Heaven and Hell
Submitted by F.O.D. on June 29 2000 17:15:12
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In a thread below, Rex Infinity expressed the wish to be able to pass into oblivion, to let it all go away. I wish I do feel certain sympathy for myself, at times. Anyway, that thought made me think of another conversation I had with an evangelical friend recently, who suggested that the final place of non-Christians through hell is not in fact an existance of eternal pain and suffering, but is ultimately just that which Rex expressed desire for: oblivion. I thought it was an interesting thought, and so I've brought the discussion up to the top of the board here to hear what others think. Traditionally, we believe that the Day of Judgement will come, the day when Jesus will sort out the evil from the good. Those who believe in Christ, who's names are written in the Book of Life, pass through to everlasting life, those who do not are hurled to the Lake of Fire, to everlasting torment. This is how I always understood it, and I always thought it a biblical belief, based mainly on the passage I alluded to here, Rev 20, and on others such as 2 Thess 1. But talking to my friend, he caused me to have another look at exactly what the Bible is saying. For instance Rev 20 says even Death and Hades gets thrown into that same lake of fire. This sort of suggests that the time punishment and pain, the place of hell, is only a temporary one, waiting for the final decision when it will be done away with altogether. Oblivion. No more evil, no more pain. It won't exist anymore (nor will those who yield to it by opposing God). Likewise, when I looked again at the 2 Thess verse, I see it doesn't actually say "everlasting torment", as I had always read it, but rather it says "everlasting destruction". Gone, done way with, to come to mind no more. It would be a nice thought, and would appear to be eminently consistent with the Gospel. The Final Judgement becomes not some hate-driven tool of vindictiveness, but simply a means to "calmly" remove evil, so that only good remains in existence. In that case salvation becomes the positive one of "I should become a Christian so I can be with God and his goodness", rather than the negative one of "I should become a Christian so I can avoid the eternal pain and suffering of hell". Is it true though? Rev 20:10 says the Devil will be tormented forever in the lake of fire. So maybe it's not correct to suppose that v14,15 means that unbelievers will pass into oblivion and cease existence? Curious to know what others think. F.O.D. |
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