ANNIHILATIONISM - IITB 13.15

 

Chapter 13.15

Annihilationism

The wicked do not burn in hell forever, they burn up and cease to exist…

Universalism – Postmortem Conversion – Eternal Conscious Punishment

Limited Eternity – The Grave – The Pit - Hell – Hades - Sheol - Gehenna

 

 

First Word

     The term “Eternal Punishment” that Jesus spoke of raises the question; is He speaking of a state of ENDLESS ETERNAL PAIN or AN ENDING OF COCONSCIOUS EXISTENCE?  Is eternal punishment dealing with its length of TIME or its EFFECT?   Is eternal punishment an ACTION or a PROCESS? Is this punishment MOMENTARY or a SUSTAINED event?

     I have always been taught that at the final judgment, the wicked un-believers and the make believers will be thrown into the lake of fire, and there burn forever; now I am hearing NO, THAT’S NOT RIGHT, after the unbeliever has suffered the penalty of God’s wrath for a time they will then be incinerated and simply cease to exist as well as the memory of their existence. It is said that, while God’s wrath is a conscious punishment, it is NOT an eternal punishment.

     The first time I heard of this was on a TV program called Shepherd’s Chapel with Pastor Arnold Murray.   Sometimes a teacher will say things “off the cuff” in order to make a different point, but this IS Murray’s point; UNBELIEVERS WILL BE ANNIHILATED.

     Murray’s position is that the doctrine of “eternal punishment” is inconsistence with the nature of a God of Love and the pastors and teachers who DO NOT teach annihilation simply do not understand how to interpret the scripture correctly.  Murray pretty much says that it would be needlessly cruel to cause the wicked to suffer pain endlessly, and he sets out to vindicate and prove that GOD IS INNOCENT of such, and condemns those that do not embrace and teach ANNIHILATIONISM.

     There seems to be four theories about what happens to the wicked after they are judged; but we are just going to unpack Annihilationism.

1)      Universalism is a doctrine that in its simplest form states that, because God is a God of Love, that “IN THE END” all people will be saved and gathered together into Heaven.  Therefore there cannot be a place which contains a Chamber of Horrors like hell that has infinite (long term) punishing for a finite (short term) mistake.  Unauthorized parking in a handicap zone surely deserves a fine, but certainly not eternity in the ELECTRIC CHAIR.

2)     Postmortem Conversion is the term that is used for someone who has died and gets a second chance to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  Those who embrace Postmortem Conversion hang their hat on the scriptures that says “How can they believe in Him of whom they have never heard”[1] and the second scripture indicating that Jesus went to the lower parts of the earth; to HELL and preached to them;[2] they all believed and went to heaven.

3)     Eternal Conscious Punishment.  This is the view that ONLY the believer will have eternal life.  This is true, eternal life is a gift from Jesus Christ that the Un-believer does not receive, but that does not mean the un-believer ceases to exist.  Life and death are both forms of existence; the unbeliever will still exist and stand at his own judgment.

4)     Annihilationism is the belief that when an UNBELIEVER dies; he goes to hell and is destroyed, burned up, consumed by fire and ceases to exist, the total end is a non-being; you pass out of existence.  The position is, how can a loving God make anyone go through eternal terror, pain, torment and punishment forever?  Hell fire has done its work and it is the fire and smoke that rises forever and ever, not the life that was cast into it; eternal torment serves no purpose. 

 

Voices for Annihilation

     Adam and Eve were created neither Mortal nor Immortal, but with the potential to be either.  This is called “Conditional Immortality”, it was their choice that made them mortal. Only God is immortal;[3] immortality is a gift given only to those who accept Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said that there is no eternal life apart from Jesus Christ.[4]

     Annihilationist use scriptures that clearly state; “The wicked are headed for DESTRUCTION;”[5] “DISASTER will fall on them;”[6] “they will be punished with ETERNAL DESTRUCTION,”[7]  “wicked people will be DESTROYED.”[8]  The final effect on the unbelieving wicked is they will cease to exist.[9]

     Eternal punishment is inconsistent in disproportion between the amount of time sins are committed and the time of eternal punishment.  Endless retribution on the wicked is unjust and disproportionate to Gods Divine justice.

     Imagine a cat thrown into a microwave oven, squirming and screaming in anguish of pain as some people are taking pleasure in watching it. Now imagine the Saints in heaven taking pleasure and satisfaction in watching the wicked squirm and scream in torment for eternity; how could that be heaven?

     The continuance of evil creatures in the presence of God’s universe would cause Heaven to NOT be Heaven and therefore could not reflect His perfection and glory.

 

Genesis 3:22-24 – Adam and Eve were neither mortal nor immortal
²² Then the LORD God said, “Look,

THE HUMAN BEINGS HAVE BECOME LIKE US, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then THEY WILL LIVE FOREVER!”
(NLT)

 

Voices against Annihilation

     The reason we reject eternal punishment is because we take SIN so lightly, we have watered down the Gospel, teaching mostly only about a loving God and NOT so much about a JUST God who punishes SIN.   The Book says anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.[10]

     A broken vessel while it can no longer be used for what it was intended, it still exist.  In the parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep and the lost son, while they were all lost, they did not cease to exist.  In the story of the rich man and the poor man that died, they both continued to exist; the rich man was in a compartment of hell known as “Torment” [11] and the poor man, separated by a great gulf was with Father Abraham in a compartment of hell known as “Paradise”.

     Definition of Grave; Hell (Hebrew), Hades (Greek), Sheol (Hebrew for Hades), and Gehenna (Greek), all symbolize the same thing.  Gehenna was a valley outside Jerusalem where garbage and dead bodies were thrown with gnawing worms eating the rotting putrid flesh.  It burned and smoked day and night.  It is often referred to in the OT as going down to “the Pit” or “the Grave”.

     Moses saw a bush that was burning, yet it was not consumed;[12] who is to say that God cannot make the wicked so they are not consumed, but burn forever like the fires of hell.

     Enoch[13] and Elijah[14] walked with God and the Book says; and they WERE NO MORE; but they were not annihilated, they continued to exist in another dimension; with God.  

     NOTE: Did you notice when the demons were addressing Jesus, they were expecting to be tortured;[15] not annihilated?  “Have you come to TORTURE US before God’s appointed time”?[16]

     The Book:  The words destruction, destroyed, and disaster are referring to the destructive effects sin has in the final judgment.  It does not necessarily infer the cessation of existence, although you can certainly make scripture read it that way.

     When you think of a loving God, it’s hard to imagine He would torment someone, but the Book says He is also a JUST God.  John the Revelator uses words like Fire, Torment, Anguish, Weeping, and Gnashing of teeth (all active words); this is the bad side of the good news.  At the judgment, God’s Wrath and Anger will be poured out in FULL STRENGTH.[17] 

     The Book says the Smoke of their torment will rise FOREVER AND EVER.   The Greek, “eis tous aionan ton aionon” forever and ever, is translated eons and eons.  Let’s reason together; if the fire of torment has finished its work, then the smoke[18] would CEASE to rise for ever and ever.

     None of scripture denote death as an extinction or a cessation of being.  Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians said, evil doers would be FOREVER SEPARATED FROM GOD;[19] so let’s reason together; only those that EXIST can be EXCLUDED from God’s presence. Only by the isolation of single scriptures from the many, can you conclude the doctrine of annulation.

     As students of the Word, we simply cannot pick and choose what our Belief System wants to embrace; the Bible is the final authority over us which we must submit; precept upon precept and line upon line[20].  Jesus Himself said;

Hell is where the WORM DOES NOT DIE AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.[21]     

 

– It’s in the Book –

Side-Bar

ü  Forever and Ever is used over and over to emphasize the concept of ETERNITY.

ü  Limited Eternity: This is something someone just made up to avoid the punishment for Sin.  You cannot limit the duration of punishment for the un-believer and make-believer, without limiting the duration of eternal life for the believer; they are both FOREVER.  It’s in the Book

     To destroy something is to ruin it or make it unfit for that which it is was originally designed to be or do. A car that has been compacted FLAT can no longer function as a car, but it does not cease to exist.

     A Soul is utterly destroyed, ruined, made unfit for what it was created for when it is cast into utter darkness and separated from the light of God; it is destroyed for the purpose it was created, but it still exists.

     Hell is both a “State” and a “Place”.

ü  A State where you have lost the blessings of God and are out of His presence and His light; cursed and condemned to utter darkness.

ü  A Place, a prison where you are in indescribable ceaseless misery and torment day and night, forever and ever and ever.  A place without hope; only tears of pain and voices of rebellion.

     Satan, Fallen Angels, Demons & Unbelievers are not the same, all have different natures; however make no mistake, they will ALL share in the same ultimate fate; the Lake of Fire.

     NOTE; Satan is not in charge of Hell; he is just one of the boys in torment; he cannot alter, modify or change anything; the degrees of torture and punishment are SET by God.

 

The Take Away – Lets reason together

     Annihilation implies that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity at His death, went to hell and then went out of existence and thus His resurrection would have required a re-creation.

     Both life and death are states of existence; the wicked are separated from the blessedness of God’s presence; they are separated, but not annihilated.

     Is there any man that can know the depth, extent and degree of a heinous sin and contemplate what such punishment should be?

     COME, LET US REASON TOGETHER;[22] can a selected TIME OF PUNISHMENT brought on by Sin satisfy God’s wrath and justice? 

v  If YES, then it would follow, if God is now satisfied, they should not be annihilated, so therefore it follows that they should now be allowed to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

v  If NO, God’s wrath and justice has not been satisfied, then if follows the wicked should not be annihilated until it has.  Logically, in both situations annihilation seems to be wrong.

     LET’S REASON TOGETHER; if the time of suffering for the wicked is not eternal but limited, then it would follow that the time of the blessings for the redeemed is also limited.

     LOGICALLY if there is no conscious torment and one is simply burned up and just ceases to exist then it would follow that one should be as wicked as they desire to be.

Annihilation is only the “Wishful Thinking Doctrine” for relief from punishment.

     There were two Lazarus’ that died.  One in the story of the rich man and the poor man[23] and the other in the story of the brother of Mary and Martha.[24]  Both died, but neither were annihilated.  These were not parables as parables do not have specific names of people.

     John the Revelator implies that those in hell will go on sinning, gnashing their teeth against God, not repenting; likewise those in Heaven will continue in holiness and live righteously.

     The fact that we see the smoke rising from the lake of fire causes redeemed mankind to reflect back and remember that they too deserve this punishment, but were redeemed by God’s grace.  Since we will be like Christ and have His characteristics of love, as well as justice, we will rejoice with Him for all in eternally as we observe His plan; It Is Finished.

     The Book teaches that there is a conscious eternal punishment of the wicked.  Paul as he was lamenting over the awful punishment for the unbeliever and make-believer said; “my heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief”.[25]  Since wicked souls continue to exist, then they must exist somewhere and that place is Hell; in the Lake of Fire.   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who MOURN”.  This is when we realize that we are spiritually bankrupt and MOURN over OUR OWN SINS, it is even more mournful for those who have not come to that point and are so LOST and will be consciously tormented in Hell fire for all of eternity. 

     Bible Thumpers are not crazy fanatics, they are just watchmen trying to sound the alarm and save someone from a most horrible future; not just the TORMENT, but the separation from a loving God FOREVER.

     In my far out Belief System, I see hell as a planet thrown far out in the heavens, where I can see smoke all around it, as a reminder, that except for the compassion, love and grace of God… that could be ME.   This thought makes ME stop and praise God, that He loved ME so much, that through His Only Son’s death on the cross, He provide ME THE WAY back to Him; THE ONLY WAY.[26]   SELAH

 

     The Ultimate work of the Cross is the Love of Christ summoning us to Repentance and to Faith. It’s the trumpet call of the NIGHT WATCHMAN;[27] you can WAKE UP and get ready or you can go back to sleep; the Watchman has done His part.  The rest is up to you; the choices you make on this side of life have eternal consequences.   It’s in the Book  

 

 

 

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[1] Romans 10:14-15 - how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?

[2] Ephesians 4:9 – He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth

 

[3] 1 Timothy 6:16 – Only God alone can never die -- 2 Timothy 1:10 – Immortality is a Gift only to the believer

[4] Ephesians 2:12 – Apart from Christ, you are EXCLUDED; without GOD and without HOPE

[5] Philippians 3:19 - THEY ARE HEADED FOR DESTRUCTION -- Hebrews 12:29 - God is a CONSUMING fire; Wrath

[6] 1 Thessalonians 5:3 – DISASTER will fall on them; there is NO ESCAPE  -- Revelation 20:14 – DESTROYED the Lake of fire; 2^nd  death

[7] 2 Thessalonians 1:9 – ETERNALLY DESTROYED; SEPARATED FROM THE LORD forever

[8] 2 Peter 3:7 - UNGODLY PEOPLE WILL BE DESTROYED -- Psalm 37:22 – Those cursed of God are CUT OFF Annihilated -- Psalm 37:28 – The wicked are CUT OFF; annihilated -- Psalm 104:35 – The wicked are CUT OFF; consumed, annihilated, be no more

[9] Ezekiel 28:18 – Satan and followers reduced to ASHES--  John 17:12 – Judas; son of destruction; lost, annihilated

[10] Luke 16:22-24 – There is a continuance of existence after death; I AM IN ANGUISH IN THESE FLAMES  -- Revelation 14:9-10 – The wicked WILL BE TORMENTED with fire and burning sulfur -- Revelation 20:10 – They will be TORMENTED DAY AND NIGHT FOREVER AND EVER  -- Matthew 13:42 – You will writher in pain and suffering -- Revelation 20:15 – The Wicked are thrown into the lake of fire

[11] Matthew 25:46 - THE EVIL DOER WILL GO AWAY INTO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT, but THE RIGHTEOUS WILL GO INTO “ETERNAL LIFE.” IN THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY ANGELS AND THE LAMB.

[12] Exodus 3:2 – THE BUSH WAS BURNING, YET IT WAS NOT CONSUMED

[13] Genesis 5:24 – Enoch was no more, but not annulated

[14] 2 Kings 2:11-12 – Elijah was no more, but not annulated; ELIJAH WENT UP BY A WHIRLWIND INTO HEAVEN.

[15] Luke 8:28 - Demons expected to be tortured by Jesus

[16] Matthew 8:29 – Demons; Have you come to torture us?

[17] Revelation 19:20 – Fire signifies the continued existence of pain; The BEAST and his FALSE PROPHET were THROWN ALIVE into the FIERY LAKE OF BURNING SULFUR

[18] Revelation 14:11 – THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT WILL RISE FOREVER AND EVER, and THEY WILL HAVE NO RELIEF DAY OR NIGHT

[19] 2 Thessalonians 1:9 – PUNISHED WITH ETERNAL DESTRUCTION, FOREVER SEPARATED FROM THE LORD

[20] Isaiah 28:10 – Prove scripture with scripture; precept upon precept, line upon line

[21] Mark 9:47-48 – JESUS; Lake of fire where the WORM DOES NOT DIE AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED

[22] Isaiah 1:18-20 – COME NOW, LET US REASON TOGETHER; IF YOU ARE WILLING and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but IF YOU REFUSE and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken

[23] Luke 16:22-23 – Lazarus died, went to hell, was not annihilated -- Hebrews 9:27 – Man exist after death for judgment; THERE, IN TORMENT, HE SAW ABRAHAM IN THE FAR DISTANCE WITH LAZARUS

[24] John 11:43-44 – Mary & Martha; Lazarus died, not annihilated

[25] Romans 9:2 – Paul is grieved over the perishing; MY HEART IS FILLED WITH BITTER SORROW AND UNENDING GRIEF -- Matthew 5:4 – Blessed are those who MOURN over their own sins --  Revelation 22:11 – We will ALL continue to do as before

[26] Acts 24:14 – The followers of Christ were known as THE WAY -- John 14:6 – Jesus is THE WAY; the Only Way… NO ONE CAN COME TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.

[27] Ezekiel 33:3 – The Watchman sounds the alarm of warning.