The No-Hellers & The Perspicuity of Scripture
7th Day Adventists and the Watchtower, Jehovah’s false witnesses (JW.org) are the more popular face of the no-hellers of today. To begin in summary, they will misuse verses referring to Jesus' return to earth in flaming fire in which many wicked will be consumed at his presence (Mal.4:1; Isa.66:15-16; 47:14; Psalms 21:9-10, 37:20, 97:3; Nahum 1:5-6 ; Zep. 1:18 ; Matt. 3:12; 2 Thes. 1:8) only to have their souls awaken in hell fire awaiting the resurrection of shame and everlasting contempt. (Rv.20:11-15, Dan.12:2) The no-hellers say that when you die you do not exist until the resurrection when you will return to non-existence if you are unsaved. This is what we will examine now.
We have already shown consciousness remains in or out of the body and answered the claims of the soul ‘ceasing to exist’ after death, so please read here & here.
Next, since everlasting hell fire was prepared for the devil and his angels, we can see the nature of it and their torment as revealed in scripture.
Mt.25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: v46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Rv.20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are (still 1000 yrs later- Rv.19:20-20:3), and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Also described in 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night... (Forever means forever- 1:6,4:9-10,5:13-4,7:12,10:6,11:15,15:7,22:5) The smoke of their torment ascends up forever for they shall be tormented forever as their fire shall not be quenched. (Mk.9:43-4,45-6, 48, Isa.66:24)
This is very clear and perspicuous. Yet the vain jangling employed by JW.org to overthrow the word of God has no end. For example, they write: ‘As a spirit creature, the Devil cannot be harmed by literal fire. —Exodus 3:2; Judges 13:20“ which is a physical product of chemical combustion”. So “cast into the lake of fire” means “hurled into the abyss” thus “the “lake of fire” is not a literal pool of flame”.’ This is how they make the word of God of none effect, by turning it into silly putty. Apparently, the devil is annihilated in hell fire but without fire. The lake of fire has nothing to do with fire or a lake they would bray. Although God states explicitly that he prepared everlasting fire for the devil, JW.org says he couldn’t have literally because fire is only physical. Since the devil is a spirit creature, I suppose there can’t be a chain to bind him or a key to a bottomless pit to imprison him either- Rev.20:1-2. He couldn’t have had “every precious stone” as his covering or he couldn’t have “walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire” (Ezek.28:13-14) since he was a spirit creature. Or the spirit creature Daniel saw whose “loins were girded with fine gold” (Dan.10:5-7) must have been a mistake according to the Watchtower and tract society. As a matter of fact “of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” (Heb.1:7, Psa.104:4) would be a contradiction since a flame of fire is "a physical product of chemical combustion” and angels are spirits! Jesus said, “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt.13:49-50) But since angels are spirits, and we are physical and fire isn’t literal and consciousness isn’t possible after death, it’s hard to say what this could actually mean.
Again, JW.org states that ‘Hell, in the Biblical sense, is simply the common grave of mankind, where all activity has ceased. The accounts at Matthew 8: 29 and Luke 8: 30, 31 equate “torment” with “the abyss,” a figurative place of complete inactivity or death. In fact, several times the book of Revelation uses the word “torment” in a symbolic sense. —Revelation 9:5; 11:10; 18: 7, 10.’ Yes, these are the verses they point to as proof!
Consider their “four reasons why this torment does not refer to literal torture:
For the Devil to be tortured eternally, he would have to be kept alive forever. However, the Bible says that he will be brought to nothing, or put out of existence. —Hebrews 2: 14.
Everlasting life is a gift from God, not a punishment. —Romans 6: 23.
The wild beast and the false prophet are symbols and cannot experience literal torture.
The context of the Bible indicates that the torment of the Devil is everlasting restraint or destruction.”
Hell is figurative meaning the grave but only in a figurative sense. That is “a figurative place of complete inactivity or death.” So, hell just means a state of non-existence. “The lake of fire is a symbol of destruction, the Bible says that it is, or that it means or symbolizes, the “second death.” (Rev. 20:14) In no-heller doctrine hell means the absence of existence.
However, if you believe what the bible clearly states you will believe hell is actually in a location in the heart of the earth. Jon.2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. Mt.12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Which is to say “he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth”. (Eph.4:9) Act.2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. w/2:27, Psa.16:10. Rev.9:1-2 “...I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace...”
Read what the bible says about hell and see if ‘a place of conscious torment’ or ‘non-existence’ makes more sense:
Dt.32:22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
Job 11:8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
Psa.9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Psa.16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psa.55:15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
Psa.86:13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
Prv.7:27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
Prv.9:18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
Prv.15:24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Prv.23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
Isa.5:14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
Isa.14:9-10 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? v15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Ezk.31:16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit... v17 They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword
Ezk.32:21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.
Am 9:2 Though they dig into hell...
Mt.5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mt. 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Mt.11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell:
Mt.23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Lk.12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Lk.16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Mt.18:8-9 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
Mt.8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 22:13, 25:30
What possibly could be meant by the lowest non-existence? Weeping and gnashing of teeth in non-existence? Having two eyes to be cast into non-existence? Thy whole body should be cast into non-existence? Regarding Christ’s resurrection the scripture says “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” Act.2:24 Should we understand that it was not possible for Christ to be held in non-existence? If he doesn’t exist then he cannot he held by anything. This is how they interpret the death and resurrection of Christ (well- the JW.org liars deny the bodily resurrection of Christ, rather they claim he arose in another body with fake wounds.) “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell...” (Act.2:31) His soul was not left in non-existence? It can’t be left when it doesn’t exist. Jonah crying out of the belly of non-existence? Or the rich man lifting up his eyes in non-existence?
Luke 16:19-31 is their most hated text since it destroys all their lies with great ease. They try and make it a parable (assuming parables are never actual accounts of specific events) and all symbolic silly putty. One problem with making this a fictional account is that Jesus quotes Abraham. He “seeth Abraham” v23, “Abraham said” v25, “Abraham saith unto him” v29, “And he said unto him” v31. Was Jesus bearing false witness? He did not see Abraham and Abraham never said those things? Let God be true and every man a liar. Also, angels are in the interpretation of parables (Mt.13:39,41,49) but not here. You can see that once this becomes accepted as a true account their non-existence heresy evaporates immediately and the terror of the Lord persuades men.
Everlasting conscious torment
Mt.3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Also, Lk.3:17. (death & hell; 1st the body destroyed then the soul cast into hell -Lk 16:22-3. Then the resurrection and eternal judgment where the body and soul are cast into unquenchable, everlasting fire. Rv.20:11-15)
Mk.9:43-4 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 not quenched. (v45-6, 48)
2 Kin.22:17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched. (2 Chr.34:25)
Isa.33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa.34:10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
Isa.66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
Mal. 1:4... The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.
Mk.3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.
Jd.1:7 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 for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Dan.12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Mt.25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: v46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Rv.20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Forever means forever- 1:6,4:9-10,5:13-4,7:12,10:6,11:15,15:7,22:5)
Rv.14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Hell fire is forever because the LORD changeth not (Mal.3:6) and the wicked have rejected his offer of salvation and change. They not only rejected it; they hate it and mock it. Thus, they cannot change and God cannot change and hell continues forever. In no-heller doctrine everyone receives the exact same punishment as the devil. Do I even need to point out the folly of justice here? This makes God the unjust judge. Or if you say people burn at different lengths until they are at last consumed, then they satisfied God’s wrath by burning and could be permitted to continue existing. But only fools and blind will not believe the clear warnings on the bible and recklessly die in their sins when Jesus has paid so great a price.
Heb.12:28...let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: v29 For our God is a consuming fire.
