What are you thoughts on Annihilation?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

Radius

Senior Member
Feb 11, 2013
1,171
181
63
#1
I believe in eternal torment, as probably most of us do here. But this guy lays out a pretty good argument for annihilation.

 

Radius

Senior Member
Feb 11, 2013
1,171
181
63
#2
anyone watch the video? Thoughts?
 

Radius

Senior Member
Feb 11, 2013
1,171
181
63
#4
I do not watch videos. But here is my thought:

ANNIHILATIONISM MUST BE ANNIHILATED BY THE TRUTH.
I'm not saying to believe in annihilation. I'm saying he made some plausible points.
 

SomeDisciple

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2021
2,271
1,050
113
#5
I think my walk with God has gotten me past the point where it's all about escaping hellfire, so I dont think about this topic much. Regardless of what the answer is, God's judgement is good. I can't say whether or not he would keep an eternal torture dungeon. I've heard people argue that infinite punishment for finite sin would be unjust. Sounds reasonable, but the Lords reasoning may differ.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,777
113
#6
But this guy lays out a pretty good argument for annihilation.
How can there be any argument for annihilation? If everyone who sinned would be simply annihilated, then there would be no need for the Gospel, nor the Lake of Fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
 

Laura798

Well-known member
Jun 6, 2020
1,716
593
113
#10
I believe in eternal torment, as probably most of us do here. But this guy lays out a pretty good argument for annihilation.


The Protestants got the blasphemous myth of eternal torment from the Roman Catholics who in turn got it from the Pagans. Even the worst form of punishment the godly have on this earth is death. We think anyone who would torture an animal evil

There is no point to punish people eternally--also it would defy God's laws--matter after a period of time is destroyed--and that is what the bible says happens to the wicked. Over and over it says "the wicked will be destroyed" "they will be ashes under our feet"

I see in Revelation used the verse whereit says "the smoke of their torment rises forever"--the same was said of Sodom and Gomorrah, but they no longer exist. The smoke of their torment is for those who "worship the beast" and it is the fire God will send on the earth at the end of the age--it is NOT the 'lake of fire'--and the angel plainly says what the lake of fire is The lake of fire IS the second DEATH. The lake of fire is obviously is a symbol--it is not literal as the angels AND hell AND death are thrown into it--Angels are spiritual beings they cannot burn--and Hell and Death are not matter either--so logically this is NOT a literal place. Also it say tormented 'day and night'--their exists NO day or night in eternity.

Also God said he is "making all things new" AND there will be "no more sorrow and no more tears"--this means what is means--NO MORE ANYWHERE.

There are only a handful of verses that are twisted to make Eternal Punishment a literal place of torment--this term is clearly FIGURATIVE since Jesus himself said he used figurative language. anything that ends with 'ment' means completed--it is not ongoing.

The other is there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth--note that it says--cast into Outer Darkness (in the context of a parabeand another says "When you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob entering the kingdom and you yourself cast out. So they weep with deep REGRET, NOT PAIN.

Note that when a person says that the punishment is ETERNAL TORMENT, then they are saying either,

1. Christ did not pay the penalty for mankind's sins --or,
2. That Christ is currently in this place of eternal torment paying the penalty

The most well known verse in Scripture says the wicked PERISH. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."--Romans 6:23

"But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off."--Psalm 37:38

The bible is replete with verses referring to the DEATH and DESTRUCTION of the wicked. Please take just a few minutes and do a word search. If you do not believe these words mean what they mean, then you put the whole of scripture into question.
 

Laura798

Well-known member
Jun 6, 2020
1,716
593
113
#11
The Protestants got the blasphemous myth of eternal torment from the Roman Catholics who in turn got it from the Pagans. Even the worst form of punishment the godly have on this earth is death. We think anyone who would torture an animal evil

There is no point to punish people eternally--also it would defy God's laws--matter after a period of time is destroyed--and that is what the bible says happens to the wicked. Over and over it says "the wicked will be destroyed" "they will be ashes under our feet"

I see in Revelation used the verse whereit says "the smoke of their torment rises forever"--the same was said of Sodom and Gomorrah, but they no longer exist. The smoke of their torment is for those who "worship the beast" and it is the fire God will send on the earth at the end of the age--it is NOT the 'lake of fire'--and the angel plainly says what the lake of fire is The lake of fire IS the second DEATH. The lake of fire is obviously is a symbol--it is not literal as the angels AND hell AND death are thrown into it--Angels are spiritual beings they cannot burn--and Hell and Death are not matter either--so logically this is NOT a literal place. Also it say tormented 'day and night'--their exists NO day or night in eternity.

Also God said he is "making all things new" AND there will be "no more sorrow and no more tears"--this means what is means--NO MORE ANYWHERE.

There are only a handful of verses that are twisted to make Eternal Punishment a literal place of torment--this term is clearly FIGURATIVE since Jesus himself said he used figurative language. anything that ends with 'ment' means completed--it is not ongoing.

The other is there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth--note that it says--cast into Outer Darkness (in the context of a parabeand another says "When you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob entering the kingdom and you yourself cast out. So they weep with deep REGRET, NOT PAIN.

Note that when a person says that the punishment is ETERNAL TORMENT, then they are saying either,

1. Christ did not pay the penalty for mankind's sins --or,
2. That Christ is currently in this place of eternal torment paying the penalty

The most well known verse in Scripture says the wicked PERISH. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."--Romans 6:23

"But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off."--Psalm 37:38

The bible is replete with verses referring to the DEATH and DESTRUCTION of the wicked. Please take just a few minutes and do a word search. If you do not believe these words mean what they mean, then you put the whole of scripture into question.
(excuse typos--i tried to edit and but it timed out--next time i need to cut and paste)
 

Laura798

Well-known member
Jun 6, 2020
1,716
593
113
#12
How can there be any argument for annihilation? If everyone who sinned would be simply annihilated, then there would be no need for the Gospel, nor the Lake of Fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
Really? What do people fear most in this life, but death?

We certainly shouldn't want people to come to faith out of terror of eternal torment, instead it should be about what they would miss out on-- ETERNAL LIFE with God in the NEW HEAVENS and NEW EARTH--where there is "No more sorrow and no more tears."
 

Laura798

Well-known member
Jun 6, 2020
1,716
593
113
#13
(excuse typos--i tried to edit and but it timed out--next time i need to cut and paste)
And I'd like to add there is only ONE gift of eternal life--not two. And eternal life is considered a GIFT. Burning eternal is certainly no gift.

Think too, how nonsensical it is--what justice would it be if you died at 20 and if counting in hours had a sum total of six months worth of sinning--how would that be justice? Even our human court rooms mete out a more fair justice than that--it defies understanding that any true Christian would attribute evil to God.

"They have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind "--Jeremiah 19:5

this is how the wicked will be destroyed:

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.--2 Thess 2:8
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,704
6,892
113
#14
What is annihilationism? Is it biblical?
Annihilationism is the teaching that those who die apart from Christ will simply cease to exist. It is the belief that unbelievers will be "wiped out" or "annihilated" sometime after death. In other words, unbelievers will not experience eternal punishment in a literal

HERE:

What is annihilationism? Is it biblical?

If you "search" annihilationism, you will find a Link that lists 30 Scriptures supporting it, kinda.....problem is, these Scriptures are ONLY speaking of the total destruction of the PHYSICAL man.......

ALL men will suffer the total destruction of their physical bodies, EVEN those who may be alive when Jesus returns to rapture His Church. Those people will be "changed in the blink of an eye" from physical beings to spiritual beings, and they will face Judgement: To those that have done good....eternal life, to those that have done bad....eternal damnation, right? Seems to me that is what Scripture says......


John, Chapter 5:

24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
 

Journeyman

Well-known member
Jan 10, 2019
2,107
763
113
#15
I believe in eternal torment, as probably most of us do here. But this guy lays out a pretty good argument for annihilation.

I didn't watch the video, but I believe there will be a complete end to all evil at the judgement seat of Christ.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#16
I believe in eternal torment, as probably most of us do here. But this guy lays out a pretty good argument for annihilation.

As far as I can tell, annihilationism is Biblical after doing an exhaustive study on it. Eternal torment is a false doctrine.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#17
If you're interested in learning more we can discuss it.

I have found that most people I have talked to have made their mind up either way and aren't going to be convinced by Sola Scriptura on the topic of annihilationism. Thanks for at least being open to investigating annihilationism. I believe that's an honest step toward truth that few seem to venture toward concerning the topic of hell and the lake of fire.
 

Aaron56

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2021
2,887
1,683
113
#18
I used to believe in eternal torment. As I have matured in Christ I am now certain annihilation is true. Part of my issue , when I was younger, was confirmation bias: I read into the scriptures what I thought should be true. As I’ve grown to know my Father it became clear that the doctrine of “eternal punishment“ was a scheme of the enemy inserted to serve the will of corrupt men.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#19
the NEW HEAVENS and NEW EARTH--where there is "No more sorrow and no more tears."
and there will be only righteousness in the new heavens and earth. There will be no sin, no evil, no demons, no devil, etc.

2 Peter 3:13
13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
 

CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
13,067
4,348
113
#20
I believe in eternal torment, as probably most of us do here. But this guy lays out a pretty good argument for annihilation.

right off the bat two things jumped out at me in the opening remarks

  1. the idea of something " positive " out of hell.
  2. Jesus is the authority on the subject of Hell and HE said Matthew 24:42
41“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

The reason why the "traditional view" of hell being a place of eternal punishment is because Jesus said so.

Hell is not only separation from God it is also the reward of the wicked. The devil is an eternal spiritual being hell was "created ".

To understand hell we must ask how was it made? and why was it made?

God made hell and eternal place to remind us
1. He is eternal
2. He gives eternal life
3. and HE is the eternal judge
4. He gives us the choice to chose HIm or death hell and the grave. Jesus overcame all three. To deny the eternal condition of Hell is to weaken the position of Christ's Victory. The word of God only from human intellect will see hell as not eternal because of language that is applied in the fleshly context. Meaning how can hell be eternal if I am utterly destroyed? bone and flesh cannot stand forever in that. That is true BUT God who created the spirit of man as He did hell made them supernatural and eternal.


The word of God says that Jesus would not suffer corruption or decay that was why HE was raised from the Dead.