The doctrine of Annihilationism has various forms. Some, not believing in an afterlife at all, believe man exists during a life on this earth, but at death simply ceases to exist. But, those who are sincere concerning this doctrine believe man was made to live forever, a free gift that can be forfeited by continuing in sin by rejecting Christ. These do not suffer eternally, but only temporarily and then are annihilated and cease to exist.

An example of this doctrine is that which is proposed by the Jehovah Witnesses. They do not believe in the separation of the spirit from the body at death as described in James 2:26:

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

WITHOUT 5565. choris, kho-rece'; adv. from G5561; at a space, i.e. separately or apart from (often as prep.):--beside, by itself, without.

"Without" means separately." The spirit is separated from the body at death. This is much different than believing the soul and spirit become so infused with the body at death that the entire person is annihilated.

They believe each person's life ceases to exist, both those who believe in Christ and those who don't, when the body is placed in the grave. God then supposedly re-creates them as they were for their life in Paradise.

There are basically three forms of this belief. One is that at death, everyone ceases to exist, but those who do believe in Christ receive immortality. A second form of this belief is that the wicked are given another chance after death to accept Christ, but if they do not, they then cease to exist and are annihilated. Another form is that the wicked are thrown into hell for a short period of suffering and are then annihilated.

Annihilationism denies the existence of an eternal hell as Scripture describes it because the doctrine denies the eternal existence of man. If one is immediately or eventually annihilated when life on earth ends, there is no need for a place of punishment. But, Jesus said,

Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into EVERLASTING punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Notice the word "everlasting" in Matthew 25:46. It is the same word used in this verse concerning the New Covenant:

Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

This denies annihilationism because the wicked will suffer forever in the lake of fire. If this is not so, then the New Covenant is also nullified because it cannot be eternal as we understand it. The result of this type of nonsense concerning annihilationism is that all will eventually be lost and annihilated, the saved and the unsaved (because of the definition of "everlasting" in everlasting covenant). But, don't worry, the New Covenant is forever.