As I have stated many times, God, the Holy Spirit is our primary teacher, not a human being. (In the history of the Church, there has never been a perfect teacher or theologian.) We should put everything we learn to the test of the Spirit and Word. I have also stated many times that the Bible teaches that “every knee will bow.” (Isa. 45:23; Rom 14:17; Phil. 2:10). In my opinion, these verses teach a universal submission, but not a universal salvation. The idea of salvation is attached to both the first moment of believing that Jesus is the Son of God, and to a believer’s faithful walk. Unfaithfulness in our spiritual walk will make us accountable to the wrath of God.
The Greek noun didaskalia [dee-das-kah-lee-ah] is defined as “teaching, instruction [or] doctrine.”[1] The teaching or doctrine of “universal submission,” has the corresponding Biblical Image of “every knee bowing.” Most every Biblical doctrine or teaching has a corresponding Biblical Image.
As mentioned on many occasions, my study of the Book of Revelation led me to spend a lot of time analyzing the image of the Lake of Fire. After much study, in my opinion, the Lake of Fire is not a literal lake of fire. In fact, in my opinion, the Lake of Fire is an image of the wrath of God, meaning an image of the negative consequences that we humans will experience if we live in disobedience to God.
God has told us in a number of verses what will characterize the Endstate. For example, Isaiah 45:23 states:
I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.
As stated above, this idea or image is repeated at Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10. However, there are many other verses that support this general proposition. For example, at 1 Corinthians 15:22 we read, “For as in Adam all died, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” There will be consequences for our disobedience and rebellion against God, but God has the power to subdue all things to Himself (Phil. 3:21). At Hebrews 2:8, we read:
You have put everything in subjection under His feet. For in subjecting all things to Him, He left nothing that is not subject to Him. But now we do not yet see all thing subjected to Him.
Other verses mentioning a universal submission and worship of God include the following:
All nations whom you have made will come and worship before You, Lord, and they will glorify Your name.
Ps. 86:9
And to Him was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom, so that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages might serve Him.
Dan. 7:14
And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever.”
Rev. 5:13
For He has put all things in subjection under His feet…. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
1 Cor. 15:27-28
So, I want to be very clear in my language. I am making the case for a universal submission, not a universal salvation. There will be significant consequences for humans who do not believe in this life. There will also be significant consequences for believers who do not remain faithful. Further, there will be significant consequences for disobedient angelic beings. These significant consequences may very well include physical, psychological, and/or spiritual distress and pain. There is a lot of mystery associated with the Eternal State (or Endstate). In the New Testament, “salvation” frequently carries the idea of being delivered or rescued from God’s wrath. God’s wrath should not be understood as arbitrary or capricious anger. God’s wrath should be understood as God’s holy and measured response to all that opposes His will and character. God’s “wrath” is a Biblical Image of God’s holy and righteous response to human sin and rebellion. “God’s wrath” is principled justice, using language understandable to human beings inclined to sin and rebellion. Philippians 2:12 teaches us to “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling.”
At Romans 5:9, we read:
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
As stated above, the wrath of God (which is a Biblical Image) can include physical, psychological, and/or spiritual suffering and pain. The image of the “wrath of God” is associated with the teaching or doctrine of “God’s righteous judgment.”
Additional verses discussing the “wrath of God” include:
[A]nd to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is, Jesus who rescues us from the wrath to come.
1 Thess. 1:10
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thess 5:9
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
Rom 1:18
Probably forty to sixty percent of the Bible communicates God’s truth through Biblical Imagery, which includes images, symbols, metaphors, motifs, literary patterns, etc. The images are derived from nature, historical events, common human experiences, culture, law, religious ritual, etc. The image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is one example. Jesus’s description of Himself as the true vine is another easy example. At John 15:1-5, we read:
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
God often communicates His truth to humanity through Biblical Imagery. So, we must learn how to interpret Biblical Imagery as a unique language or means of communication. We must first understand the literal reality behind the Biblical Image. For example, we must have some understanding of the vine and branches. Second, we must have some understanding of the historical context of tending a vineyard during the First Century in Israel. Next, we need to seek a better understanding of how the same image was developed or utilized in other passages of Scripture. Fourth, we need to appreciate that certain images can be literal in one passage but symbolic in other passages. For example, there could be literal shepherds in one passage, and then Jesus is described as a “shepherd” in another passage. Fifth, Biblical Imagery is often meant to evoke emotions, as well as thoughts, in the reader or listener. For example, we should want to avoid God’s wrath, meaning the negative consequences associated with our disobedience or rebellion. Finally, the person of Jesus Christ, His words and His ministry provide the keys to unlocking the Scriptures and unlocking the meaning of Biblical Imagery.
In conclusion, Biblical Imagery is a never-ending ocean of discovery, which is a key to unlocking a correct interpretation and understanding of the Word of God. As a part of God’s plan for humanity, He often communicates higher spiritual truths through Biblical Imagery. With just about every Biblical doctrine or teaching, there is a corresponding Biblical Image.
Finally, the Endstate will be a universal submission of every knee bowing and every mouth swearing allegiance to God (Isa. 45:23). However, there will not be a universal salvation from God’s wrath. There will be eternal consequences for not believing in this life that Jesus is the Son of God, and there will be eternal consequences for not remaining faithful on our walk of faith.
You are encouraged to put these ideas to the test of the Spirit and Word. God, the Holy Spirit is our primary teacher.
[1] “Define and pronounce didaskalia” prompt. GPT-4, Open AI, 24 Aug. 2025, chat.openai.com/chat.
