Ask Pastor Jonathan: Is Hell Eternal?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
I have had many people come to me and want to discuss Kirk Cameron’s recent shift in his theology about hell. Around two weeks ago, Kirk Cameron and his son, James, came out with a podcast regarding the doctrine of hell.
During this conversation, they argued for a change in the understanding of hell. The concept that they were propagating is called annihilationism or conditionalism (also called conditional immortality).
What exactly do these terms mean?
Annihilationism refers to the belief that unbelievers will not suffer an eternity in hell but will, instead, be annihilated after death.
Conditional Immortality, also called conditionalism, is the idea that not everyone will be immortal. Those who hold this view believe that only the saved will live forever. They believe those who are not saved will suffer a second, irreversible death, and cease to exist.
There is a lot of overlap in these views and there is some heterogeneity in the views - especially regarding conditional immortality as some believe that there will be longer punishments than others. However, the common thread is that both do not believe in an eternal, conscious torment in a literal place called hell.
These ideas are not novel. This concept has been explored by many in the past.
It became more popular during the mid-19th century during the rise of the Jehovah’s Witnesses specifically during the 1870’s. It was around this same time period that the Seventh Day Adventists also began who also hold to this concept.
Cameron during his discussion went to quote the late theologian, Edward Fudge, who also believed in this understanding of hell.
Knowing that this is not a new debate, how should we address such a question in light of all of this new discussion?
Like always, we should go to the Scriptures.
However, before diving in any further, let’s go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him for guidance.
Prayer.
Before defending the orthodox view of hell, let’s start with some of the arguments that conditionalists and annihilationists use to propagate their view.
First, they appeal to the mercy of God.
There are countless verses that speak to the mercy of God. We see that judgement is His strange work (Isaiah 28:21). God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11, 2 Peter 3:9) but instead desires that all come to repentance.
God is merciful and they are right to speak about Him as such.
Yet, God is also entirely just. He satisfied this tension between His mercy and His justice through His Son.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
God has satisfied His justice and mercy and through Jesus Christ Who took on our punishment that we deserved on the cross.
To negate the punishment that we deserved by making it a quick one and done thing is to cheapen the cross.
The punishment for our sin against an infinitely holy God required the payment from an infinitely holy Sacrifice. Without that payment, it stands to reason that our punishment will be infinitely long.
As a side note: I do want to state that there are those who are within traditional denominations (not Jehovah’s witnesses or other unorthodox cultlike views) who do hold to a Biblically accurate understanding of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. There are those, like Kirk Cameron, who hold to orthodox views of Jesus as the only way to God among other Biblical views.
We don’t want to lump everyone who has this view in with Jehovah’s Witnesses or Seventh Day Adventists - however, these are the groups who have propagated such a view the most.
The next argument that is used is that an eternal hell will turn people off from wanting to know more about God.
The argument stems from people being outraged at the thought of a God who could punish people forever.
This argument is man-centered and not Biblical. In fact, it is not true Biblically or logically.
Man’s greatest problem is not the doctrine of God or hell. Man’s greatest problem is his sin! It isn’t the theology of hell or God that keeps man from eternal life. It is his love for self and his love for sin.
In fact, for many people, they would gladly live their lives for self knowing that they only had a few moments of pain in order to in their minds live life to the full.
The truth of an eternal hell is of the utmost importance to remind people that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).
Those who tone down the idea of an eternal hell will be guilty of failing to warn others of the true and dreadful wrath of God to come. Those who pacify the world in its sin by negating the eternal punishment to come do them no favors and instead pave the way to hell for them to travel seemingly even more smoothly.
Lastly, another common argument is regarding the word destroy. They view this word as something that comes to a final death. If one is destroyed then one ceases to exist.
The proof text often used for this is Matthew 10:28:
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Their understanding seems understandable at first glance. However the word is commonly paired with the word eternal when discussing the lost (Consider 2 Thessalonians 1:9). This in itself makes the concept of a one time destruction nonsensical and illogical. It makes much more sense to understand this as an eternal punishment than a one time destruction.
Also - why would annihilation be any worse than being killed on earth? They both would result in the same idea - ceasing to exist. The punishment could be more painful from God, but if it is a limited time, it would not seem to stand out in comparison to the torture that some people face on earth.
It is also important to understand that the Greek word translated ‘destroy’ is used some 90 times in the New Testament. It contains a very broad meaning which can include killing, drowning, rendering useless, to be ruined, becoming lost as well as a few others. This is even the word translated Apollyon in the book of Revelation referred to as the destroyer or angel of the Abyss.
Trying to argue for annihilationism using this one word is a weak theological argument in the face of the vast Scriptural evidence against this false teaching.
Unfortunately, those who hold to the view of annihilationism and conditional immortality are using eisegesis instead of exegesis.
Exegesis speaks of critically interpreting the Bible starting with the text itself.
Eisegesis speaks of reading one’s own ideas, biases, or preconceived notions into it rather than the text’s literal meaning.
In an effort to present a more palatable God to the world, they bring their biases into their reading of Scripture. They take what others state about the Bible instead of what the Bible actually says about itself.
This is a dangerous hermeneutic or interpretative approach.
Let’s go through some verses that might help us clarify an orthodox view of hell.
Let’s start with Acts 24:15:
having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.
Here we see that both the just and unjust will be resurrected. There is no real argument on what happens to the just. But what about the unjust?
Listen to Revelation 20:13-15:
And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 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.
Here we see that unbelievers are thrown into the Lake of Fire. However, if we look a few verses before this, we see the eternality of this suffering...
and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Satan and his demons are tormented day and night forever and ever. And right after this unbelievers are cast into the same Lake of Fire to face the same eternal fate.
The book of Jude gives us an example of eternal hell as well…
just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Here we see the author use the example of Sodom and Gomorrah as example of undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Paul teaches this concept is 2 Thessalonians 1:9:
They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
Again, we see the word eternal. It is eternal destruction - away from the presence of the Lord. The very fact that they are away from the presence of the Lord wouldn’t make sense if they were annihilated.
We even see Isaiah mention an eternal punishment in Isaiah 66:24:
“And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
This speaks again of eternal punishment. This speaks of their body not dying and the fire being unquenchable.
Listen to Revelation 14:11
And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
I am not sure how one interprets this passage in any other way other than eternal conscious torment. They have no rest day or night. The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.
Although, the point of a literal hell has been hammered home pretty well thus far, Jesus, Himself, puts the final nail in the proverbial coffin for those who hold an unorthodox view of hell.
Listen to Matthew 25:46:
And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
This could not be any more clear. There is a beautiful parallelism given.
Eternal punishment compared to eternal life. To remove eternal punishment would be to hit at the very essence of eternal life.
Therefore, to hit at the orthodox understanding of hell as a place of eternal, conscious punishment is to hit against the teaching of heaven and is also to attack the very essence of the Gospel. It cheapens the cross. It keeps people from understanding the depth of their sin and may even prevent many from coming to Christ.
The view of annihilationism and conditional immortality are at best unorthodox and at worst falling into heresy.
Many modern theologians have soft hearts to those who hold this unorthodox view of hell. However, I would warn believers to beware of those who teach doctrines that challenge the importance of the cross and Gospel.
This false teaching is dangerous and should be flatly and outrightly rejected. We should seek to dialogue with those who hold such false views as they may just be deceived by liberal theologians. However, we must not accept this as an orthodox option for the doctrine of hell.
Thanks for listening and I pray that this has been helpful. Have a wonderful day.
