The cultic origins of Annihilationism

However, there is no such nonsense taught in the Bible.

“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.” The words of Jesus in Matthew 10:28. Sad that you consider the words of Jesus nonsense

The dead know nothing not even that they are dead

Not at all. Those words actually REFUTE Annihilationism. Please check out the meaning of *destroy* in the New Testament as applied to the punishment of those who are unrighteous.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words
Destroy, Destroyer, Destruction, Destructive


A — 1: ἀπόλλυμι
(Strong's #622 — Verb — apollumi — ap-ol'-loo-mee )
a strengthened form of ollumi, signifies "to destroy utterly;" in Middle Voice, "to perish." The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being. This is clear from its use, as, e.g., of the marring of wine skins, Luke 5:37 ; of lost sheep, i.e., lost to the shepherd, metaphorical of spiritual destitution, Luke 15:4,6 , etc.; the lost son, Luke 15:24 ; of the perishing of food, John 6:27 ; of gold, 1 Peter 1:7 . So of persons, Matthew 2:13 , "destroy;" Matthew 8:25 , "perish;" Matthew 22:7 ;27:20 ; of the loss of well-being in the case of the unsaved hereafter, Matthew 10:28 ; Luke 13:3,5 ; John 3:16 (ver. 15 in some mss.); 10:28; 17:12; Romans 2:12 ; 1 Corinthians 15:18 ; 2 Corinthians 2:15 , "are perishing;" 2 Corinthians 4:3 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:10 ; James 4:12 ; 2 Peter 3:9 . Cp. B, II, No. 1. See DIE , LOSE , MARRED ,PERISH.

You are simply presenting references from the Old Testament (which speaks about Sheol, where the dead remain silent).

If the dead "know nothing then Jesus would not have given us the narrative of the Rich Man and Lazarus, who were very much alive in Hades AFTER they died.

This is not proof, Nehemiah... Many Bible commentators believe that death doesn't mean death, and their commentaries reflect their belief.

Magenta, this is what you posted in the other thread last night. It is stupendous work and I appreciate the work you were willing to put into this for us.

Sheol is the grave. And you're right: in the grave, the dead are silent.

You claim that Luke 16, the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, is literal truth. This "event" occurred before Christ died and was resurrected. In the parable, Lazarus, the rich man, and Abraham all speak. How do you reconcile that with your (correct) understanding that in sheol the dead remain silent?

The lost perish and are no more. They go to their death. Hell is the grave.

Here is the proof from Scripture. Are you going to deny it?

REVELATION 14
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Rev 21:8).

Is there eternal conscious torment in the Lake of Fire for the unrighteous?

Only a person who refuses to believe the Bible will deny this.

I am surprised that you promote this cultic nonsense. And hell is NOT the grave. That is a misleading translation of Sheol.

Answer one simple question: If all the sinners are *no more* then why was it even necessary for Christ to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world?

Sheol is INCORRECTLY called "the grave". It is the abode of the souls and spirits of those who died.

As I already said, that is an Old Testament quotation, and the OT does not present the complete picture of Sheol/Hades.

Did Christ go to Sheol/Hades for three days and three nights?

Was he silent there or was He *preaching* (proclaiming) to the spirits in prison?

Did the Rich Man remain silent in Hades, or did he actually make a pitiful request?
Did Abraham stay silent in Hades, or did he respond to the Rich Man?

I am surprised that you promote this cultic nonsense. And hell is NOT the grave. That is a misleading translation of Sheol.

Answer one simple question: If all the sinners are *no more* then why was it even necessary for Christ to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world?

Christians of all persuasions have generally believed the Bible doctrine of eternal Hell (the Lake of Fire).

However it is the cults who have originated and promoted the heresy of Annihilationism. Thus the heterodox groups who believe this false doctrine are the Millerites, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christadelphians, Armstrongites, “Bible Students” (ironic), Church of God (7th Day) Salem Conference, etc. There are also so-called evangelicals (heretical) such as Clark Pinnock, John Stott, Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, etc. who promote this doctrine. And recently, even the Church of England has gone along with this.

According to Theopedia Annihilationism is the belief that the final fate of those who are not saved is literal and final death and destruction. It runs counter to the mainstream traditional Christian understanding of hell as eternal suffering and separation from God.

As we know “annihilate” means to utterly destroy, to obliterate, to extinguish completely, to cause to cease to exist, to do away with entirely, so that nothing remains. If this were really true for the unbelieving, the ungodly, and the wicked, they would be more than happy to continue in their sins and evil deeds, since at the end of everything they would simply be vaporized. They would vanish into thin air.

However, there is no such nonsense taught in the Bible. Therefore the meaning of death and the second death had to be changed, and the meaning of “perish”, “destroy”, and “destruction” as shown in Scripture had to also be changed. But once we understand what those words mean -- as presented by Christ and the apostles -- we will see that Annihilationism is totally false. Here is what the Bible reveals:

1. Souls and spirits are imperishable, and will either have eternal life with God and Christ, or will be eternally separated from God in Hell.

2. There are two deaths in the Bible – the first death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body, and the second death is eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire.

3. There are also two resurrections in the Bible – the resurrection unto life and the resurrection unto damnation.

4. There is no such thing as Soul Sleep. Those who are unsaved go to Hades and are in torment. Those who are saved go directly to Christ and are in joy and bliss.

5. There is no “second chance after death”. Therefore God now commands all men everywhere to repent and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

6. Those who are in Hades will eventually be resurrected before the Great White Throne Judgment. They will be judged according to their works, but their names will not be found in the Book of Life. Therefore they will be cast into the Lake of Fire to suffer eternal torment.

7. The Devil, the Beast (the Antichrist), and the False Prophet will all be cast into the Lake of Fire (along with the evil angels) and will be tormented day and night for ever (eternally).

8. The words “perish” and “destroy” do not mean annihilation, but do mean eternal ruin, eternal loss of well-being, and eternal indescribable torment.

9. Because Hell is real, Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and rose again for our justification according to the Scripture. John 3:16 makes the connection very plain: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, [suffer eternally in Hell] but have everlasting life.

10. God does not desire that a single soul go to Hell. That is why Christ commanded the Church to preach the Gospel to every creature, so that all men would be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Christians of all persuasions have generally believed the Bible doctrine of eternal Hell (the Lake of Fire).

However it is the cults who have originated and promoted the heresy of Annihilationism. Thus the heterodox groups who believe this false doctrine are the Millerites, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christadelphians, Armstrongites, “Bible Students” (ironic), Church of God (7th Day) Salem Conference, etc. There are also so-called evangelicals (heretical) such as Clark Pinnock, John Stott, Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, etc. who promote this doctrine. And recently, even the Church of England has gone along with this.

According to Theopedia Annihilationism is the belief that the final fate of those who are not saved is literal and final death and destruction. It runs counter to the mainstream traditional Christian understanding of hell as eternal suffering and separation from God.

As we know “annihilate” means to utterly destroy, to obliterate, to extinguish completely, to cause to cease to exist, to do away with entirely, so that nothing remains. If this were really true for the unbelieving, the ungodly, and the wicked, they would be more than happy to continue in their sins and evil deeds, since at the end of everything they would simply be vaporized. They would vanish into thin air.

However, there is no such nonsense taught in the Bible. Therefore the meaning of death and the second death had to be changed, and the meaning of “perish”, “destroy”, and “destruction” as shown in Scripture had to also be changed. But once we understand what those words mean -- as presented by Christ and the apostles -- we will see that Annihilationism is totally false. Here is what the Bible reveals:

1. Souls and spirits are imperishable, and will either have eternal life with God and Christ, or will be eternally separated from God in Hell.

2. There are two deaths in the Bible – the first death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body, and the second death is eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire.

3. There are also two resurrections in the Bible – the resurrection unto life and the resurrection unto damnation.

4. There is no such thing as Soul Sleep. Those who are unsaved go to Hades and are in torment. Those who are saved go directly to Christ and are in joy and bliss.

5. There is no “second chance after death”. Therefore God now commands all men everywhere to repent and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

6. Those who are in Hades will eventually be resurrected before the Great White Throne Judgment. They will be judged according to their works, but their names will not be found in the Book of Life. Therefore they will be cast into the Lake of Fire to suffer eternal torment.

7. The Devil, the Beast (the Antichrist), and the False Prophet will all be cast into the Lake of Fire (along with the evil angels) and will be tormented day and night for ever (eternally).

8. The words “perish” and “destroy” do not mean annihilation, but do mean eternal ruin, eternal loss of well-being, and eternal indescribable torment.

9. Because Hell is real, Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and rose again for our justification according to the Scripture. John 3:16 makes the connection very plain: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, [suffer eternally in Hell] but have everlasting life.

10. God does not desire that a single soul go to Hell. That is why Christ commanded the Church to preach the Gospel to every creature, so that all men would be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Are you saying that God's mercy is cultic! Utter rubbish! The bible only intimates ONCE that it is possible to be eternally tormented...and that is for those who receive the mark of the beast. Otherwise all die who are cast into the lake of fire. This is called the second death. The death of the body AND the soul.

Revelation 20:14-15
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
John interprets this for us: the lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name is not in the book of life, he experiences the second death. This is exactly what it says, death.