As a teacher of the Bible and a pastor of a local church in an unChristian area, I get lots of questions. My wife and I recently had a lost person ask if everyone gets saved in the end. The gentleman even had some thought that Satan, a fallen angel would be saved too. This in part because there are many in the area where I pastor who believe angels are humans in a preexistent state who have yet to receive a physical body or have returned to heaven after death but able to be messengers back to earth. This idea rejects the Bible's teaching that angels are a different species than mankind. In this line of thinking, if everyone gets saved, than Satan must saved too. Additionally, the man tried to use Scripture to justify his pseudo-question/argument, except he twisted the Scripture.
Universalism is widely believed, especially among the false-gospel practiced in my part of the country. It should be discussed and the Bible should be studied to see God’s Truth. While there are many ways to respond to such questions, here’s a look at how I approached it on this particular occasion.
Question.
"If in the end, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, does that mean everyone will be saved to include the devil?
Answer.
In short, the Bible does not teach that everyone will be saved. There are Scriptures about those who will be cast out. There are strong warnings for a reason. Bowing and confessing to God that he is who he claims to be is not the same as repenting and believing by faith rather than at the moment one is standing before the all-powerful Judge. Furthermore, angles will not be saved, and angels long to look into salvation reserved for humankind.
The longer discussion requires that we explore Scripture. I suggest opening your Bible and reading the chapters and verses in question first, then looking at my commentary. My commentary should only serve as a guide to see God's Word, but see God's Word, we must. So read that first and dig into that.
First, the context of Romans 14 (one of the places the Bible mentions every knee bowing) has to do not so much with salvation, but unity and who judges. Romans 14:1 opens by saying it's not worth disputing with a weaker brother but that we should have unity. An example is given about food laws. But in the end, God knows what's right and wrong, and God's Word and Revelation is the final authority. "In the end, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God" (Romans 14:10).
The Judge we will stand before will be recognized as the true Judge, fair, and powerful. Even if His sentence is for outer darkness, we will know it's a correct sentence. Then Paul appeals to Isaiah 45:23, from which is where the idea of every knee bowing before an all-powerful judge comes.
Isaiah 45 and 46 are about how those who rejected God and fought against Israel will one day see how wrong they were. While standing in front of the true God, they will see how their false idols were nothing and of no value. It is here in verse 23 that God says that every knee will bow and every tongue will swear and allegiance to God. However, verse 25 says all who enraged against God will come to him but be put to shame. The picture here is the guilty who rejected and fought against God are now trying to say, "Oops, yeah, you were right. I'll be on your team now." But God isn't going to let that fly. Jesus paid the price for our sins, but throughout the New Testament, we're called to repent and believe in Christ, not change our ways in the final courtroom.
We also see that Paul used Isaiah 45:23 in Philippians 2:10-11; only here, he is specifically referring to Christ and calling Jesus Lord. All will see that Jesus is Lord and bow down, but that does not mean they are confessing, in faith, belief, and repentance for the salvation of sins. At the judgment, it's too late.
If if were true (which it is not) that every person was going to be saved, how do we make sense of the overwhelming warnings about a coming hell and punishment? Here are but ten worth consideration:
Isaiah 66:22-24
Daniel 12:1-2
Matthew 18:6-9
Matthew 25:31-46
Mark 9:42-48
2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
Jude 7
Jude 13
Revelation 14:9-11
Revelation 20:10, 14-15
There are many more. And if all were going to be saved, why would John the Baptist warn that the ax is already at the base of the tree and every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be thrown into the fire (Matthew 3:10, Luke 3:9)?
In Luke 13:23, someone asked Jesus if only a few people would be saved? If everyone were saved in the end, this would be the moment Jesus would say so. However, consider what Jesus said:
"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won't be able once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up for us!' He will answer you, 'I don't know you or where you're from.' Then you will say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' But he will say, 'I tell you, I don't know you or where you're from. Get away from me, all you evildoers!' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown out" (Luke 13:24-28).
Getting back to the question, it would seem that every knee bowing is not indicating salvation. According to the Bible, every person will not be saved. And there is a clear Scripture about the end of the devil.
Revelation 20:10 says, "The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
The fate of sinners is not salvation but damnation. However, there's good news throughout the New Testament too. It's best summed up in John 3:16: "For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." Jesus suffered the death and damnation that all who believe in Christ and calls him Lord in this life (letting call all the shots) will not be cast out, but be in the presence of God forever.
