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Annihilationism and Daniel 12:2, people wake to everlasting contempt

by | Oct 11, 2018 | Annihilationism, Minor Groups & Issues

“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt,” (Daniel 12:2).

Conditionalists interpret Daniel 12:2 to mean that ‘eternal contempt’ is not experienced by the wicked, but is what the righteous experience for the wicked. Daniel 12:2 says that those who sleep will awake to everlasting contempt. Aside from the issue of soul sleep, we have to options:

  1. Everlasting contempt means that the wicked will be hated by the righteous after the wicked are annihilated.
  2. Everlasting contempt means that the wicked will experience the contempt for themselves.

Since both conditionalist and traditionalists could argue for their perspective using Daniel 12:2, and the text does not seem to be explicitly clear on the issue, I don’t think this is a good verse for either side to use to support their position. In my opinion, it is too ambiguous and can be interpreted either way.

  • The Septuagint rendering is, “And many that sleep in the breadth (πλάτει) of the earth shall arise, some to life eternal, and some to reproach, some to dispersion (διασπορὰν) and eternal shame.” These terms, “reproach” and “dispersion,” are different attempts to render חֲרָפוֹת (ḥaraphoth)…The rendering of the Peshitta is, “And many of those that sleep in the dust shall awake, some to life everlasting, and some to destruction and contempt of their friends forever.”1
  • “Daniel does not elaborate on the punishment of the damned and makes no mention of a fiery hell, but he does seem to go beyond Isaiah 66 in having the sinners restored to life to experience their disgrace.”2

References

References
1 Spence, H. D. M. Daniel. The Pulpit Commentary. London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909.
2 Collins, John Joseph, and Adela Yarbro Collins. Daniel: A Commentary on the Book of Daniel. Edited by Frank Moore Cross. Hermeneia—a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1993.

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