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geomic1 said:

Wes,
Actually, I learn a lot from the responses and you must admit, "stirring the pot", does make things interesting. The topics I have brought up, are areas I have been challenge in of late.I did read through those topics you mentioned a week or so ago. I have found that we seldom go out of our comfort zones, in respect to what differs from our already preconceived notions. Thankfully, God intervenes, or none of us would know Him, much less grow in the knowledge of the particulars, that are not of a salvation issue.
Geomic

It appears you are ever learning but never coming to a conclusion. Comfort zones and preconceived notions will have to stand the light of day. At some point you will need to find what ground you stand on. Anniliation may sound appealing to those who are perishing but it doesn't come from sound teaching. Why would man have to fear God if Hell was simply annihilation? There is no fear in annihilation, you simply cease to exist.

The fear is in God's judgment in the after life, after death. This scripture tells us that there must be a "fearful" judgment after the death of the body, which the unsaved men of the world should fear. Or as God put it so well (and as annihilationists ignore),

Hebrews 10:31 "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God".

The wrath of God is upon them, and it is not to give them what they will want (annihilation) when standing before the fearful God, it is to give them what God's justice demands, and what His Holy Word has declared. The end of the world will bring this final judgment in the wrath of God, and God speaks about how the wicked will be severed from the just and how they will be tormented in the fire.

Matthew 13:41-42 "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth".

Screaming and grinding of teeth is the language of people being tormented, not the language of annihilation. We cannot simply ignore all these scriptures simply because it's palatable in today's anti-hell politically correct society to do so. They all tell the same story, and it's not that people simply will be destroyed or made to not exist.

Why would God speak of a place or state of everlasting fire to torment the souls of the unsaved, if the fire was only temporarily as (according to annihilationists) they'd soon be destroyed or made extinct? Why does God speak of the wicked as having two hands to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched if what He really means is that it shall be quenched or that they'll just be there temporarily? Why tell us the fire will never be quenched if this is the case? These ideas are tortuous to the very scriptures they're purporting to be a part of. Not only in Revelation where their worm (maggot) dieth not, but God shows the same picture all through out scripture.

Mark 9:43-46 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off, it is better for Thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched". Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is never quenched". And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched".


Wes

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts