Are Unbelievers Destined for “Everlasting Destruction?”

Introduction

In 2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 (Concordant Literal New Testament), we read the following:

We ought to be thanking God always concerning you, brethren, according as it is meet; seeing that your faith is flourishing and the love of each one of you all for one another is increasing, so that we ourselves glory in you in the ecclesias of God, for your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions with which you are bearing -- a display of the just judging of God, to deem you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering also…

The “brethren” to whom Paul wrote the letter from which the above passage is found were members of the ecclesia (or “church”) that existed in the city of Thessalonica. Like all of the ecclesias to whom Paul wrote, this ecclesia was comprised primarily of people from among the nations who once belonged to the pagan, idol-worshiping religious system of that day (1 Thess. 1:9). However, these believers had been called out of their idolatry to the worship of the living God through the heralding of the “evangel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 8; cf. 1 Thess. 1:5; 2:2, 9; 3:2). This evangel is the “testimony” that they’d believed (v. 10), and consists of the truth that “Christ died for our sins” and “was roused from among the dead” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Having been called by God through this evangel (2 Thess. 2:14), the Thessalonian believers thus became members of that company of believers that Paul referred to elsewhere as “the body of Christ” and “the ecclesia which is [Christ’s] body” (1 Cor. 12:12-13, 27; Eph. 1:22-23). As members of the body of Christ, they had been “sealed with the holy spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13), and were thus destined to enter the “kingdom of God” referred to in v. 5.

At the time Paul wrote to these believers, they were undergoing persecution and affliction (vv. 4-6). And according to what we read in Paul’s first letter to them, it was their “own fellow tribesmen” who were afflicting them (1 Thess. 2:14). With a view towards comforting them in their affliction, Paul continued his letter to these believers as follows (vv. 6-8):

“…if so be that it is just of God to repay affliction to those afflicting you, and to you who are being afflicted, ease, with us, at the unveiling of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful messengers, in flaming fire, dealing out vengeance to those who are not acquainted with God and those who are not obeying the evangel of our Lord Jesus Christ –“

The event that Paul had in view here (and which he went on to refer to as occurring on the “day” in which Christ “may be coming to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all who believe”) should not be confused with the event that Paul previously described in his first letter to these believers (i.e., the coming of Christ that will involve those in the body of Christ being snatched away to meet the Lord in the earth’s atmosphere; see 1 Thess. 4:13-18). Rather, what Paul referred to as ”the unveiling of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful messengers” should be understood as the coming of Christ that will involve his return to earth at the end of this eon (Matthew 24:3, 29-30; Rev. 1:7) and the subsequent establishing of the kingdom of God on the earth (Rev. 11:15; cf. 5:10). The eon-terminating coming of Christ referred to in 2 Thess. 1 will be the climax of the “coming indignation” referred to by Paul in his previous letter (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9).

Now, we know that the unbelievers who were afflicting the Thessalonian believers when Paul wrote will not be present on the earth when Christ returns (for, as with everyone else who was alive at the time Paul wrote, they all died). Thus, when Paul wrote, ”if so be that it is just of God to repay affliction to those afflicting you…at the unveiling of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful messengers,” we can conclude that he was providing a hypothetical scenario in which those afflicting the believers would be alive on the earth at this time. By writing as if those afflicting the believers to whom he wrote would be present for this event, Paul more forcefully drove home his point that the Thessalonian believers were, in fact, suffering for the kingdom of God (v. 5). 

Paul’s hypothetical scenario involving the unbelievers who were afflicting the Thessalonian believers can be understood as implying that the fate deserved by these unbelievers will be the justly-deserved fate of any unbelievers who, at Christ’s return, will be guilty of having afflicted believers. We can also infer from these verses (in conjunction with v. 10, below) that Paul believed that everyone in the body of Christ will be present for the spectacular event he had in view in this passage, and that believers will be accompanying Christ when he is unveiled from heaven at this time. In contrast with those to whom the Lord will be “dealing out vengeance” at the time of his return, those in the body of Christ will be enjoying “ease” (v. 7). 

“Everlasting destruction?”

Elsewhere on my blog, I’ve written in greater depth on the subject of when, in relation to the event described in this passage, those in the body of Christ will begin enjoying the “ease” to which Paul was referring in v. 7 (see, for example, the following study: http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2019/05/before-pangs-begin-defense-of-imminence.html). What I want to focus on for the remainder of this article, however, is the nature and duration of the judgment that we find described by Paul in verse 9.

In verses 9-10 we read the following:

“…who shall incur the justice of eonian extermination from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of His strength -- whenever He may be coming to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all who believe (seeing that our testimony to you was believed) in that day.”

Now, there are some Christians (as well as others who would not consider themselves members of the Christian religion) who believe that this verse supports the doctrine of “annihilationism.” According to this view (which was, arguably, more commonly-held among Christians during the first few centuries of church history than it is today), the wicked will be permanently erased from existence at some point following Christ’s second coming. The vast majority of Christians today, however, see verse 9 as a key proof-text for the traditional Christian doctrine of “hell.” According to this widely-held understanding, those unbelievers who are still alive at the time of Christ’s second coming will find themselves irreversibly sentenced to a hopeless, God-forsaken place of “eternal conscious torment” with no possibility of relief or deliverance. After billions and billions of years of separation from all that is good and consistent with human happiness, these people will be no closer to an end of their suffering than they were the moment it first began. It is this disturbing and nightmarish scene that most Christians believe Paul had in mind when he wrote 2 Thess. 1:9.

Despite the differences between the two views summarized above, it should be noted that both views affirm (1) that the final destiny of every individual ultimately hinges on a decision they must make – or a conversion experience they must have – before they die (or before Christ’s second coming occurs), and (2) that many people will never be saved. But what, exactly, makes 2 Thess. 1:9 appear to support the commonly-held Christian belief that some will never be saved? Well, here is how 2 Thess. 1:9 reads in the New King James Version:

“These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power…”

Note that it’s not the term “destruction” that makes this verse appear to teach that some will never be saved (for this term, by itself, needn’t be understood as referring to an irreversible condition). Rather, what makes this verse so important to those who deny that all mankind shall be saved is the use of the term “everlasting” (or, in some translations, “eternal”). It is the use of this term that gives the “destruction” in view the appearance of permanence and finality. Moreover, the fact that the same term used in 2 Thess. 1:9 to describe the duration of the “destruction” of certain unbelievers is later used to refer to the “comfort” or “consolation” given to believers (2 Thess. 2:16) is thought to further support the idea that the fate of unbelievers will be final and irreversible.

The biggest problem with this understanding of 2 Thess. 1:9 is that it contradicts what Paul affirmed elsewhere concerning Christ’s death for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3-4) and his giving himself a “ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6). The fact that Christ died for our sins as a ransom for all guarantees that all shall ultimately be saved. Because of Christ’s death, it’s not a matter of if a certain sinner will be saved and reconciled to God; rather, it’s a matter of when a certain sinner will be saved and reconciled to God. If a person is given the faith to believe the truth concerning what Christ did on his or her behalf when he died on the cross (and what God did for Christ by raising him from the dead), he or she will be saved before those who die in unbelief, and will enjoy life during the coming ages, or “eons,” of Christ’s future reign. Those sinners who aren’t given the faith to believe during this lifetime will miss out on the salvation that believers will enjoy. However, because Christ died for the sins of all (including the sins of those who die in unbelief), it follows that everyone must ultimately be saved and reconciled to God.

Consider the following arguments:

1. Everyone for whom Christ gave himself a ransom shall be saved.

2. Christ gave himself a ransom for all mankind (1 Tim. 2:5-6).

3. All mankind shall be saved.

1. Everyone whom God wills to be saved shall be saved.

2. God wills that all mankind be saved (1 Tim. 2:3-4).

3. All mankind shall be saved.

1. Everyone of whom God is said to be the Savior shall be saved.

2. God is said to be the Savior of all mankind (1 Tim. 4:10).

3. All mankind shall be saved.

Not only are the premises of these arguments supported by scripture, but so is the conclusion. Concerning Paul’s revelation of the ultimate outcome of Christ’s death for our sins, see, for example, Romans 5:12-19, 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, Ephesians 1:9-10, Colossians 1:19-20 and Philippians 2:8-11 (for an examination of these and other related passages from Paul’s letters, see my blog article, “The Ultimate Outcome of Christ’s Death, According to Paul”). Since – according to these and other passages – all mankind shall ultimately be saved as a result of Christ’s death for our sins, the “destruction” (or “extermination”) that some unbelievers will suffer on the day of Christ’s return (according to what Paul wrote in 2 Thess. 1:9) cannot be understood to involve a permanent, “everlasting” fate.

Now, in order to avoid the conclusion of the above arguments, most Christians would deny the validity of the first premise of each argument. Consider the following objection: “Only those who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved; see Romans 10:9.” One problem with this sort of objection is that we’re not told in this verse that “only” those who meet the condition(s) specified in this verse will be saved (or that the salvation in view is “eternal salvation”). But for the sake of argument, let’s assume that this is the case, and that one must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (and must believe that God raised him from the dead) in order to be “eternally saved.” According to what we read in Phil. 2:10-11, every intelligent being in the universe will eventually confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (and we can infer that it will also be universally believed that God raised him from the dead).

At this point, many Christians would object that the only people who will be saved are those who meet the conditions specified in Rom. 10:9 before they die. However, as I pointed out in part two of my last study, most Christians believe that every human who dies in infancy and early childhood (as well as many who die in a mentally handicapped condition) will be saved despite not having met the conditions referred to in this verse before they died. Thus, most Christians have either not thought through what they believe very carefully, or – if they have – are simply being inconsistent here. For the exception that most Christians are willing to make for infants/young children (and many mentally handicapped people) completely invalidates their objection that one must meet the specified condition(s) referred to in Rom 10:9 before they die.

Notwithstanding these considerations, most Christians will still find themselves unable to accept the conclusion of the arguments presented above. And one of the main reasons that many Christians would give for their inability to accept the conclusion that all mankind shall be saved is that their understanding of verses such as 2 Thess. 1:9 do not allow them to accept this conclusion. But this approach, I believe, gets it completely backwards. Rather than attempting to make the verses referenced above fit with an interpretation of 2 Thess. 1:9 that leads to the view that most people will never be saved, the more reasonable (and God-glorifying) approach would be to conclude that, on the basis of what Paul revealed elsewhere concerning the final outcome of Christ’s death, the traditional understanding of verses such as 2 Thess. 1:9 is erroneous.

Let’s consider these two approaches, as expressed in two opposing lines of reasoning. The first line of reasoning is reflective of how most Christians seem to approach Scripture:

1. There are verses in Scripture that some have argued reveal that all mankind shall ultimately be saved (e.g., Rom. 5:18-19).

2. However, according to verses such as 2 Thess. 1:9, some people will never be saved.

3. Any verses that are believed by some to reveal the ultimate salvation of all mankind have been misunderstood by those holding to this view.

In contrast, here is an argument that reflects how I believe we ought to approach Scripture:

1. There are verses in Scripture that some have argued reveal that certain people will never be saved (e.g., 2 Thess. 1:9).

2. However, according to verses such as Romans 5:18-19, all mankind shall ultimately be saved.

3. Any verses that are believed by some to reveal that certain people will never be saved have been misunderstood by those holding to this view.

What I want to do now is demonstrate that 2 Thess. 1:9 has, in fact, been greatly misunderstood by those who believe that it supports the traditional Christian view that some will never be saved. To begin, I think it would be helpful to first determine what, exactly, Paul had in mind when he referred to “salvation” in this letter (for I think most would agree that the “extermination” or “destruction” referred to in 1:9 should be understood in contrast with the “salvation” for which believers are destined). After referring to the unbelievers who will be on the earth at Christ’s advent as “those who are perishing, because they do not receive the love of the truth for their salvation” (2 Thess. 2:10), Paul wrote the following concerning believers in verses 13-14: “Now we ought to be thanking God always concerning you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, seeing that God prefers you from the beginning for salvation, in holiness of the spirit and faith in the truth, into which He also calls us through our evangel, for the procuring of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:13-14).

Notice the contrast: unbelievers will be “perishing” (and thus fail to receive the salvation that Paul had in view) while believers (who are said to have been preferred by God “from the beginning for salvation”) will procure “the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This salvation is later referred to as “an eonian consolation” (CLNT) or as “comfort age-during” (YLT) that God is giving believers (v. 16). The word translated “eonian” in the CLNT and “age-during” in YLT is the Greek adjective aiónios. As I’ve argued in greater depth elsewhere, the term aiónios is derived from, and inseparably connected with, the noun aión (“age” or “eon”). This being the case, the adjective aiónios basically means “lasting for, or pertaining to, an age/eon (or ages/eons).” A more literal English translation of this expression would thus be “age-lasting,” “age-during” or simply “eonian” (which is the adjective form of the noun “eon”).

The salvation that Paul described as “an eonian consolation” in 2 Thess. 2:16 is elsewhere referred to by Paul as “zōēn aiónion,” or “life eonian” (Rom. 5:21; 6:22-23; Gal. 6:8; 1 Tim. 1:16; 6:12; Titus 1:2; 3:7). The ages, or eons, that Paul had in view by his use of this expression (as well as the expression “eonian consolation”) are referred to by Paul in Eph. 2:7 as “the oncoming eons” during which God shall “be displaying the transcendent riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” These “oncoming eons” (which I believe will be two in number) are the future eons of Christ’s reign. It is during these coming eons that believers will be living and reigning with Christ. But this salvation that believers will be enjoying (and which unbelievers will not be enjoying) during the eons of Christ’s reign does not pertain to time beyond the eons of Christ’s reign. And this, in turn, means that the believer's eonian salvation does not pertain to “eternity.” For, according to Paul’s prophecy in 1 Cor. 15:22-28, we know that Christ’s reign (and thus the eons during which Christ shall be reigning) is eventually going to end. And this means that the span of time expressed by the adjective aiónios cannot be endless. 

Consider the following argument:

1. The Greek adjective aiónios (“eonian”) does not refer to a span of time that goes beyond the span of time during which Christ shall be reigning.

2. According to what is revealed in 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, Christ is not going to be reigning over the kingdom for an endless duration of time (his reign is only “until” a certain point, at which time he will give up the kingdom to his God and Father so that God may be “All in all”).

3. Thus, the span of time expressed by the term aiónios cannot be endless in duration.

In further support of this understanding of the adjective aiónios (and to tie it in with what Paul wrote in 2 Thess. 1:9), let’s now consider John 3:14-17, and compare it with Christ’s words in John 8:51, 10:28 and 11:26. In John 3:14-17 we read the following in the CLNT:

“And, according as Moses exalts the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of Mankind be exalted, that everyone believing on Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian. For thus God loves the world, so that He gives His only-begotten Son, that everyone who is believing in Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian. For God does not dispatch His Son into the world that He should be judging the world, but that the world may be saved through Him.”

The salvation that Christ had in view in this passage does not refer to anyone’s final, “eternal destiny.” It does not involve anyone being saved from a fate of “eternal duration.” Again, the expression translated “life eonian,” above (and usually translated “eternal life” in most Bibles) – zōēn aiónion – refers to life that will be enjoyed during the future eon(s) of Christ’s reign. Thus, the salvation that is in view in the words “that the world may be saved through Him” is a salvation that involves the receiving of “life eonian.” And since the salvation in view here refers to “life eonian,” the “perishing” that Christ had in view should also be understood as an eonian (rather than an “eternal”) fate. That is, it is a fate that pertains to one or more of the eons, or ages, of Christ’s future reign.

Concerning the nature of this “perishing,” Christ declared in John 8:51: “Verily, verily, I am saying to you, If anyone should be keeping My word, he should under no circumstances be beholding death for the eon.” 

Similarly, in John 10:27-28 we read, “My sheep are hearing My voice, and I know them, and they are following Me. And I am giving them life eonian, and they should by no means be perishing for the eon…” 

And in John 11:26 Christ declared, “And everyone who is living and believing in Me, should by no means be dying for the eon. Are you believing this?”

In each of these verses, the singular noun aión (“age” or “eon”) is used, and is preceded by the words “eis ton” (“for the”). The fact that the noun aión was used by John in each of these verses is completely obscured in most Bible versions (since they tend to use the expressions “never see death” and “never perish”). Here, for example, is how John 11:26 reads in the English Standard Version (which is representative of how most Bibles translate these verses): “…everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

According to the ESV’s translation of this verse, Jesus declared something which, when understood in a literal and straight-forward sense, is completely false. It’s simply not the case that those who kept Christ’s word and believed in him during his earthly ministry never died. Everyone who kept Christ’s word and believed in him during his earthly ministry eventually died (and they’re still just as dead today as they were on the day that they died). Since Christ did not teach what is false, we can conclude that it’s the translation – and not what Christ actually said on these occasions – that is at fault here. The problem that the above erroneous translation creates is resolved with a more accurate translation.

In each of these verses, it is “for the eon” (eis ton aióna) that believers will “under no circumstances be beholding death” and will “by no means be dying.” Christ had a certain eon in view when he spoke the words he did in these verses (i.e., the “age to come” or “coming eon”). That is, the “eon” for which believers “should by no means be perishing” is the eon that will begin when Christ returns to earth and commences his reign. Shortly after his reign begins, Christ is going to resurrect those who believed in him. And in the words of Revelation 20:4, these resurrected saints will then “live and reign with Christ a thousand years.” It is during this time that those who believed in him during this lifetime will “under no circumstances be beholding death” and will “by no means be dying.” Instead, they will enjoy “life eonian” during Christ’s reign.

The “perishing” that Christ had in view in John 3:16 should, therefore, be understood as being “for the eon,” and will be concurrent with the “life eonian” that Christ had in view.  Now, with this in mind, recall that, in 2 Thess. 2:10, Paul referred to the unbelievers who will be on the earth at Christ’s advent as “those who are perishing, because they do not receive the love of the truth for their salvation.” The Greek word translated “perishing” here (apollumi) is the same word used in John 3:14-16 and 10:28, and I submit that the “perishing” in view in each of these verses will be occurring during the same time period – i.e., “for the eon” (with “the eon” being the first eon of Christ’s reign). This throws light on the meaning of what Paul wrote in 2 Thess. 1:9, where the “destruction” (or “extermination”) that certain unbelievers will undergo at Christ’s return is described as “eonian.” It will last for the coming eon of Christ’s reign.

The nature of the “extermination” of 2 Thess. 1:9

  

So what will the fate that we find described in 2 Thess. 1:9 as “eonian extermination” (or “destruction age-during”) actually involve? The word translated “extermination” in the CLNT (and “destruction” in most other translations) is the noun olethros. In the LXX translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (with which Paul would’ve been familiar), most of the uses of olethros refer to the termination of the existence of Israel’s national enemies through a divine judgment (Jer. 25:31; 48:3, 8; 51:55; Ez. 6:14). The verb form of this word was also used to refer to the termination of human life (Ex. 12:23; Josh. 3:10; 7:25; Jer. 2:30).

A verb form of olethros occurs three times in the Greek Scriptures, and with each occurrence an event involving the termination of human life is in view:

“Yet it shall be that every soul whatsoever which should not hear that Prophet shall be utterly exterminated from among the people” (Acts 3:23).

“Nor yet be murmuring even as some of them murmur, and perished by the exterminator” (1 Cor. 10:10).

“By faith [Moses] has the passover made and the pouring of blood against the door jambs, lest the exterminator of the first-born may come into contact with them” (Heb. 11:28).

In addition to its use in 2 Thess. 1:9, the noun olethros appears three more times in Paul’s letters:

“…give up such a one to Satan for the extermination (olethron) of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Cor. 5:5).

“Now whenever they may be saying "Peace and security," then extermination (olethros) is standing by them unawares, even as a pang over the pregnant, and they may by no means escape” (1 Thess. 5:3).

“Now, those intending to be rich are falling into a trial and a trap and the many foolish and harmful desires which are swamping men in extermination (olethron) and destruction” (1 Tim. 6:9).

Of these three occurrences, I think its usage in 1 Thess. 5:3 may provide the greatest insight into its meaning in 2 Thess. 1:9 (while, arguably, the other two occurrences are more ambiguous in meaning and open to interpretation). In 1 Thess. 5:1-3 we read,

Now concerning the times and the eras, brethren, you have no need to be written to, for you yourselves are accurately aware that the day of the Lord is as a thief in the night -- thus is it coming! Now whenever they may be saying "Peace and security," then extermination is standing by them unawares, even as a pang over the pregnant, and they may by no means escape.

We know that the time period Paul had in view here is “the day of the Lord,” when God’s “wrath” or indignation (i.e., the “indignation” referred to later in v. 9, and previously in 1:10) will be manifested. This is significant, since the context in which Paul used olethros in 2 Thess. 1:9 also concerns this future period of divine indignation (for the day on which Christ will be unveiled ”from heaven with His powerful messengers” will be the climax of this future period of time). We also know that many of the various prophesied cataclysms that will be occurring during the day of the Lord will, either directly or indirectly, result in people being killed (see, for example, Revelation 6:3-4, 7-8; 8:11; 9:15-18, 11:13; 14:18-20; 16:18-21; 18:8; 19:21). Although the termination of human (and animal) life will not be the only expression of God’s indignation during this future period of time, it will undoubtedly be the most widespread and common. Thus, if Paul had in mind the most common and widespread expression of God’s indignation that will be occurring during the day of the Lord when he used the term olethros in 1 Thess. 5:3, then we can understand the term to refer to the “destruction” or “extermination” of human life. And given the fact that the context in which olethros is used in 2 Thess. 1:9 also concerns the day of the Lord, it’s reasonable to understand the term as referring to the same thing.

This understanding of what Paul had in mind by his use of olethros in 2 Thess. 1:9 is consistent with the verses from John’s Account that we looked at earlier. As the reader will recall, the “perishing” to which Christ referred in John 3:14-17 and 10:28 (and with which he contrasted “life eonian”) is, in 8:51 and 11:26, referred to as “beholding death for the eon” and “dying for the eon.” What makes the connection between what Christ and Paul declared even stronger is the fact that, in 2 Thess. 2:10, Paul referred to certain unbelievers who will be on the earth at Christ’s advent as “those who are perishing, because they do not receive the love of the truth for their salvation.”

Another point that could be made is that, when Paul wrote “in flaming fire, dealing out vengeance” in 2 Thess. 1:8, he likely had in mind the following prophecy from Isaiah 66:15-16:

“For behold, Yahweh will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.  For by fire will Yahweh enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by Yahweh shall be many.”

Significantly, both the term translated “vengeance” and the expression translated “in flaming fire” in 2 Thess. 1:8 appear in the LXX translation of Isaiah 66:15 (which further strengthens the connection between these verses, and increases the likelihood that Paul had Isaiah 66:15 in mind). And since the clear purpose of the judgment described in Isaiah 66:15-16 will be the extermination of those whom Yahweh will be rebuking with “flames of fire,” it’s reasonable to believe that Paul considered this to be the same fate that awaits the unbelievers he had in mind in 2 Thess. 1:8-9.

Some have appealed to the meaning of the term translated “from” in 2 Thess. 1:9 (apo) as supporting one position over another. Here, again, is v. 9 from the CLNT:

“…who shall incur the justice of eonian extermination from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of His strength…”

Just like the English proposition “from,” the Greek term apo can express the idea of separation, source or cause. So did Paul mean that “the face of the Lord” and “the glory of his strength” will be the source (or cause) of the “eonian extermination?” Or, did Paul mean that the “eonian extermination” will involve people being separated from “the face of the Lord” and “the glory of his strength” on the day of Christ’s return? An example of apo clearly meaning source or cause is Acts 3:19, where we read, “Repent, then, and turn about for the erasure of your sins, so that seasons of refreshing should be coming from the face of the Lord…” Significantly, in this verse we find the term apo connected with the expression “the face of the Lord,” just as in 2 Thess. 1:9. If, in 2 Thess. 1:9, apo is to be understood to mean that “the face of the Lord” and “the glory of his strength” will be the source or cause of the eonian extermination, then it simply means that Christ’s presence and glory is what will result in the death of the unbelievers Paul had in view. So this understanding of apo is perfectly consistent with the view that the “extermination” or “destruction” in view will involve literal death.

But what about the position that apo should be understood as signifying separation here (rather than source or cause)? Rather than undermining the view that the “eonian extermination” will involve people being killed, this understanding of apo is equally consistent with this view. For those who are going to be killed when Christ returns (for example, the kings of the earth and their armies, as referred to in Rev. 19:19-21) will, by virtue of being killed at this time, necessarily be separated and removed from Christ’s presence (for, according to what Scripture reveals concerning death, those who die cease to exist). Even if those who are to be exterminated won’t be in (or near) Christ’s presence when they’re killed, their being killed (and thus ceasing to exist) will necessarily put them in a condition that makes it impossible for them to be in Christ’s presence (at least, as long as they remain dead). Consider, for example, 1 Kings 13:34, where we read of the house of Jeroboam being destroyed “from the face of the earth.” Although we find the idea of “separation” being expressed here, the separation involved the house of Jeroboam being killed (1 Kings 15:28-29). See also Psalm 104:3, where the same idea is expressed. Thus, we need not assume that being separated from “the face of the Lord” and “the glory of his strength” requires that those separated continue to exist in some location, or that they’re placed at any particular distance from Christ.

Conclusion

So what will be the ultimate fate of those unbelievers who, in accord with Paul’s words in 2 Thess. 1:9, will be undergoing “eonian extermination” (or “age-lasting destruction”) as a result of Christ’s coming at the end of this eon? Well, given that these unbelievers are most likely going to be killed at Christ’s return, they will end up being among “the rest of the dead” referred to in Rev. 20:5 (who we’re told “do not live until the thousand years should be finished”). But after these thousand years are finished, we read that there is going to be an event that will involve everyone belonging to this category of people (i.e., “the rest of the dead”) appearing before a “great white throne” to be judged by God (this judgment will, evidently, determine who will, and who won’t, get to enjoy the “allotment” referred to in Rev. 21:1-7). Since everyone who died before this judgment takes place must be restored to life in order to be judged, the “eonian extermination” which the unbelievers referred to in 2 Thess. 1:9 are destined to undergo will necessarily come to an end when the time comes for them to be judged.

For those who are to be judged at the “great white throne” judgment, the worst-case scenario after being judged will involve being cast into “the lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rev. 20:15; 21:8). However, as I’ve argued in greater depth elsewhere, being cast into the lake of fire will involve mortal humans literally dying a second time, and remaining lifeless for the remainder of Christ’s future reign. Thus, as will be the case for everyone who is to be “exterminated” at Christ’s return, the condition of everyone who is to be cast into the lake of fire will involve utter oblivion (since consciousness depends on life). But this unconscious, lifeless condition will not be permanent. At the end of his eonian reign, Christ is going to abolish death, the “last enemy,” by vivifying everyone who, at this time, will be either dead or mortal (1 Cor. 15:22-26). Thus, not only is everyone who is destined for “eonian extermination” going to be delivered from death when the time comes for them to be judged at the “great white throne,” but everyone who is going to be returned to a lifeless condition following this judgment will, at the end of Christ’s reign, be permanently saved from death by being vivified in Christ. And, having received the same kind of “indissoluble life” that Christ himself presently enjoys, they will be subjected to Christ and become part of the “all” in whom we’re told God shall be “All” (1 Cor. 15:27-28).