Is Hell eternal?

Part 01 – Is Hell eternal?
Part 02 – Scriptures used to support an eternal Hell
Part 03 – New Testament scriptures that dispel an eternal Hell
Part 04 – Old Testament scriptures that dispel an eternal Hell
Part 05 – Other resources about Hell

This page will let scripture answer the most common questions on this topic. Following that, we will look at scriptures that are used to support the idea of an eternal Hell to get a balanced view. The last two pages will take a more substantial look at scriptures that talk about the wicked and their fate.

Will the wicked perish?

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

2 Peter 2:12
But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.

Luke 13:3
I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

In order to understand the word ‘perish’, how is this word used in other biblical topics?

Hebrews 1:10-12
10 He also says, “In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

Colossians 2:21-22 21
21 Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?
22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

Will the wicked be destroyed?

Matthew 7:13
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

Philippians 3:19
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power

How is the word ‘destruction’ used in other biblical topics?

1 Corinthians 5:5
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

2 Peter 2:1
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

How will the wicked be destroyed?

2 Peter 3:7
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Luke 17:28-30
28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

The wicked are cast into hell, but isn’t Hell eternal?

Revelation 20:14
Then death and Hell were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

Revelation 21:8
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.“

So there will be no eternal suffering in hell?

Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”

Revelation 21:4
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.”

So the wicked will cease to exist?

Psalms 104:35
“Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.”

Psalms 37:10
“For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.”

Adam came to life when he became a living soul, but can a man lose his soul?

Mark 8:36
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

1 Peter 1:9
for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

But isn’t the human soul immortal?

Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in Hell.

Genesis 3:21-24
22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Are you sure that the wicked will be completely consumed or burned up though?

Psalms 37:20
“But the wicked will perish: Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.”

Malachi 4:1
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”

Does God want to destroy the wicked?

Ezekiel 33:11
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn from your evil ways!

2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Will sin ever happen again once all the wicked are destroyed?

1 John 3:9
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

2 Peter 1:4
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Luke 20:35-36
But those who are considered worthy to share in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God.

We know that sin causes death and we will no longer die because sin has been dealt with.

1 Corinthians 15:54-55
54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

When will the wicked be completely destroyed?

Matthew 13:40
“As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world/age.“

2 Peter 3:10.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

Okay so wicked men will be destroyed along with the old creation, but what about Satan?

Hebrews 2:14
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;“

Ezekiel 28:18
“Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.”

The last verse may be referring to a man instead of Satan, however we know that the Devil will be destroyed from the previous verse above.

After reading this page you may argue that I have given scripture, but not all of it. There are of course other verses that seem to teach an eternal hell or eternal suffering for the wicked. The next page will cover these scriptures to provide a balanced view. The last two pages in this study will list the most prominent verses in the Bible that teach that the wicked will be destroyed, perish, and die. There will be many more verses than quoted on this page and they are divided into Old and New Testament verses. These pages will be useful if you wish to study in more depth what scripture says about the fate of the wicked.

Continue to Part 2: Scriptures used to support an eternal Hell

Discussion

This topic has 732 replies, 38 voices, and was last updated 3 months, 2 weeks ago by GeneBalthrop.

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March 9, 2011 at 5:18 am#238512

GeneBalthrop

Participant

Quote (t8 @ Mar. 09 2011,08:42)

There must exist a holding place for the dead and according to at least one parable there was a place for the wicked and another for the righteos and they are/were separate. Now we do know that Hell (or whatever the Greek word for that is) exists.

Because God throwns Hell into the Lake of Fire.

So instead of an eternal hell where people burn forever, God in his mercy destroys hell, thereby subjecting the wicked to the second death.
This is God's mercy because giving a sinner eternal life in misery and pain is not love at all.

When Adam and Eve ate the fruit of knowledge, God sent an angel to protect them from eating from the tree of life. This was speciffically done to stop man from living as a sinner forever. That shows the love of God.

T8………Scripture say when a man dies His thoughts PARISH, that is it no holding place at all Brother , if you have no thoughts you simply do not exist you have Perished until GOD resurrects you a Body and add spirit back into it , just as he did Jesus. The sad part is that people do not realize they are truly gone and do Perish when you die, there remains nothing more of you alive at all anymore, Only when God is ready to resurrect by reconstructing your exact DNA Body and add spirit back into it will you again live and again become a LIVING SOUL.

It is appointed for a man to Once die the (AFTER) THAT THE JUDGMENT , not while he is in the state of being dead or perished, that Judgment can only take place after he is again resurected and then he can be Judged. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man is to show a pending situation and the gulf is the difference between those who are already saved and those who must come into a fiery trial to be purged of their sins. It basically show those who are suffering now may be the ones who are being saved while those who are not suffering now may have to suffer some what later.

I think taking it literally as some kind of Neither world of activity taking place after a person dies can be a cause of much confusion and speculation by churches. IMO

peace and love to you and yours………………………gene

March 9, 2011 at 5:30 am#238514

terraricca

Participant

Quote (WorshippingJesus @ Mar. 09 2011,15:51)

Quote (t8 @ Mar. 08 2011,16:42)

Because God throwns Hell into the Lake of Fire.

Good points t8

But you will find that many do not believe in a holding place for those who die but rather that they cease to exist and wait in the graves.

Jesus proved that theory wrong when he told the story of Lazarus and the rich man which is not a parable at all since Jesus never claimed it to be and the fact that he used a name which in parables he never did.

the grave is for the body,not for the soul or spirit,
and all what is thoughts were relative to the earth are forgotten,no power to implement them,and his soul as no power because he misses a body to act.

Pierre

March 9, 2011 at 5:29 pm#238593

GeneBalthrop

Participant

Terricca…..Why does scripture say GOD would not suffer Jesus' SOUL to see Corruption (IN) the GRAVE if the Soul was not part of the Body. Notice Jesus' (BODY) is what did not corrupt (IN) the GRAVE, nothing is said about His Spirit corrupting. The word Nephesh Means the (COMPLETE BEING , NOT JUST PART OF HIM. Come out of your past MYSTERY RELIGIOUS Beliefs . When we die that is it for ever and unless GOD recreates a Exact DNA Body and adds spirit back into it we will NEVER LIVE AGAIN. A resurrection of a BODY and restoration of Spirit into it is Crucial for anyone to continue to live and that included Jesus himself as the Scripture (CLEARLY) SHOWS HE HAD A BODY, BY A RESURRECTION FROM THE GRAVE. When Jesus said he was DEAD he truly meant he (WAS DEAD). and he Still would be DEAD if GOD did not raise his BODY from the GRAVE and Restore Spirit back into it. Just that simple no need to confuse it all. IMO

peace and love…………………………………gene

March 9, 2011 at 10:05 pm#238638

kerwin

Participant

Quote (WorshippingJesus @ Mar. 09 2011,03:51)

Quote (t8 @ Mar. 08 2011,16:42)

Because God throwns Hell into the Lake of Fire.

Good points t8

But you will find that many do not believe in a holding place for those who die but rather that they cease to exist and wait in the graves.

In other passages Scripture calls the holding place for the Wicked that await judgment Tartarus and the holding place of the righteous Paradise but some do not understand.

March 9, 2011 at 11:01 pm#238649

Baker

Participant

Quote (t8 @ Mar. 09 2011,14:17)

Hi Irene. It is certainly an interesting topic and you raise some pertinent verses on the subject.

Quick question: If Hell/Hades doesn't exist, why is it said to be thrown into the Lake of Fire? And why does Jesus give a parable based on it?

t8 I( did not imply that there is no Lake of Fire, there is in Rev. says so. Bur IMO that Judgment will happen after both resurrection, and after the White Throne Judgment,

Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Rev 20:11 ¶ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Happy are those who come up in the first resurrection, for them there is no fear of the second death.
It has made me not to fear death, only the pain in getting there. Also there are a multitude that stand in front of God and worship Him day and night, that have washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Could this be talking of all those who are under the New Covenant in Jesus Blood? That is my hope….

Peace Irene

March 10, 2011 at 10:24 pm#238745

Proclaimer

Participant

Yeah no probs Irene.

I was wondering about hell being thrown into the Lake of Fire.
Surely hell/hades must exist in order for it to be put in the Lake of Fire and if so, when does this take place?

March 11, 2011 at 5:56 am#238805

kerwin

Participant

Quote (t8 @ Mar. 11 2011,03:24)

Yeah no probs Irene.

I was wondering about hell being thrown into the Lake of Fire.
Surely hell/hades must exist in order for it to be put in the Lake of Fire and if so, when does this take place?

Hades is the waiting place of the dead and there will be no more death or dying and thus no need for Hades or Death.

It will therefore be trash destined to be incinerated.

March 11, 2011 at 8:59 am#238817

kerwin

Participant

To all,

Here are some scriptures that mention Gehenna.

Matthew 18:8

If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.

Matthew 25:41

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Jude 1:7

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

March 11, 2011 at 12:22 pm#238835

Baker

Participant

Quote (t8 @ Mar. 09 2011,14:17)

Hi Irene. It is certainly an interesting topic and you raise some pertinent verses on the subject.

Quick question: If Hell/Hades doesn't exist, why is it said to be thrown into the Lake of Fire? And why does Jesus give a parable based on it?

t8 The Lake of Fire is the second death. That will take place after the Millennium and White Throne judgment.
All wicked, Anti-Christ and those who received the mark of the beast will be burned up.
Mal 4:1 ¶ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Mal 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do [this], saith the LORD of hosts.

Peace and Love Irene

March 11, 2011 at 2:30 pm#238836

GeneBalthrop

Participant

To All…..> mixing Symbolic language with literial language causes much confusion here. Notice brother Kerwin saying for instance with rearguards to the “PARABLE” he mentioned, that it says they would be cast into some “eternal fire”, it really does not say that, it says “Where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched”, was Jesus saying it (“the worm”) would NEVER DIE, No He was saying in effect that (IF) the “WORM” Does not die then the fire (intense Judgements) of GOD will not stop. A “worm” is compared to the Evil side of our natures causing us to do wrong and this is what can Prevent us or as the incorrect word used there “Offend” us. and we must get rid of it and submit our Will to the Will of GOD in order to not to enter into these intense judgments (Fire) of GOD. Scripture say GOD is the consuming Fire, but mixing up symbolic and Parabolic and Metaphoric language as being Literal is a Hugh problem in Christianity. IMO

There is not such thing as a eternal burning Hell Fire, only eternal and everlasting Judgements of GOD that will purify and cause all his creation to turn from its fallen state. “FOR YOU SHALL BE SALTED WITH FIRE”.

Mar 9:49……> For EVERY ONE SHALL BE SALTED WITH “FIRE”, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Put in another way………Every one shall be Seasoned with Judgements of GOD, IMO

Judgment begins at the House of GOD, “NOW CONCERNING THIS “FIERY” TRIAL THAT HAS TRIED YOU AS IF SOME STRANGE THING HAS HAPPENED UNTO YOU”> THINK ABOUT IT. Fire in scripture is symbolic language for (INTENSE) JUDGMENTS OF GOD. IMO

peace and love to you all…………………………………..gene

March 11, 2011 at 3:46 pm#238843

theodorej

Participant

Quote (Gene Balthrop @ Mar. 12 2011,00:30)

Mar 9:49……> For EVERY ONE SHALL BE SALTED WITH “FIRE”, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Put in another way………Every one shall be Seasoned with Judgements of GOD, IMO

peace and love to you all…………………………………..gene

Greetings Gene….. Not withstanding the numerous interpretations of scripture….fire has always been simbolic and purposed for purification as well as consumption when the kindling is satiated and there is no more to consume the fire goes out…The scriptures regarding the lake of fire indicate that the fires are never satiated,however,the eternal torment appears to aimed at the beast and the false prophet,those who have the mark of the beast (the wicked)will be consumed and cease to exist….IMO…what do you think?

March 11, 2011 at 3:57 pm#238847

GeneBalthrop

Participant

Theodorej………Yes the Judgements of GOD will NEVER be Put Out, and the results of that Judgment (smoke) WILL ASCEND FOREVER. These lesson will never be forgotten ever. IMO

peace and love to you and yours……………………….gene

March 12, 2011 at 10:58 am#238909

kerwin

Participant

Gene,

I am going to disagree with you on what the word “worm” means in Mark 9:47-48 as Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 66:22-24 and the context makes it clear the scripture is speaking of corpses. The worm spoken of it is therefore the worms that feed on the dead bodies as they lay in graves. The NIV takes that approach. The wording of this passage from Isaiah is what made a burning trash heap, Gehennah, an apt symbol since the trash on top burns and the trash lower down is eaten by worms.

Isaiah 66

22 “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

Mark 9

47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where
“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’

March 12, 2011 at 1:24 pm#238912

Ed J

Participant

Quote (mikeangel @ Mar. 12 2011,23:11)

Quote (Ed J @ Mar. 12 2011,22:14)

Quote (Tim Kraft @ Mar. 12 2011,21:43)

The law would say you are doomed to hell forever.

Hi Tim,

That's what religion says! the law says no such thing!

Your brother
in Christ, Jesus!
Ed J (Joshua 22:34)
http://www.holycitybiblecode.org

Revalation 20:11 The last Judgement-

10And the adevil that deceived them was bcast into the lake of cfire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the aearth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no bplace for them.

12And I saw the adead, small and great, bstand before God; and the cbooks were opened: and another book was opened, which is the dbook of life: and the dead were ejudged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their fworks.

13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and adeath and bhell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14And adeath and bhell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the csecond death.

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

this is the truth. Peace-Mark

Hi Mark,

If you identify 'hell' and the “Lake of Fire” as two different things,
why do you then act as if they are the same place?

God bless
Ed J (Joshua 22:34)
http://www.holycitybiblecode.org

March 12, 2011 at 2:28 pm#238913

Tim Kraft

Participant

Quote (Baker @ Mar. 10 2011,09:01)