Faith First Media

Eternal Conscious Torture in Hell vs. Annihilation in the Lake of Fire

What Does the Bible Really Teach?

by Matthew Elton

copyright 2009 Matthew Elton

The concept of hades as a place of eternal torture for the immortal soul has its origins in Platonic philosophy and Greek Mythology, and is foreign to the Bible. The Old Testament Jewish Scriptures are very clear that the human soul is not immortal, and the New Testament confirms this. The Bible teaches that the dead are quite literally dead, not alive in heaven or in hell. However, there will come a day when Jesus will return and the dead will rise and be judged - some to eternal life in the Kingdom of God, and others to destruction in the hell fire of the Lake of Fire. The Bible teaches that the unrighteous who do not accept Jesus as Lord will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, where they will die. Common sense dictates that anyone who is thrown into a fire will burn to death. The only way that the unrighteous could burn for all eternity is if they were granted eternal life, which the Bible clearly states is only going to be granted to the righteous who accept Jesus as Lord.

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.

--John 3:16

As of right now, the King of kings is the only person who possesses immortality!  His followers will receive eternal life later at the resurrection of the righteous.

Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

--1 Timothy 6:15-16

This proves that there is no one except Jesus currently living forever in heaven, and there is also no one living forever in hell!

According to the Bible, death is like sleeping. It is simply awaiting the future resurrection and judgement. In fact, Jesus used the words sleep and death interchangeably: 



After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead”


--John 11:11-14 



Those that are dead are not in heaven or hell! They are "asleep" in the "dust of the earth" awaiting the coming resurrection that will occur when Christ returns to judge the world: 



Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

--Daniel 12:2


When you are dead, you are not conscious. You don't know anything. You are not tortured for all eternity in some underground cave. You are quite literally dead.

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.

--Ecclesiastes 9:5

The Bible tells us that King David did not go to heaven!  If King David didn't go to heaven, what chance do you have of going to heaven?  Are you any better than King David?

For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand

--Acts 2:34

Jesus is the only person who has ever gone to heaven:

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.

--John 3:13

When you die, nothing happens. There is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom when you are dead: 



Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.


--Ecclesiastes 9:10 



When David was fleeing Saul, he was afraid he was going to die. He pleaded with God, saying: 



No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?

--Pslam 6:5

If David had thought he was going to heaven, he would not have said this, since he would certainly be able to praise from heaven.



The dead cannot think, act, or communicate. They remain in a dreamless sleep, awaiting the return of Christ, when they will be resurrected, and judged (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) Since there is no consciousness in death, there is no sense of time. When you die, the next thing you will know will be the resurrection and final judgement (commonly referred to as "Judgment Day") in which the righteous will enter the Kingdom of God (also known as the Kingdom of Heaven, see Matthew 19:23-24) on a new and perfect earth and dwell there forever, and the unrighteous will be thrown into a lake of fire where both their bodies and their souls will be destroyed in hell fire. If your body and your soul are both destroyed, there is nothing left to torture! This proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the unrighteous will not be tortured for all eternity - they will die in the lake of fire, and remain dead forever. They will not receive the eternal life in the paradise of the Kingdom of God that is promised to those who follow Jesus as Lord.

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

--Matthew 10:28

The wages of sin is death - not eternal life in hell!

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

--Ezekiel 18:4

The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

--Romans 6:23

Finally, another common misconception about hell is that the unrighteous will not be tortured, but be cast in hell where they will be “eternally separated from God.” Such a doctrine is completely unbiblical. The Bible teaches that God is omnipresent, which means that he exists everywhere - on Earth, in heaven, and even in hell:

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

--Psalm 139:8

Have questions, comments, criticisms, or concerns?

Email me at: Matt@faithfirstmedia.com