Now we apply another test to our texts, one which indicates that direction we must take to determine what the scriptures really do teach, viz.
Is it literal or symbolic?
The scripture is obviously highly symbolic. Revelation is a book of symbols. As we read in the first verse of the first chapter, the “things which were shortly to come to pass” were signified, or SIGN-ified, unto John, that is they were given in signs and symbols.
“The greatest source of error in understanding the symbols of Revelation is a too literal interpretation. It is read as though it were a statement of facts instead of a statement of symbols.”
The entire 14th chapter is replete with symbols. There is a “lamb,” a symbol of Christ, standing on “mount Zion,” his heavenly kingdom. There is “thunder,” a symbol of controversy, and the “harps” of Bible testimonies sing a “new song,” harmoniously declaring the glad tidings of restitution. There is a “throne,” a symbol of authority and ruler-ship. There are “beasts” and “elders” and “virgins” and “angels,” all having symbolic significance. Then in Verse 8 we are told that “Babylon,” a great city, is fallen. This too is a symbol. “Babylon” means “confusion” and is a symbol of the nominal church as a whole. So the prophecy refers to the time of the Lord's casting off of the nominal systems, removing His favor from them.
Then in Verse 9 a “beast” and his “image” are mentioned. Bible Students concur that this symbolizes the papal system and a so-called Protestant Federation, Protestants who no longer protest. In regard to this “beast” and its “image” we find a remarkable interpretation of the prophecy written in 1897. It reads as though it were a comment on yesterday's news reports concerning the ecumenical movement. We quote:
“We find in Revelation a prophecy of a special combination of influence by which Protestant denominations will be unified, and, though separate, yet be brought into cooperation with Papacy, in a manner that will give both of them increased powers, and deceive many into supposing that the new combination will be God's instrumentality for doing the work predicted of Messiah; and that it is thus his representative.”
With this background we are able to deal with the true meaning of this scripture: “If any man worship the beast, and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire, and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever, and ever; and they have no rest day nor night.”(Rev 14:9-11)
Here more symbols are brought into the picture: the “mark” or identification of those in harmony or sympathy with the beast or his image which is applied on the “forehead” indicating a mere intellectual assent, or in the “hand” implying a more active cooperation. These shall drink the “wine of the wrath of God” out of the “cup of his indignation” which indicates that such feel the manifestation of God's displeasure, being compelled to drink a bitter dose.
Do you see how full of symbols the book of Revelation is? To take these symbols literally would be extremely foolish. Jesus is not a literal lamb, a literal beast is not worshiped, it does not have a literal image. Literal marks are not made on literal foreheads and hands.
These are all symbols which, when correctly interpreted, beautifully represent profound truths and tell of tremendous events to come. We hope to cover this more thoroughly in a further study on our blog when time permits.
Verses 10 and 11 say that those who worship the symbolic beast and his symbolic image shall drink of the symbolic wine of wrath from the symbolic cup.
From this point forward the teachers (and adherents) of eternal torment insist that symbolisms cease and that the remainder of the text must be taken literally, that the words “he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone” and “the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever” is exactly and literally what it says.
But is this reasonable? No, it is entirely unreasonable. There is no justification for such a view. On the contrary, a fair and reasonable person must conclude that because of all the other symbols and the highly symbolic nature of the entire book, these expressions must be likewise symbolic and NOT literal.
Those who insist on a literal interpretation of this portion of the text are in a further difficulty. The text says that the torments take place “in the presence of the Lamb.” If the torment with fire and brimstone is literal, so must the lamb be also: an animal, the young offspring of a sheep. By what reasoning can you say that the one is literal and the other is not? Both occur in the very same sentence. If one is literal, so is the other.
So we have established beyond the shadow of a doubt that the torment by fire and brimstone of the worshipers of the beast and his image is symbolic. What then does it really mean?
We turn to Rev 18:4 which also refers to the fall of Babylon, the nominal church systems of confusion: “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” So the scripture under consideration simply means that all who remain in Babylon, either in spirit or in name, are in opposition to the word of God.
Those who do not “come out of her” will be subject to torment and vexation so long as they are worshiping creeds, doctrines, and organizations of men. The remembrance of this distress is shown in the smoke of torment and it will never be forgotten. Those who are finally brought out of these systems will forever remember how they were tormented. They will have learned an everlasting lesson.
We will examine our other three texts supposed to support the doctrine of eternal torment in our next post.
