Which Is True - Eternal Heaven And Eternal Hell - Or Annihilationism?

Which Is True - Eternal Heaven And Eternal Hell - Or Annihilationism? ~  Today my good Friend and Christian brother, Jack B. Marti, posted a text graphic which declared:  "The soul of man is not naturally immortal.  If we are redeemed we 'put on immortality.'  (But) "The soul that sinneth, it shall die'."
 
In other words Jack was saying that heaven is eternal and immortal for believers - but NOT eternal and immortal for non-believers. 

That is the definition of Annihilationism,  the belief that unbelievers will not experience eternal hell and suffering, but will instead just be burned up, extinguished, after death.  I would like to offer Biblical proof that my Friend is confused and is following a theology which is not Biblical.

I had intended to respond to Jack's post, but when I tried Facebook told me my response is too long.  So I have to address my Friend's contention as a new post.  This is what I initially posted to Jack:

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Hi Jack B. Marti,  Your graphic tells us, "The soul of man is not naturally immortal.  If we are redeemed we "put on immortality."  (But) "The soul that sinneth, it shall die."

Let's look at your first statement, "The soul of man is not naturally immortal. .  .  ."

Yet in Genesis 1:27 God tells us, "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."  

In what way were Adam and Eve, and consequently all mankind, created like Him?  God does not have a physical body, so He could not be speaking of our flesh and bone bodies.  God is perfect in every way.  But because of Adam, man is flawed in every way.  So no mortal perfection for man.  So what is left?  Eternal Immortality!  All mankind after Adam and Eve, later saved or unsaved - are born to be immortal.  The only question is where will that immortal body spend eternity - heaven or hell?

The next part of your statement, "If we are redeemed we 'put on immortality'."  is referring to 1 Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 15:50-53,  "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

This is referring to the fact that because Christ resurrected - all mankind is assured that we, too, will be resurrected.  Christ assured that all mankind will exchange mortal bodies for immortal bodies - both saved and unsaved.  The only difference is the eternal destination.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5,  "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.  For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.  Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee."

That is referring to the fact that our corrupt mortal bodies cannot enter into the perfection of the presence of God - so He resurrects we believers into immortal bodies so that we many stand before Him in fellowship. And He later resurrects the immortal bodies of the non-believer to spend eternity separated from God.

Now let's look at your final statement, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die"   Here you are suggesting Annihilationism, that the body of the unbeliever, rather than suffer in hell eternally as God has determined - will merely burn up, disappear.  That is not Biblical.

You are referring to Ezekiel 18:20-21, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.  But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die."

Pastor David Guzik in his Study Guide for Ezekiel 18 tells us:  The soul who sins shall die: As God judges each man and woman individually, the righteous will be justified and the wicked will be judged.

That phrase you quoted is from Ezekiel 18:20, and it is basically referring to the fact that in God's perfect Love and perfect Judgment - each person must decide for himself / herself to choose eternal Life in Christ, or eternal Torment in hell. 

The Bema Seat Judgment is for those who died in their faith in Jesus Christ, while the Great White Throne Judgment is for those who died in their denial of Christ and have been waiting in Hades/Torment (Luke 16:23) to be resurrected in their immortal bodies to stand before Christ to hear His judgment which sends them to the Lake of Fire, Hell, eternally.

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For reference, these are the Scripture passages referred to in that excerpt from GotQuestion:

Acts 24:15,  ".  .  .  . that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. "

Revelation 20:10, "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

Revelation 20:11-15, "Then I saw a Great White Throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 

And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds.  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

And from the Sheep & Goat Judgment following His Second Coming, this is found in Matthew 25:31-46:

Matthew 25:46, "These (goats, non-believers) will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous (sheep, believers) into eternal life."

Jack, my Christian brother, all mankind was created to be eternal, immortal beings.  Only Adam's fall into sin divided us into those going into Eternal joy and happiness - and those going into Eternal torment and suffering.  Both depend upon the eternal choice made by each individual man/woman in this lifetime.

Ephesians 1:13 tells us that the Holy Spirit enters and dwells within each believer - and Ephesians 4:30 tells us that the Holy Spirit lives within each believer by which we are sealed unto the day of redemption.  What is our day of redemption?  It is the day we die in this mortal body - or the day we are Raptured from this mortal body and into our immortal bodies.

Jack, thank you for your initial post.  This is a point of confusion for many believers - and we have seen a number of supposed Evangelical pastors who are teaching the false hope of Annihilationism.  So I feel this discussion between Friends and brothers in Christ is timely and very worthwhile.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

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