Home Christian Writings Is Hell eternal? Page 24

Is Hell eternal?

Hell Fire

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.

Discussion

Viewing 20 posts - 461 through 480 (of 732 total)
123…232425…353637
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    Posts
  • April 22, 2015 at 4:49 pm#795323
    Proclaimer
    Participant

    we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

    Kerwin.

    When we are absent from the body are we present with the Lord or not?

    Is there a third stage not mentioned here? What is it?

    April 22, 2015 at 4:50 pm#795324
    Proclaimer
    Participant

    Instantly?

    I cannot say for sure. It seems to be that way when you read a number of scriptures.

    I do know for sure that the dead in Christ rise before them which are alive and remain. So why do they not rise at the same time?

    We are not told specifically how much before though, in that scripture at least. It doesn’t negate being instantly with the Lord.

    And if death is no consciousness at all including no sleep, then either way, we will be with the Lord straight after we die from our perspective.

    The only way this is not true is if we die, we sleep and are conscious during that sleep.

    April 22, 2015 at 4:52 pm#795325
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi t8,

    Time is not relevant.

    To sleep in death is to wake and meet the Lord in the air at his return

    April 22, 2015 at 4:56 pm#795326
    Proclaimer
    Participant

    Yes that is one explanation and a good one at that.

    April 22, 2015 at 4:57 pm#795327
    Proclaimer
    Participant

    But why the two timings?

    The dead are ahead of the living when they meet the Lord.

    Why is that?

    Surely it would happen to all in the same moment, but it says otherwise.

    April 23, 2015 at 8:29 am#795372
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi t8,

    Good question.

    God’s ways are not ours.

    April 23, 2015 at 10:18 am#795400
    Proclaimer
    Participant

    It says in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. And that the dead rise before.
    So it is quick, and the dead precede the living. Thus we cannot rule out that those who are away from the body are present with the Lord.

    Given that the timing for the living is different to the dead, it fits with the idea that the dead are with Christ now.

    April 23, 2015 at 10:32 am#795404
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi T8,

    You think so?

     

    There is a RESURRECTION of the dead.

    And it occurs in the twinkling of an eye, but with an order.

    So there is no evidence that some have already risen before that day.

    April 23, 2015 at 1:29 pm#795435
    Proclaimer
    Participant

    If time does not mean much to an unlimited God, then why cannot those who are absent from the body be with the Lord Jesus in eternity and then at some point, all will meet the Lord in the clouds here near Earth. For all we know, all time could be a moment with God. Or a thousand years as one day. What if he took all with him in one day?

    You said it yourself, “Time is not relevant”.

    So if it is not relevant, then from an eternal point of view, the dead could be with Christ now in eternity.

    Perhaps we rely to much on our earthly perspective? Even Einstein said time works differently in the physical universe depending on your speed.

    All I know is that the dead precede the living and the graves of many broke open when Jesus rose from the grave.

    We also know that if he was raised that he will take others with him.

    But as you say, even if it happens at the end and the dead are not sleeping or if sleeping is an unconscious state, then when we die, we will awake immediately and be with the Lord from our perspective.

    I am certainly not going to say that the dead are not with Christ though.

    April 23, 2015 at 1:39 pm#795436
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi t8,

    There is no mention of men being in heaven and then returned to the air of earth.

    If we have the Spirit of Christ then we are already with him now, and with him in the heavenly realms.

    col 3.1-3

    April 23, 2015 at 1:42 pm#795438
    NickHassan
    Participant

    hi t8,

    Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name I am there amongst them.

    April 23, 2015 at 2:22 pm#795442
    kerwin
    Participant

    T8,

    When we are absent from the body are we present with the Lord or not?
    Is there a third stage not mentioned here? What is it?

    My point is that is does not say “When we are absent from the body are we present with the Lord” but instead says “we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Of the two choices he gives he is stating that he prefers to be with the Lord even if it means he has no body.

    April 23, 2015 at 2:28 pm#795443
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi ,

    We know that the new heavenly body is given at the time of resurrection.

    We know we will not be naked.

     

    So we wait in sleep till the trumpet calls.

    April 23, 2015 at 2:41 pm#795444
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi t8,

    Yes some tombs were opened and some were raised.

    But there is record of what happened with them

    April 23, 2015 at 2:42 pm#795445
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi t8

    2 Corinthians 5:4
    For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

     

    This happens at the resurrection

    April 23, 2015 at 7:54 pm#795466
    Proclaimer
    Participant

    My point is that is does not say “When we are absent from the body are we present with the Lord” but instead says “we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Of the two choices he gives he is stating that he prefers to be with the Lord even if it means he has no body.

    So there is a another state or interim stage. No body and not with Christ?

    April 23, 2015 at 7:57 pm#795468
    Proclaimer
    Participant

    This happens at the resurrection

    How long does the resurrection last? The dead rise first then we who are alive and remain.

    What proof is there that it is a matter of seconds or moments between the two.

    And why the need for that?

    April 23, 2015 at 8:19 pm#795470
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi T8,

    No information available.

    But it is the DAY of the lord

    April 23, 2015 at 8:33 pm#795473
    Proclaimer
    Participant

    So if you cannot answer that, then you also cannot say for sure that the dead do not rise way before those that are alive and remain.

    After all, you say the Day of the LORD, but a day to God is like a thousand years and you said something along the lines that time is irrelevant to a timeless God.

    In one day, God created the dry land, continent/s above the water and large bodies of water were called “seas” and the ground named “land.”

    In another day, he created all plant life both large and small.

    Was this the twinkling of an eye? Did it take a thousands years per day? Was it a millenium? Does it matter to a timeless infinite God?

    So it is possible that in the twinkling of an eye refers to the amount of time that we are changed from mortal to immortal and if we do not have the info to know the difference with the time between the dead who precede the living, then no one here can absolutely say that the dead in Christ are not with Christ now.

    After all, how can the term “Dead in Christ” mean they are not with CHRIST and yet be DEAD? They must be with Christ or in him surely.

    April 23, 2015 at 8:37 pm#795474
    NickHassan
    Participant

    Hi T8,

    Does God divide the living and the dead in Christ?

    Are there divisions again such as there was between jew and gentile?

    Do those who were dead in Christ have an advantage over those who were yet alive.

     

    Would not their joy be the same?

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