In the last message we read Ezekiel 18. Here let me add a few additional words. All those who study the Old Testament carefully and who understand the Old Testament know that it does not have the teaching of eternal death, nor does it have anything like eternal punishment. All the deaths mentioned in the Old Testament refer to the death of the body, and the only place that people go after they die is Hades, and not hell. Two or three places seem to speak of hell. But they are either wrong translations or should be interpreted otherwise. All the deaths mentioned in the Old Testament are the death in the body. They are not eternal death. The Old Testament was written to the Jews. Because they were earthly men, their failures were also earthly failures, and their punishments, earthly punishments.
I am not saying that there is no such thing as eternal death in the Old Testament; there is such a thing in the Old Testament. But the Old Testament never teaches us about eternal death. In the Old Testament, those that were blessed by God had much cattle, sheep, gold, and silver bestowed upon them. These were the signs of God's blessing. But in the New Testament, those who are blessed by God can say, "Silver and gold I do not possess, but what I have, this I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene...walk!" (Acts 3:6). In the Old Testament, there were the gold and the silver. In the New Testament, there is no silver or gold. The Old Testament, though not exclusively dealing with things in the flesh, mainly speaks of the physical and material aspect of things. In the Old Testament, when a man was blessed by God, he would enjoy long life, have many offspring, and have much wealth. These are the blessings of the Old Testament. But in the New Testament, we do not see these things. On the contrary, we see that James died. Stephen died. Many were martyred for the sake of loving the Lord. They were not at all cursed. Moreover, the New Testament never made offspring an item of blessing. On the contrary, those who live for the Lord should remain virgins. Hence, what the Old Testament shows us and what the New Testament shows us are two entirely different things.
This does not mean that in the Old Testament there is no such thing as eternal death. But this is not taught as a teaching. Because man does not understand this truth, the New Testament tells us about eternal death. In the Old Testament are a few places that seem to speak of eternal death, but are wrong translations. One of them is translated as the wicked being turned into hell (Psa. 9:17). But actually it should be translated as the wicked going to Sheol. It is temporary, and it is not for eternity. In Isaiah 66:24 it mentions worms which shall not die and the fire which will not be quenched. It seems that this is speaking of the same thing that the Gospel of Mark speaks of (Mark 9:48). But please remember that Isaiah was not saying that unless the Israelites repented they would go down to hell, where the worm will not die and the fire will not be quenched. Isaiah was prophesying concerning a group of people who will go to hell at the end of the millennium, where the worm will not die and the fire will not be quenched. Isaiah was not speaking of eternal death at all. If we drag him into the subject of eternal death, we are trying to import something foreign. This would become an imported item.