Why do some 'Christians' believe that Hell is not eternal?

[Danoded]

It doesn't make sense to me at all, what do they think Hell* is for in that case?

 

[Halbhh]

One mainstream view of the real enternal reality of hell is that human souls there are "destroy"ed (Matthew 10:28), they "perish", and do not have eternal life. (John 3:16). They are not immortal like the Devil and his angels. Instead of enduring in the eternal fire, they experience the "second death" (Revelation 20:14)) which is not a metaphor.

Any case, we don't have to know which terrible outcome it is, because any of those terrible outcomes we are not going to suffer if we endure till the end with faith in Jesus our Christ. Matthew 7:24-27

 

[Danoded]

One mainstream view of the real enternal reality of hell is that human souls there are "destroy"ed (Matthew 10:28), they "perish", and do not have eternal life. (John 3:16). They are not immortal like the Devil and his angels. Instead of enduring in the eternal fire, they experience the "second death" (Revelation 20:14)) which is not a metaphor.

Any case, we don't have to know which terrible outcome it is, because any of those terrible outcomes we are not going to suffer if we endure till the end with faith in Jesus our Christ. Matthew 7:24-27

Isn't there wailing and gnashing of the teeth? I've also read that with the Rapture that those in Hell, satan and his demons will simply cease to exist. By ceasing to exist, does one just witnesses blackness for eternity?

 

[Albion]

It doesn't make sense to me at all, what do they think Hell* is for in that case?

The most common reason given is that they cannot reconcile the idea of a God who would do that with their idea of a God who must be all-forgiving an all-loving. Therefore, they speculate that hell is for a necessary correction, but not eternal punishment.

Those who are more theologically inclined, point out that there are a few verses in Scripture which seem to suggest universal salvation and that the idea of universal salvation was more common in the early days of the church although it died out afterwards.

 

[Sanoy]

Both annihilation and ECT (eternal conscious torment) can be debated from scripture. I think annhilation has a stronger scriptural foundation...but we already have a thread on that for debate.

To me ECT as a punishment is logically inconsistent with a loving God. It is literally the most evil thing you could do to someone for absolutely no purpose.

 

[DavidPT]

It doesn't make sense to me at all, what do they think Hell* is for in that case?

Do you want it to be eternal? Are you hoping it's eternal? While maybe you might not end up in this place, what about friends and family members that might? Do you wish it to be eternal for their sakes? If it were solely your choice, would you rather this place be eternal or no? I'm just trying to understand the mindset behind those that see this place as eternal and why they see it as eternal, and if they are glad that it's eternal, or perhaps wish it wasn't instead. It's one thing to conclude it's eternal because one feels that's what the Scriptures teach. It's another thing to be glad it's eternal, as opposed to wishing it weren't instead.

 

[Danoded]

The most common reason given is that they cannot reconcile the idea of a God who would do that with their idea of a God who must be all-forgiving an all-loving. Those who are deeper thinkers point out that there are a few verses in Scripture which seem to suggest universal salvation (but not necessarily absent any kind of punishment whatsoever in the afterlife) and that the idea of universal salvation was more common in the early days of the church although it died out afterwards.

This thing is definitely anti-Biblical, seeing has God has repeatedly shown to have hated sin and lawlessness, and in the time of Jesus, He finally left them to their evil and wicked desires. I don't get how their can be no condemnation for the unrepentant when everyone will be judged after this life, the righteous and the unreighteous alike, and will have to give an account for all their actions, thoughts and speech throughout their lives. If they were not saved at the time of their death, how then can they have a chance of salvation afterwards?

 

[Danoded]

Do you want it to be eternal? Are you hoping it's eternal? While maybe you might not end up in this place, what about friends and family members that might? Do you wish it to be eternal for their sakes? If it were solely your choice, would you rather this place be eternal or no? I'm just trying to understand the mindset behind those that see this place as eternal and why they see it as eternal, and if they are glad that it's eternal, or perhaps wish it wasn't instead. It's one thing to conclude it's eternal because one feels that's what the Scriptures teach. It's another thing to be glad it's eternal, as opposed to wishing it weren't instead.

This is what the Bible does teach, that the Lake of Fire is eternal and everlasting, although I'm not sure but I did read somewhere that after the Rapture, these people in Hell along with satan will experience the ultimate death where they cease to exist.

I don't decide what Hell is, God does, and it is a place where the unrepentant and evildoers on Earth go to after this life.

 

[Danoded]

Both annihilation and ECT (eternal conscious torment) can be debated from scripture. I think annhilation has a stronger scriptural foundation...but we already have a thread on that for debate.

To me ECT as a punishment is logically inconsistent with a loving God. It is literally the most evil thing you could do to someone for absolutely no purpose.

God doesn't love evil, he hates sin, he leaves people to their own carnal desires and lusts. People send themselves to Hell, God doesn't, he offers them a way to escape eternal punishment by following His Commandments and living a godly life on our time here on Earth.

Also, would you mind explaining the annihilation theory? I'm not clear on it and having really come across it before thanks.

 

[Halbhh]

Isn't there wailing and gnashing of the teeth? I've also read that with the Rapture that those in Hell, satan and his demons will simply cease to exist. By ceasing to exist, does one just witnesses blackness for eternity?

Yes great grief before that final end. The 2nd idea I've never heard on any scripture.

 

[TuxAme]

Wishful thinking, perhaps?

It disturbs some people to think that someone could spend eternity in Hell- even more so when they realize that there's probably going to be a lot of people there. So, they're inclined to "reason away" the idea of eternal punishment.

 

[DavidPT]

Also, would you mind explaining the annihilation theory? I'm not clear on it and having really come across it before thanks.

Here's a current thread on it actually. Annihilationism Is Actually...Biblical

 

[JackRT]

"Hell" is never mentioned in the Bible. Never. Ever. The terms "Sheole", "Ghenna' and "Hades" are used but they do not carry the freight of hell. Hell is actually a pagan Anglo-Saxon term that was chosen by translators it fit their understandings of the three terms above. This was aided an abetted by the lurid medieval poetry of the Italian poet Dante in his "Inferno". Most Christians would do well to rethink their belief in Hell.

 

[jovanovic]

eternal conscious torment is way too much, nobody deserve that.

 

[eleos1954]

It doesn't make sense to me at all, what do they think Hell* is for in that case?

About Hell: The ultimate Hell is eternal death. The Bible does describe the grave as "Hades" translated as hell also. The lost will face eternal destruction in the very end at the 2nd resserrection .... not "burn in hell forever" as some faiths teach. They will be totally destroyed. God is not torturing God. He is a loving God.

The saved will receive everlasting life, the unsafe will receive everlasting death.

Psalms 1:6
Psalms 37:20
Psalms 69:28
Psalms 34:16
Psalms 92:7
Proverbs 24:20
Daniel 2:35
Isaiah 1:28
Isaiah 30
Isaiah 31
Obadiah 1:16
Malachi 4:1
Matthew 10:28
John 3:16
Matthew 7:13
Matthew 7:19
Matthew 13:40
John 15:6
Philippians 3:19
2 Thessalonians 1:9
1 Corinthians 3:17
2 Corinthians 2:15
2 Corinthians 2:16
Romans 6:23
James 4:12
2 Peter 2:3
Revelation 20:14

 

[jovanovic]

About Hell: The ultimate Hell is eternal death. The Bible does describe the grave as "Hades" translated as hell also. The lost will face eternal destruction in the very end at the 2nd resserrection .... not "burn in hell forever" as some faiths teach. They will be totally destroyed. God is not torturing God. He is a loving God.

The saved will receive everlasting life, the unsafe will receive everlasting death.

Psalms 1:6
Psalms 37:20
Psalms 69:28
Psalms 34:16
Psalms 92:7
Proverbs 24:20
Daniel 2:35
Isaiah 1:28
Isaiah 30
Isaiah 31
Obadiah 1:16
Malachi 4:1
Matthew 10:28
John 3:16
Matthew 7:13
Matthew 7:19
Matthew 13:40
John 15:6
Philippians 3:19
2 Thessalonians 1:9
1 Corinthians 3:17
2 Corinthians 2:15
2 Corinthians 2:16
Romans 6:23
James 4:12
2 Peter 2:3
Revelation 20:14

the opposite to enternal life should be enternal death.

but some verses in the bible say that the souls will exist for ever and can not be destroyed, correct me if am wrong, if this is the case then indeed the people in hell will be tortured for ever and ever. or maybe "for ever" means like 1 million years?

 

[eleos1954]

eternal conscious torment is way too much, nobody deserve that.

You are correct .... and it does not happen ..... in the end all the unsaved will be totally destroyed ... teaching of eternal torment is not biblically correct and is not sound teaching.

 

[jovanovic]

Wishful thinking, perhaps?

It disturbs some people to think that someone could spend eternity in Hell- even more so when they realize that there's probably going to be a lot of people there. So, they're inclined to "reason away" the idea of eternal punishment.

speaking of whishful thinking, you catholics believe in purgatory.

 

[Sanoy]

God doesn't love evil, he hates sin, he leaves people to their own carnal desires and lusts. People send themselves to Hell, God doesn't, he offers them a way to escape eternal punishment by following His Commandments and living a godly life on our time here on Earth.

Also, would you mind explaining the annihilation theory? I'm not clear on it and having really come across it before thanks.

First let me say that I think there are coherent versions of ECT that are not a logical contradiction. Your example is one particular case, the other being that in hell one commits an infinity of sins and so accrues an infinite set of punishment for those sins. However I think there is good biblical reason to believe that people are manually inserted or cast into the lake of fire. So it seems God doesn't just leave and then everything becomes the lake of fire, but that God takes those people and puts them there. So in that case, the individual sinner is the formal cause, and God is the causal agent in Aristotelian causes and so the final cause (aka the purpose) must be something that is consistent with Gods nature.

Like ECT there are a couple of distinctions in Annihilationism. My particular belief is that a person is judged, then cast into the lake of fire where he serves a duration of punishment unto death. This is a combination of the idea of the second death, which comes after the death of the body, and the idea of degrees of punishment that we find in Matthew 10:15.

I think we should leave any hard long term scriptural debate between the two theories on this thread because a lot of it has already been worked out. Just quote one of my comments over there if you want to discuss a scriptural point over a length of time. Though I can explain certain verses that you might have in mind briefly here. But if there are any rebuttals on the coherence of the two possibilities lets keep it here as the annihilation thread doesn't really get into that.

 

[1stcenturylady]

Personally, I believe man was created with an immortal spirit, like the angels. But when Adam sinned, his whole being; body, soul, and spirit; became mortal. He went from life to death. When we are born again we go from death to life, meaning immortality.

This makes me believe humans who are not saved will be cast into the lake of fire and be destroyed completely in an instant. But the lake of fire, itself, will go on and on and on eternally, and the demons will suffer eternally as they are immortal.