Hell is not eternal torment; the wicked will be annihilated
Adventism rejects the doctrine of eternal conscious punishment in hell. Instead, it teaches annihilationism: the wicked, after the final judgment, will be destroyed — consumed completely — in the lake of fire. This is the 'second death.' There is no ongoing conscious suffering in hell; the unsaved simply cease to exist.
This position flows from Adventism's broader doctrine of conditional immortality: since the soul is not inherently immortal, the wicked cannot suffer eternally. They will be raised at the second resurrection, judged, and then permanently destroyed. The 'fire and brimstone' of Revelation is understood as the agent of destruction, not an ongoing state of torment. This view was taught by Ellen G. White and is embedded in Adventist Fundamental Beliefs.
Key Distinctions
- Hell nature:
- annihilation (second death) — the wicked are ultimately destroyed, not tormented eternally
- Duration:
- until consumed — ceases with destruction of the wicked
- Who faces hell:
- only the willfully and finally wicked
Scripture References
Sources
- Seventh-day Adventist Church, 28 Fundamental Beliefs, Belief 28 (The New Earth)
- Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, ch. 35