rev 20:10,  yes, with the eternal result of non-existence.  Notice inspiration never says tormenting or destroying, or punishing, [while Biblically “weeping” always describes great sorrow and “gnashing of teeth” rage, seen here as the rebellious’ last view oftheir great loss Rev 20;7,8  just prior to the unveiling of His glory in verse 9].  For “age eternal” gone Rev 20:10 — gone from the unexcelled joy of other centered, selfless, giving love where they could have lived and thrived forever!  The most severe torment is mental torment, as experienced by our Savior in our stead if we so choose Mk 14:34.  A torment that is far beyond anything physically possible. The death, Jesus, the Son of God died for all was and is freely and substitutionally available if we but choose – a death that had no hold on Him because He lived a perfect life by a faithful trusting dependence in His Father’s loving wisdom Jn 14:30; Ps 89:34.  A life He will live in us 2 Cor 3;18; 4:16; 5:14,15; Gal 2:20 & 4:19; Jn 17:26  for the asking, and our willing, trusting submission. The Bible tries to get us to understand the first death by viewing it as a sleep at least sixty-six times in 17 of it’s books (that’s 25%), because there will be (though the Sadducees denied them) resurrections 1 Cor 15:20; Jn 5:28,29.  Jesus twice tried to explain this concept to His disciples in Mt 9:24 & Jn 11:4,11,14  and with a final time to us, His end time disciples, in Rev 20:4-6.

The writer of Hebrews was and is correct, “the one who has the power of death [both of the first (sleep) and the second (annihilation)]  is, the devil” Hebrews 2:14.  God’s words of loving warning in the original Hebrew recorded in Genesis 2:17 is not “I will kill you,” but a description of the mercifully divinely delayed reality:  “In dying you will die”.  {see below for a closer look at that foundational comment.}

The answer to the question “of whom then shall we be afraid” is Biblically resoundingly clear from the first to the last — the one to be afraid of in Mt 10:28 & Luke 12:5 is dual in reality –  of our own potential choice of saying yes to temptation, but foundationaly the one, the deceitful liar, that lures us to destruction – that “ancient serpent, the dragon, the devil or Satan”  Rev 12:9,16,17.  

Yet of even greater import to know (andthere are no glitches Isa 54:10) — “God” who “is love” 1 Jn 4:16 “is the same yesterday and today and forever”  Heb 13:8,   HIS “LOVE NEVER ENDS” 1 COR 13:8.

Non-biblical commentary (EGW) that might be of interest to some: PP65, TM134, AA576,577,MOB 30, 14MR 3(1833), PC 136(1894), MS 134 (1898), GC 614(1911) or (LDE 242).

The question will arise in the above context:   “DOES  GOD KILL”?

A short look at GENESIS 2:17 –  the foundational words upon which all understanding of death ride, is thus appropriate here. 

That honest, or doubt introducing question, the Godhead has been in the act of clearly, expansively answering, even to un-fallen intelligences, since before Lucifer was removed from heaven.  Appearances and partial truths floated as full or possible truths can be and were deceiving and that’s why an indiscerptible answer to this question has taken even God so long.  A question that in full reality is far beyond fallen human minds to completely surround.  Yet an analogous reality has been clearly revealed, and that is God’s attitude, emotions, His fervent feelings as His precious children – regardless of their choices – receive the results of their selections —see 2 Sam 18:33; Mt 26:50; Jn 8:6-9.  1John 2:6  tells us we are to walk just as He walked, while Prov 24:17,18 states not to rejoice when an enemy falls.  Upon these and similar evidences we can rest our confidence in His character.   

Genesis 2:17 :  “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day of thine eating of it dying thou shalt die,” these are the closest we have to the literal words of God per Hebrew, (S), (YLT) on death. 

Has the God of/in history occasionally been active in the first “dying” of Ge 2:17 which He purposely and frequently relates to sleep – 66 times in 14 books?  Biblically yes, yet only after a human’s harm causing behavior (“evil” S, MW) has filled their cup of iniquity and He deems that behavior necessary to be stopped.  (Sodom and Gomorra Gen 19 :1-29; Ammon, Dt 2:19 not yet; Korah Dathan and Abiram, Num 16:1-33, the fifty soldiers coming after Elijah 2 Kings 1:10-12, or Ps 75:8; Isa 51:22; Jer 25:15, or the 185,000 Assyrians of 2 Kings 19:35, not forgetting the antediluvians of Ge 6:1-12, Nineveh repented and was preserved).  When other nations/peoples fill up their cup of iniquity with evil/harm causing behavior, in God’s wise and careful evaluation Gen 18,19, divine biblically recorded temporal actions leading to their temporal cessation may occur based on their choices – prior to their individual final end-time judgement which might vary (see Ge 18:32) (although common human cessations appear to humans as permanent).  The foundational verse Ge 2:17 for understanding death is rarely dissected:  “dying (1) you will die (2)” Ge 2:17.  “Dying” is a present participle thus describing not an event but a process. Death is the event.  Dying is a physical/psychologic process, (yet we’ve been given the option of a spiritual process).  Solomon describes the physical process in Eccl 12:1-7 ending in the grave Eccl 9:5,6.  Paul describes the psychologic realities leading to and causing the dying in Eph 4:17-20; 5: 3-8 & Col 3:7,8 as darkened in understanding, ignorance, hardness of heart, thus giving themselves up to sensuality, greed… .  He goes then on to describe a spiritual option in (1 Cor 15:31; Ro 8:13; Php 1:21; Ro 6:8; Eph 4:23-24) as dying daily to selfishness and being renewed daily in the spirit of your minds.  The writer of Hebrews in Heb 9:27 makes it obvious that, “every one is appointed once to die” – that’s “the curse of the law” Gal 3:10,13, foreseen and warned of by God in Ge 2:17, and  “after this the judgement.”  All  fallen humans experience the physical part of the first dying termed “sleep” in the grave occurring whether ‘naturally,’ by the direct activity of the Adversary, through others, or occasionally hastened by God for damage limitation.  The process of dying that ends in grave sleep will occur to all because all have sinned and fallen short, leading to the second resurrection and the death of annihilation (S).  Help though has been made available and comes from the Lord Mt 27: 32-55; Mt 11:29,30.  In accepting His death for us daily, the dying to self and selfishness Phi 1:21, 1Pe 2:24, our ‘final’ death, via our earned wages, has been and will be vanquished/expiated by our Redeemer.  This has been the gospel’s invitation and 

 This has been the gospel’s invitation and good news since Gen 3:15.  One is invited to be daily dying to self and then sleep having accepted Christ’s sacrifice as replacement of their earned wages credited to their account and then be raised in the first resurrection to eternal life.  A reality having been outlined in the Jewish daily sanctuary service, the feasts and the yearly Day of Atonement. — Yes, His death as ours then sleep, or sleep and then be judged on our own record.  Hebrews 9:17 makes it clear that if we’ve chosen our final judgement to be based solely our record we will be respectfully granted our freely chosen wages of annihilation, termed the (second) death or “die” as noted in Genesis 2:27.   That death has been “appointed (S),” from wages earned Ro 6:23, and mercifully “stored up” (S) while patiently withheld through multiple invitations by God for repentance and transformation individually and corporately.  But late sleepers, men of the second resurrection, will now join in the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels Mt 25:41.  Destroyed root and branch Mal 4:1 and remain only as continually arising and dispersing, vanishing smoke/stench till they both are vanquished  Isa 34:3; Rev 14:11; 19:3; Jude 7, with remnants as temporary as ashes or stubble at the time of harvest under foot Mal 4:3; 2 Pe 2:6.  

Put another way: “The wages of sin (self-centered thus harmful behavior) ( sin – not the devil) is (the reality of) eternal death.”   In living a perfect life of submission to His Father’s wisdom Jesus, the Son of Man intercepted then took the second annihilation death debt for all willing. 

This is my best purely scriptural description, yet as Eccl 8:16,17 reminds me, “though a wise man (I recognize that mostly eliminates me)  attempts to find … the words/works of God that are done under the sun…, he will not be able to find it”  (NKJV)  “he cannot really comprehend it” NIV.  Yet it speaks well of and is in consistent line with the character (Isaiah 63:7) of our trustworthy God of love .

As to further questions regarding soul mortality or immortality I’d refer you to: Froom, Leroy Edwin. The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers 1965, and Fudge, Edward William. The Fire that Consumes Third edition 2011.