Eschatology

Annihilationism is Not Biblical

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Annihilationism is not biblical.

Westminster Confession of Faith CHAPTER XXXII.

  •  Of the State of Man After Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead.

    I. The bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption: but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them: the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. And the souls of the wicked are cast into ****, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Beside these two places, for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledges none.II. At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed: and all the dead shall be raised up, with the selfsame bodies, and none other (although with different qualities), which shall be united again to their souls forever.

     

    III. The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonour: the bodies of the just, by His Spirit, unto honour; and be made conformable to His own glorious body.

     

    Westminster Confession of Faith CHAPTER XXXIII.

     Of the Last Judgment.

     

    I. God has appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world, in righteousness, by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. In which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds; and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil.II. The end of God’s appointing this day is for the manifestation of the glory of His mercy, in the eternal salvation of the elect; and of His justice, in the ****ation of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient. For then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fulness of joy and refreshing, which shall come from the presence of the Lord; but the wicked who know not God, and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be cast into eternal torments, and be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.

     

    III. As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin; and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity: so will He have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come; and may be ever prepared to say, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, Amen.

     

    Belgic Confession:
    Article 37: The Last Judgment

     

    Finally we believe, according to God’s Word, that when the time appointed by the Lord is come (which is unknown to all creatures) and the number of the elect is complete, our Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven, bodily and visibly, as he ascended, with great glory and majesty, to declare himself the judge of the living and the dead. He will burn this old world, in fire and flame, in order to cleanse it.

     

    Then all human creatures will appear in person before the great judge — men, women, and children, who have lived from the beginning until the end of the world.

     

    They will be summoned there by the voice of the archangel and by the sound of the divine trumpet. 79

     

    For all those who died before that time will be raised from the earth, their spirits being joined and united with their own bodies in which they lived. And as for those who are still alive, they will not die like the others but will be changed “in the twinkling of an eye” from “corruptible to incorruptible.” 80

     

    Then “the books” (that is, the consciences) will be opened, and the dead will be judged according to the things they did in the world, 81 whether good or evil. Indeed, all people will give account of all the idle words they have spoken, 82 which the world regards as only playing games. And then the secrets and hypocrisies of men will be publicly uncovered in the sight of all.

     

    Therefore, with good reason the thought of this judgment is horrible and dreadful to wicked and evil people. But it is very pleasant and a great comfort to the righteous and elect, since their total redemption will then be accomplished. They will then receive the fruits of their labor and of the trouble they have suffered; their innocence will be openly recognized by all; and they will see the terrible vengeance that God will bring on the evil ones who tyrannized, oppressed, and tormented them in this world.

     

    The evil ones will be convicted by the witness of their own consciences, and shall be made immortal — but only to be tormented in the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 83

     

    In contrast, the faithful and elect will be crowned with glory and honor. The Son of God will “confess their names” 84 before God his Father and the holy and elect angels; all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”; 85 and their cause — at present condemned as heretical and evil by many judges and civil officers — will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.”

     

    And as a gracious reward the Lord will make them possess a glory such as the heart of man could never imagine.

     

    So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

     

    The Augsberg makes mention of the Anabaptists; Apparently they believed this nonsense:

     

    Article XVII: Of Christ’s Return to Judgment.

     

    Also they teach that at the Consummation of the World Christ will appear for judgment and will raise up a

    ll the dead; He will give to the godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, but ungodly men and the devils He will condemn to be tormented without end.

     

    They condemn the Anabaptists, who think that there will be an end to the punishments of condemned men and devils.

     

    They condemn also others who are now spreading certain Jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world, the ungodly being everywhere suppressed.

     

    Scott BusheyWestminster Larger Catechism

     

    Q. 29. What are the punishments of sin in the world to come?

     

    A. The punishments of sin in the world to come, are everlasting separation from the comfortable presence of God, and most grievous torments in soul

    and body, without intermission, in hell-fire forever.[110]

     

    [110] 2 Thessalonians 1:9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Mark 9:43-44, 46, 48. 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 ****, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Luke 16:24. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.