Is hell's punishment unending? (7) (Jude 1:3-7)

Let us consider some of the Scriptures that some would say support the idea of annihilation, that the wicked dead are completely destroyed at some point.  We say at some point because it seems clear that the Bible says all the dead are resurrected, both the wicked and the righteous.  And it seems clear as well that there is some punishment in this after-life of those who rejected God’s provision of atonement.

·        Psalm 37:10,20 teaches that the wicked will be utterly destroyed and cease to exist.  But a careful reading shows this refers to their vanishing from the earth and are no longer a problem for the Psalmist.

·        Obadiah 1:15-16 teaches that the wicked will be as if they had never existed.  But again, this refers to the Day of the Lord and the removal of Edom as being a problem for Israel.

·        Matt. 10:28 says And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  This verse deals with a common interpretive (and thus translation) issue on the question at hand.  Many argue that the term destroy must be taken as annihilation, the complete eradication, in this case, of both soul and body.  But in fact, the Greek term normally means death (translated perish, die as well as lose, destroy).  In this verse note first the use of two different Greek terms, one translated kill (apokteino) and the other destroy (apollumi).  This may suggest the Spirit is making a distinction between the killing of the body by men and the destruction of the body and soul by God.  It is, in fact, quite possible that apollumi can be used to speak of torment.  Compare Mark 1:24 and Matthew 8:29 on the fate of demons when they are cast into the lake of fire, which Rev. 20:10 makes clear is an unending punishment.  In the story in Mark (casting out a demon in Capernaum) the demon asks if Jesus has come to destroy (apollumi) them.  In the story in Matthew 8:29 (casting out demons in Gadera) they ask if He has come to torment them before the time.  Destroy and torment can only have the same meaning if destroy takes on the sense of eternal torment.

·        A similar comparison of Jude 1:7 and 2 Peter 2:6 is used to indicate that the fire of punishment is not eternal but only the effects of the fire.  Sodom is not burning forever; rather it is destroyed forever.  But the fire is, in fact eternal (in the Jude passage) because it is the vengeance of the eternal God.  Note that though those cities were destroyed, the inhabitants will in fact be raised in the last day to face judgment.  In other words, after destruction they continue to exist.

Perhaps this sampling will help to think through what is actually said in other passages.  Our next study will consider passages that point to eternal torment.