The False Doctrine of ANNIHILIATIONISM (No Hell)

ANNIHILIATIONISM—No eternal conscience suffering in the afterlife—Lost souls do not suffer eternally because their consciousness will be extinguished. At death they cease to exist or pass into a state of nothingness—They drift into dreamless sleep in the silence of dust. [It is understandable why some would prefer this rather than burning in hell-fire forever.]

Basically no hell of eternal fire.

One of the characteristics of a cult is what do they teach about hell or eternal punishment.  7th Day Adventists; Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons all teach the false doctrine of annihilation.  7th Day Adventist teach “soul sleep.”  Jehovah Witnesses believe hell is the grave.   Mormon literature boldly states: “There is nothing of a hell of hot flame in Latter-day Saint philosophy.” [The rich man of Luke 16:19-31 would testify otherwise].

Sadly, some evangelical churches have latched onto this heretical teaching because they feel a soul burning in hell is too horrific to consider. They think it would be unreasonably cruel for God to keep the lost soul in torment forever.  By holding this position they show their ignorance of the justice of God.  The Bible doctrine of hell should not be interpreted  by someone’s arbitrary consideration of comfort or discomfort. The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.

One so-called “proof text” annihiliantists appeal to is Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  They say the soul is destroyed in hell.  However, the word “destroy” does not necessarily mean total annihilation or cessation of being (see 2 Thess. 1:8-9).

2 Thessalonians 1:9 says, they “shall be punished with everlasting destruction FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.”  The preposition “from” expresses a “distance or separation between two things or persons” (Gen. 13:9-14; Lev. 20:24; Num. 16:21; Mt. 25:32). [Seattle is about 34 miles FROM Tacoma.]  Death is separation. Death is not ceasing to exist. How can someone who doesn’t exist be punished FROM someone who does exist?  Only those who still exist can be punished from the presence of the Lord.  Separate the wheat from the tares and burn the tares.

Again, Revelation 14:10-11 indicates the punishment is burning “IN the presence of the holy angels, and IN the presence of the Lamb.”  How can someone be punished “IN the presence of the Lamb” and if he is extinct?

Matthew 8:12 and 22:13; 25:30 says “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Only those who exist can weep and gnash their teeth.

The soul does not die (Mk. 9:42-48; Eccl. 3:14).

Why Suffering in Hell must be Eternal

    A person in hell is in a hopeless situation. If the punishment in hell was only a matter of time, a man would have hope of the time that his suffering would come to an end.  He could count down his time in hell as time expired. For example, if God said, “Your sin deserves 1,000 years in hell,” the man could say after the first year, “I only have 999 years left and this burning will end.” With each passing year he would have hope that someday it would all be over. But it isn’t going to be like that. There is no escape from hell (Luke 16:23-26).

One reason some people have a difficult time accepting the reality of an eternal hell is the Bible is holy and God is holy.  But, we are not holy.  Therefore, when you read the Bible, you are reading about things of another “order” and on a higher plane than we are on.  We are finite and not on the same level as a holy God.

Since sin is against an eternal and holy God, the punishment for sin must also be eternal.  This is why the terminology “everlasting” (Mt. 18:8: 25:41), “unquenchable” (Mt. 3:12), and “eternal” (Jude 1:7; Mk. 3:29) used to describe the lost soul’s punishment.

And these shall go away into EVERLASTING punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. —Matthew 25:46

If our sin were merely against a finite sinful human being, the sentencing of our punishment could be a matter of time (10 yrs. … 25 yrs… etc.).  But because man’s sin is against a holy, eternal God, Who lives forever, man’s punishment must also be forever.  A sinner will stop paying for his sins when God expires—But God will never expire.  Therefore, a lost sinner must pay…and pay…and pay…and continue to pay forever.  His payment cannot end until God ends.  But God will never end, therefore man’s suffering will never end.  That is why a man in hell has no hope.

The only hope a man has is before he dies. After death or Christ’s second coming, a man’s destiny is fixed (Rev. 22:11).

Jesus, God in the flesh, paid the eternal debt of my sin on the cross. An eternal debt requires and eternal sacrifice.  Because Jesus is God, He could suffer an eternal death in my place.  Therefore, if a man will accept Christ’s payment for his sin, he will not have to pay for his own sins himself. But, if he does not receive Christ’s payment for his sin, he will pay for his own sins forever in hell.