What do Adventists believe about Hell?

[Timothew]

I was discussing the nature of Hell in another part of CF, and I was informed that my view (that the wages of sin is death and not eternal conscious torment) was held by Adventists. (They said SDAs believe in Annihilationism)

Were they correct? I don't form my beliefs based on who else holds the belief, but it would be really nice to find an ally right now.

 

[doc8645]

thats right, the soul isn't immortal, only God, who gives it as a "Reward", not to the unrepentent.

 

[Timothew]

Thanks Doc

 

[doc8645]

your welcome, there sometimes are a lot of discussions on this issue if you back track complete with Bible references, but sometimes it gets a little heated or personal but mostly informative, you can also go to Amazingfacts.org and request some free tracks on the subject, Doug Bachelor is very well versed on it.

 

[Timothew]

Thanks, I don't want it heated or personal,

I agree with this Statement of Beliefs from Amazingfacts.org

We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is profitable for correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness. (See 2 Timothy 3:16.)

We believe that Jesus is the eternal, self-existent God and is not a created being. Even though He is fully God, He took upon Himself the form of a man to live and die for our sins. We also believe that He rose from the dead three days later.

We believe that the penalty for man's sin was paid on the cross of Calvary in Jesus' death. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). By believing on Jesus Christ and accepting the grace of His shed blood, we receive the gift of eternal life. "Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9).

Because we love Jesus for His sacrificial death, we want to obey Him as he commands in John 14:15. We are not saved by our works. But, because we are saved, we choose to keep His commandments as the guide for successful living.

We believe that prophecy reveals Jesus is coming again very soon. (See Matthew 24:32-51.)​

 

[JojotheBeloved]

Here is the official belief statement of the SDA Church:

"The millennium is the thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints in heaven between the first and second resurrections. During this time the wicked dead will be judged; the earth will be utterly desolate, without living human inhabitants, but occupied by Satan and his angels. At its close, Christ with His saints and the Holy City will descend from heaven to earth. The unrighteous dead will then be resurrected, and with Satan and his angels will surround the city; but fire from God will consume them and cleanse the earth. The universe will thus be freed of sin and sinners forever. (Rev. 20; 1 Cor. 6:2, 3; Jer. 4:23-26; Rev. 21:1-5; Mal. 4:1; Eze. 28:18, 19.)"

Adventists believe the soul (spirit, breath, or life that makes every living thing ALIVE - as the Hebrew understanding of the word is the one we understand being biblical) is not inherently immortal. That the life breath of every living creature is a gift from God and on its own it would cease. Thus, the Adventist understanding of death is that of a semi-permanent sleep (semi-permanent due to God's act of ressurrecting living human beings either for salvation or annihalation) in which the dead person knows nothing - since their soul ceases to exist; except in the mind of God who remembers who they were and knows who they will be at ressurrection. Since the soul ceases existance in death, and since all the references to fire and hell in the Bible (with the one exception of a parable Jesus told about a rich man and Lazarus) are within the context of permanent destruction, Adventists conclude that hell must be an annihalation of sin in its totality, including those who would choose sin/selfishness rather than relationship with God. Adventists also believe this to be a merciful act of a loving God, because people are not to be tormented for eternity as punishment for sin, but rather God must extinguish sin and its influence in order to restore a fallen world. The people who are annihalated in the end are those who choose to reject God entirely and who would be tortured living in a world where He is the light, life-breathe, and center of all. Through annihalation, God honors their choice and rids the world of sin so that all who choose relationship as part of Christ's family may live in love and peace. That's how I understand it, anyway.