Perish & Destroy .!22!. NOT ANNIHILATION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

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Stephen Floyd
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1 Perish & Destroy.!22!. NOT ANNIHILATION In spite of what some may think, these words do not mean annihilate, in the sense of a total extinction of every aspect of existence. They simply indicate loss or ruin thus, a change in the form or manner of existence. In reference to man, these words never signify a termination of all consciousness. In Scripture, the various Hebrew and Greek words translated perish and destroy convey the idea of rendering something unfit for its intended use. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT For example: In Matthew 9:17, we are told that no one uses old, dried-out wineskins (KJV: bottles ), lest the wineskins perish. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI): but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved (Matthew 9:17). Obviously, perish does not mean that those wineskins go out of existence. However, when they burst, they simply are no longer suitable for their intended purpose. The Greek word (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) which is translated perish in this verse, is translated will be marred in Mark s (2:22) account of the same parable. The identical Greek word is translated destroy in I Corinthians 1:19, where the Lord declares: I will destroy (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 80

2 Again, He did not mean that He would annihilate their minds, or obliterate their ability to think. Instead, He announces that the wisest of man s own schemes to save himself will utterly fail they will never achieve their intended goal. This Greek word is also translated lose and lost. Jesus once said: For whosoever will save his life (yuch, = PSU-CHE) shall lose (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) it; but whosoever shall lose (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) his life (yuch, = PSU-CHE) for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it (Mark 8:35). The word translated life (yuch, = PSU-CHE) in this verse, is translated soul in the next two verses: 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul (yuch, = PSU-CHE)? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul (yuch, = PSU-CHE)? (Mark 8:36-37). When the Lord announces that the cost of discipleship is to lose (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) one s own life or soul (Mark 8:35b), no one believes He is speaking of the annihilation or extinction of consciousness. Of course not for then, one would have to be annihilated before he could even be saved! What we understand Jesus to mean is that one should be willing to see the ruin of his own selfish dreams and ambitions in order to follow the Lord faithfully. In Luke 15, avpo,llumi (A-POL-LU-MI) is used in reference to the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son: And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me! for I have found my sheep which was lost (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) (Luke 15:6). And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me! for I have found the piece which I had lost (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) (Luke 15:9 ). For this my son... was lost (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI), and is found! (Luke 15:24). They were lost, but not out of existence. If this word (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) meant annihilate, in the sense of total obliteration, they never would have been found. 81

3 Jesus used the same word when He announced the purpose of His mission: For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) (Luke 19:10). No one would search for people when he knows they do not exist. Of course, the lost are the ones who are not enjoying the spiritual relationship with God for which they were created. They are in spiritual ruin. Him: It is in this sense that Jesus said, concerning those who believe and follow And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) (John 10:28). That is, they will not perish spiritually so they are no longer lost. Since the word avpo,llumi (A-POL-LU-MI) can refer to the condition of a man whose spirit is cut off from God in spiritual death, it should come as no surprise that it can also refer to the condition of a man whose body is cut off from natural life in physical death. So the disciples awaken Christ in a storm at sea by crying out: Master! Master! we perish (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI)! (Luke 8:24d). In another passage, we read: Zacharias, which perished (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) between the altar and the temple... (Luke 11:51). Including Himself, Jesus said: Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) out of Jerusalem (Luke 13:33). Quite obviously, at physical death, a very important part of man ceases to function as intended. As indicated in the last chapter, man was designed to live in a body. Without his body, a man cannot be fully man. So until the resurrection, his ability to function as a complete man is ruined that is, his body has perished. This does not mean he becomes totally unconscious. For while James said:...the body without the spirit is dead (James 2:26a), he did not say the spirit 1 without the body is dead. That would have been contrary to the words of Christ: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul (Matthew 10:28a-b). 1 See Chapter 6: The Spiritual Part of Man, pages

4 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT The Old Testament also uses the word perish in reference to physical death. For example, the Hebrew word db;a' (ABAD): When Queen Esther planned to risk her life for God s people, she said: The Preacher noted: Likewise, Isaiah declares: Micah also says:...and if I perish (db;a' = ABAD), I perish (db;a' = ABAD)! (Esther 4:16i). There is a just man that perisheth (db;a' = ABAD) in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness (Ecclesiastes 7:15b). The righteous perisheth (db;a' = ABAD)... (Isaiah 57:1a). The good man is perished (db;a' = ABAD) out of the earth (Micah 7:2a). In these passages, the righteous are said to perish. This does not mean they are annihilated in total, eternal oblivion like some would interpret this word when it is used in reference to the wicked. Only their form of existence (life in a ordinary human body) has been destroyed. The physical aspect of their humanity was rendered unfit for its intended use. When a man has perished in physical death, all of his personal participation in the hopes and plans for this life are likewise destroyed. This is why the Psalmist writes about when a man dies: His breath [the spirit] (x;wr = RU-ACH) goeth forth, he [the body] returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish (db;a' = ABAD) (Psalm 146:4). The Hebrew word translated his thoughts (wyt'notov.[, = ESH-TO-NO-THAV) is also rendered purposes in Young s Analytical Concordance. 2 So it does not mean that his thinking stops, but that his planning for mundane purposes has ceased. Job felt like a dead man when he said: My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart (Job 17:11). This, of course, did not mean he stopped thinking. Neither did the Psalmist seek to imply such in the previous Scripture. 2 Robert Young, Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible (London: Lutterworth Press, 1961), page

5 DESTROYED BUT STILL HERE Further evidence that the words perish or destroy are not to be understood as annihilation or extinction can be seen in the following references. Objects may be destroyed, and still remain in existence:...and shouldest destroy (diafqei,rw = DI-APH-THEI-RO) them which destroy (diafqei,rw = DI-APH-THEI-RO) the earth (Revelation 11:18i). That he [Paul]...now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed (porfe,w = POR-THE-O) (Galatians 1:23b). Truth is perished (db;a' = ABAD)... (Jeremiah 7:28d). Persons can be destroyed, and yet remain alive: He [God] hath destroyed (#t;n" = NA-THATS) me on every side, and I am gone (Job 19:10)....and how oft cometh their [the wicked s] destruction (dyae = AID) upon them! (Job 21:17b). My [the LORD s] people are destroyed (hm'd" = DA-MAH) for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6a). O Israel, thou hast destroyed (th;v' = SHA-HATH) thyself; but in Me [the LORD] is thine help (Hosea 13:9). To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction (o;leqroj = O-LE-THROS) of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (I Corinthians 5:5). Note: This destruction did not kill the man. A repentance brought about by this physical affliction, or plague of the flesh, would be the crucial factor in saving his spirit. One major objective of Jesus, when He died, was:...that through death He might destroy (katarge,w = KA-TAR-GE-O) him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil (Hebrews 2:14c). By His death, Christ has made Satan s power ineffective (compare Colossians 2:15). Nevertheless, the Devil is still in existence. The same Greek word was used when Jesus spoke of a fig tree which...cumbereth (katarge,w = KA-TAR-GE-O)...the ground (Luke 13:7d). This fig tree had not put the ground out of existence, it only ruined its potential that is, made it ineffective and useless. The only way anyone can see annihilation in complete oblivion in these words, is to arbitrarily introduce that definition into the context. It is not there 84

6 originally. Such would be poor exegesis, since in order to be consistent with that interpretation, it would be necessary to conclude that: After the Israelites had annihilated themselves, there was still help for them (Hosea 13:9). If that be the case, then the shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep to find a sheep that was not there (Luke 15:4); busted wineskins vanish (Matthew 9:17); one must first annihilate his soul before he can be saved (Mark 8:35); and Jesus came to preach to people who were not here (Luke 19:10)! PHYSICAL LOSS Having demonstrated that there is nothing in these words to warrant the concept of annihilation, it is inconsistent to suggest that they undergo an abrupt change of meaning when they are used in reference to the ultimate destiny of the wicked. These words no more mean a termination of consciousness, or the total extinction of being when they refer to the wicked than they do when they refer to the righteous. As we learned in Isaiah 57:1, when the righteous perish, it merely indicates a physical destruction in literal death. This is, likewise, the implication of perish in Psalm 49:20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish (hm'd" = DA-MAH). Immorality and godless living will drag a man down to the level of an animal. In spite of all the prestige and honor he may have from other men, unless he understands and knows God, he will lose it all when he dies. His physical death will be like the beasts that is, similar to the beasts, but not identical with them. 3 SPIRITUAL LOSS So both the righteous and the wicked can perish physically. Only the wicked, however, will perish or be lost spiritually as well as physically. This is what Jesus was speaking of in Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him [God] which is able to destroy (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI) both soul and body in hell (gee,nna = GE-EN-NA). The soul of man was designed for fellowship and communion with God. Physical death does not destroy the fellowship a righteous soul has with God. This is why the disciples were instructed not to fear their persecutors. On the other hand, this statement is a warning to the Christ-rejecting crowd. They should learn to fear the 3 See comments on Ecclesiastes 3:18-20, pages

7 One who can cast them into the Lake of Fire (Gehenna). That is where they will experience not only the destruction of any physical existence, but also the eternal ruin of the soul. Never again will their souls have an opportunity to enjoy the communion with God. That potential is gone forever. This is the second death. However, as it has already been established, those in the second death (Lake of Fire) are not unconscious. 4 When Jesus returns, He is to take vengeance on His enemies...who shall be punished with everlasting destruction (o;leqroj = O-LE-THROS) from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power (II Thessalonians 1:9). Some will argue that no man can be removed from the presence of an omnipresent God without being put out of existence. This is not true. We are told that: Cain went out from the presence of the LORD (Genesis 4:16a), and yet Cain did not stop existing, because he then...dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden (Genesis 4:16b). There can be a localized expression of God s presence by which He may manifest Himself in one place more than another (Exodus 19:20; Ecclesiastes 5:2). In this sense, one can be cast out of heaven (Ezekiel 28:16; Revelation 12:9), or banished from God s favor. As Isaiah declared: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear (Isaiah 59:2). CONSUME None of the Hebrew or Greek words translated perish or destroy ever meant the extinction of consciousness for the human personality. The same can be said for the words translated consume. For instance, Job said: Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth Sheol (laavi KJV: the grave) those which have sinned (Job 24:19). The Hebrew word here for consume (lz:g" = GA-ZAL) means seize or tear away. There is no hint of the cessation of existence. When heat seizes water, it is torn away from its form, and turned into vapor. It is still water, but no longer in a liquid state. Even so, when Sheol seizes the sinner, he is torn away from one 4 See pages on eternal death; plus Chapter 5: The Severity of Gehenna, pages

8 form of existence, and placed in another state specifically, the intermediate state of man. WAS NOT & IS NOT One other aspect of this study relates to phrases like was not or is not. These terms do not mean nonexistent either. Genesis 5:24 reports And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Likewise, David wrote of a wicked man: Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found (Psalm 37:36). Neither of these statements say anything about where these men were after death. All that is meant is that these men were no longer here on earth with us. A similar observation is found in Genesis 42:36. A grieving Jacob said: Joseph is not (Genesis 42:36c). Of course, Jacob thought Joseph was in Sheol (Genesis 37:35). 5 Then in his very next phrase, Jacob went on to say:...and Simeon is not (Genesis 42:36d). Now Jacob knew that Simeon was only in prison in Egypt. He was not dead. So Jacob did not use this phase, is not, to suggest that either son was in complete oblivion. Both sons had been taken from him. This was the point: They were both gone. Thus it would be inconsistent to suggest that the words, is not, mean more than that in either case. David spoke also of his own death as the occasion when he would...go hence, and be no more (Psalm 39:13c). That is, he would not be here any more. Instead, David knew he would then go to Sheol but even there he would not lose conscious contact with God: If I make my bed in Sheol (laavi KJV: hell), behold, Thou art there! (Psalm 139:8b). 5 See comments on Jacob s faith: pages

9 Thus David did not believe that he would become extinct. DO CHRISTIANS PERISH? There are some who believe that even the Christian loses all conscious existence at physical death. One passage used to support this idea is I Corinthians 15: For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished (avpo,llumi = A-POL-LU-MI). These individuals wrongly infer from this, that should there be no resurrection, then those who have died trusting in Christ will remain as they are right now which, to them, is nonexistent. Thus they will never regain consciousness. They have perished. However, this is not the Apostle Paul s argument. What he is saying is this: If the things which he has taught them concerning Christ and His resurrection are not true, then their faith is vain, and they are yet in their sins. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then He is not the One whom Paul had proclaimed Him to be. He is not the source of eternal salvation. Consequently, those who died believing in Him are lost sinners they have perished spiritually. On the other hand, even if perish did mean the total extinction of consciousness, this Scripture still could not be used to show that Christians who die in the Lord become unconscious. The apostle plainly stated that only if Christ be not raised,... then they... are perished. If perished means the termination of consciousness, then not perished must mean a continuance of consciousness. Therefore, according to their own definition, these individuals must acknowledge that those who have died in the Lord are not perished they are still conscious! CONCLUSION None of the words or phrases we have considered in this chapter require the interpretation that a man s consciousness is terminated at physical death. 88

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