Where In The Bible Will I Find:

Shall The Wicked Dead Be Punished Eternally?

Some think not, but that thinking comes from man and not from God. The phrase, "eternal life," occurs many times in the New Testament, but never suggests mere existence, but always the inexpressible joy of association with God and all that is good; so its opposite, "eternal death," never denotes mere non-existence, but always separation from, and the loss of heaven and all that heaven means. As eternal life is synonymous of unending happiness, so eternal death denotes ceaseless misery.

John wrote about the place prepared for the wicked, "...and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20:10). Consciousness is an essential element of torment or misery. It is not possible, to torment an unconscious or a non-existent person. The torment is to last forever; therefore the one tormented must endure forever. Therefore, the consciousness of the one tormented must be forever. From that irresistible conclusion there is no escape. The duration of the enjoyment of the righteous in heaven is the same as that which designates the period of torment the wicked shall endure in the hell of fire.

"And these shall go away into (aioonios) punishment: but the righteous into (aioonios) life" (Matt. 25:46). The same word (eternal), translated from the same word (aioonios) designates the same length of time. There is no teaching anywhere in the Bible that suggests the view that punishment is a state of non-existence resulting from annihilation, nor does the Greek word (kolasis) lead the least encouragement to such a position.

Materialists, as well as Jehovah's Witnesses, Adventist and other annihilationists, err greatly in their attempts to cite other Greek words as proof of non-existence. Jesus plainly taught that the fire of hell will never be quenched. In fact, to emphasize it, He said it three times, "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44, 46, 49). These passages plainly have reference to the final doom of the wicked, and shows beyond peradventure that their punishment will be without end.

The world is becoming full of infidelity in all its various forms, from atheism down through all the varied forms of materialism, soul sleeping, spiritualism, universalism, etc. And in a large majority of instances where men disbelieve the Bible, or claim to do so, it is because they are unwilling to yield themselves to its requirements and want an excuse for not doing so. They have long tried to take the idea of eternal punishment of the wicked out of the Bible; but they have never yet made a respectable showing in the matter, nor will they ever be able to do so. God's Word stands forever.