ANNIHILATIONISM-PRESENT BIBLICAL EVIDENCE CONCERNING THE NATURE OF HELL
PRESENT BIBLICAL EVIDENCE CONCERNING THE NATURE OF HELL, AND
DISCUSS ANNIHILATIONIST DOCTRINE IN THE LIGHT OF THIS EVIDENCE.
There is much in the Bible concerning hell as a place or state of being. To present Biblical evidence concerning the nature of hell this paper aims to look at characteristics of hell. This will include: looking at different names used for ‘hell’ in the Bible and whether these illustrate the nature of hell; and looking at the literal, metaphorical, final and eternal natures of hell and the biblical evidence. Then, in light of this evidence, annihilationist doctrine will be discussed.
The Biblical names for ‘Hell’.
When the OT talks about ‘hell’ it usually uses the word Sheol. However, as John F. Walvoord points out; “Its etymology is uncertain. In the KJV it is translated “grave” thirty-one times, “hell” thirty-one times and “pit” three times.”1 He concludes “It is the mind of the interpreter that determines whether Sheol in a particular passage refers to the grave only or to life after this life in the intermediate state.”1
However, Walvoord is using NT concepts regarding a waiting period before the final judgement to his reading of the OT. This could be because the Greek word ‘Hades’ used in the NT is seen as its equivalent. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines ‘Hell’, when referred to in the NT, as coming from two Greek words; ‘Gehenna’ and ‘Hades’. ‘Gehenna’ comes from the Hebrew for valley of the sons of Hinnom. This was a valley South of Jerusalem where children were sacrificed by, or passed through, fire to pagan gods. (Jos. 15:8; 18:16; 2 Ki. 23:10; 2 Chr 28:3; 33:6; Jer. 7:31; 32:35).2 According to Nelson’s Complete Concordance3 the word ‘Hell’, as Gehenna, can be found thirteen times in the NT. ‘Hades’, being the Greek equivalent to ‘Sheol’, as a place of the dead or the underworld, appears ten times.4 This seems to introduce the concept of ‘Hell’ and ‘Hades’ being two different places or states; a place of destruction
DISCUSS ANNIHILATIONIST DOCTRINE IN THE LIGHT OF THIS EVIDENCE.
There is much in the Bible concerning hell as a place or state of being. To present Biblical evidence concerning the nature of hell this paper aims to look at characteristics of hell. This will include: looking at different names used for ‘hell’ in the Bible and whether these illustrate the nature of hell; and looking at the literal, metaphorical, final and eternal natures of hell and the biblical evidence. Then, in light of this evidence, annihilationist doctrine will be discussed.
The Biblical names for ‘Hell’.
When the OT talks about ‘hell’ it usually uses the word Sheol. However, as John F. Walvoord points out; “Its etymology is uncertain. In the KJV it is translated “grave” thirty-one times, “hell” thirty-one times and “pit” three times.”1 He concludes “It is the mind of the interpreter that determines whether Sheol in a particular passage refers to the grave only or to life after this life in the intermediate state.”1
However, Walvoord is using NT concepts regarding a waiting period before the final judgement to his reading of the OT. This could be because the Greek word ‘Hades’ used in the NT is seen as its equivalent. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines ‘Hell’, when referred to in the NT, as coming from two Greek words; ‘Gehenna’ and ‘Hades’. ‘Gehenna’ comes from the Hebrew for valley of the sons of Hinnom. This was a valley South of Jerusalem where children were sacrificed by, or passed through, fire to pagan gods. (Jos. 15:8; 18:16; 2 Ki. 23:10; 2 Chr 28:3; 33:6; Jer. 7:31; 32:35).2 According to Nelson’s Complete Concordance3 the word ‘Hell’, as Gehenna, can be found thirteen times in the NT. ‘Hades’, being the Greek equivalent to ‘Sheol’, as a place of the dead or the underworld, appears ten times.4 This seems to introduce the concept of ‘Hell’ and ‘Hades’ being two different places or states; a place of destruction