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I have always believed that if you go to hell your soul will be there for ever. After looking at all the versus talking about heaven and hell, is there any verse that clearly states your soul will LIVE forever in hell. What does the words parish and destroy mean in Hebrew and Greek?

Nathaniel is protesting
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Erica
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  • Also in revelations 20:10 it sounds like the devil, prophet and beast will be the only ones being tormented for ever and ever. So is there another scripture that says souls will be tormented for ever and ever? – Erica Sep 29 '13 at 18:41
  • Revelation 1:1. Sorry to be a bit nit picky, but it is a single revelation, seen all at one time, written down by one person. Revelations implies something else. –  Sep 30 '13 at 01:07
  • yes, I know Revelations is written differently and I really don't like using Revelations alone to try to figure things out. It was the only scripture I found that said forever and ever and hell in the same sentence. I know I need to freshen up on Revelations again! thanks – Erica Oct 01 '13 at 21:43
  • I'm not sure you understood me. It is called "Revelation." It is not called "Revelations." No s. It is one revelation. It is not several or many revelations. –  Oct 01 '13 at 23:13

2 Answers2

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Does hell really burn forever?

Ask yourself this, are Sodom and Gomorrah still burning? No they are not.

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Jude 1:7

Because they are set as an example of what eternal fire will be like, you can see that they are not burning eternally. The everlasting fire means the fire cannot be quenched. There is no escape. The fire comes from Him who is an All-consuming fire, God Himself.

There are different schools of thought on this, but to me it is evident that hell is not happening right now, and that it is not forever. For many reasons.

1) God is a JUST God.

If a man were to enter a store and steal something, would it be fair for him to receive life in prison? Definitely not. The punishment does not fit the crime. In the same manner, God will not punish those who living a sinful life of 70 or 80 years with millions, billions, or trillions of years of burning. The punishment does not fit the crime.

2) The story of the rich man and Lazarus is a parable.

The rich man and Lazarus is surrounded by parables. In Luke 15 Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son, a story that is accepted as a parable. In the beginning of Luke 16 He tells the parable of the rich man and his dishonest manager (which as you can see starts the same way as the rich man and Lazarus). Then the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

It would be too lengthy to get into the specifics of why Jesus said that parable and its meaning, but I'll out a resource at the bottom. Just a couple of things. If you take the parable of the rich man and Lazarus as reality, then you must accept that people who go to heaven go to Abraham's physical bosom and people who go to hell can be seen by those in heaven and can even speak to them.

3) Pain in the new heavens and the new earth

After the Earth is recreated (new heavens and new earth), there will be no more sorrow, pain or suffering. If you believe in an eternal hell, there will still be sorrow, pain, and suffering.

4) Destroy both body and soul

The eternal suffering in hell is made under the presumption that we 'have an immortal soul'. How can the soul be immortal if it can be killed? These are contradictory and I choose to believe the Bible and the direct words of Jesus when He says,

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

These are just a few reasons but there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that hell is not burning right now, that it will not be eternal, and that the soul is NOT immortal. It you wish to know more about what the Bible says about this visit this website.

Also, if you'd like to watch a short video on this, it can be found on this website, or here.

EDIT: A sermon explaining this topic from the SCRIPTURE ONLY can be found here.

JesusIsComingSoon
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    I disagree. There are two types of death, spiritual death (meaning separation from God) and physical death. Spritual death is very commonly referenced in the Bible. The just punishment for sin is eternal damnation, not a temporary thing. The only way people can be saved from this punishment is to turn towards Christ and rely on what He has done. It would not be just for non-believers to be able to leave hell after a certain period of time, for we cannot do anything to redeem ourselves outside of what God has done for us – Zach Saucier Sep 30 '13 at 15:56
  • @Zeaklous Thanks for the comment. A differing view is always welcome. I have a question for you. The Bible categorizes stealing as a sin. If your son steals a watch from the store, is it fair for him to hell to burn for million upon millions of years? That is not fair and it's a misrepresentation of God's love. The Bible clearly says that the wages of sin is death. You say spiritual death. But Jesus paid what was coming to us. Was Jesus punished for all eternity? No. He suffered and was killed, but the punishment had an end. He suffered the second death as this is the one he liberated us from. – JesusIsComingSoon Sep 30 '13 at 16:17
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    I would say if my son steals once he does deserve to burn in hell for eternity unless he turns to Christ, for as you said the wages of sin is death (spiritual separation from God for eternity and physical death once, not just a period of restitution). Jesus was not punished for all of eternity because He was perfect. If we accept Him into our lives, we take on His righteousness (Phil. 3:9 "and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith") – Zach Saucier Sep 30 '13 at 18:01
  • @Zeaklous my dear brother. God says time and time again that the soul dies! The one that told the first lie is the one that wants you to think that you have an immortal soul. This was the very first lie. God said in Genesis 2:17 "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof THOU SHALT SURELY DIE." And in Genesis 3:4 it says, "And the serpent said unto the woman, YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE." – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 01 '13 at 12:20
  • The devil has an agenda in which the utmost deception will be carried out. And if we believe that the dead are not really dead, we shall be deceived. Remember the words of directly from the mouth of God in Ezekiel 18:20 , "The soul that sinneth, IT SHALL DIE." – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 01 '13 at 12:22
  • So you believe that we go into a state of nothingness after a period of time in Heaven or hell? That our soul ceases to exist after a while? – Zach Saucier Oct 01 '13 at 12:38
  • When we die it is like a sleep, as Jesus said in John 11:11 and as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. We sleep until the second coming of our LORD when He comes in the last day. Then as Paul continues to say in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 the dead in Christ shall be raised first and meet the LORD in the air along with the righteous who are still alive. And live with him forever. Then wicked dead shall take part in the second resurrection. Where they will be shown their judgement, their wicked ways, and finally be destroyed by the fire that proceeds from God. This is when hell takes place. – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 01 '13 at 12:50
  • And they are burned according to their works, until they are completely consumed, the one to suffers longest will be Satan. Then finally the universe is completely purged of sin. Then will the Earth be recreated for us to live in and we will be restored to the original plan that God had for us in the garden of Eden. God's plan of salvation was a plan to restore that which He made perfectly. – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 01 '13 at 12:53
  • Psalms 37:11 and Matthew 5:5 says that the meek shall inherit the earth. And then read what v. 20 says, "But the wicked shall PERISH, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away." That is what the Bible means by perish. "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. It is either PERISH by being consumed as the Bible says, or everlasting life. There is no middle ground. There is no eternal torture. God is love. – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 01 '13 at 12:59
  • @jlaverde, thank you. I have always believed in God and heaven and hell, and had never read the scriptures that talks about perishing any other way before. I believed that a bad soul would be tortured forever. I have just started studying this topic and looking at it differently. My friend can not wrap her head around a soul not being tortured forever because she believes it would be relief for them. I think after we all see God when we die, atheists would rather burn for ever in hell rather than to consume away/ parish. – Erica Oct 01 '13 at 22:44
  • I take it that consume away / parish means at some point no longer exist. I just started studying about this topic, thank you for your info. – Erica Oct 01 '13 at 22:46
  • @jlaverde What about Matt 25:41 "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'.", Matt 25:46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life”, 2 Thess 1:9 "These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power", – Zach Saucier Oct 02 '13 at 03:42
  • Matt 18:8 "And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal fire", and even Jude 7 which you used as evidence against me "Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire" – Zach Saucier Oct 02 '13 at 03:44
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    Also Jude 12-13 "These men are those who are ...caring for themselves... for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever". Again, I hold the belief that the perishing you are referencing is a spiritual death, a separation from God, not a destruction of the soul. True, they will not be on the New Earth, but that does not mean that they will not remain in hell forever. This does not make God any less of a loving God, He still sacrificed His son from them. But He is also a completely just God and the punishment for sin is eternal death (separation from God) – Zach Saucier Oct 02 '13 at 03:48
  • @Erica please prayerfully study this subject. I will be praying for you and for myself to get a deeper knowledge of His Word. – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 02 '13 at 12:17
  • @Zeaklous Yes, according to the Bible, the fire is everlasting. We must let the Bible explain itself. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with everlasting, or eternal, fire (Jude 7), and that fire turned them "into ashes" as a warning to "those that after should live ungodly," 2 Peter 2:6. These cities are not burning today. The fire went out after everything was burned out. Likewise, everlasting fire will go out after it has turned the wicked to ashes (Malachi 4:3). The effects of the fire are everlasting, but not the burning itself. – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 02 '13 at 14:06
  • I see we will remain at ends on this subject. It's an open handed issue so that's alright. Have a good day! – Zach Saucier Oct 02 '13 at 14:13
  • @Zeaklous Also about everlasting punishment, notice that the word is punishment, not punishing. Punishing would be continuous, while punishment is one act. The punishment of the wicked is death, and this death is everlasting. And as far as eternal destruction, I think this explains the everlasting punishment. The person is destroyed for the rest of eternity. The black darkness is eternal death. No consciousness. If hell were a place that is eternally burning, then it would not be eternal darkness. If there is fire, then there is no darkness. – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 02 '13 at 14:15
  • @Zeaklous I really do appreciate your comments as it brings me into studying the subject more closely, my brother! It is a tough subject to understand. – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 02 '13 at 14:18
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Yes there is and it is the Revelation.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

You might also look at the words of Jesus in:

Mar_9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Mar_9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Mar_9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

and if I may I suggest you read the entire 9th chapter of Mark

BYE
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  • Yes, thank you very much. I am just reading it different now, not knowing of I still see it the same way.but the second death, Rev. 20:14, when hell is cast into it, the lake of fire, does the soul survive in the lake of fire? – Erica Sep 30 '13 at 02:47
  • I have been reading scriptures like, John 3:16 ....shall not parish, but have eternal life. Does parish mean to not be in existence any more after they were in hell then thrown into the lake of fire? Also the scripture that says be afraid of the one who can not just kill the body but kill the body and soul in hell. The only scriptures that you quoted that I can see how it really does say that hell is eturnal is Mark 9:44,46,48. I also kind of read it like this, there worm/soul will not die until they are thrown into the lake of fire, then it would be quenched. – Erica Sep 30 '13 at 02:47
  • thank you so much for taking the time to answer my first question. I am also going to talk with our preacher and some other people from our church. I just want to be prepared and to not be caught of guard if any questions come up about this. We have some friends who are atheist and it has really made me want to dig deeper. – Erica Sep 30 '13 at 02:50
  • you might also check out Matthew 25:46

    And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

    If the Soul were to cease to exist, then punishment would not be everlasting. Also consider John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: Just as Jesus picked up his life (as evidenced by the empty Tomb), he also gives your body life again just as he did Lazarus:

     – BYE Oct 01 '13 at 00:03
  • @CecilBeckum The punishment would be everlasting as you would miss everlasting life with the LORD. Lazarus is an interesting case. If you believe that Lazarus was in heaven when he died, then Jesus brought him from a place of worship to the Almighty, to a place of pain, sickness, and misery once again. – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 01 '13 at 12:15
  • @CecilBeckum I apologize sister, but please read the words of God. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:20. Now listen to the words of the serpent, "And the serpent said unto the woman, YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE." Genesis 3:4. In other words the serpent says You shall die, but not surely. The EXACT teaching of the immortality of the soul which CANNOT be substantiated by the Bible. I will edit my answer and include a sermon which explains most of these things. Please prayerfully watch it and may the LORD show you what the Bible teaches. – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 01 '13 at 12:28
  • @CecilBeckum, matthew 25:46, I think in some way that we could not understand until we die, maybe, that punishment would be to know God and to see God and to not exist anymore, knowing for what actually feels like an eternity that you will no longer even be. Could be something way worse than we could ever imagine here in our earthy brain/mind. I think annihilationsim is the proper theory title. I would say I am a conservative Christian and I never want to take the liberty to say something the Bible does not say, or do something it doesn't mention.I have just started to study on this subject – Erica Oct 06 '13 at 19:07
  • I do feel though that either way, or if it can be interpreted both ways that I really just want everyone to go to Heaven. I have only just started questioning (myself quietly) on this topic, wanting to be prepared better. Thank you for that verse, I know my study on this subject is not over. :) – Erica Oct 06 '13 at 19:12
  • @Erica "... shall not parish"? That's quite funny, you know. – Mawia Oct 09 '13 at 08:14
  • @Erika Whether or not the soul is destroyed in the lake of fire depends on how you read;Rev_20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Rev_20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.It would appear that death is cast into the lake of fire before condemned souls.My belief is that the soul is eternal;Gen_2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.The breath of life is apparently a part of the eternal God. – BYE Oct 13 '13 at 20:41
  • @jlaverde The name is Cecil and not Cecielle, and so the term sister is somewhat distressing. – BYE Oct 13 '13 at 20:46
  • @CecilBeckum As far as I know, I never referred to you as Cecielle... And it is pretty clear from the words of Jesus that God CAN AND WILL destroy the soul, "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 BODY AND SOUL IN HELL." Matthew 10:28 You can believe that the soul is eternal if that is what you want to believe. God is pretty clear that it is not. "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 – JesusIsComingSoon Oct 14 '13 at 12:11
  • No you did not refer to me as Cecille, but on Oct. 1st you did say "I apologize sister", but my retort was not in anger only to point out that Cecil is not necessarily a feminine name such as Cecille is. But can we bury the hatchet and be friends, then leave this whole incident behind. Cecil (male) – BYE Oct 14 '13 at 15:12