Annihilation Or Eternal Hell - Which One Is Truth?

What happens to a non-Jesus follower when they die? Many say they go to hell. But believe it or not, some today are saying no - they just die.

Every so often something rises back up in Christian circles that makes you stop and think. Lately, it’s the idea that there is no eternal hell.

Kirk Cameron and some others call it “annihilation”, where the unbeliever simply stops existing. Others call it a more “loving” view of God.

In a sentence, Annihilation means God destroys the wicked completely so they no longer exist, rather than sustaining them forever in conscious punishment.

But what does Scripture actually say? And what did Jesus Himself teach? It’s a wise reminder to always stay close to scripture (God’s living words) as other concepts and ideas reemerge.

Here’s a truth: “no one talked about hell more than Jesus”. Not Paul. Not Moses. Not the prophets. Jesus did.

And He wasn’t vague.

“Eternal punishment… eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46)

“Unquenchable fire.” (Mark 9:43–48)

“Weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12)

A man in conscious torment. (Luke 16:23–24)

If Jesus is trustworthy, and He is, then hell is real. Not symbolic. Not temporary. Not annihilation.

But the question still lingers: How could a loving God allow eternal separation? Maybe the better question is: How could a just God not?

We all want justice when evil touches our lives. We want wrongs made right. We want God to deal with every abuser, trafficker, tyrant, murderer, liar, manipulator, and sinner - until the list suddenly includes us.

Without hell, real justice never fully comes. Evil wins. Oppression gets the last word. But with hell, justice is not forgotten. Evil does not prevail. God Himself has the final say.

Then there’s the argument that a loving God wouldn’t judge eternally.

But real love doesn’t ignore evil; it confronts it. Real love protects. Real love guards what is holy. If God refused to judge sin, He would not be loving, He would be indulgent. Meaning some other thing pays for sin - not Jesus. Indulgence never saves anyone.

Jesus forced an unavoidable truth: Heaven and hell rise or fall together. He used the same word for “eternal” to describe both. If hell isn’t eternal, neither is heaven. Most people who deny hell don’t realize they’re cutting the legs out from under heaven at the same time.

And then there is the heart issue. God does not throw people into hell against their will. Hell is God honoring human choice. C. S. Lewis said it beautifully:

“There are only two kinds of people—those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘Thy will be done.’”

If a person spends a lifetime telling God they want life without Him, He finally gives them exactly that. Hell is the end of a long journey of saying “no.”

And honestly, if hell weren’t real, the cross makes no sense. Why did Jesus surrender His life, suffer, bleed, and cry out in agony if sin simply ends in nonexistence? The weight of the cross only makes sense in the light of the weight of hell.

For 2,000 years, every major branch of Christianity, Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant has believed in a literal, eternal hell because they read the Scriptures plainly and took Jesus at His word.

This is not a new debate. It’s an old truth being resisted again.

And maybe that’s the biggest point of all. Without hell, the gospel loses its urgency. Why repent? Why seek forgiveness? Why trust Christ? Why preach? Why sacrifice? Why did Jesus come?

If everyone ends the same, the cross is unnecessary and evangelism becomes optional.

But Jesus didn’t leave us confused. He didn’t hide the truth. He didn’t soften the warnings. People disagreed and became angry with Him back then, and frankly, they still are.

Jesus loved us enough to tell us plainly: There is a heaven to gain, and a hell to flee.

They both are eternal. Jesus stepped into our world, not to condemn us, but to save us from the hell we rightfully earned.

If you don’t want to go to hell, simply trust Christ as your Lord - and Savior. He came to save us from eternal damnation.

That is grace. That is love. That is the gospel. And that truth makes me (and I hope you) love Him even more.

If this is a real struggle, talk with someone and share my views. Get a second opinion. But test all opinions against Scripture. Invite the Holy Spirit to give you insight. If you look, you will find the real truth.

LORD, help anyone struggling with this issue please. IJNIP amen ♥️