"I want to come to Christ even if Heaven does not exist."
Amen, me too brother! This is the true spirit that makes the Hope of Heaven so endearing to us.
All very wonderful, I’m sure.
But, what about hell? I’ve read estimates that the number of human beings that ever existed is around 100 billion. The vast majority of those people never heard of Jesus or Yahweh. Christian theology places every one of those billions and billions of people of people who never heard of Jesus in eternal fire. Suffering excruciating pain forever and ever without end. Right?
I'd also like to add my own imagined view of creation: God has created an, seemingly infinite, universe of billions and trillions of stars and other wonders like nebulae, and probably planets, and who knows what. I have sometimes thought that it was meant that Adam and Eve, and their descendants should "go boldly where no man has gone" (to borrow from Star Trek) when God said, "be fruitful and multiply". Imagine a newly created universe of infinite proportions for us to explore with the Lord in eternity.
Now, to me that isn't boring.
On the other hand, the subject of eternal condemnation entered into this thread. That's a tough subject, and one can understand how some reject the traditional ideas of hell. I don't want to be argumentative but I can't agree with what's been said. In neither the Old nor the New Testament there is no way around the teaching that the final condemnation is to an eternal fiery punishment. Being cast into the "Lake of Fire", which is the "second death" means to be in the judgment of eternal fire.
Revelations was mentioned, this verse very plainly speaks of non-ending punishment:
" . . . and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night--to the ages of the ages." (Revelation 20:10)
"To the ages of the ages", is in the Greek "εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων". Those words are literally "for eons of eons". Even should one grant that the fire is a metaphorical fire, it is inescapable that that metaphorical fire is said to burn for "eons of eons", or forever - and that, even if taken metaphorically, doesn't sound like there's any end to it.
The possibility of "annihilation" - ceasing to exist - and thus no eternal torment, is not contemplated anywhere in the Bible. Some passages that suggest a sleep like state make relatively obscure statements. Other passages, however, speak very plainly.
There is this from Isaiah:
"For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, saith Jehovah, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass from new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, saith Jehovah. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence unto all flesh." (Isaiah 66:22-24)
In the New Testament, Jude refers to this eternal fire, mentioning Sodom and Gomorrah as examples, but never does he suggest eventual oblivion:
"But I would put you in remembrance, you who once knew all things, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, in the second place destroyed those who had not believed. And angels who had not kept their own original state, but had abandoned their own dwelling, he keeps in eternal chains under gloomy darkness, to the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, committing greedily fornication, in like manner with them, and going after other flesh, lie there as an example, undergoing the judgment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:5-7)
We do read that those two cities were consumed by fire. No one would suggest that they, the cities - buildings and other contents are still burning. However the fire that consumed them is an "eternal fire", and though we don't know explicitly, there is the idea that those people who fell under that judgment are in that fire yet. The reference to Sodom and Gomorrah is intended to refer to the people themselves, it was they who were judged, not the physical cities.
In the Gospels, Jesus says this,
"And if thy hand serve as a snare to thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having thy two hands to go away into hell, into the fire unquenchable; where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot serve as a snare to thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life lame, than having thy two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire unquenchable; where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye serve as a snare to thee, cast it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire, where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9:43-48)
And Jesus said this,
"Then shall he say also to those on the left, Go from me, cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" (Matthew 25:41)
That "eternal fire" "prepared for the . . . " relates us to Revelation 20:10 cited above.
In regards to the objection that there are many billions that are supposed by this theology to be subject to that condemnation because they never heard of Christ, it can only be said that the consistent teaching of the New Testament is that salvation is only through faith in Him.
This all sounds harsh, and undeniably so, but it is the consistent teaching found in the Bible. That is one reason why the preaching of the Gospel is an "offense" and a "rock of stumbling". Ultimately, one can only accept the teachings or reject them, but to say that they are not what they are isn't possible.
One very interesting thought arises from Romans chapter 1. Here Paul says that the very "godhead" can be seen by what He has created:
"for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world, by the things made being understood, are plainly seen, both His eternal power and Godhead--to their being inexcusable;" (Romans 1:20)
If we look at the universe, at nature, we see that there is a sort of prodigality with life at all levels. We see that humans have no immunity to all the perils and dangers of the world, hunger, disease, war, natural disaster, wild animals . . . we humans are vulnerable indeed. It's easy to get the idea that we are not as privileged as we might like, that the universe can be a very harsh place to us.
The Bible teaches that the God who made the universe will also judge humanity. And that judgment will be by His standards, and the end results will be what He determines them to be: life immortal with His Son or condemnation to eternal fire. This is probably not a popular opinion, but it's the consistent Bible teaching on the matter. We ultimately either accept it or reject it. But we cannot say that it isn't what is taught in the Bible. The idea of annihilation is based on a presupposition that God wouldn't eternally torment anybody. The language of the Bible suggests otherwise.
Having said all this, I understand that there are conflicting opinions about it. I'm not trying to be offensive or start an argument. But I just tried to point out why I think the language of the Bible points to what I said.
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