Most people believe the wicked will be tortured in Hell for eternity, but is that really what the Bible says?
We have been taught that the wicked will be tortured in the lake of fire forever,
but the Bible actually says the wicked will be destroyed in the fire.
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
– Matthew 10:28
Both body and soul are destroyed in hell, and we see this concept in many famous Bible verses, such as John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not PERISH but have everlasting life.”
– John 3:16
and we see this same thing again in Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
– Romans 6:23
In both of these verses we see the contrast between death and eternal life.
The Bible teaches that the wicked are destroyed, they perish, they are consumed, and they will not receive everlasting life.
To say that the wicked are tortured eternally in Hell is to say that they have eternal life in Hell. It’s not a good life, but it still counts as eternal life.
This idea undermines what the Bible says about eternal life being a gift that is only given to those who are saved. You can’t say the wicked are “destroyed” if they are in a perpetual state of being tortured alive. You can’t say the wages of sin is “death” if the sinners are alive in the fire.
Consider the imagery of that. When I think about people alive and walking around in the fire, I think of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednigo, and how God saved them from the fire. Being alive in the fire is a picture of salvation, not condemnation.
The purpose of fire is to destroy the wicked, like burning the trash.
The Bible even refers to the lake of fire as the second death.
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
– Revelation 21:8
But doesn’t Yeshua say the fire is everlasting? Yes, He does. So, let’s look at that verse.
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:”
– Matthew 25:41
So, why does the Bible say the fire is everlasting if the wicked are destroyed by it?
What does it mean to say the fire is everlasting?
Everlasting refers to permanence. The fire is everlasting because there is no coming back from it. Once you die the second death, you will never live again. There’s no more hope. The punishment is final and lasts forever.
The Bible even gives us an example of what this eternal fire looks like.
“as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an EXAMPLE, suffering the vengeance of ETERNAL FIRE.”
– Jude 1:7
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is given as an example of eternal fire, but those cities are not still burning with fire today. It is eternal fire, because those cities were destroyed forever. Their destruction was final and everlasting. They will never come back.
This is what the Bible describes as eternal fire.
The destruction of that fire is permanent, and that’s why it’s called eternal fire.
I wish I knew this years ago, but I am sure happy to know it now.
As an aside, I’ve been watching your videos on YouTube.
Thank you for bringing scriptural truth in an easy to understand, easy to digest fashion.