Is Hell Eternal?

1. The place of hell is eternal.

1) Jude 1:13 “Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”

2) Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever “

2. The punishments in hell are eternal.

1) Matthew 3:12 “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

2) Mark 9:43, 44 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

3. The wicked in hell will be there eternally.

1) 2 Thessalonians 1:9 “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

2) Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels”.

3) Matthew 25:46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

4. If God had intended to convey that hell was eternal, how else would He have said it?

1. God

1) God — “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:2)

2) Christ — “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18).

3) God — “And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5:14).

2. Heaven

1) Matthew 25:46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

2) Revelation 22:5 “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

3. The Saved

1) John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

2) Romans 6:23 “…the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

3) 1 John 2:25 “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”

4. If hell is not eternal, then neither could God, heaven, nor the saved be eternal as the same words to describe heaven’s eternality are used to describe hell’s eternality.

1. God is just.

1) Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”

2) Isaiah 45:21 “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me.”

3) Revelation 15:3 ” And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”

2. What kind of justice would it be if the wicked were merely annihilated?

1) They would be able to live a life of sin without fear of retribution. Psalm 10:13 “Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.”

2) They would never ultimately be punished for the suffering that was caused in others. Psalm 94:3 “LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?”

3) Wicked men like Hitler and Stalin would suffer no worse fate than “Aunt Josephine.” Psalm 146:9 “The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.”

3. Some say that eternity in hell is cruel and unusual punishment.

1) But we recognize the need for lifetime punishment of some criminals.

2) Who are we, the one’s who are guilty of sin, to say whether God’s punishments are just?

3) Since when do we allow the guilty to determine his own punishment?

4) Does not an offence against an eternal God merit eternal retribution for such offence? (Rom.6:23).