The Doctrine of the The Doctrine of the Annihilation of the WickedAnnihilation of the Wicked

Pastor Rex Deckard

Calvary Apostolic Church

Where do the wicked spend Where do the wicked spend eternity?eternity?

Is death the end?Does a soul live on forever?Is a man conscious while in

hell?Why would a loving God send

anyone to hell? How long does hell last?

The truth can only be found in the Scriptures...

Annihilation of the wicked Annihilation of the wicked doctrinedoctrine

One of the most popular theories to evolve since the time of the

Reformation is the concept that the wicked dead are in an

unconscious state (soul sleep), awaiting the final judgment.

This doctrine teaches that the wicked will be annihilated, and

that their soul will cease to exist.

Jehovah Witness teaching…Jehovah Witness teaching…

In "Truth That Leads to Eternal Life," (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1968, p. 41), it is asked,

"Is hell a hot place? Do sheol and hades refer to some place where the wicked suffer after death?

It is plain that they do not, for we have already seen that the dead are not conscious and therefore cannot suffer..."

Ellen G. White, the founder of Seventh-Day Adventism views this doctrine:

“How repugnant to every emotion of love and mercy, and even to our sense of justice, is the doctrine that the wicked dead are tormented with fire and brimstone in an eternally burning hell; that for the sins of a brief earthly life they are to suffer torture as long as God shall live.”

Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, page 49, paragraph 2page 49, paragraph 2 Separation from the ChurchSeparation from the Church

“The Bible gives us no proof “The Bible gives us no proof that there is an eternally that there is an eternally burning hell. If there is such a burning hell. If there is such a place, it should be mentioned in place, it should be mentioned in the Sacred Book." the Sacred Book."

The Jehovah's Witnesses have similarly written:

“Hell could not be a place of torment because such an idea never came into the mind or heart of God. Additionally, to torment a person eternally because he did wrong on earth for a few years is contrary to justice. Would a loving God really torment people forever?”

Their doctrine denies that the Their doctrine denies that the human soul lives on foreverhuman soul lives on forever

This doctrine denies that human souls live forever. All the teachings of Christ and the Apostles concerning hell are figurative, applicable only to the lifespan of the hearer.

The Watchtower Society teaches that once the Soul Sleep period has passed the ultimate destiny of all Mankind is left to one of three options:

Either Annihilation, for the majority of Mankind;

Paradise Earth, for the majority of the Jehovah's Witnesses

Or Heaven (for a select few at the early part of the century)

New Heavens and A New Earth and also From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society) teaches that in 1918 Jesus “came to Jehovah's temple” and resurrected the 144,000 remnant. Since then, Heaven is closed to all others, and man now only has hope of life on a new Earth.

It must be understood that of those in the Jehovah's Witnesses two class salvation system, only the 144,000 are to partake of the born again experience.

This point is made clear by the Watchtower magazine. "The `other sheep' do not need any such rebirth, for their goal is life everlasting in the restored earthly Paradise as subjects of the Kingdom" (15 February 1986, p. 14).Those who do not expect to go to heaven do not need, according to Watchtower theology, to be born again! They have no heavenly hope, so their relationship does not depend upon the Savior's gift of the new birth.

Let us study to see Let us study to see where they are where they are

correct, and where correct, and where they contradict they contradict

Truth.Truth.

All doctrines must All doctrines must be held to the light be held to the light

of God’s Wordof God’s Word

What does the Bible say What does the Bible say regarding the future of the regarding the future of the wicked?wicked?

Ezekial 18:4 “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

Matthew 25.46 .."And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.."

Mark 9.43-48 .."And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Rev. 14:9-12 adds to all of this:

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on

the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the

holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever

and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his

image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.

And further…And further…

2 Thessalonians 1.6-9 In flaming fire taking vengeance on

them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power"

On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot Psalm 11:6, NIV

And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mt. 25:30, NKJV).

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

(Hebrews 10:26-29, NKJV).

Jesus taught more on hell than heaven

  

HEAVEN HELL

matt 6:19-24 matt 5:21-30

matt 25:31-46 matt 10:28

matt 8:11 matt 8:12

matt:13:44-46 matt 13:24-30

matt 18:3-4 matt 13:35-43

matt 22:2-14 matt 13:47-50

  matt 18:7-9

Does Hell and Sheol refer to Does Hell and Sheol refer to the grave only?the grave only?

There is no debate on the point that sheol and hades generally refer to the grave.

In this sense, Jesus went to hades or the grave (Luke 23:53). David also went there (Acts 2:29).

This does not, however, negate that for the wicked there is punishment coming immediately (Luke 16:23) and eventually (Revelation 20:14) in the Lake of Fire when death and the wicked dead will be cast there (Revelation 21:8).

Do the wicked and Do the wicked and unbelieving live on in unbelieving live on in

eternity somewhere in a eternity somewhere in a conscious state?conscious state?

Annihilationist, Clark Pinnock says no, citing Matthew 10:28 :

Our Lord spoke plainly of God's judgment as the annihilation of the wicked when he warned about God's ability to destroy body and soul in hell (Matthew. 10:28).

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (NIV).

But to Destroy is not to Annihilate

From Matthew 10:28 and Luke 12:4, 5, we must conclude that those who get cast into hell have both their soul and body destroyed there.

However, the word translated destroy apollumi, as used in Matthew 10:28, doesn't mean annihilate. Further, the Greek word for destruction is olethros, which primarily means to ruin

Let us examinee two other verses where this same Greek word is used but rendered perish and lost respectively:

Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish [apollumi]: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved (Mt. 9:17, KJV).

"For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost [apollumi] and is found." And they began to be merry (Lk. 15:24, NKJV).

Again, this Greek word can't be equated with annihilate. We know this because the wine bottles that perished would still be in existence, but ruined for the purpose for which they were intended. Moreover, the prodigal was not annihilated when he was lost, but was

fully conscious in that spiritual state.

Are those in Hell conscious or Are those in Hell conscious or asleep?asleep?

“So man's senses of hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste, which depend upon his being able to think, all stop working. According to the Bible, the dead enter a state of complete unconsciousness.”

You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, pp. 77

Compare this to:

“And in Hell he lifted his voice, being in torment.” Luke 16:22-31

The rich man was in his afterlife, not his present life, as was Lazarus. The rich man was not unconscious, but aware of what was happening, and

even spoke of his brothers who were still living on the earth. He

communicated with Abraham who had been dead nearly 2,000 years. Clearly, he was not in an earthly state, but rather, in a conscious

afterlife.

TORMENT: TORMENT: BasanizoBasanizo

1. to test, to torture

2. to question by applying torture

3. to vex with grievous pains (of body or mind), to torment

4. to be harassed, distressed

So is the soul of the wicked So is the soul of the wicked simply asleep, or ‘soul sleep’ simply asleep, or ‘soul sleep’ awaiting the judgment?awaiting the judgment?

"no rest day nor night" (Revelation 14:11)

People in hell never rest; they suffer day People in hell never rest; they suffer day and night. But annihilation is a state of and night. But annihilation is a state of rest. Those who do not exist do not suffer rest. Those who do not exist do not suffer at all. The Bible clearly states they have at all. The Bible clearly states they have no restno rest, and so there can be no ‘soul , and so there can be no ‘soul sleep.’ sleep.’

But He says to the righteous,But He says to the righteous,

Blessed are the dead which die in the Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.labours; and their works do follow them.

Revelation 13:14Revelation 13:14

How long does Hell last?How long does Hell last?

"everlasting" (Matthew 25:4-6)

"where the worm dieth not" (Mark 9:4-6)

"everlasting destruction" (2Thessalonians 1;9)

"their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever" (Revelation 14:11)

"everlasting contempt," (Daniel 12:2)

"unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12)

Daniel 12:2 –Daniel 12:2 –

"many of them that sleep in the "many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting life, and

some to shame and everlasting some to shame and everlasting contempt."contempt."

If this is a literal reference to If this is a literal reference to resurrection of the just, it is resurrection of the just, it is

likewise literal for the unjust.likewise literal for the unjust.

Note:Note:Then Then the beastthe beast was captured, and with him was captured, and with him the false prophet the false prophet who worked signs in his who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. worshiped his image. These two were cast These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone brimstone (Rev. 19:20, NKJV). (Rev. 19:20, NKJV).

And the devil, who deceived them, was And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beastthe beast and and the false prophet the false prophet had been had been thrown. thrown. They will be tormented day and They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever night for ever and ever (Rev. 20:10, NIV).(Rev. 20:10, NIV).

Clearly then, the devil, the false prophet and the antichrist will all experience everlasting punishment, that is, torment without end forever, but not utter destruction, as some teach.

This is even more clear when we notice that "the beast and false prophet" were thrown into the lake of burning sulfur 1,000 years before the devil gets there, that is, at the beginning of the Millennium (Rev. 19:20), yet these same humans were not annihilated in the lake of fire at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:10)!

The wicked and unbelieving are The wicked and unbelieving are now waiting in Hell for the now waiting in Hell for the final judgment, when they will final judgment, when they will be cast into the Lake of Fire. be cast into the Lake of Fire.

Notice….Notice….

The Lord Reserves The Unjust Under Punishment

Note 2 Pet. 2:9: ... then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment (NKJV).

The Greek word translated "reserve" is defined below:

tereo, tay-reh'-o; from teros (a watch; to guard, prop. by keeping the eye upon; to prevent escaping; and, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), by impl. to detain (in custody; fig. to maintain); by extens. to withhold hold fast, keep, watch.

2 Peter 2:8-10, the Sodomites are reserved under punishment. This means there have been thousands of years since Sodom's destruction (Gen. 19:24) to the present and they are still reserved or preserved awaiting the day of judgment cited in Rev. 20:11-15.

Their souls have not been annihilated throughout the millenniums.

Jude comments on the same immoral people that Peter stated were reserved: Sodom and Gomorrah are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire (Jude 7, NKJV).

The Greek word translated suffering is a present active participle, which expresses

continuous or repeated action. A continuous tense suffering for them would be impossible if they were annihilated out

of existence.

Unbelievers and unrighteousUnbelievers and unrighteous

Go immediately to a place of torment

Await the final judmentAre cast into an eternal place of

torment

Stages of punishment for the Stages of punishment for the wickedwicked

Death of the wicked

Immediate punishment (hell)Immediate punishment (hell)

Judgement seatJudgement seat

Lake of Fire (eternal)Lake of Fire (eternal)

Eternity

Is the Devil there? Not yet!Is the Devil there? Not yet!

The Devil was cast to the Earth, not to Hell

In Revelation he will be put in the bottomless pit, in chains, for 1000 years after the Battle of Armageddon

At the final judgment, he will be cast into the Lake of Fire along with the inhabitants of Hell

Why would a loving God send Why would a loving God send anyone to a place like hell?anyone to a place like hell?

God does not send anyone! They are already going

Hell was not prepared for man, it was prepared for the fallen angels

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Matthew 25:41

God has given His own life in the flesh to spare people from hell!

In the end…. In the end…. Every soulEvery soul will spend eternity somewhere. will spend eternity somewhere.

For the believer there is a Heaven to gain

For the unbeliever, there will be For the unbeliever, there will be retribution from a just God who retribution from a just God who has shed His own blood to try has shed His own blood to try

to try and save him to try and save him

But the Choice is left up to us!But the Choice is left up to us!