Essay on Eschatology:

THEO202_B20_201220 Short Essay #4 Short Essay On Eschatology: The Destiny of the Unsaved One of the questions that have continuously troubled the mind of man is the question of what happens to us after death. Does the human soul/spirit continue to live after physical death? What is our final destiny after physical death? Is heaven and hell that is so much talked about by preachers real? Would a loving God really torment people forever? These are the questions I will attempt to answer from a biblical point of view in this essay. Eternal punishment: This is the everlasting or never ending punishment of the unsaved sinners, consigned to a place of unbearable pain and torment. This is also the second death were the unsaved are cast into the lake of fire forever (Rev. 20:14-15, 21:8). Annihilationism: This is the idea that the human soul will cease to exist after death. Universalism: This is the idea that all men will be saved eventually. The Universalists believes that the atonement will eventually extend to all souls, thereby reconciling all men to God. Hades is the Greek translation of Sheol and it’s the interim abode of both good and bad souls after death prior to judgment. Van Gemeren states, “The word Shoel was translated into Greek as hades sixty-one times in the LXX; hades occurs ten times in the NT.”1 Gehenna symbolizes the lake of fire where unsaved sinners will burn for eternity. Gehenna best corresponds to the traditional understanding of the eternal abode of the wicked.

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W. A. Van Gemeren “Shoel.” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A Elwell, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001), 1098.

My understanding of the final destiny of the unsaved is eternal punishment. Scripture says, “In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from

Bibliography: B. Demarest “Apokatastasis.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 2nd ed., 81. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001. J. A. Motyer “Hades.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 2nd ed., 532. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001. J. R. Root “Universalism.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 2nd ed., 1232 - 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001. L. L. Morris “Eternal Punishment.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 2nd ed., 395 - 6. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001. R. Nicole “Annihilationism.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 2nd ed., 64. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001. R. P. Lightner “Hell.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 2nd ed., 547 - 8. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001. S. M. Smith “Intermediate State.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 2nd ed., 608 - 10. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001. V. Cruz “Gehenna.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 2nd ed., 480. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001. W. A. Van Gemeren “Shoel.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 2nd ed., 1098 - 9. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001.