Question
What do the Hebrew and Greek words
means in reference to the false doctrine of Annihilationism?
Answer
Some
"teachers" are twisting, turning, and torturing many words in the
Hebrew and Greek language and stating that they mean "total annihilation
or nothingness" - "ceasing to even exist," as they relate to the
Doctrine of Hell.
Regarding the Doctrine of Hell,
there are no words in the entire of Scripture that can be accurately
translated as "total absolute annihilation;" not one.
there are no words in the entire of Scripture that can be accurately
translated as "total absolute annihilation;" not one.
By: Dr. Joseph R. Nally, Jr., D.D., M.Div.
Throughout
the Bible, Hebrew and Greek words interpreted as "destroy,"
"destruction," "perish," "kill," and
"death," as they relate to Hell, never mean "to go
into absolute nothingness or oblivion," but rather they mean
"eternal" or "forever and ever" ongoing
"everlasting" conscious "destruction" (Phil 3:19; 1 Thess 5:3;
2 Thess
1:9; 2:8;
Rev 14:11;
20:10-15,
et. ). The "gloom of utter darkness" (Jude 1:13;
cf. 1:6)
refers to being cut off entirely from God, who is "light" (John 1:9;
8:12; 1 Tim 6:16;
Jas 1:17;
1
John 1:5; cf. Isa 9:2; John 3:20; Acts 26:18;
1 Thess
5:5). The word "gloom" in Jude 1:13
refers to "a state of depression or despondency." To be in a
"state of depression" one must be alive!
Words
such as "cut off" (Exod
31:14-15; Lev 23:29-30; Rom 11:22, 24; Gal 5:12,
etc.) also do not mean "absolute nothingness," as even Jesus
was "cut off" (Dan 9:26) and is alive "forevermore" (Rev 1:18).
Many times the word "cut off" simply means to be cut off from Israel,
its congregation, etc., (Exod 12:15, 19; 30:33, 38; 31:14; Lev 7:20, 21, 25, 27; 17:4, 10, 14; 18:29; 19:8; 23:29; Num 19:13,
etc.).
One
of the most celebrated defenses of Annihilationism has been from Psalm 37:20,
"the wicked...they vanish-like smoke they vanish away." Sounds
convincing, right? However what is the Psalm really about? The Psalm itself is
not even dealing with Hell; Psalm 37:20 refers to that the fact the success, fame, and
prosperity of the wicked is as temporary as mere smoke. However, let's say we
desire to apply the passage to Hell anyway - we shouldn't, but since
Annihilationist's already have, let's review their case from their faulty
perspective. Since "smoke" is an important theme here, we should ask
the obvious question, "What is smoke?" Smoke is made of two basic
things: (1) little drops of water and (2) ash. First, ash can't burn! Second,
the reason smoke appears to vanish away is that, as the smoke rises: (1) the
droplets of liquid water change states into gas and (2) the ash joins the dust
in the atmosphere. Therefore, both elements in smoke still exist, but just in
different states. Therefore, there is no total annihilation!
As
the reader will observe, in the Old Testament notes below there're many that
refer to "physical destruction, not eternal destruction"
(i.e."devoted to destruction," or "curse;" Deut 2:34; 3:6; Judg 21:11;
cf. Gal
1:8-9). Please understand that in these notes, we're not saying that those
who died did or did not go to Hell or Heaven (that's another topic), but simply
the context of the verse is speaking of only "physical destruction,"
which carries with it the idea of stopping, scattering, putting to flight, and
up to and including physical death, etc. Yet, some of the "spin
doctors" of the false doctrine of Annihilationism desire to use these
examples of "physical destruction" and apply it to "eternal
destruction." However, unless otherwise revealed in Scripture, this is not
a proper application; as the Bible speaks of two different types of bodies (one
that is able to die; the other is not; 1 Cor 15:44,
53)
and two different types of death (one temporal and one eternal; Matt 10:28).
Besides, the physical body in this world is never totally annihilated anyway;
it returns to the dust from which it came (Gen 2:7; Eccl 3:20;
12:7; Psa 103:14;
Isa 40:15).
In addition, if we follow the Annhilationist's interpretation as such to its
logical conclusion, than the wicked can send the righteous to total annhilation
(absolute non-existence); 'if they totally annihilate me, they totally
annhilate mel' (Est 4:16, etc.) - which is ludicrous, as the righteous know
that "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor 5:8).
