Note: I will be editing and adding to this article over time. The edits are for the purpose of correcting grammar and the additions are for the purpose of clarification and expansion.
What most call the traditional view is the belief that the sinner who dies in their sins will be thrown into the lake of fire (which both agree is called the second death in Scripture), but contrary to the conditional view (sometimes just simply called annihilationism) will suffer consciously forever without end just like those who are redeemed will enjoy eternal bliss in heaven without end. More recently, Cameron has publicly responded to the reactions he received seeking to clarify his position and is now working to create a public discussion on the subject with several Christian leaders.
So why am I writing about this on a blog that nearly nobody will read? Perhaps for my own edification and to reflect on it later on in life. I was naively surprised by the fact that are people who deny the idea that the wicked will also possess immortality like the righteous. I was surprised by this, not because this is what I have been taught by tradition (I was not brought up in a strict Christian home and did not attend any church very much as a kid), but rather because what I have read in the Bible. The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 1, article 7 states:
" All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them."
While it may not be said that the doctrine of hell or the final state of mankind after the final judgment is necessary for salvation, this does not mean that the doctrine of the final state of the wicked is not clear enough so that the learned and unlearned may attain a sufficient understanding of it through due use of ordinary means. For me, having the read the Bible many times from the teaching of Jesus from the Gospels, the Apostles from their letters, and the prophecy of the book of Revelation, it is a straightforward reading that reveals the wicked enter into judgment and will be punished eternally for their sins.
This understanding is called the traditional view because it has been the main view held by Christian churches throughout the centuries. This is not to say that there have not been those who have held the conditional viewpoint in church history. Louis Berkhof gives a couple of pages on the history of the of this doctrine in his book "The History of Christian Doctrines" saying, "The earliest Church Fathers have very little to say about the last judgment, but generally stress its certainty." (p.267). With regard to the early church fathers he writes, "The punishment of the wicked was generally thought of as eternal, Origen forming an exception." Because Berkhof doesn't devote more than two pages to this topic in his book, there is not too much more that he adds other than to say that from that early period through the Reformation and Post-Reformation era the general and widespread view has been that "They shared the common belief in the eternal bliss of heaven and the eternal torments of hell." While Berkhof's treatment of the doctrine is brief in his book, he cites a number of sources for further reading at the end of that section.
He does report that, "Some Anabaptists taught restorationism (essentially universalism), and some Socinians, the annihilation of the wicked..." and that "...since the middle of the previous century (he wrote his book in 1937) the doctrine of conditional immortality has enjoyed great popularity in some circles." And this is what we find being made somewhat popular again (at least in American culture) by Kirk Cameron today.
For those who would want to take a deeper dive on the subject, the image at the top of this post is a book written in 2007 that addressed and defended the traditional viewpoint. It is well-written by many authors and well-sourced for digging deeper (I am 160 pages in, Chapter 4, of 463 pages, Kindle version). For this brief blog article, I would encourage my reader to look to the Scriptures and prayerfully consider what it says. I believe you will find their meaning clear and consistent.
From our Lord Jesus:
"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hand to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye that with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:43-48
While the passage is not a teaching about hell, it most certainly includes it. Not only does it include teaching about hell, but Jesus is also quoting Isaiah 66:24. This is significant because He is providing infallible commentary on the Isaiah. Isaiah reads,
"And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of 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."
It is hard to imagine language more clear from Jesus. The paradox is also startling. As we all are familiar with decomposition and fire, we know that a dead body is eventually consumed in fire and maggots eventually die when they run out of food. Yet, here we have our Lord teaching us that the state of these people is such that the fire is never put out and the maggots never run out of food. Proponents of annihilationism emphasize the phrase "dead bodies" in Isaiah while glossing over the language of Jesus and of Isaiah as to the worm and the fire. The metaphorical paradox is meant to be startling and catch our attention bringing the emphasis of the text to a very clear meaning: This is an everlasting state.
Another place in Scripture that speaks on the subject is found in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 as the Apostle Paul comforts the believers who are enduring persecutions:
"since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you are are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed."
The Thessalonians faced persecutions and afflictions, such as mob violence (see Acts 17:1-9), and Paul was comforting the believers by what he wrote them. One day the Lord will come to punish those who troubled them and give them rest from all the troubles that the wicked were bringing upon them. This is foretold to happen for them at the revelation of Jesus when He comes "in that Day" which ties this promise to the final day of judgment. It is also plain from the text that the wicked will be punished with everlasting destruction. The conditionalists want to argue for annihilation arguing that the destruction is everlasting meaning that it no longer exists. However, we need to pay attention to the justice being proclaimed here by the Holy Spirit. This is the Lord's vengeance upon the wicked for their mistreatment of His people and their disobedience to the Gospel. They are being punished with an everlasting (never ending) destruction.
Furthermore, Greek word for destruction transliterated is "olethros" and may be used to mean ruin, destroy, or death. For those familiar with the use of language, words nearly always have a very wide semantic range. It is in the context of the word being used where the particular meaning is determined. In this context, the Apostle Paul is juxtaposing the Thessalonian's rest with the punishment of the wicked at His coming. The saints rest with the Lord Jesus is forever and ever. And this is not denied by the conditionalists. What justification then do we have to deny that the punishment of those who disobey the Gospel is not forever and ever? Looking at the word "destruction" in Greek or English will not be sufficient by itself to draw the conclusion.
A sound principle in biblical interpretation useful here is called the Usus Loquendi. This is a Latin phrase that means the use of speaking or the usage of speaking. It is a key principle in interpretation that traces the use of a word in Scripture. For example, this same Greek word is used by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:5 in which Paul says of an erroring brother, "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." Here the use of the word clearly is a temporary destruction. In the book "Hell Under Fire" the authors write concerning this word (and two others):
"...they usually refer to the situation of a person or object that has lost the essence of its nature or function. This is the case even when the words are applied to physical death )as in, e.g., 1 Cor. 10:0, 10 [apollymi];...what is "destroyed" is "life as we know it in this world"; whether this implied extinction is not at all clear and can be decided only after the broader teaching about life after death has been decided." p.164, Kindle version
Conditionalists ought to learn this principle and accept the fact that what a word may mean is not enough to determine what it does mean apart of both its immediate and broader contexts. As an example of a broader context here, we can trace the theme of final judgment to the book of Revelation. Consider the following:
"Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receive his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out in full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." Rev. 14:9-11.
Here is the plainest language one could imagine for people who will suffer eternal conscious punishment. They have no rest day or night. Their torment continues forever and ever. For the annihilationist to maintain their view, they must at least give up their view to allow for the conscious eternal punishment of these people. But let us expand the context more:
"The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:10-15.
Here the language is nearly identical to what we found in chapter 14. We see the eternal puniahment of God against the devil, the beast, and the false prophet. Here is where the Thessalonians, and all those who have been persecuted, will see justice done upon to them. The punishment is that they are cast into the lake of fire where they are tormented day and night forever and ever. This lake of fire is the selfsame place that all those whose names are not found in the Book of Life are also cast. If the devil, the false prophet, and the beast are tormented forever and ever in the lake of fire and it does not annihilate them, then neither will it annihilate the people who are cast into it.
Someone remarked in one my online discussions asking what I think of Death and Hades being cast there also. They are not people, or the devil, or the false prophet so how are these inanimate things tormented? The lake of fire is called the second death. Death is the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26; this word translated destroyed here is a different Greek word, transliterated katageo and has the meaning of rendering idle, useless, or to do away with). Death at this point is no longer the same. The only death that will exist at that time is the second death. Hades is also given up because it was a temporary holding place of punishment for the wicked until the final judgment. Therefore, the lake of fire has replaced Death and Hades. Death and Hades are temporary whereas the lake of fire is forever and ever. And it is MUCH worse.
This is certainly not the first time hell has gone on trial and probably will not be the last. I think the devil would very much like people to think that if they spend a lifetime living for their own lusts, worshipping idols, committing sexual immorality, being thieves, murderers, liars, etc. that the worst that is going to happen to them is eventually the God they hate will will utterly annihilate them. However, the Scripture does not teach this. And this is not the ONLY thing Scripture teaches. The Apostle John who saw the lake of fire also saw glory and beauty. He wrote,
"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp or light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever." Rev. 22:1-5
"And the Spirit and the bride say Come! And let him who hears say, Come! And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22:17
So what of you dear reader? Will you come to the Lord Jesus who was crucified for our sins and raised from the dead to give us life? Will you confess your sins to Him turning from them to the living God who offers you a way of escape from everlasting destruction and punishment that your sins justly deserve? If you hear and if you are thirsty and if you desire, then call upon the Name of Jesus right now.
Turn to him right now and take the water of life freely.
Your servant in Jesus,
Geoff
