Annihilationism-The Meaning of Annihilationism and Why It is Wrong
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday October 12, 2014
Annihilationism: The Meaning of Annihilationism and Why It is Wrong
Lesson # 1
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 12:2.
“Annihilationism” is the belief that all the unsaved will be judged by God and thrown into the lake of fire where they will cease to exist.
Annihilationism is also called “conditional immortality” which is the belief that the human soul’s eternal existence is dependent on God’s gracious act of sustaining it. Those who adhere to this view suggest that the human soul is given eternal life only as a gift and that those who do not receive the gift of eternal life (the unsaved) will cease to exist sometime after death, either immediately or at the final judgment. Some annihilationists suggest that this will occur instantaneously, while others believe that the unrighteous may experience a brief period of awareness. However, all annihilationists agree that no individual, however wicked, will suffer eternally a conscious existence in hell.
Clark Pinnock, John Stott, and John Wenham believe in annihilationism.
There are many passages of Scripture which refute annihilationism.
Daniel 12:2 “Then, many from those sleeping in the dusty ground will be awakened-some for the purpose of experiencing everlasting life but others for the purpose of experiencing disgrace, for the purpose of experiencing everlasting contempt.” (Author’s translation)
The third prophetic statement in Daniel 12:2 “others for the purpose of disgrace, for the purpose of everlasting contempt” is a reference to the resurrection of unregenerate Israelites who lived during the Old Testament dispensations.
The purpose of raising the unsaved dead is for the purpose of experiencing eternal condemnation.
“Disgrace” refers to the ignominy which unregenerate Israelites will experience as a result of suffering eternal condemnation.
This disgrace is the direct result of rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior and refusing to exercise faith in Him in order to receive eternal life.
It can also be the result of refusing to acknowledge and worship God as Creator as He is revealed in creation.
It also can be the result of rejecting God’s revelation of Himself in the conscience.
Many unsaved never get to the point that they consider Jesus Christ as Savior since they reject there is a Creator in the first place or they acknowledge there is a Creator but refuse to worship Him.
Therefore, even if a person is never exposed to the gospel, they can receive eternal condemnation for failing to acknowledge there is a God or they suffer eternal condemnation even though they acknowledge His existence because they refuse to worship Him.
From the First Advent through the church age and the seventieth week until the end of human history, if a person accepts that there is a God and they want to worship Him, they will be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But if they reject there is a God and refuse to worship Him, then they would not accept the gospel since the gospel reveals that Jesus Christ is the Creator and is to be the object of worship.
“Everlasting contempt” pertains to a holy God’s attitude towards those who are unregenerate.
It pertains to a holy God’s attitude towards those who have either rejected the revelation of Himself in their conscience, or in creation or they refused to acknowledge Him as Creator and worship Him or they rejected His Son Jesus Christ as Savior.
If you notice, in Daniel 12:2, the angel tells Daniel that there will be those in Israel who lived during Old Testament dispensations who will experience “everlasting” contempt.
In Matthew 25:46, the Lord says that when He judges the Gentiles subsequent to His Second Advent, the saved will go to eternal life while the unsaved go away into “eternal” punishment.
Thus, the existence of the unsaved is eternal in the lake of fire.
If annihilationism was the truth then the Lord would not have used the word “eternal” to describe the punishment of the unsaved.
In John 3:36, the writer says that those who believe in the Son will have eternal life whereas as those who do not obey the Son will not see life but the wrath of God abides on them.
The present tense of the verb μένω, “abides” expresses the idea of a continuous existence or state indicating that the unsaved will experience God’s wrath continually.
If annihilationism was the truth, John would not have used this verb.
In 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul says that those unsaved individuals who persecuted the Thessalonian believers will pay the penalty of “eternal” destruction, away from the presence of the Lord.
If annihilationism was the truth, he would not have used the word “eternal.”
The fact that he does makes clear that this destruction is one that goes on for all of eternity.
In Revelation 14:10-11, John writes that those people who worship the Antichrist during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week will drink of the wine of the wrath of God.
He says that they will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
He says that this torment goes up forever and ever.
If the unsaved are simply put out of existence, then why does John say that the unsaved during the tribulation are tormented forever?
Furthermore, notice in Revelation 14:10 that the unsaved have no rest day and night.
If the unsaved are simply put out of existence, then why does the Scripture say this?
If they are not having any rest day and night clearly implies that they have a conscious existence in the eternal lake of fire.
If one compares Revelation 19:20 with Revelation 20:10, we can see that annihilationism is false and that the fate of the unsaved is eternal condemnation.
In Revelation 19:20, the apostle John reveals that the Antichrist and the false prophet are thrown alive into the lake of fire at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
Then, in Revelation 20:10, John says that after the millennium and Satan’s release from prison after the millennium, Satan will start a final rebellion against God which will be overthrown.
He will then be thrown into the lake of fire.
John then says that the Antichrist and the false prophet are still there in the lake of fire when Satan is thrown into the lake of fire.
Therefore, these two human beings had been suffering in eternal condemnation throughout the millennium and Satan’s final rebellion.
If annihilationism is the truth, John would not say this.
He wouldn’t even mention these two human beings.