Hell is a place described in the Bible. It is a place of punishment for the wicked. It is also mentioned in the New Testament. Hell is eternal.
What Is the Bible’s Take on Hell?
The Bible is very clear that hell is a real place. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus says, “Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” And in Revelation 20:15, we read, “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
There are a few things we can learn from these verses about hell. First, hell was created for the devil and his angels. This means that hell was not created for humans. We see from this that hell is not natural to us; it is contrary to our nature. Second, hell is eternal. There will be no end to the torment of those in hell. Third, hell is a place of fire. This fire is not the kind that burns up the body; it is the kind that burns up the soul.
So what does the Bible say about hell? Hell is a real place; it is contrary to our nature, it is eternal, and it is a place of fire.
Where Does the Bible Say Hell Is Eternal?
There are a few different places in the Bible where it is mentioned that hell is eternal. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus says that He will send the wicked to eternal fire. In 2 Thessalonians 1:9, it says that those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel will be punished with eternal destruction. And in Revelation 20:10, it says that the devil, the beast, and the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
So, there are definitely verses that mention that hell is eternal. But there are also some verses that seem to suggest that hell is not eternal. For example, in Matthew 10:28, Jesus says that those who deny Him will be thrown into the Gehenna of fire, which is the place where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. But the next verse says that everyone will be salted with fire. So, it is possible that the fire in Gehenna is not actually eternal.
There are also some verses that say that hell will be destroyed. In 2 Peter 3:7, it says that the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything on it will be burned up. And in Revelation 20:14, it says that death and hell will be thrown into the lake of fire.
So, there are definitely some verses that suggest that hell is not eternal. But there are also some verses that say that it is. It is really up to interpretation.
What Does “Hell” Mean in the Bible?
The word “hell” is found 54 times in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. The word “hell” appears in the Old Testament approximately 31 times and in the New Testament 23 times. The following is a breakdown of where the word “hell” appears in the Bible.
In the Old Testament, the word “hell” is found in the following books:
Deuteronomy 32:22
2 Samuel 22:6
1 Kings 2:9
Job 11:8
Psalms 9:17
Psalms 16:10
Psalms 18:5
Psalms 55:15
Proverbs 5:5
Proverbs 7:27
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Isaiah 5:14
Isaiah 14:9
Isaiah 28:15
Isaiah 28:18
Lamentations 3:55
Ezekiel 31:16
Ezekiel 32:27
The word “hell” is found in the following books of the New Testament:
Matthew 5:22
Matthew 5:29
Matthew 10:28
Matthew 18:9
Mark 9:43
Mark 9:45
Mark 9:47
Luke 12:5
Luke 16:23
2 Peter 2:4
Revelation 1:18
Revelation 6:8
Revelation 20:13
The word “hell” is found in the following verses in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible:
Deuteronomy 32:22
“For a fire is kindled in my anger, and it shall burn unto the lowest hell, and consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.”
2 Samuel 22:6
“The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me.”
1 Kings 2:9
“And now, O king, the LORD thy God has fulfilled his promise made unto thee.”
What Is the Biblical Meaning of Hell?
The purpose of hell is to punish those who have rejected God and his offer of salvation. Hell is a place of separation from God, and it is a place of eternal torment.
The Bible makes it clear that hell is a real place and that it is a place of great suffering. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus says, “Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” This is a clear reference to “hell” as a place of punishment.
Revelation 20:15 says, “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Again, this is a clear reference to hell as a place of punishment.
There are many other verses that speak of hell as a place of punishment. Hell is a real place, and it is a place of great suffering.
How Can We Know Hell Is Eternal?
There are many people who believe that once a person dies, they either go to heaven or hell. But what does the Bible actually say about hell? Is it truly eternal?
The concept of hell is found throughout the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, it is called Sheol and is described as a place of darkness and gloom (Job 10:21–22; Psalm 88:3–4). In the New Testament, it is called Hades and is described as a place of torment (Luke 16:19–31).
There are also a number of passages that describe hell as a place of fire (Matthew 13:41–42, 25:41, Mark 9:43–48, Revelation 14:10–11, 20:10–15).
So what does all of this mean?
Simply put, the Bible clearly teaches that hell is a real place and that it is eternal. There is no escaping it. Once a person dies and goes to hell, they will be there forever.
This is a scary thought, but it is also a reminder of how important it is to make sure we are right with God before we die. Because once we die, it is too late.
If you have not yet made the decision to follow Jesus, I urge you to do so today. Don’t wait until it’s too late. If you died today, where would you spend eternity?
Conclusion
The Bible does not explicitly say that hell is eternal. However, some passages in the Bible seem to suggest that hell might be a permanent place where sinners are punished for eternity. For example, in the book of Revelation, Jesus says that “the fire of hell will devour them” (Revelation 20:15). Some Christians also believe that the book of Revelation refers to the second coming of Christ and that Christ will punish the wicked forever after he returns to Earth. In the book of Romans, Paul writes that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Therefore, it seems that the Bible teaches that sinners will be punished for eternity in some form or another.
Joseph Bates is a teacher at the University of Holy Cross. He has served on the staff of Northern Baptist and United Methodist churches in Tampa, Ohio, and Florida.
