Several things can be said here. It is understandable,
due to the traditionalist lens many subconsciously wear when they approach the
Scriptures, that whenever they read of “judgment,” they think in negative
(retributive) terms. However, the author of Hebrews says nothing concerning the
nature of the judgment, and, for all we know, the judgment may have a
restorative purpose in mind. Alas, the author does not elaborate, and so
neither position must pronounce infallibly on the basis of this passage alone
concerning the possibility of posthumous repentance following “the judgment.”
Moreover, there is the obvious rejoinder to a
literalistic interpretation of this passage that not everyone dies once. Some
die twice. These would be individuals God resuscitated from the dead who, upon
lacking resurrected bodies, would succumb to death a second time. What is
interesting on these occasions is that not all those who died only to be
resuscitated in Scripture and the tradition were believers prior to death.
So, is God bending the rules? I thought it was
appointed to man once to die, but apparently some get second chances . . . This
can complicate the systematics of any who vigorously affirm the finality of
death, for the Bible simply does not teach such a thing. On the other hand, if
God does not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezek 33:11), if He is not
willing that any should perish (2 Pet 3:9), but that all should come to a
knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4), and He is the one who holds the keys to hades
and death (Rev 1:18), pray tell, what will He do with those keys? Use them to
lock hell’s inmates in eternal confinement? No rebuttal is more to the point
than J. A. T. Robinson’s.
No Being who had an infinite
concern for the salvation of every soul could possibly be conceived as
saying in effect: ‘Unless you turn to Me by the age of seventy, or seven, or
seven weeks (whatever it may be), I cannot give you a further chance.’ A God like
that is either at the mercy of death, or He is not the God of the parable of
the Prodigal. (Robinson, In the End, God) (Andrew Hronich, Once Loved Always Loved: The Logic
of Apokatastasis [Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf and Stock, 2023], 251)
To Support this Blog:
Email for Amazon Gift card: ScripturalMormonism@gmail.com
Email for Logos.com Gift Card: IrishLDS87@gmail.com
