The truth is, the death penalty was instituted by God from the beginning when God warned Adam, "...you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Adam was warned, yet he did it anyway) Read Genesis 2:17
In Genesis 7, God administered the death penalty by way of the flood, which wiped out all of the inhabitants of the earth, except for Noah and seven members of his family.
Read also Genesis 9:4-6.
In Ezekiel 18:4, God said, "Every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die." (There is a death penalty)
In the Old Testament book of Numbers 35: 9-31, God makes it clear that anyone who wantonly murders another person must be put to death.
This is how God identifies a murderer and what should be done with him:
16 “If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 17 Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 18 Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies 21 or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer." Numbers 35: 16-21
What does the New Testament say?
1 John 3:12-15 says:
12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him." (There is the death penalty)
In John 8:24, Jesus warned, "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” (There is a death penalty)
Revelation 20:11-15 describes the ultimate death penalty which will be executed by Christ. It is called "the second death". Those verses read:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Does God want souls to die? No. This is what the LORD says in Ezekiel 18:23:
23 "Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" declares the Sovereign Lord. "Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?"
No comments:
Post a Comment