Annihilationism

Do the Unsaved Suffer in Hell Forever?

By Ronald W. Leigh, Ph.D.

Bible and Cross

February 8, 2016
Copyright © 2015 Ronald W. Leigh
Bible quotations are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.

A. Introduction
B. Objections to eternal punishment
C. The suffering of the unsaved is eternal
D. The suffering of the unsaved is conscious
E. The Greek terms
F. Answers to the objections
G. Degrees of punishment in hell
   Bibliography

A.  Introduction

1.  Universalism

The liberal universalist holds that everyone is from birth a child of God – already saved.  The neo-orthodox universalist holds that, although we are all sinners, Christ's redemption is applied by God to everyone.

Then there are some universalists who hold that, while some may reject Christ for part of their life, or even all of their life, in the end all will be saved, whether they are converted during life or after death.  Some have tried to base this belief on the passages that say "every knee will bow," such as Philippians 2:10; Romans 14:11; and the following:

"Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.'" All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame.  (Isaiah 45:22-24)

Concluding that this bowing involves a change of heart (a conversion) would be to go beyond the explicit statement of the above passage, as well as beyond the evidence presented below.  Indeed, being "put to shame" does not sound like salvation.

2.  Non-universalism

The historic Christian view is definitely not universalism.  It is based on the following passages and many others:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.  (John 3:36)

… wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.  (Matthew 7:13-14)

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. … Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:31-34, 41)

… man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment  (Hebrews 9:27)

Christians maintain that there are two classes of people:

  1. Those who during this life believe in Christ and will enjoy life with God throughout eternity in heaven
  2. Those who during this life reject Christ and will suffer the punishment of separation from God throughout eternity in hell

Here is a basic question regarding this second class of people:  Do they continue forever in a state of conscious suffering in hell?  Or are they at some point annihilated, that is, do they become nonexistent?

Eternal conscious suffering has been the historic view within the evangelical church.  On the other hand, annihilationism is a view that is shared with Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists.  (Keep in mind that the fact that annihilationism is shared with these groups is not an automatic condemnation of the view, since many false religions and cults are a mixture or truth and error.)

During the past century (some would say much longer), annihilationism has been adopted by some scholars who are otherwise fundamentalists and evangelical.  These include John R. W. Stott, and possibly F. F. Bruce.  Many who hold annihilationism still hold to the essentials of biblical Christianity, including such things as

These doctrines are so basic and so connected that to deny one of them is to weaken or destroy the entire system.  Annihilationism, on the other hand, while still a serious matter, is not as foundational as the doctrines listed above.  A person who is an annihilationist should not automatically be labeled anti-fundamental or anti-evangelical.

B.  Objections to eternal punishment

Here are some of the objections which annihilationists raise against the idea of eternal, conscious suffering of the unsaved.

  1. Death and destruction — The claim:  The biblical descriptions of death and destruction imply cessation of existence.
  2. Immortality, removed or never added — The claim:  Some annihilationists claim that, since man is immortal by nature, the unbeliever's immortality is removed as the result of sin, and thus his existence stops at some point after death.  Other annihilationists claim that, since man is mortal by nature, part of the reward of salvation is to add immortality.  (This objection is often clouded by a lack of distinction between physical and spiritual death, and between physical and spiritual immortality.)  Either way, sin is the culprit – a point of agreement for all annihilationists.
  3. Out of proportion — The claim:  Eternal punishment is way out of proportion to sins committed in time.
  4. Misrepresents God — The claim:  God's loving character is better than the revengefulness and vindictiveness required to send people to hell and make them suffer eternal, conscious punishment.
  5. Sin out of place in eternity — The claim:  The eternal existence of sinners being punished does not fit with the idea of an eternal righteous kingdom of God.  The perfection of heaven and the joy of believers in eternity would be marred if there also existed for eternity the rebellion and punishment of the lost.

As with all doctrine, the only reliable source is the Bible, not philosophy or what "makes sense to me."  Scripture is explicit on this subject, so the next two sections present some of the relevant passages.

C.  The suffering of the unsaved is eternal

Daniel 12:2 — Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Matthew 25:41, 46 — Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels … Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

NOTE:  In verse 46, the same adjective, αιωνιος (aiōnios, agelong, eternal, unending) is used for both the negative (punishment) and the positive (life).  If this word means forever in the positive case, it seems reasonable that it would also mean forever in the negative case.)

Mark 9:47-48 — It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

NOTE:  Jesus is quoting the final verse of the book of Isaiah (see Isaiah 66:22-24).  The physical ruin of God enemies involved being both eaten by worms (maggots) and burned in the Valley of Hinnom (Greek: gehenna, "hell") below the southern boundary of Jerusalem.  This valley was the garbage dump and sewer of Jerusalem, and thus became a fitting figure for the fate of the wicked.  Both Isaiah and Jesus appear to highlight the difference between (1) the physical death of God's enemies in this valley where the worm could die if all refuse and the rotted and burned bodies were consumed, and (2) their spiritual death (at the time of the "new heavens and the new earth," Isaiah 66:22) where "their worm does not die."

2 Thessalonians 1:9 — They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power …

Hebrews 6:1-2 — … the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Jude 7 — … Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

Revelation 14:11 — And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever.

NOTE:  Some annihilationists claim that this imagery comes directly from Isaiah 34:8-10.  However, there it describes the destruction of the land of Edom, whereas the Revelation passage describes the torment of lost people.

Revelation 20:10 — And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  (compare verse 14)

Jude 1:13 — They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

D.  The suffering of the unsaved is conscious

Matthew 8:12 — But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  (compare Matthew 25:30)

NOTE:  A person must be conscious in order to weep and gnash his teeth.

Luke 16:22-24 — The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.

NOTE:  Annihilationists are quick to point out that this passage describes Hades before the resurrection of the dead.  It is cited here merely to indicate that that punishment is conscious, which seems to imply that the final punishment would also be conscious.

Revelation 14:9-11 — 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.

E.  The Greek terms

1.  The word aiōnios

The Greek word used most frequently to characterize the duration of the punishment of the lost is the word αιωνιος (aiōnios).  In addition, the word αιων (aiōn, age) is used in Revelation 14:11; 19:3; and 20:10.

The word aiōnios is listed in various Greek dictionaries as meaning

Vine, in his Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, points out that aiōnios can be used to refer to an undefined duration of time that is not endless, as in Romans 16:25; 2 Timothy 1:9; and Titus 1:2.  Note, however, that these passages all refer to the past.  Vine says that in every other passage where aiōnios is used, it indicates unending duration (See Vine's listing under the word "eternal").

The word aiōnios is used to describe redemption (Hebrews 9:12), God's glory (1 Peter 5:10), Christ's kingdom (2 Peter 1:11), and Christ himself as life (1 John 1:2).  It is impossible to imagine that aiōnios could mean anything short of "unending" in these passages.  Of course, this does not prove that aiōnios means "unending" in every passage where it is used, for words can have a range of meanings.  However, it does indicate that "unending" must be considered a possible meaning in every passage.

In the New Testament the word aiōnios is used over 70 times, most often to refer to eternal life but also to refer to eternal fire, punishment, sin, gospel, dwellings, power, God, glory, what is unseen, a house in the heavens, purpose, destruction, comfort, King, might, salvation, judgment, redemption, Spirit, inheritance, covenant, kingdom, and chains.  It would be a strange word, indeed, if aiōnios meant forever when used to describe positive things, but less-than-forever when used to describe negative things.

2.  Quality versus duration

Does this Greek adjective aiōnios refer to quality, that is, the spiritual as opposed to the physical?  Or does it refer to quantity, that is, unending duration, everlasting as opposed to temporary?  That the latter is the case, consider Paul's use of the word in the following passage:

what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Here Paul contrasts aiōnios with προσκαιρος (proskairos, temporary), making his use here of aiōnios an obvious reference to time rather than quality.  Vine refers to this as the predominant meaning of the word.  (See W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words)

Also consider the fact that many times in the New Testament this adjective is used with the noun "life" which itself focuses on quality.  Salvation is a change of quality of existence.  When it comes to describing the saved, never is the thought (eternal) expressed without the noun (life).  In other words, we do not read that God gives a repentant sinner "eternity" or "the eternal."  If that were the wording, we might be more inclined to think that the focus of the word "eternal" is on quality.  However, the thought is always expressed with the noun:  God gives you eternal life.  Thus:

When Jesus proclaimed "he has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24) he was referring the quality of the believer's new relationship to God – formerly an enemy, now a child and friend.

3.  Experience versus result

Does the notion of eternal punishment refer to the experience of the unsaved as eternal, or the result of the punishment (annihilation) as eternal?  Revelation 20:10 (quoted above) appears to answer this question because the torment, which is experienced, lasts forever.  Also see the discussion of the meaning of destruction in the next section.

F.  Answers to the objections

Objection 1, Death and destruction:

Death of the body happens when the spirit separates from the body.  But both the body and the spirit continue to exist.  Similarly, spiritual death happens when the individual is separated from God, but again the individual continues to exist.  So the concept of death neither requires nor implies annihilation.

Destruction is mentioned in various passages:

Their destiny is destruction …  (Philippians 3:19, referring to the "men who do evil," verse 1, and who are "enemies of the cross of Christ," verse 18)

He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power…  (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

… the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:7)

But the Greek words translated "destruction" in these passages do not necessarily mean extinction or ceasing to exist.  For example, Philippians 3:19 and 2 Peter 3:7 use απωλεια (apōleia, destruction, utter ruin).  This word is also used in Matthew 26:8 where the woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus' head and the indignant disciples declared it a "waste."  The perfume did not cease to exist, but it could no longer be sold.  Vine describes the word as indicating "loss of well-being, not of being" (Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).

Similarly, 2 Thessalonians 1:9 uses ολεθρος (olethros, destruction, ruin).  This word is also used in 1 Corinthians 5:5 to refer to the sinful nature ("flesh" in the NASB) of the man who was turned over to Satan.  Certainly his sinful nature did not cease to exist as the result of this experience with Satan.

And both apōleia and olethros are used in 1 Timothy 6:9 to describe the result of greed as "ruin and destruction" of one's life.  Again, there is no suggestion of annihilation.

"Destruction," in scripture never refers to extinction.

It has often been pointed out that in Greek the natural meaning of the destruction vocabulary (noun, olethros; verb, apollumi) is wrecking, so that what is destroyed is henceforth nonfunctional rather than annihilating it, so that it no longer exists in any form at all. (Packer, op. cit., see bibliography below)

Objection 2, Immortality, removed or never added:

There is the obvious life and death of the body, and those passages which describe becoming imperishable (such as 1 Corinthians 15:50-53) are referring to the resurrection and change of the body.

However, here we are concerned with the life and death of the person (soul or spirit).  This is a relational matter, not a matter of existence.  Independent of the condition of his body, the person is said to be alive if he is positively related to God, and he is said to be dead if he is negatively related to God.

The historic Christian position is that man's person is inherently immortal, meaning that his soul or spirit never ceases to exist.  When a person becomes saved, it is not that immortality is added.  Rather his relationship to God changes from negative to positive.  When a person remains unsaved, it is not that immortality is removed.  Rather, his relationship to God remains negative, and that fact does not change in the next life.

Physical death does not mean that body or soul vanishes, but rather that an abnormal separation takes place which severs their natural relationship until God's appointed time. Spiritual death, or the "second death" (Rev. 20:14; 21:8), does not mean that the soul or personality lapses into nonbeing, but rather that it is ultimately and finally deprived of that presence of God and fellowship with him which is the chief end of man and the essential condition of worthwhile existence. To be bereft of it is to perish, to be reduced to utter insignificance, to sink into abysmal futility.  (Roger Nicole, article on "Annihilationism," Baker's Dictionary of Theology, ed. by Everett Harrison, Baker Book House, 1960, p. 43-44)

Objection 3, Out of proportion:

Are sins merely finite?  Are they committed only in time?

… whenever we sin, an infinite factor is invariably involved. All sin is an offense against God, the raising of a finite will against the will of an infinite being. … one cannot consider sin to be merely a finite act deserving finite punishment.  (Millard Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, 2nd ed, Baker Academic, 2001, p. 413)

Also, consider this possibility:

… people continue to sin in hell. Their rebellion has not ceased; they still don't want God and thus incur further punishment.  (Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow, Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists, Kregal, 2010, p. 168)

Objection 4, Misrepresents God:

Is God revengeful and vindictive?

God does not send anyone to hell. He desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9). It is the choice of humans to experience the agony of hell. Their sin sends them there, and their rejection of the benefits of Christ's death prevents their escaping. (Erickson, op. cit., p. 414, compare Hebrews 2:3)

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it.  (C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, Macmillan, 1946, p. 72)

God's attitude is seen in his purpose for sending his Son:

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  (John 3:17)

God's attitude is also seen in his message to Israel through Ezekiel:

As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?' (Ezekiel 33:11)

Objection 5, Sin out of place in eternity:

It is difficult for us, being well acquainted with time but inexperienced with eternity, to say how things should be in eternity.  It does seem, however, that the punishment of sin, rather than detracting from God's holiness, proves his holiness.  When sin is punished, God has won and the sinner and sin have lost.  In what sense, then, is God's glory, sovereignty, or holiness diminished by the eternal punishment of the unsaved?

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
(Romans 11:33-36)

G.  Degrees of punishment in hell

Abraham declared God's righteousness by means of the question,

Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?  (Genesis 18:25).

And Moses said of God,

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.  (Deuteronomy 32:4)

Are there degrees of punishment in hell?  The following four observations, along with the fact that God is always just and fair, lead to the conclusion that the answer is Yes.

1.  Some sins are greater than others

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.  (Matthew 23:23)

Jesus answered [Pilate], "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."  (John 19:11)

2.  More light (revelation, knowledge) increases liability

Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."  (Matthew 11:20-24)

That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.  (Luke 12:47-48)

3.  Evil intent, as opposed to carelessness, increases guilt

Note the provision of refuge cities "to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee"  (Numbers 35:9-29).

4.  The more severe the sin, the greater the punishment

I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.  (Jeremiah 17:10)

Matthew 11:20-24 (quoted above)

They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.  (Mark 12:40;  Luke 20:47)

Question

So there are different degrees of punishment in hell.  But how do these different degrees of punishment relate to annihilationism.  Are the different degrees a matter of severity, or of duration?

Severity
The punishment for lesser sins, even though it lasts forever, is more bearable.		 Duration
The severity of punishment for all sins is the same, but the punishment for lesser sins lasts for a shorter time.

Granted, the use of merely two categories oversimplifies the matter.  Nevertheless, since the Bible consistently speaks of the suffering of the unsaved as eternal (see section "C" above) and never mentions a final punishment that is short or temporary, it seems reasonable that the difference in degrees of punishment must be a matter of severity rather than duration.

Bibliography

Erickson, Millard, Introducing Christian Doctrine, (Baker Academic, 2001), p. 411-414 — A brief but helpful discussion of the topic.  Against annihilationism.

Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology, (Zondervan, 1994), p. 1149-53 — A brief but helpful discussion of the topic.  Against annihilationism.

Packer, James I., "Evangelical Annihilationism in Review," Reformation & Revival (vol. 6, num. 2, Spring 1997. available online at www.the-highway.com/annihilationism_Packer.html) — After a review of the recent history of the debate, Packer, a traditionalist, responds to various objections raised by annihilationists.  He expresses a gracious but firm attitude toward his fellow evangelicals who accept annihilationism.

Gregg, Steve, All You Want to Know about Hell: Three Christian Views of God's Final Solution to the Problem of Sin (Thomas Nelson, 2013), 321 pages — The first part introduces the topic including key terms and views held by the early church.  The remaining three parts survey and evaluate three views – traditional, conditional (annihilation), and restoration – all held by Christian scholars having a high view of scripture.  Overall, this is a thorough, well documented, and well written introduction to the debate.  Although Gregg claims neutrality, he appears to be against traditionalism and perhaps favors annihilationism.  His view of sovereignty is suspect as it does not seem to include the idea that God might highly value human freedom of choice.  In describing the traditional view, he overplays the idea of God's vengeance and underplays justice.  He dismisses too quickly Christ's story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16).  His discussion of conditionalism is weakened by a failure to clearly distinguish between physical death and spiritual death.  Unfortunately, when describing restorationism he quotes both John A. T. Robinson (British author of "God is Dead") and Rob Bell (emergent author of "Love Wins") which seems at odds with the high view of scripture held by many, if not all, of the other quoted scholars.

David L. Edwards and John Stott, Essentials (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1988), p. 313-20 — Favors annihilationism.

Fudge, Edward, Hell: A Final Word: The Surprising Truths I Found in the Bible, (Leafwood Publishers, 2012), 176 pages — This book is a follow-up to his more detailed original book on the same subject — The Fire That Consumes: A Biblical and Historical Study of the Doctrine of Final Punishment, (iUniverse, 2000) 504 pages.  Fudge summarizes his reasons for holding annihilationism.

Ministerial Association – General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Seventh-day Adventists Believe: A Biblical Exposition of Fundamental Doctrines (Review and Herald Pub. Assoc., 1988) — Chapter 26 on "The Millennium and the End of Sin" includes a concise discussion of the ultimate fate of sinners which, according to Seventh-day Adventist theology, involves their annihilation ("fire from God will consume them").  See especially pages 362, 369-372.

rethinkinghell.com — This website provides a thorough summary and explanation of "Evangelical Conditionalism" (annihilationism).