Is Hell Eternal?

Throughout history, the teaching of hellfire has been used to paint a terrifying picture of God's character—one of cruelty and endless punishment. Many have been taught that sinners will burn for all eternity, writhing in agony without end, while a stern God watches unmoved. But is this the picture the Bible truly presents?

The Scriptures reveal a God of love, mercy, and perfect justice. Eternal life is a gift for those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, not the inborn possession of every soul. Immortality is promised only to the faithful; the unrepentant will ultimately face destruction—not unending torment.

In this study, we will explore what the Bible really teaches about the fate of the wicked. By carefully examining Scripture, we will uncover a consistent, harmonious truth that upholds both God's justice and His love—a truth that frees us from fear and calls us into deeper trust in our Saviour.

THE FIRST LIE

The idea of eternal hell is built upon the very first lie recorded in Scripture.

God had given Adam and Eve permission to eat from every tree of the garden except one. They were warned that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die. But Satan fed them a different story—and he continues that same deception today.

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  —Genesis 3:4-5

The belief that humans are immortal—that they will live forever—originated with Satan’s lie to our first parents.

For hell to be eternal, mankind must also inherently possess eternal life. This is the heart of Satan’s first deception: “You will not surely die.”

Through this lie, he has led millions into a false understanding of God's justice and love. It has always been Satan’s goal to misrepresent God's character, making Him appear unjust, severe, and unkind.

By promoting the lie of eternal torment, Satan casts doubt on the true, loving nature of our Heavenly Father. But from the very beginning, God clearly stated the real consequence of sin:

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  —Genesis 2:16-17

THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH

From the beginning, God clearly set forth the result of disobedience. In the book of Romans, this same truth is restated:

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

After Adam and Eve sinned, God sent them out of the garden and placed cherubim with flaming swords to guard the way to the tree of life, preventing sin from being immortalised.

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.  —Genesis 3:22

If we naturally possessed immortality, there would have been no need for God to block access to the tree of life. From that day to this, no human has eaten of its fruit. There is no such thing as an immortal sinner.

The Bible plainly declares that God alone possesses immortality:

"…who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power."  —1 Timothy 6:16

LIFE - THE GIFT OF GOD

All created beings are dependent upon God for life - it is in Him that we "live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). Immortality was originally offered to humanity on the condition of obedience. When Adam and Eve sinned, they forfeited that gift.

While “death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12), Christ “hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:10)

It is only through Christ that immortality can be obtained. It is a gift—not something we naturally possess—and it will not be given to unrepentant sinners.

"Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."  —Revelation 22:14

The redeemed saints will once again eat from the tree of life when they enter the holy city of God. The fruit of this tree will perpetuate eternal life to the redeemed, just as God originally intended.

Satan, however, has led many to misinterpret the clear words of Scripture. The divine sentence, “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4), has been twisted into the false belief that the soul who sins will not die, but will live eternally in torment.

This deadly lie, which began with Satan, is now sadly proclaimed from the pulpits of most Christian churches today.

Eternal life is a gift given to those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. The most famous verse in the Bible presents this truth plainly:

"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

Those who "by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality," will receive "eternal life." (Romans 2:7). Immortality is a gift God grants to those who follow Him. No unrepentant sinner will receive it.

A GOD OF LOVE AND JUSTICE

The teaching of eternal torment portrays God as a cruel tyrant—one who casts the lost into hell to suffer endless agony, watching with satisfaction as they writhe in unutterable anguish. Such cruelty is satanic. But God is love.

Satan has promoted these false doctrines to destroy trust in God’s love and justice. We do not need a law degree to know that true justice demands that punishment fit the crime. No sin—no matter how grievous—could warrant eternal burning in flames. Satan has used this lie to drive countless souls away from God.

If anyone deserved eternal burning, surely it would be Satan—the most wicked being in existence—who for thousands of years has harassed, tormented, and destroyed billions. Yet the Bible reveals even Satan’s end is destruction, not eternal torment:

"You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, and shall be no more forever." —Ezekiel 28:18-19

Satan will be devoured by fire and turned to ashes. He will cease to exist forever. If this is the fate of the most evil being who ever lived, how can we believe God would punish any human being more severely?

God is just and will reward every person according to their deeds:

"For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."  —Matthew 16:27

If every sinner—whether a Hitler or a young person who simply rejected Christ—were cast into the same eternal hell, it would make a mockery of justice.

The Bible teaches that all unrepentant sinners will be punished according to their deeds, and then death—not eternal torment—will be their final end.

"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

THE SECOND DEATH

The final destruction of the wicked will occur in the lake of fire, known as the second death. Everyone—both righteous and wicked—faces the first death. But afterward, all will be raised:

"Some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."  —Daniel 12:2

At the resurrection of the unrighteous, God will pronounce their judgment and destroy them in the lake of fire:

"Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."  —Revelation 20:14-15

This destruction will take place upon the earth itself. Many imagine hell as a cavern deep within the earth where fires burn eternally, but Scripture reveals that the entire face of the earth will become the lake of fire where sinners are consumed and the world is utterly destroyed:

"They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them."  —Revelation 20:9

This fire will leave nothing behind:

"For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, ”Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch."  —Malachi 4:1

"May sinners be consumed from the earth, and the wicked be no more."  —Psalm 104:35

When Jesus died on Calvary, He paid the penalty for our sins. What was that penalty? If the punishment for sin were eternal torment, then Jesus would still be suffering in hell. But Scripture declares that Jesus died for us—because "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).He is not burning eternally in agony; rather, He is alive, risen, and reigning at the right hand of the Father, mediating on our behalf and presenting His blood for the remission of sins:

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  —Matthew 20:28

CHALLENGING BIBLE VERSES

There are a few passages in the Bible that seem to teach the wicked will suffer eternally in hell. Let’s examine these verses carefully and see how they harmonize with the truth we have already established.

1. Mark 9:43 — The Fire That Shall Never Be Quenched

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched." (Mark 9:43)

Many interpret an unquenchable fire to mean a fire that burns eternally. However, that is not what “quenched” means. To quench a fire is to extinguish it. A fire that is unquenchable is one that no human effort can put out—it burns until it consumes all its fuel.

Jude speaks of Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of suffering “the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 1:7). Yet today, these cities are not still burning in the Middle East. The fires were unquenchable in their time, but once they accomplished their purpose of destruction, they went out. Likewise, the fires of hell will completely consume the wicked, and then they will go out.

2. Matthew 25:46 — Everlasting Punishment

"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 25:46)

This passage states that the wicked will suffer “everlasting punishment.” The key is to recognize what the punishment for sin is: death (Romans 6:23). Thus, “everlasting punishment” means everlasting death—not everlasting suffering. The second death is eternal; there is no resurrection from it. While all are raised from the first death (John 5:28–29), none will return from the second.

3. Revelation 14:11 — The Smoke of Their Torment Ascends Forever

"And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:11)

To understand this, we must see how the Bible uses the term "forever." Although sometimes it means without end, in other cases it simply means for the duration of the event or until death.

For example:

"But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, 'Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.'" (1 Samuel 1:22)

Hannah said Samuel would remain before the Lord "forever," yet Samuel eventually died. Thus, "forever" here means for as long as life lasts.

Similarly, speaking of Edom’s destruction, Isaiah wrote:

"It shall not be quenched night or day; its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; no one shall pass through it forever and ever." (Isaiah 34:10)

The fires that destroyed Edom are not still burning today, but their complete and total destruction was described using the language of "forever." Likewise, the destruction of the wicked will be final and irreversible, but not endlessly ongoing.

The Bible has perfect internal consistency. It does not contradict itself. The truth emerges when we seek the harmony that exists across all passages of Scripture.

A LOVING END TO SIN AND SUFFERING

The Bible presents a clear and beautiful picture: God will not perpetuate sin, pain, and rebellion throughout eternity. The final punishment for the wicked is not eternal life in torment, but eternal death—the second death in the lake of fire. Sin and sinners will be utterly consumed, never to rise again.

This final act of judgment is not an act of cruelty but of mercy. God, who is love, longs for all to repent and live (2 Peter 3:9). Yet He will not force anyone into His kingdom. For those who refuse His gift of life, He grants the only alternative: destruction.

As we understand the truth about hell, we are drawn closer to the heart of God—a heart that yearns to save, not to destroy. Our response must be to accept His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ and to invite others to know the God who is both just and merciful.

Today, the door of mercy stands open. Let us choose life, that we may live forever in the presence of the One who loved us to the end.