Annihilationism is taught in the bible

[Mr GLee]

Yup - the LETTER KILLS (spiritually)

Spiritually? Is there another kind seeing a body without a spirit is dead,

 

[Bob Carabbio]

You seem to overlook the fact that the Incarnation was necessary to redeem our bodies as well.

If you say so. I don't.

Isaiah 53:5
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our peace fell upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed.

Bible = factual.

 

[Bob Carabbio]

Spiritually? Is there another kind seeing a body without a spirit is dead,

Wrong again. The body does nicely WITHOUT the Holy Spirit, since it has a HUMAN spirit all along.

 

[Mr GLee]

Wrong again. The body does nicely WITHOUT the Holy Spirit, since it has a HUMAN spirit all along.

The temporal human spirit under the letter of the law death is dead never to rise to new spirit life It returns to father who gave it under (thou shall not or in dying a person is as good as dead.Deader than a doornail

Jame2 :26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith (Christ's labor of love) without works (the works of his love) is dead also.

 

[DialecticSkeptic]

When I wrote it, I almost said that if a person ceases to exist, then—as God sees apart from time, as opposed to how we see from within time—that person never did exist. This is almost incoherent to say, as it necessarily uses human language and human concepts, but there is something to it. However, I do think God makes some things "to be no more" that do exist during this temporal "envelope."

Thank you for the explanation. And I would challenge your argument with a couple of thoughts that may be worth considering.

First, does God create anything that goes to waste? I don't think so. I would say that even temporal things that are here today and gone tomorrow play a role in accomplishing his purposes. So, I cannot agree with your notion that those who cease to exist might as well have not existed from God's eternal perspective. If they played a role in accomplishing his purposes, then their existence was notable—and even crucial in many cases, I believe (like giving birth to his elect). And this is to say nothing of the seriousness of their sin, even "as God sees apart from time."

Second, if the unrepentant who have sinned against an eternal, infinite God are punished with an eternal punishment—and that is what annihilationists believe—then it's an inaccurate caricature to say they are punished "merely temporally." Sure, they are punished temporally, here and now, but then also eternally in the hereafter. Their punishment is death, and that punishment is forever. Unrepentant sinners are first spiritually separated from God and later metaphysically separated from God. As Cornelius Van Til recognized, a man who is metaphysically separated from God is effectively destroyed; to be "cast out from the presence of the Lord is the idea at the root of eternal death" (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary).

Third, there is the problem of conditional immortality. God alone possesses immortality (1 Tim 6:16), which Jesus Christ brought to light through the gospel (2 Tim 1:10), so the promise that this mortal body will put on immortality (1 Cor 15:53) is for those whose belief in the gospel endured to the end. There is an implicit belief among Christians (which the Belgic Confession states explicitly) that the damned "will become immortal," but there are no scriptures attesting to that. My observations of scriptures is that immortality is not intrinsic to human nature but rather a salvific gift.

Above all other things, ... humans are made in the image of God. Implied by that fact, I think, is that ours is not merely a temporal but a "permanent" existence.

That would involve a discussion on the image of God, as I think we disagree on that. The royal-functional view of J. Richard Middleton and virtually all Old Testament scholars, which I also affirm, does not seem to imply a permanency to human existence. If you have seen that it does, then please feel free to explain the connection. On the other hand, if your view on the image of God differs from Middleton and others, well, that would account for our disagreement.

Humans, being made in the image of God, are therefore of moral accountability; morality, being rooted in God, is of a permanent nature.

To be morally accountable before God does not obviate the punishment for sin, which is death, which is forever. And good and evil being defined by God is a theological proposition, not an anthropological one; it tells us nothing about human nature.

We make sense of eternal life and eternal punishment by reference to God, his gracious love on the one hand and his just wrath on the other. Love is an eternal attribute of God, but what about wrath? Surely not. It seems to be contingent upon the existence of sin and the violation of divine principles, which God intends to eliminate from all of creation until at last God may be all in all. As we see all throughout scriptures, and especially on the cross, God's anger can be satisfied. Imagine a God whose wrath is never spent! No, when God's fierce anger is kindled, it is an unquenchable fire that burns against people until it is spent or complete. In The Cross of Christ (1986), John Stott put it this way:

A cluster of words seems to affirm the truth that God must be himself, that what is inside him must come out, and that the demands of his own nature and character must be met by appropriate action on his part. The chief word is kālah, which is used particularly by Ezekiel in relation to God's anger. It means "to be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent." It occurs in a variety of contexts in the Old Testament, nearly always to indicate the "end" of something, either because it has been destroyed or because it has been finished in some other way. Time, work, and life all have an end. Tears are exhausted by weeping, water used up and grass dried up in drought, and our physical strength is spent. So, through Ezekiel, Yahweh warns Judah that he is about to "accomplish" (KJV), "satisfy" (RSV) or "spend" (NIV) his anger "upon" or "against" them. They have refused to listen to him and have persisted in their idolatry. So now, at last, "the time has come, the day is near ... I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you" (Ezek. 7:7–8). It is significant that the "pouring out" and the "spending" go together, for what is poured out cannot be gathered again and what is spent is finished. The same two images are coupled in Lamentations 4:11, "The LORD has given full vent (kālah) to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger." Indeed, only when Yahweh's wrath is "spent" does it "cease."
​

 

[Red Baker]

However, you assert that the conclusion is "Paul was not establishing there was no law."

Paul was establishing there was no command carrying the death penalty, as in Eden or at Sinai.

Eleanor, when for fifty years you are dialed into a certain belief/teaching on a particular position held almost universal by men whose overall doctrine of the atonement is correct, it is not easy to let go of just repeating what you have heard, accepted as truth~especially so when one's beliefs overall is the truth ~ of let say, imputed sin/righteousness of Adam and Christ~some of the finer points can easily get off track, while maintaining its overall truth. That's where I was living. Just as with Apollos, there are a more perfect way of understanding truth~but can be had only by humbling our pride and be willing to live only by the word of God~even when it come from a source we may not expect it coming from.

Acts 18:24-25~"And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."

I'm no Apollos and not saying that I'm, yet also I'm certainly not above him in not being willing to listen to other brothers and sisters in the faith in order to learn the scriptures more perfectly from them!

When reading~Romans 5:12-19~I knew in my heart that my position was obstructing with the flow of Paul's teaching concerning the doctrine of imputation of the sin of Adam and the free gift of righteousness by Christ~I just kept brushing it aside ( the flow of Paul's use of words and the truth he was presenting to us ) and until you force me to address it again, and again~thank for doing so. Your persistence paid off.

I also knew regardless what law may have follow Eden ( the law of conscience ) and before Mount Sinai doesn't even come into play when addressing the doctrine of imputation since man is totally dead in sins and trespasses based on Adam's disobedience who was our representative before the God's law given to Adam at creation of him.

Paul was establishing there was no command carrying the death penalty, as in Eden or at Sinai.

Agreed. There's more I could say, but enough to let you know where I now stand. RB

 

[Mr GLee]

First, does God create anything that goes to waste? I don't think so. I would say that even temporal things that are here today and gone tomorrow play a role in accomplishing his purposes. So, I cannot agree with your notion that those who cease to exist might as well have not existed from God's eternal perspective. If they played a role in accomplishing his purposes, then their existence was notable—and even crucial in many cases, I believe (like giving birth to his elect). And this is to say nothing of the seriousness of their sin, even "as God sees apart from time."

Hi I would offer.

I agree nothing goes to waste God uses the temporal corrupted things seen to give us the eternal understanding or vision.

He informs us that without parables, Christ our teaching master who worked in Jesus, the apostle and prophet .. . God spoke not .

He has given us the valuable 20/20 tool need to rightly divide the parables.

He repeats it twice used to emphasize His power

2 Corinthians 4:18King James Version While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

He informs us during the 6 days he did work he wrote down all the name he would give the breath of life and in another book the names of all who were born again as sons of God . Those not born from above are erased as if never there .

In the new heavens and earth the former thing of corrupted earth will not be remembered or ever come to mind forever and ever more.

Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Daniel 7:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Nehemiah 4:5And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.

Psalm 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Psalm 109:13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

 

[CherubRam]

Okay, we are on the same page, as I had thought we were, except that I do not see perish as annihilation, but rather as ruin.
Those who perish in an airplane crash are not annihilated, just killed (ruined).

So then all that remains is my post #119 and your exegesis of Ro 5:12-14, consistent with and including the following facts thereof:

1) Paul begins with his conclusion, what he will demonstrate: death came to all men because all sinned (transgressed), (Ro 5:12)
2) sin (transgression, breaking a command, invoking death penalty) is not taken into account where there is no law (command) to transgress, as in Eden or at Sinai, (Ro 4:15)
3) so where there is no law (command) to transgress, there is no death penalty for transgression, (Ro 5:13)
4) there was no law (command, "Thou shalt not") to transgress between Adam and Moses to cause any death of mankind, (Ro 5:14)
5) yet all died even though they did not sin (transgress, break a command) as was done in Eden. (Ro 5:14).

Paul's conclusion: So what sin (transgression) brought death to all? It was the sin (transgression) of Adam imputed to all those of Adam,
and which was the pattern (Ro 5:14) of Christ's righteousness imputed to all those of Christ through faith. (Ro 4:1-11)

However, you assert that the conclusion is "Paul was not establishing there was no law."

Paul was establishing there was no command carrying the death penalty, as in Eden or at Sinai.

Genesis 2:17
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

God's word is law.

 

[Mr GLee]

You seem to overlook the fact that the Incarnation was necessary to redeem our bodies as well.

Isaiah 53:5
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our peace fell upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed.

Flesh signified as sinful was needed to do what the letter of the law (death)could not do give new spirit life .

Jesus In John 6 said of his own dying flesh it does not profit for anything .What did profit was God pouring out his Holy Spirit on sinful flesh .

Romans 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Romans 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Looking at the temporal dying things as if it was the power of the Holy Spirit was the cause of the fall .

In efect. . .Lucifer.... You surely will not in dying as good as dead come to a end and ner rise.. look at my beauty as the usurped glory of God , Why believe in a God who has no form ?

I would think we must be careful how we hear .Called the "hearing of faith" hearing his understanding not seen not "the seeing of faith" .hearing gives us the vision The pharisees with Sadducees fought against the riten word of God murdering torturing those who did not trust thier oral traditions as a law of their fathers (dying mankind)

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:


Flesh Necessary to demonstrate the power of the father yes. . . . . profit no

Acts 2:17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor, when for fifty years you are dialed into a certain belief/teaching on a particular position held almost universal by men whose overall doctrine of the atonement is correct, it is not easy to let go of just repeating what you have heard, accepted as truth~especially so when one's beliefs overall is the truth

I know what it is to lay aside what is almost universally held by those whose overall doctrine is correct.
I know what it is to start over from scratch in the Scriptures, not using theology manuals but only the Scripture, to form my doctrine.
I know what it is to see Scripture both confirm and contradict theology manuals.
And I know what it is to be happy to find that the doctrine I gathered from Scripture was in complete agreement with the original WCF.
And I also know what it is to have the years on you that significantly reduce cognition, apprehension, processing and articulation.

~ of let say, imputed sin/righteousness of Adam and Christ~some of the finer points can easily get off track, while maintaining its overall truth. That's where I was living. Just as with Apollos, there are a more perfect way of understanding truth~but can be had only by humbling our pride and be willing to live only by the word of God~even when it come from a source we may not expect it coming from.

I'm no Apollos and not saying that I'm, yet also I'm certainly not above him in not being willing to listen to other brothers and sisters in the faith in order to learn the scriptures more perfectly from them!

When reading~Romans 5:12-19~I knew in my heart that my position was obstructing with the flow of Paul's teaching concerning the doctrine of imputation of the sin of Adam and the free gift of righteousness by Christ~I just kept brushing it aside ( the flow of Paul's use of words and the truth he was presenting to us ) and until you force me to address it again, and again~thank for doing so. Your persistence paid off.

Interesting when so many do not seem to see that, or rather just refuse to deal with it.

I also knew regardless what law may have follow Eden ( the law of conscience ) and before Mount Sinai doesn't even come into play when addressing the doctrine of imputation since man is totally dead in sins and trespasses based on Adam's disobedience who was our representative before the God's law given to Adam at creation of him.
Agreed. There's more I could say, but enough to let you know where I now stand. RB

Thanks.

 

[Eleanor]

Genesis 2:17
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

God's word is law.

And die they did, both spiritually and physically.

 

[Eleanor]

Genesis 2:17
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

God's word is law.

Spoken to Adam.

Does not deal with Eze 18:20.
Does not deal with dying because of Adam's sin, of which we are not guilty.

 

[Eleanor]

Here is what I understand from the scriptures.
Asking someone are they an annihilationist is like calling all dogs a certain breed~when there are many different breeds among dogs.
Concerning the the very elect~they have eternal life now at the very moment of the new birth. They do not die but immediately are with God at the death of their bodies.
Yes, Lord I believe!
Believer's new man CANNOT DIE, which is created after the image of Jesus CHrist and just as holy as he is, shall live forever, even after the death of our bodies of sin and death! The great Reformer, Martin Luther did not understand this truth, he believed in soul sleep, even for believers! I do not ~ I believe all of the righteous have been with God since Abel onward ~ I do not believe in a place in the middle of the earth where there was a great gulf that separated the wicked from the righteous before the cross, that all went to.......that's RCC heresy which we reject~it is attached/ part of their wicked doctrine of purgatory.
Concerning the wicked~When they die they go in darkness, silence, unconsciousness, waiting for the resurrection of their bodies to be judged and then cast into the lake of fire which the scriptures said clearly..... is the second death. A total destruction.
A endless suffering for the wicked is not the payment Christ paid for our sins, yet he paid the full penalty for our sins which was being put to DEATH, and he would have remain there if death had power over him, yet the king of terror did not, he arose from the dead victorious, he triumph over death, the grave, and hell fire or, the lake of fire.

Eleanor, I do not see anywhere in the scriptures where the wicked are NOW in hellfire suffering ~ later at the resurrection at the last day to be brought out to be judged and then cast back in the fire to suffer eternally, that is so irrational to even believe such a thing much less having no scriptures to prove that most ridiculous doctrine. All through the scriptures it teaches us that the wicked or unbelievers shall PERISH!
So, I must understand the scriptures to teach that the wicked do not live forever, but they shall perish forever.

Our difference lies in the meaning of "perish," which is not annihilation, but ruin.

 

[prism]

There is an implicit belief among Christians (which the Belgic Confession states explicitly) that the damned "will become immortal," but there are no scriptures attesting to that. My observations of scriptures is that immortality is not intrinsic to human nature but rather a salvific gift.

If the damned are not immortal, how will they suffer eternally? There must be some type of eternal existence, otherwise the annihilationist view would be true.

 

[Bob Carabbio]

The temporal human spirit under the letter of the law death is dead never to rise to new spirit life It returns to father who gave it under (thou shall not or in dying a person is as good as dead.Deader than a doornail

Jame2 :26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith (Christ's labor of love) without works (the works of his love) is dead also.

And there's "Spiritually dead" folks all arounds us functioning nicely in their PHYSICAL life.

 

[Bob Carabbio]

Spiritually? Is there another kind seeing a body without a spirit is dead,

But, like Adam, physically alive.

 

[prism]

Flesh signified as sinful was needed to do what the letter of the law (death)could not do give new spirit life .

Jesus In John 6 said of his own dying flesh it does not profit for anything .What did profit was God pouring out his Holy Spirit on sinful flesh .

Romans 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Romans 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Looking at the temporal dying things as if it was the power of the Holy Spirit was the cause of the fall .

In efect. . .Lucifer.... You surely will not in dying as good as dead come to a end and ner rise.. look at my beauty as the usurped glory of God , Why believe in a God who has no form ?

I would think we must be careful how we hear .Called the "hearing of faith" hearing his understanding not seen not "the seeing of faith" .hearing gives us the vision The pharisees with Sadducees fought against the riten word of God murdering torturing those who did not trust thier oral traditions as a law of their fathers (dying mankind)

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:


Flesh Necessary to demonstrate the power of the father yes. . . . . profit no

Acts 2:17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

I'm sorry, I do not take a gnostic position on this matter.
When Scripture speaks of flesh, not only does it refer to our physical natural bodies, but sometimes to human strength and effort.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 LSB
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a corruptible body, it is raised an incorruptible body; [43] it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; [44] it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

We will not be angelic phantoms, but have a redeemed body in heaven...

1 Corinthians 15:49,53-57 LSB
And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. [53] For this corruptible must put on the incorruptible, and this mortal must put on immortality. [54] But when this corruptible puts on the incorruptible, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the word that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. [55] O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? ODEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” [56] Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; [57] but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

[Mr GLee]

I'm sorry, I do not take a gnostic position on this matter.
When Scripture speaks of flesh, not only does it refer to our physical natural bodies, but sometimes to human strength and effort.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 LSB
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a corruptible body, it is raised an incorruptible body; [43] it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; [44] it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

We will not be angelic phantoms, but have a redeemed body in heaven...

1 Corinthians 15:49,53-57 LSB
And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. [53] For this corruptible must put on the incorruptible, and this mortal must put on immortality. [54] But when this corruptible puts on the incorruptible, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the word that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. [55] O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? ODEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” [56] Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; [57] but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Hi Thanks for the reply I do not suggest Gnosticism that the world was created and ruled by a lesser divinity.

Bodies that are dying as good as dead have no strength to rise from the dead.

Remember Jesus the Son of man the prophet apostle he cried out for strength . Not as I will Father but you the only one with power to raise mankind from the dead.

2 Corinthians 4:6-8King James Version For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

 

[prism]

Hi Thanks for the reply I do not suggest Gnosticism that the world was created and ruled by a lesser divinity.

Gnostics also have no use for the material things, like bodies and other icky things.

Bodies that are dying as good as dead have no strength to rise from the dead.

Correct. Jesus took on mortal flesh that we may rise on that Day by His great power.

2 Corinthians 5:4-5 NKJV
For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. [5] Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

Remember Jesus the Son of man the prophet apostle he cried out for strength . Not as I will Father but you the only one with power to raise mankind from the dead.

You mean this sort of thing?

John 11:24-25 NKJV
Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." [25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

John 6:40,44,54 NKJV
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
[44] No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
[54] Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

[Red Baker]

Our difference lies in the meaning of "perish," which is not annihilation, but ruin.

Greetings Eleanor,

My present position is not the position I first heard over fifty years ago when I begun my Christian life in my mid twenties. It also goes against the mainstream teaching of many great men in the past, whom I'm convinced were willing to be rubber stamped by other men who were rubber stamped by religion, mainly RCC with their doctrine of purgatory, their cash flow cow!

Beside to reject a burning present hell is to them one on the great marks of not being sound in the faith. But, be as it may, only God knows why even good men error on this one teaching. Consider:

As verbs the difference between perish and ruin​

is that perish is to pass away; to come to naught; to waste away; to decay and disappear while ruin is to cause the ruin of.

As a noun ruin is​

the remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.

Why would God allow the wicked to remain~and in what state would he allow them to remain? When I think of perishing I think of totally passing away. THe earth as we know it shall pass away and in its place God shall create a new heaven and earth.

A question for you, my sister: Where will be the lake of fire where the wicked shall face the second death?
My understanding from searching the scriptures will be this earth when God shall destroy it with fire according to 2nd Peter 3 which reads:

2nd Peter 3:7-17~"But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness."

Eleanor, the world of the ungodly perished in Noah's day with the flood, they did not continue living, they perished, just as they did in Sodom and Gomorrah~suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, meaning that there were no reversal! Jude verse 7:

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Today we see no evidence of where Sodom and Gomorrah and the cites about them were, we can only speculate at best.

When 2nd Peter three is fulfilled, then in its place there will be a new heaven and a new earth with the old forever passing away with fervent heat and the wicked therein, which the lake of fire will be their second death, forever gone not to be remembered again forever, world without end.

This is my understanding, and I received it not from commentaires of men, (of even good, righteous men ) for they will certainly confuse one searching for the truth if we allow them to do so.