“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:4-5 NIV)
Scope of This Series
Just as the Scriptures teach that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works, and IS eternal, they also teach that all men will be held accountable for our deeds, and will be rewarded OR punished accordingly (e.g. Gal. 6:7-8; 2 Cor. 5:9-10; Col. 3:23-25, Rev. 2:23). This series, Resurrection, Rapture, Judgment, and Millennium, addresses how God reconciles these two seemingly (but not actually) conflicting truths for believers (the old “faith without works” vs. “faith and deeds” controversy) during the Tribulation and the Millennium, before the last day when the old order of things will pass away and the New Jerusalem appears, with every believer a mature part of it (see Rev. 20:11 – 21:5; Eph. 4:11-13).
PLEASE first read Overview and Scriptures for Self-Study,
Part 1 – The Prize of the First Resurrection,
and Part 2 – Non-Overcoming Christians: Disciplined via The Tribulation or During the Millennium
Synopsis of Part 3
After a reminder that hell is temporary and not eternal, more of Jesus’ many warnings of exclusion from His Millennial Kingdom are studied. Our Lord warns His disciples (and therefore all believers) that we are not to fear men, but Him who can destroy (not annihilate!) both soul and body in hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched; that disobedient believers will be cut to pieces and assigned a place with unbelievers and hypocrites, and beaten with blows according to whether or not they knew their Master’s will; that our Father will hand those believers who do not forgive their brother over to the torturers. Then, Christ’s severe warnings to His churches in His epistles to the seven churches are addressed, focusing on two which He concealed but reveals to those with ears to hear it: those who do not deny self and overcome their sinful nature through Christ will be temporarily hurt of the second death – temporarily blotted out of the book of life. Restored by the rod in hell during Messiah’s earthly kingdom during the Millennial Age, these sanctified Christians will comprise the second resurrection unto eternal life, and will join their brethren of the first resurrection as the new Jerusalem, the glorious eternal state.
Hell is Temporary – Lake of Fire / Burning Sulfur is Eternal
To reiterate from Part 2, Scripture teaches hell is not the eternal state of the damned; the lake of fire / burning sulfur is. Put differently, the eternal state does not include hell – hell is temporary. The devil is thrown into the lake of burning sulfur [not hell]… tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev. 20:10) Then on the last day of the Millennium, 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. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. (Rev. 20:13-14, emphasis added).
The lake of fire / burning sulfur is the eternal state of the damned, just as the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2) is the eternal state for all who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. So, as we study God’s formidable words regarding punishment of His disobedient servants (which the sinful nature revolts against, creating and/or believing false doctrines inaccurately ascribing these particular teachings to unbelievers), know this chastisement is temporary, and NOT eternal. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. (1 Cor. 11:31-32).
On that note, we’ll return to Jesus’ many harsh warnings which, per His great commission (Matt. 28:19-20), He commanded be taught to all believers. If you haven’t already, please read “Beware False Teachings That Jesus’ Warnings and Others in the New Testament (e.g. those in Hebrews) Don’t Apply to Us” from Part 2 before continuing.
Fear Him Who is Able to Destroy Both Soul and Body in Hell, Not Those Who Can Only Kill the Body
When Jesus sent His twelve disciples out to preach the kingdom after giving them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness (Matt. 10:1,7), He warned them very clearly, Be on your guard against men; they will flog you in their synagogues… All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm till the end will be saved. (vv. 17,22). Given that Jesus was not speaking of their eternal salvation (for that is assured for ALL who believe in Him, as covered in Part 1), from what will he who stands firm till the end BE saved? The answer comes as His exhortation continues:
Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy [not annihilate!] both body and soul in hell (v. 28, NASB). Click here to read this in multiple translations so that you are certain to apprehend this, for we’ve been taught false doctrine which must be demolished by the sharp sword itself, the omnipotent word (2 Cor. 10:4). (This is the fourth time in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus taught His disciples they can be saved from temporary chastisement in hell – we studied the first three from His sermon on the mount in Part 2 (Matt. 5:22, 5:29, 5:30).
Now that our eyes have been opened by digging into God’s word as for hidden treasure, what was concealed is now revealed, and undeniable: Jesus taught that God can temporarily destroy [not annihilate!] in hell both body and soul of those eternally-saved believers who do not stand firm to the end of their lifetimes. The soul is our will, mind, and feelings, NOT the spirit. The spirit of the Christian whose body and soul is destroyed in hell during the Millennium will remain untouched, for it is one with the Holy Spirit – the very fire of God – which will discipline the believers who feared man, not God (see also 1 Cor. 6:17, 19; 1 Cor. 3:13-15, and Matt. 3:11).
In Luke’s Gospel, the scene was different when Jesus warned and encouraged His disciples with similar words to fear God, not men: 4 I tell you, my friends, [His friends are not unbelievers] do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him (Luke 12:4-5). Can it be any clearer? Our Lord is warning all eternally-saved believers (recall Matt. 28:19-20) – His friends – to fear God, who can throw them into hell for temporary chastisement. Other Scriptures we’ve studied have shown this is for sanctifying discipline which was resisted / not received during their lifetimes. Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. Punish them with the rod and save them from death [Hebrew: Sheol]. (Prov. 23:13-14)
Better to Enter the Kingdom with One Eye than to Have Two Eyes and be Thrown into Hell
Mark 9 is perhaps the strongest of these three similar teachings of Jesus to His disciples, in part because of repetition of Isaiah 66:24 in some of the Greek manuscripts, but also because v. 47 teaches that repentance during this lifetime enables the believer to enter the Millennial Kingdom instead of being cast into hell. Please read it deliberately.
42 Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you [a disciple] to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. 45 If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, 46 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. 47 If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, 48 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. (Mark 9:42-49 NASB, emphasis added).
Given that salt was used as a preservative at the time, I believe it reinforces the blessed truth that this fiery destruction of the soul and body brings forth the righteousness of Christ in these disobedient saints. This is the baptism with fire that John the Baptist and Paul prophesied of Christ in Matt 3:11 and 1 Cor. 3:15, respectively. Jesus’s shocking words often overlooked from John 15, and Hebrews 10 speak of this also:
If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. (John 15:6). Note that “does not remain in me” means that such persons were in Him at one time; they left – apostatized – and so will be burned by fire temporarily in hell.
10 …we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. …26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. [Christians are God’s enemies if we do so] …30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” (Heb. 10:10, 26-27, 30, emphasis added)
for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Heb. 12:29)
Praise God, truths such as John 6:40 assure us even the apostates will be sufficiently disciplined during the Millennial Age, and will be part of the New Jerusalem for eternity!
As we’ve seen in Matt. 10:22 above, what is meant by salvation in some Scriptures is not the free gift of eternal salvation we receive upon regeneration, but the salvation of our souls at the Judgment seat, which comes by continued application of God’s word throughout the trials and tribulations during our lifetimes:
But we [speaking to believers] are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed [temporarily in hell], but those who believe and are saved [from that]. (Heb. 10:39)
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you [at the Judgment seat from temporary chastisement in hell]. (James 1:21) (Some Christians falsely teach that James did not write his epistle to Christians; they miss that James considers his audience within the twelve tribes (1:1) to be his “brothers… believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.” (2:1))
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? (James 2:14) A central Scripture of this series, hopefully all reading this now understand that James refers to being saved from spending the Millennial Age in hell before entering eternal bliss as part of the New Jerusalem.
6…you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 9…you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6b-7,9). Given that even those who receive Christ as Savior on their deathbeds have eternal salvation, this passage clearly pertains to the discipline/sanctification necessary so that we all may become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13), as covered in the beginning of Part 2.
Do you see how these dovetail with Jesus’ words he who stands firm till the end will be saved (Matt. 10:22)? It is apparent such Scriptures refer to the body and soul being saved from temporary destruction in hell during the Millennium. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men (2 Cor. 5:11 KJV).
Assign Him a Place with the Unbelievers/Hypocrites Means the Subject is a True Believer
Luke 12 contains many teachings which our flesh rejects. In vv. 35-48, Jesus taught about the necessity of His servants being ready for service and watchful for His return. Midway through the parable, when Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” (v. 41), Jesus did not answer him directly, but continued concealing His meaning so that only those with eyes to see it would (e.g. Matt. 13:13-17 , Prov. 2:1-5, and Prov. 25:2). Behold Jesus’ strong warning for believers therein:
35 Be dressed and ready for service and keep your lamps burning. …45 But suppose the servant [believer] says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers [reinforcing that “that servant” of the master is a believer in Christ, not an unbeliever]. 47 That servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:46-48, emphasis added). Note that those who sin knowingly will be beaten with more blows than those who sin unknowingly: our God is just.
Here is how Jesus taught this in the first Gospel, in His Olivet discourse:
48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’ 49 And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day he does not anticipate and at an hour he does not expect. 51 Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites [false Christians, thus confirming this disobedient servant IS a true Christian], where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt 24:48-51, emphasis added)
Jesus is thus teaching that disobedient servants/believers will be assigned a place in hell with the unbelievers and hypocrites where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; they will be cut to pieces and beaten with blows. (No wonder why accountability teaching has been leavened by false teachings! The flesh fights it tooth and nail – see Ro. 7:21-25 and Gal 5:17). Now we’re ready for the parable in Matt. 18 that is rarely preached, let alone accurately.
His Master Handed Him Over to the Torturers for Not Forgiving His Brother
Jesus taught His parable of the unmerciful servant (Matt. 18:21-35) to Peter when Peter asked how many times he should forgive his brother who sins against him. Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (v. 22). Please click the link above and study the parable yourself; in the interest of space, I will present only the key last verses showing that God our Father will turn US over to the jailers to be tortured unless we forgive our brother from our heart:
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Click here to view v. 34 in multiple translations, and realize our Lord is explaining that our Heavenly Father will hand us over to demons to be tortured for the duration of the Millennial Age until the “debt” of unforgiveness (despite what our God has done for us through His Son!) is paid.
As I shared in Part 2, most Christians understand that such discipline takes place in this lifetime. For instance, many would consider disease (or its treatment!) torture. Having viewed countless thousands of specimens of diseased tissue and cells under the microscope as a pathologist who now apprehends that disease has spiritual roots*, I can assure you, most malignancies, abscesses and similar visibly destructive diseases are rooted in unforgiveness. Not surprisingly, God’s word ranks unforgiveness among the most important/common root sins, even addressing it in and immediately after Jesus taught what is known as the Lord’s prayer:
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matt. 6:12-15).
We now understand that our forgiveness must occur before we appear before our Lord on Judgment Day, else He may hand us over to the jailers to be tortured during the next age, so that we may be mature in Christ as part of the new Jerusalem for eternity.
* For more on the spiritual roots of disease, see Bible Study Looking Into God’s Word on the Cause and Eradication of Disease.
Non-overcomers Lose Crowns and are Hurt by the Second Death: Christ’s Epistle to His Church of Smyrna
Our Lord’s seven epistles to the seven churches in Revelation Chs. 2 & 3 are encouragements AND warnings to ALL His churches throughout the world (Rev. 1:1). They are to BELIEVERS, for Christ considers them His churches, and John considers himself to be their brother (Rev. 1:9). Note that every epistle – even those to Smyrna and Philadelphia which contain no rebukes, but only commendations for suffering their persecutions – contains these words of encouragement AND warning: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev. 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22).
Some of our Lord’s rebukes herein are obvious:
If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Rev. 2:5)
21 I have given her [Jezebel] time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then, all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. (Rev. 2:21-23, emphasis added). Very few Christians apprehend these words of our Lord: He will cast her on a bed of suffering, will make the adulterers suffer intensely, will kill her children, and all His churches will know our Judge WILL repay each of us (very harshly, if need be, not just with rewards!) according to our deeds.
The entire book of Revelation is clearly one in which God wants us to diligently search out the treasures He’s hidden (Prov. 25:2; 2:1-6). Just as Jesus spoke in parables so that only those who had ears to hear would understand them (Matt. 13:13-15), He has concealed treasure in Rev. 2 and 3 for those who value his word enough to search it out. Having studied what we have, praise God we now have ears to hear the warnings that He has concealed within commendations He gives in two of His epistles.
The first concealed warnings we’ll study are in our Lord’s epistle to the persecuted church of Smyrna. Read carefully:
8 To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Rev. 2:8-11 emphasis added).
Do you hear it now? Concealed is the implication that the crown of life – entering into eternal life one thousand years earlier than most, reigning with Christ in His Millennial Kingdom – will NOT be given to those who are not faithful (even to the point of death if so led). Furthermore (and this is the one I missed until recently), the one who does NOT overcome WILL be hurt by the second death. Part of why I did not see it was that I’d been blinded by the false teaching that all Christians will be part of the first resurrection (proven false by studying Rev. Ch. 20; see Part 1 – The Prize of the First Resurrection). But I also missed it because I did not realize the Lord specified herein being hurt… by the second death, which is only a temporary death of the soul and body for disobedient Christians, not eternal death as it will be for unbelievers, the beast, the false prophet, and the devil.
In studying the pertinent Scriptures as we are, it becomes apparent that by the words second death, God means the second separation of the spirit, soul, and body. Recall that death is not the cessation of consciousness (Luke 16:23, 2 Cor. 5:8). The first separation of spirit, soul, and body occurs at the first earthly death (see 2 Cor. 5:9 and James 2:26). This second separation occurs after spirit, soul, and body have been reunified when raised on Judgment Day, and ONLY for those Christians whose deeds are NOT worthy of receiving the crown of life, the first resurrection. (Recall from Luke 20:35-36 that those considered worthy of taking part in the Millennial Age and in the first resurrection can no longer die – they can not experience the second death! This helps distinguish between raising of the dead for judgment, and resurrection to eternal life – once a saint is resurrected, he can no longer die, for he has eternal life.)
This separation of spirit, soul, and body brings to mind Jesus’ words studied above regarding an unfaithful servant: His Master will cut him to pieces [spirit, soul, and body] and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 24:51, emphasis added). It is the forfeiture of soul Jesus spoke of in Matt. Ch. 16: 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, then he will reward each person according to what he has done (vv. 26-27) (This coming in glory with rewards is at His parousia, where only believers stand before Him; it is thus believers’ forfeiture of souls being addressed.)
One last point before moving on to our Lord’s other concealed warnings. As is clear from the context in Christ’s seven epistles, to “overcome” herein refers to dying to self: denying the temptations of this world and what remains of the sin nature during the process of sanctification. Notably, it does not mean born again through faith like some Christians resisting this accountability truth falsely teach, referring to 1 John 5:4-5 or to our Lord’s having overcome the world on our behalf in John 16:33.
Those Christians Who Soil Their Robes Will be Temporarily Blotted Out of the Book of Life: Christ’s Epistle to His Church of Sardis
Nearly all Christians awaiting our Lord’s coming love Paul’s words of encouragement to the godly* Thessalonians in 1 Thess. 4:14-18, especially those who have not studied all these Scriptures and falsely consider this passage to describe a single “rapture of the Church.” Paul’s next words subtly infer that not all Christians WILL be awake, and hence they will MISS His coming like a thief in the night:
1 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep [believers and unbelievers alike to whom His coming WILL be like a thief in the night], but let us be awake and sober. (1 Thess. 5:1-7). The day of the Lord in v.2 refers to His ~7 year parousia. The first resurrection occurs in multiple stages during these years, with those first-fruits who are alive at the time being raptured right before the Tribulation begins (see Part 1).
Our Lord’s epistle to His church of Sardis proves that this passage in 1 Thessalonians indeed refers to sleeping believers as well as unbelievers. With ears to hear what Christ speaks to His churches, behold His words therein which we are ALL to hear:
1 To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead [spiritually]. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Rev. 3:1-3, emphasis added). There is the proof that both the 1 Thessalonians passage about the thief and this similar warning herein ARE indeed addressing believers!
Now, note the two hard truths which our Lord concealed in these next verses, but reveals to those Bereans who have allowed the omnipotent word to demolish strongholds of false doctrine:
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev. 3:4-6)
Do you see them? The first is in verse 4, which indicates most saints in Sardis HAVE soiled their clothes, and will NOT walk with Him dressed in white (during the Millennial Age is inferred), for they are NOT worthy. As indicated earlier in this series, these saints are seen later in Revelation as the great multitude… standing before the throne… wearing white robes (7:9); one of the elders specifically asked John who they are (to get our attention), and then explained, “These are those who have come out of the Tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (v. 14, emphasis added). Praise God for His disciplining/sanctification of His beloved children via trials and tribulations! He rebukes and disciplines those He loves (3:19)!
The second hard truth is in verse 5, which conceals then reveals that those who soiled their white robes will be blotted out of the book of life. Again, other Scriptures we have studied prove that ALL believers will be saved in eternity, thus, this blotting out is only temporary, while being chastised during the Millennial Age. Praise God, after their chastising is complete, these sanctified Christians will be raised from this, their second death (separation of spirit, soul, and body), on the last day of the Millennium, where they will be judged a second time; this time it will be along with all those who rejected Jesus Christ during their lifetimes, those whose names are not found written in the book of life:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens 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 they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:11-15)
Building upon our previous study of Rev. 20 in Part 1 – The Prize of the First Resurrection, and our study of Jesus’ words regarding the resurrection in Luke 20:35-36, the names of these now fully-sanctified saints ARE then found written in the book of life (as concealed then revealed to us in v.15); they can no longer die, and so compose the second resurrection of believers to eternal life. (Applying Jesus’ logic from Luke 20, the damned are simply raised for judgment here, for He indicated being resurrected means one can never die again.)
We come to see the Millennial Age is a time of restoration of unrepentant Christians in hell, just as it is a time of restoration for formerly unrepentant Israel on earth (numerous OT Scriptures address this, but for starters, see Isaiah 61:1-9 for Israel, and Hebrews 4 for Christians).
As the restored Christians are united with the blessed and holy believers of the first resurrection who reigned with Christ on earth throughout His Millennial Kingdom, the Body of Christ will finally be unified, mature, whole, and full (see Eph. 4:13). Christ then hand[s] over the kingdom to God the Father:
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”… 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. (1 Cor. 15:24-28)
With all rebellious believers fully restored, the first heaven and the first earth pass away, a new heaven and new earth appear, then the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven (Rev. 21), ushering in the glorious eternal state for all who are in Christ Jesus, the Lord. Hallelujah!! Thank-You, Father!
*In his second epistle to them, Paul tells the Thessalonians their perseverance and faith in all their persecutions and trials they are enduring is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering (2 Thess. 1:4-5).
So very much love in Christ our Judge, Savior, and Deliverer, your sister deanna
For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die [the second death at the judgment seat]; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live [enter eternal life one thousand years early], because those who are led by the Spirit of God are Sons of God. (Ro. 8:13-14, comments added)
The Lord Is With Us 
The Hebrew word mistranslated as “hell” is sheowl–which means a pit or grave. So you are correct about that being temporary. Everyone will be brought to the Great White Throne Judgement out of their graves (not from their fluffy cloud in heaven).
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