The entire essay is available here.
One of the foremost scholars promoting Conditional Immortality is a man by the name of Edward Fudge. In 1982 Fudge wrote a book entitled “The Fire that Consumes: A Biblical and Historical Study of the Doctrine of Final Punishment” in which he argues for the Conditional Immortality understanding of hell. He continued to promote that understanding for the next 35 years. He gave a lecture on hell in 2011, in which he argues once again for the Conditional Immortality view. It’s a compelling presentation, kind and clear, and he uses a fair amount of Scripture and historical reference. It’s easy to be swept away if you aren’t well grounded biblically.
I believe both his analysis and his conclusions are incorrect. A fatal flaw in his approach is his elevation of the Old Testament over the New Testament. He prioritizes verses like Psalm 37:10 (“For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more”) and filters the clearer New Testament language through that text. He argues that “the wicked shall be no more” means they will be destroyed (“annihilated”). But does that square with the rest of Scripture? As I’ve attempted to show, it does not.
I am not saying we discard the Old Testament or “unhitch” it from the New Testament (as Andy Stanley has suggested). Rather, I’m saying that, in terms of progressive revelation, God often reveals the seed of a concept in the Old Testament that isn’t fully defined until the New Testament. Let me give several examples. Sheol is used in the Old Testament of “the grave.” It means the place where all the dead go, whether righteous or unrighteous. That doesn’t mean there’s one destination for all men. Rather, it means that the language isn’t concerned with distinguishing the different destinies but simply serves to speak of death and the place of the dead. The distinction between heaven and hell comes in the New Testament.
Another example is the central theme of Scripture: Christ Himself. Throughout the Old Testament we are given types and shadows that point to Christ. Hebrews 10 speaks of the law this way. The law is “a shadow of the good things to come.” Christ is the substance indicated by the shadow. This same pattern (general revelation in the Old Testament is clarified and specified in the New Testament) proves true of many biblical themes. I’m not saying that this is always the case, but the general pattern is that the New Testament gives the image in full color where the Old Testament only gives a black and white outline.
So in this discussion on hell, we must not elevate Old Testament passages that speak generally of the judgment of the wicked as destruction over New Testament passages that speak specifically of that destruction as everlasting destruction, eternal punishment, and torment that continues forever and ever. We must prioritize the clarity of the New Testament and understand the Old Testament in that light.
Psalm 37
Edward Fudge uses Psalm 37:10 as the starting point for his presentation on Annihilationism.[1] Verse 10 reads, “Yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more.” Fudge interprets this as conclusively teaching that the wicked will be annihilated in the judgment. But is that what this means?
The three rules of biblical interpretation are “Context,” “Context,” and “Context.” In one sense that’s a way of emphasizing the importance of context in proper interpretation, but it also serves as a framework for proper exegesis. There are three layers of context that should inform our interpretation of any verse. First, we need to look at the immediate context: that of the verse itself and the verses immediately surrounding it. Second, we need to look at the context of the book. In this case, the entire Psalm serves as the broader context. What’s the main theme of the psalm? How are the ideas in this verse talked about throughout the Psalm? And third, we need to look at the biblical context. How does this verse fit together with the rest of Scripture?
The immediate context in this case is v9-11. These are grouped together in the NKJV translation, which indicates they are one unit of thought. They read:
For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more.
But the meek shall inherit the earth
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Notice that the psalmist is talking here about inheriting the earth. He is addressing God’s chosen people Israel, reminding them that God’s blessings will only be experienced by the faithful. Those who trust in God are those who will enjoy the promised land. Verse 9 says, “Those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.” And again in verse 11, “The meek shall inherit the earth.” Those who are faithful will continue to experience God’s blessing in the promised land. But the wicked have no such hope. God will establish the faithful in the land, but the wicked will be cut off. Verse 10 (coveted by Annihilationists) is sandwiched between two verses that speak, not of eternal destinies, but of the immediate consequences of rebellion against God. The wicked will have no inheritance in God’s promised land. “His place” will be no more.
The second level of context is the entirety of Psalm 37.[2] From the beginning David contrasts the futility of wickedness with the blessings of obedience. And he does so with physical blessings in view, specifically God’s promise to His people to establish them in the promised land if they remain faithful to Him. “Do not fret because of evildoers…For they shall soon be cut down like the grass…Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” The reward for faithfulness is security in the promised land; the judgment on wickedness is being removed from the land.
That the promised land is the central theme is apparent as we continue through the Psalm, as in verse 22, “Those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off.” Also verse 28: “The descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever.” And verse 34: “He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.” All three of these contrast inheriting the land (Canaan, the promised land) with being “cut off.” The wicked will not dwell long in God’s promised land; they will be cut off. The judgment on the wicked is not annihilation in an eternal sense. Rather, it is that God will remove them from the land of Israel.
David’s theme of the blessedness of righteousness and the futility of wickedness is in many ways a reiteration of Deuteronomy 28. In Moses’ final address to the children of Israel, he declares both God’s promises to them if they are faithful and His judgment if they are unfaithful. Both of these, in keeping with Psalm 37 (and with all of God’s dealings with Israel) emphasize physical blessings. Notice Deuteronomy 28:1: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.” After several verses promising various physical blessings, we find this in verse 9: “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you. The LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.” If they are faithful to God, God will establish them in His land. They will prosper.
But alongside these promises for the faithful are curses for the wicked. Verse 15 says, “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.” What are these curses? “The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly…The LORD will make the plaque cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess.” Notice the similar language to Psalm 37. What are the consequences if Israel chooses wickedness? Destruction from God’s promised land. The wicked will not enjoy God’s blessings. But central both in Deuteronomy 28 and in Psalm 37 is not eternal annihilation, but annihilation from God’s land. And contrasted with this destruction in both passages is God’s promise to establish them in the land.
This entire scheme is more closely connected to God’s promise to Abraham to give him the land of Canaan “as an everlasting possession” (Gen. 17:8). Which of his descendants will inherit the land? The faithful. The rebellious and wicked are cut off, having no part in God’s promise to Abraham. And we find this to be true throughout Israel’s history. When they are faithful to God, He blesses them and preserves them in the land. Israel was never more blessed then when they were faithful to God. And when they abandoned Him, they suffered every curse God promised they would.
Does Psalm 37, then, teach the “annihilation” of the wicked? Yes, in the sense that the wicked were annihilated from the land of Israel. But not in any eternal sense, other than foreshadowing the greater spiritual condemnation that will come on the wicked. Using this passage to prop up Conditional Immortality is improper exegesis. Even the text itself resists that interpretation..
[1] “Edward Fudge, The Fire That Consumes 09/24/2011.” YouTube. Accessed December 31, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAm5ji95bBM.
[2] I am abridging a number of these quotes for conciseness and clarity. I encourage you to read the entire Psalm to get the full picture.