Does hellfire last forever? Mat.25:31-41 Jesus returns, sheep (righteous) on the right hand, goats?

Question

(unrighteous) on the left hand. Goats consigned to the everlasting fire prepared for Devil & his angles. Everlasting, in this instance from Greek aionios. Mat 25:46 Jesus spoke in one sentence of aionios punishment and of life aionios. The assumption that punishment will last the same time period as life cannot be reconciled with Rev.2:11,20:6 &14, and 21:8. Those cast into fire suffer death. Second death. Eternal punishment, not punishing. Gen.19:24 Sodom & Gomorrah utterly consumed by fire. Jude vs7 describes aionios fire. S&G not burning today.

The eternal aspect of the aionios fire is its everlasting effect, NOT how long it burns. Sorry for the abrv. and lack of grammar. Lack of space. Whatchthink???

Answer 1

That completely fits scripturally. It is a just punishment, not a cruel one. 100 years of sin isn't punished with a million billion infinity years of torture. Also sin and death are gone for good, not eternally perpetuating somewhere in the universe. That doctrine does not diminish the serious consequences of the second death, but truly shows God's character and His love in removing evil from the universe.

Answer 2

The word "aionios" means everlasting, perpetual, eternal, for ever. I believe when Jesus said everlasting punishment, it is a time period, just like eternal life. If you go with the everlasting effect idea for punishment, why not use the same argument for eternal life? If you put arbitrary limitations on the term "eternal" then you must be consistent in saying that the eternal God spoken of in 1 Tim. 1:17 has limitations, or does not mean perpetual.

The idea that eternal punishment is not eternal, or that there is annihalation contradicts Revelation 20:10:

Rev 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

Just a basic reading of this verse shows that those in the lake of fire (Hell) are tormented day and night, forever. This would include all who come from the great white throne judgment.

Rev 20:15 And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.

You cannot say eternal means a time period in one instance, and they say it doesn't in another unless the text indicates that.

Concerning the Jude passage, this commentary may help in understanding that verse:

"suffering the vengeance of eternal fire; which may be understood of that fire, with which those cities, and the inhabitants of it, were consumed; which, Philo the (k) Jew says, burnt till his time, and must be burning when Jude wrote this epistle. The effects of which still continues, the land being now brimstone, salt, and burning; and is an emblem and representation of hell fire, between which there is a great likeness; as in the matter of them, both being fire; in the efficient cause of them, both from the Lord; and in the instruments thereof, the angels, who, as then, will hereafter be employed in the delivery of the righteous, and in the burning of the wicked; and in the circumstance attending both, suddenly, at an unawares, when not thought of, and expected; and in the nature of them, being a destruction total, irreparable, and everlasting: and this agrees with the sentiments of the Jews, who say (l), that "the men of Sodom have no part or portion in the world to come, and shall not see the world to come."
(John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible)

Answer 3

This issue is simple: The fire lasts forever, but sin and sinners will not. That's because the fire IS GOD.

For more information on this, consult the following texts:
Psalm 15 compared with Isaiah 33:14-16
Deuteronomy 4:24
Jude 7 -- "vengeance of eternal fire" i.e. vengeance of God
Rev. 1:14-16

Recall that God appeared as fire:
To Moses at the burning bush
To the children of Israel in the Pillar of Fire
To Elijah on the mountain
To the disciples at the Pentecost

Blessings!

Answer 4

Yes, I believe the "second death" ends the existence of the unsaved. Death and hell are also destroyed in the lake of fire. Rev. 20.14
However verse 20. 10 does say Satan is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the false prophet and the AC (beast) are. and "he" is tormented there day and night, for ever and ever.
Maybe some get that punishment. If all do. God knows better then we.

Answer 5

Revelation says forever. I believe people going there will have a body that can experience pain, but won't be consumed, as also the worm never dies. This is in the Lake of Fire.

Answer 6

Let’s talk about our loving God for just a minute. At one point in earth’s history He destroyed all of mankind except for the eight souls who got on board a big boat. Afterwards He promised that He would never again destroy all of mankind by water. Verse 20-32 of Ezek. 18 tells us that the soul that sins will die It ends with a plea for them to turn from their wicked ways so that they wouldn’t die, because He-God-has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Luke 9:56 tells us that Christ came into this world not to destroy men’s lives but to save them. So why does God do it? Why will there even be a hell? Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. God has allowed this sin problem to continue for a reason. What were Satan’s original arguments against God? For the answer we can go to Isaiah chapter 14:12-14 He thought to place himself above his creator. For more insight into how Satan thinks lets’ take a look at the book of Job. We can start in verse six. Satan is accusing God of not playing fair. What does Satan do to Job? Some of the same things he does to people today. So what is the reason God allows this to continue? If God had just wiped out Satan when he first started causing trouble what would the other angels have thought? Would God have been worshiped in love or in fear? God gives us free will because He wants to be worshiped in love not for fire insurance reasons. How would we know if God was right or if Satan was right if God had not allowed sin to continue? The horribleness of sin would not be completely evident unless God had allowed sin and Satan to continue.
So when is hell? We have already discovered that the dead are in the graves where we put them so obviously they are not in hell. So let’s talk controversy for a moment. Isn’t there a parable about hell somewhere? Luke 16 19:31 First let me put this out there. Yes the parable is about hell, however, parables were not always meant to be taken literally. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were always trying to trick Jesus somehow, so Jesus told this parable to the Pharisees because the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. Several points are wrong with this picture. 1--Abrahams’ bosom is not currently in heaven Genesis 25:8 says he died and Hebrews 11:8-13 reiterates this. 2--People in hell won’t be talking to anybody.3--The dead are in their graves John 5:28 & 29. 4--People will be rewarded at the second coming. Revelation 22:11 & 12. 5--The Lost are punished at the end of the world. Matthew 13:40-42. So when is hell? 2 Peter 2:9 the wicked are reserved for the Day of Judgment. And Revelation 20:7-15 so after a period known as “The thousand years of peace” there will be a judgment of sorts and then hell. Notice who it says is going to hell. Verses 10 and 15 anyone whose name is not in the Book of Life. But let’s go back to that verse 10 it has that phrase, forever and ever. Will hell continue to burn throughout all eternity? Jude is a one chapter book, right before Revelation. Turn back to it for a moment and look at verse 7. Here it indicates that Sodom and Gomorrah suffered the vengeance of “Eternal” fire. Turn back a few more pages to 2 Peter 2:6 what does it say here about those cities? They were turned to what? Ashes AND they would serve as-- EXAMPLES to those who would afterward live ungodly. Still not convinced? Jonah 2:6 Jonah is talking and he says that he was “Forever” in the belly of the whale. If you look up to verse 2 he even calls it hell. But in chapter 1 verse 17 we find that in reality it was only for three days and nights. Deuteronomy 23:3 calls ten generations “Forever” 1 Samuel 1:22 Samuels mother dedicates him to God’s service “Forever”. Forever being for as long as Samuel was living. Forever has many meanings and I cannot read Greek or Hebrew however I do have a great tool for helping me study the bible and that is a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and if you don’t have one you should get one. It has both the Hebrew and Greek words of the Bible in Dictionary form in the back of the book. Here are a few examples of the words that are translated as Hell in the Bible.

Sheol = grave and is used in the example of Jonah that we just looked at. It is used 31 times in the Old Testament.

Hades = means the grave or hell and is used 10 times in the New Testament.

Tartarus = a place of darkness and is used only once in the NT.

And last is Gehenna= which is translated a place of burning. It comes from Ge- and Hinnom which is the valley of Hinnom which was a garbage dump on the SW side of Jerusalem and it burned continuously, although it is not burning now. This word was used 12 times in the NT.

The point is, although not everyone can learn Greek and Hebrew, we can use scripture against scripture to figure out what is meant by forever. In the case of Hell, the laws of physics alone should be enough to convince someone of the fact that hell fire could not go on “Forever.” What does it take to make fire? A fuel source, heat and oxygen. Take any one element away and you cannot have fire. (If possible start a single piece of paper on fire, or…)What happens when it take this piece of paper and light it? Can I make the fire continue after the paper is gone? Not without adding more fuel to the fire. Once the wicked are completely destroyed the fire will go out.
Let me ask you a question. How would you feel if you were in heaven and you could look out of heaven and down into hell? What would you think of God if He could keep that reminder in front of your face “Forever”? Would you be afraid that if you crossed God He’d kick you out of heaven and down into hell? What if someone that you had loved here on earth didn’t make it into heaven? I think of going to the zoo and looking at the monkey island. All around this habitat is a huge chasm with me looking in and them looking out. I think that if I could see my loved one being tortured in hell forever that I’d be forever at the gate with tears streaming down my face. Heaven could not be heaven if this were the case but God assures me that this will not happen. See what He has to say in Revelation 21:1-4. God makes a new heaven and a new earth and god wipes every tear from our eyes. There is no more death or crying. God puts and end to Satan’s evil plan once and for all. Sin, pain death are all things of the past. Friend don’t you want to be ready for that day? Not because we want fire insurance but because we love God so much and wish to spend all eternity with Him? Let’s close with His words in Revelation chapter 22:11&12. One day very soon it will be too late. Too late to change which side of the fence we are sitting on. To late to get off of the fence and join a side. Making no choice now IS choosing the other side by default. God created you to be His companion. Hell is God’s design for Satan and his angels. You don’t need to be there, but it is a choice only you can make.

Answer 7

Were Learning!!!

Answer 8

What Really Is Hell?
WHATEVER image the word "hell" brings to your mind, hell is generally thought of as a place of punishment for sin. Concerning sin and its effect, the Bible says: "Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned." (Romans 5:12) The Scriptures also state: "The wages sin pays is death." (Romans 6:23) Since the punishment for sin is death, the fundamental question in determining the true nature of hell is: What happens to us when we die?

Does life of some kind, in some form, continue after death? What is hell, and what kind of people go there? Is there any hope for those in hell? The Bible gives truthful and satisfying answers to these questions.

Life After Death?
Does something inside us, like a soul or a spirit, survive the death of the body? Consider how the first man, Adam, came to have life. The Bible states: "Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life." (Genesis 2:7) Though breathing sustained his life, putting "the breath of life" into his nostrils involved much more than simply blowing air into his lungs. It meant that God put into Adam's lifeless body the spark of life—"the force of life," which is active in all earthly creatures. (Genesis 6:17; 7:22) The Bible refers to this animating force as "spirit." (James 2:26) That spirit can be compared to the electric current that activates a machine or an appliance and enables it to perform its function. Just as the current never takes on the features of the equipment it activates, the life-force does not take on any of the characteristics of the creatures it animates. It has no personality and no thinking ability.

What happens to the spirit when a person dies? Psalm 146:4 says: "His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish." When a person dies, his impersonal spirit does not go on existing in another realm as a spirit creature. It "returns to the true God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7) This means that any hope of future life for that person now rests entirely with God.

The ancient Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato held that a soul inside a person survives death and never dies. What does the Bible teach about the soul? Adam "came to be a living soul," says Genesis 2:7. He did not receive a soul; he was a soul—a whole person. The Scriptures speak of a soul's doing work, craving food, being kidnapped, experiencing sleeplessness, and so forth. (Leviticus 23:30; Deuteronomy 12:20; 24:7; Psalm 119:28) Yes, man himself is a soul. When a person dies, that soul dies.—Ezekiel 18:4.

What, then, is the condition of the dead? When pronouncing sentence upon Adam, Jehovah stated: "Dust you are and to dust you will return." (Genesis 3:19) Where was Adam before God formed him from the dust of the ground and gave him life? Why, he simply did not exist! When he died, Adam returned to that state of complete absence of life. The condition of the dead is made clear at Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10, where we read: "The dead know nothing . . . In the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." (New International Version) Scripturally, death is a state of nonexistence. The dead have no awareness, no feelings, no thoughts.

Unending Torment or Common Grave?
Since the dead have no conscious existence, hell cannot be a fiery place of torment where the wicked suffer after death. What, then, is hell? Examining what happened to Jesus after he died helps to answer that question. The Bible writer Luke recounts: "Neither was [Jesus] forsaken in Hades [hell, King James Version] nor did his flesh see corruption."* (Acts 2:31) Where was the hell to which even Jesus went? The apostle Paul wrote: "I handed on to you . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, yes, that he has been raised up the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4) So Jesus was in hell, the grave, but he was not abandoned there, for he was raised up, or resurrected.


Job prayed for protection in hell
Consider also the case of the righteous man Job, who suffered much. Wishing to escape his plight, he pleaded: "Who will grant me this, that thou mayest protect me in hell [Sheol], and hide me till thy wrath pass?"# (Job 14:13, Douay Version) How unreasonable to think that Job desired to go to a fiery-hot place for protection! To Job, "hell" was simply the grave, where his suffering would end. The Bible hell, then, is the common grave of mankind where good people as well as bad ones go.

Hellfire—All-Consuming?
Could it be that the fire of hell is symbolic of all-consuming, or thorough, destruction? Separating fire from Hades, or hell, the Scriptures say: "Death and Hades were hurled into the lake of fire." "The lake" mentioned here is symbolic, since death and hell (Hades) that are thrown into it cannot literally be burned. "This [lake of fire] means the second death"—death from which there is no hope of coming back to life.—Revelation 20:14.


Fiery Gehenna—a symbol of eternal destruction
The lake of fire has a meaning similar to that of "the fiery Gehenna [hell fire, King James Version]" that Jesus spoke of. (Matthew 5:22; Mark 9:47, 48) Gehenna occurs 12 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and it refers to the valley of Hinnom, outside the walls of Jerusalem. When Jesus was on earth, this valley was used as a garbage dump, "where the dead bodies of criminals, and the carcasses of animals, and every other kind of filth was cast." (Smith's Dictionary of the Bible) The fires were kept burning by adding sulfur to burn up the refuse. Jesus used that valley as a proper symbol of everlasting destruction.

As does Gehenna, the lake of fire symbolizes eternal destruction. Death and Hades are "hurled into" it in that they will be done away with when mankind is freed from sin and the condemnation of death. Willful, unrepentant sinners will also have their "portion" in that lake. (Revelation 21:8) They too will be annihilated forever. On the other hand, those in God's memory who are in hell—the common grave of mankind—have a marvelous future.

Hell Emptied!
Revelation 20:13 states: "The sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them." Yes, the Bible hell will be emptied. As Jesus promised, "the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear [Jesus'] voice and come out." (John 5:28, 29) Although no longer presently existing in any form, millions of dead ones who are in Jehovah God's memory will be resurrected, or brought back to life, in a restored earthly paradise.—Luke 23:43; Acts 24:15.

In the new world of God's making, resurrected humans who comply with his righteous laws will never need to die again. (Isaiah 25:8) Jehovah "will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore." In fact, "the former things [will] have passed away." (Revelation 21:4) What a blessing is in store for those in hell—"the memorial tombs"! This blessing indeed is reason enough for us to take in more knowledge of Jehovah God and his Son, Jesus Christ.—John 17:3.