Conditionalists, also known as annihilationists, maintain that upon the final judgment God will annihilate the wicked, and they “will be no more.”  In light of this, I decided to do a word study on the phrase “there will be no more” to see how it is used and to see if any context might support annihilationism. Since different English Bibles sometimes translate verses with different wording, I did a search for the phrase “will be no more”  in the ESV, KJV, NASB, and the NIV.  I then listed all that I found below, checked the context of each verse, and added a comment. It did this in outline form in order to keep this simple and efficient.

In all of the English translations I examined, not a single occurrence of the phrase supported annihilationism. Now, this does not mean that annihilationism is not true. It just means that the phrase “will be no more” is not applied to people in the eternal sense of judgment.  But the phrase is used in reference to hail (Exod 9:29), looking for people on earth (Job 7:8, 21; Psalm 37:10), the tents of the wicked (Job 8:22), gloom (Isa. 9:1), vegetation on the Nile (Isa. 19:7), false visions (Ezekiel 12:24) God’s anger (Ezekiel 16:42), the disciplining rod (Ezek. 21:13), ruin in Jerusalem (Ezek. 21:27) the city of Tyre (Ezek. 26:21; 27:36; 28:19), a hindrance to Israel’s walk with God (Ezek. 28:24), delay (Rev. 10:6), death (Rev. 21:4), and night (Rev. 22:5).  None of the verses can be used to support annihilationism.

1. Exodus 9:29 (ESV, NIV), “Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.”
   1. Comment: The context is speaking of hail, not people’s existence.
2. Job 7:8, 21 (NIV), The eye that now sees me will see me no longer; you will look for me, but I will be no more…21 Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins? For I will soon lie down in the dust; you will search for me, but I will be no more.”
   1. Comment: The context deals with one person looking for another person here on earth. It is not speaking of the final judgment in the idea that people will stop existing.
3. Job 8:22 (ESV), “Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
   1. Comment: This is speaking of the tent of the wicked, not of people stopping existence.
4. Psalm 37:10 (NASB),  “Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.”
   1. Comment: This is speaking of the wicked who will be no more, not in an eternal sense, but in the context of others who are alive on the land who will look for the wicked among them and the wicked will be no more. This is not talking about annihilation.
5. Isaiah 9:1 (NASB),  “But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.”
   1. Comment: This is speaking about gloom the northern section of Israel and the declaration that the gloom will be no more.
6. Isaiah 19:7 (ESV), “There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and will be no more.”
   1. Comment: The context is about planting on the brink of the Nile and how visitation will be no more.
7. Ezekiel 12:24 (NIV), “For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel.”
   1. Comment: This is speaking of no more false visions.
8. Ezekiel 16:42 (KJV), “So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.”
   1. Comment: God’s anger will be no more against against Jerusalem.
9. Ezekiel 21:13 (NASB),  “For there is a testing; and what if even the rod which despises will be no more?” declares the Lord GOD.”
   1. Comment: The disciplining rod will be no more.
10. Ezekiel 21:27 (NASB),  “A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I will make it. This also will be no more until He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.’”
    1. Comment: The ruin will be no more in Jerusalem.
11. Ezekiel 26:21 (NASB), “I will bring terrors on you and you will be no more; though you will be sought, you will never be found again,” declares the Lord GOD.”
    1. Comment: The city of Tyre will be no more.
12. Ezekiel 27:36 (NIV), “The merchants among the nations scoff at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.”
    1. Comment: The city of Tyre will be no more.
13. Ezekiel 28:19 (NIV), “All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.”
    1. Comment: The city of Tyre will be no more.
14. Ezekiel 28:24 (NASB), “And there will be no more for the house of Israel a prickling brier or a painful thorn from any round about them who scorned them; then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.””
    1. Comment: There will be no more hindrance to Israel’s walk with God.
15. Revelation 10:6 (NIV), “And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay!”
    1. Comment: There will be no more delay in the judgment to come.
16. Revelation 21:4 (NIV), “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
    1. Comment: Death will be no more.
17. Revelation 22:5 (ESV), “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”
    1. Comment:  Night will be no more.