If hell is the second death, a spiritual death where we are cast into a lake of fire and cease to exist.....?

Question

Why do you think threatening atheists with this is going to make them change their minds?
Biblically speaking when we die we go neither to heaven nor hell....but rather a waiting room of sorts until the second coming, after a 1000 years that is when we will be judged, from what I've understood. And those that are cast into hell simply cease to exist, it is the death of the soul and nothingness.Which is what atheists believe happens when we die(spiritual death) anyways, so why then do so many of you use this as a threat?

Answer 1

I think one of the major no-no's of arguing is threatening people with hell for doing/not doing something (basically doing God's judging for Him). Even though I believe in them, I think it's a complete waste to speculate on anyone's entrance into heaven or hell, it's based on the judgement of a God we can't possibly understand, or don't believe exists. I also think if you're using this argument to "save a sinner", you better be truly sincere with your intentions, if it's selfishly to build up your own image with God, I think he'd see through that.

But I guess to actually answer the question it's because the afterlife is the one thing religious people can offer to atheists (they can be charitable, happy, help others, etc. without religion); but even that's backwards, why not offer heaven instead of threaten hell?

Answer 2

The second death notice that both DEATH & HELL were thrown into the like of fire, this symbolizes the 2nd death. That means that there will be no more death the penalty is taken away.
(Revelation 20:14-15) . . .And death and Ha′des were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. 15 Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire.

You see the first death is one we recieved as SIN from Adam
(Romans 5:12) 12 That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned—.

but there is a ressurection from this death, into the new paradise earth , but if you continue to sin, your eradicated forever.

(1 Corinthians 15:24-28) 24 Next, the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has brought to nothing all government and all authority and power. 25 For he must rule as king until [God] has put all enemies under his feet. 26 As the LAST ENEMY DEATH IS TO BE BROUGHT TO NOTHING. 27 For [God] “subjected all things under his feet.” But when he says that ‘all things have been subjected,’ it is evident that it is with the exception of the one who subjected all things to him. 28 But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.

(Isaiah 33:23-24) . . .At that time even spoil in abundance will have to be divided up; the lame ones themselves will actually take a big plunder. 24 And no resident will say: “I am sick.” The people that are dwelling in [the land] will be those pardoned for their error.

(Isaiah 35:5-6) . . .At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. 6 At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness. . . .

(Ecclesiastes 9:5) 5 For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten.

Hell is not a burning place of torment.

Answer 3

I don't think the ceasing to exist thing is biblical. Maybe JWs think that way, they often make comments such as "true christians think.." when its really "JWs think...". Liberal theologians dislike the idea as well. Certainly the thought of prolonged pain is not nice at all. In an age of consumer religious beliefs, plucked according to their pleasurability from the buffet of beliefs, its an unpleasant teaching to say that consequences of rejecting Christ may be severe and permanent, and also don't end.

Death in the New Testament isn't necessarily a termination concept, it can be separation from goodness concept. Spiritual death is seperation from the presence of the Creator, as I have been taught.

Answer 4

I don't believe the Bible indicates we'll simply cease to exist in Hell. I'm not sure it will be an actual 'lake of fire' but I do believe the residents there will be in eternal torment.

Regardless, atheist don't believe in Hell so the threat of Hell is no threat to them. We should concentrate on the many, many, many blessings of being a Christian.

Answer 5

Well I see it this way. If you die with out Christ you go to hell.
If you die in Christ but in sin ( not repenting and living like you should ) then you die and cease to exist and don't get life for ever in heaven. That's how I read it. as for the atheists I cant help you there.

Answer 6

most people that are answering you have little BIBLICAL wisdom.
in Psalms 115:17 we see that "The dead praise not the
LORD,neither any that go down into silence."
this is the spiritually dead. who physically die. they await
judgement.
in 2 Cor. 5:8 we read "...absent from the body...present
with the Lord."
what people say is one thing.the BIBLE is DIVINELY inspired.
believers go immediately into HEAVEN.
there is no 1,000 years. if you try to make that literal it
will contradict other truths.10 or 100 or1,000 are terms that
many times refer to the completion of GOD's plan in a given
circumstance.
we shouldn't threaten---but hell is real and it should scare us!
and hell is not annihalation. Rev.14:11 says "And the
smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:and
they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast...:
the beast is satan.

Answer 7

So, believing that, if I cast you into a vat or molten iron right now, it wouldn't be any problem for you, right? You wouldn't be afraid, because you wouldn't feel a thing; there would be a great splattering of burning grease (you wouldn't sink slowly into it like Gollum in Mount Doom), and you would be gone.
Even so, I hope it's no worse than that for all our sakes.

Answer 8

You did not hit the nail squarely on the head, but it is sure close enough for R&S.

Answer 9

we will go to heaven or hell
there is no waiting place
we can only pray for them and have hope