But I noticed that our Lord, while stressing the terror of hell with unsparing severity usually emphasizes the idea not of duration but of finality. Consignment to the destroying fire is usually treated as the end of the story--not as the beginning of a new story.

C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain


Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Jude 1:7













MISSION STATEMENT This blog is devoted to presenting biblically based evidence which argues for the extinction of the wicked as oppossed to their eternal torment in a place called hell. The usual case for extinction follows a familiar pattern: the wicked will be resurrected, suffer for a time in the lake of fire, then be extinguished. This blog takes a different view. It is the assertion here that all of the language in the Bible that refers to torment is in fact referring to earthly torment endured during the tribulation. The argument proceeds as follows: The Bible teaches a period of earthly torment (Mark 13:19, Rev. 4:10, 1 Thess. 5:2-3, Rev. 9:4-5), from which the just are exempt (Rev. 7:2-3, 9:4-5, 14:9-11), that consists of Christ shutting the door (Gen. 7:16), weeping (Amos 8:10, Zeph. 1:14), fire and brimstone (Rev. 9:18, 9:2, Isaiah 34:9, Malachi 4:1), smoke going up forever (Isaiah 34:8-10), and a form of retributive justice (Jer. 16:18, 17:18, Rev. 18:16, Psalm 69:27-28, 59:13, 83:17), which ends in extinction (Malachi 1:4, Obadiah 1:16, Psalm 37:20, Rev. 20:11-14, Matt. 25:46, Luke 12:48).



















Thursday, January 20, 2011

REVELATION 14:11-12

Rev. 14:11-12 states: "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receiveth the mark of his name."

This passage is often cited as a proof text for the traditional view of hell. That's easy to understand, as it contains a myriad of phrases and images that one can easily employ to convey eternal torment: "fire and brimstone", "torment," smoke which "ascendeth up forever and ever", and "no rest day nor night." It's not hard to see why this verse is one of the favorites for traditionalists to cite in support of their position.

There are at least four factors, however, that argue against the traditional teaching.

1) The wicked are cast out of God's presence, not tormented in it.
2) The image of smoke going up forever is one of completed desolation (Gen. 19:28, Isaiah 43:10), not ongoing torment.
3) Rev. 9 actually depicts man being tormented and killed on earth by fire and brimstone.
4) Rev 14:10-11 is actually an announcement by an angel of the wrath to be dispensed in the rest of the chapter--a great slaughter which ends in extinction.
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