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Revelation 20:10 depicts hell in the following manner (NKJV, emphasis mine):

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Also, while it doesn't directly say the torment is eternal, Revelation 14:11 comes close as well (NKJV, emphasis mine):

And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.

Aside from these two verses in Revelation, do any other Books of the Bible depict eternal torment, or is the symbolic Book of Revelation the only source for eternal torment? I'm not looking for verses that discuss eternal "punishment" (which is vaguer) or verses that speak of just "torment" without saying such is forever/eternal. Rather, I'm looking specifically for verses that depict torment/torture as being eternal/forever.

The Editor
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    With regards man, it does not appear to be the case that one suffers or is tormented eternally. Rather... "do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28 – Ryan Pierce Williams Aug 25 '22 at 17:37
  • @RyanPierceWilliams, it seems you're expressing an annihilationist view. I read this question as a particular request for evidence against annihilationism. Therefore, your comment does not seem very helpful. It's hard to give a negative answer, but maybe you could show how verses that are often taken as supporting eternal torment are in fact consistent with annihilationism? – Matthew Aug 25 '22 at 17:48
  • where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched Mark 4:44 and Mark 4:46 and Mark 4:48. If located in an unquenchable fire, where their worm does not expire, then it is an eternal state and it is torment. – Nigel J Aug 25 '22 at 18:08
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    Interesting fact about 14:11 - that phrase "smoke rises forever" is used elsewhere to denote permanent destruction, notably the destruction of Babylon and I think Edom. It seems to be a euphemism similar to 'bites the dust' – Isaac Middlemiss Aug 25 '22 at 19:32
  • @IsaacMiddlemiss I've heard of that as well, which is why I clarified that "while it doesn't directly say the torment is eternal, Revelation 14:11 comes close." Do you know where the verses are that speak of Babylon and (possibly) Edom's smoke as rising forever? – The Editor Aug 26 '22 at 12:34
  • The linked question has answers presenting many other verses, so I think it's still a valid duplicate. – curiousdannii Aug 27 '22 at 13:23
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    The other smoke rising forever references are Revelation 19:3 (Babylon) and Isaiah 34:10 (Edom) – Isaac Middlemiss Aug 29 '22 at 20:38

2 Answers2

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... where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched

[Mark 9:44 and Mark 9:46 and Mark 9:48 KJV].

If located in an unquenchable fire, where their worm ('their' worm refers to something 'of them' and not an exterior thing) does not expire, then it is an eternal state and it is torment.

Nigel J
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    I fail to see what about this verse denotes eternal torment. Worms and fire both consume a body, they are not the body itself. – Isaac Middlemiss Aug 25 '22 at 19:30
  • Why do you think that their worm refers to their body? Some translations, such as the NIV, even explicitly say 'The worm that eats them'. There's no basis for your interpretation – Isaac Middlemiss Aug 26 '22 at 00:17
  • In fact Isaiah 66 verse 24, where the passage is quoted from, explicitly states that "They shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me", emphasis mine, ESV – Isaac Middlemiss Aug 26 '22 at 00:21
  • I do not have a valid answer to the question, which asks for positive references. Rearranging the phrasing of "their worm" still doesn't lend itself to your interpretation, particularly given the context – Isaac Middlemiss Aug 26 '22 at 00:23
  • Additionally, the specific word skōlēx used for worm is a particular type of worm which feeds on dead bodies, according to my interlinear translation – Isaac Middlemiss Aug 26 '22 at 00:41
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    I suggest you read this answer of mine Nigel J. You might find something helpful. :) https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/76290/what-are-the-unquenchable-fire-and-worms-that-do-not-die-in-mark-943-48 – Rajesh Aug 26 '22 at 01:29
  • @NigelJ, as long as there is food to eat, the worms will live, and as long as there is fuel to burn, the fire will burn. The scripture isn't saying that there are immortal worms, only that nothing will prevent them from fulfilling their task and nothing or no one will extinguish the fire until it too has finished. – Ray Butterworth Aug 26 '22 at 12:36
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    For clarification, I'm looking for verses where the torment/consciousness of man is said to be eternal. Mark 9 doesn't say the person does not die or that one's consciousness is not quenched, but rather that the worm and fire cannot be stopped. As @IsaacMiddlemiss pointed out, just because the worm and fire are unstoppable doesn't mean the consciousness of the sinner is permanent. The verse Jesus quotes, for example (Isaiah 66:24), is discussing "corpses," not living, conscious beings. Therefore, verses that speak of torment or consciousness specifically as being eternal are what I'd like. – The Editor Aug 26 '22 at 12:37
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Yes. Here are some examples:

2 Thessalonians 1:9 - These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power...

Matthew 25:41 - Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels...'

Against this we have 2 Peter 3:9:

The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

For those who believe in the doctrine of universal salvation, this verse in interpreted to mean that God will eventually bless everyone with his grace of forgiveness. If God wills that all people will reach repentance, then they will reach repentance:

Isaiah 55:11 - so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

See also:

2 Chronicles 7:14 - if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Thus we can see that there are Bible verses that can be understood to both support and oppose the idea of eternal punishment.

Dan Fefferman
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    Your quotations three and five regard the penitent. The question was about the fate of the wicked. Quotation four is about neither. – Nigel J Aug 25 '22 at 18:14
  • Not clearly. Those who believe in universal salvation interpret them as I said they do. But I will change my final sentence in light of your objection. – Dan Fefferman Aug 25 '22 at 18:16
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    Neither of the first two quotes seem to indicate eternal torment, and the third almost seems like an argument against. As with Mark 9:48, just because a fire burns eternally does not mean someone thrown into said fire is burned eternally. A fire can certainly outlast any particular thing that is thrown into it. – Matthew Aug 25 '22 at 19:17
  • This post does not deserve a -2 score, upvoted +1 – Hold To The Rod Aug 26 '22 at 00:44
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    @HoldToTheRod, I didn't downvote, but this is a weak answer. It uses words like "destruction" and "perish" and expects us to understand them as a process that is experienced for all time, when they in fact indicate a change of state from existence to non-existence. They don't teach "eternal torment" and could be removed from the answer without affecting it. – Ray Butterworth Aug 26 '22 at 12:41
  • Part of my problem was that I answer the ending question: "do any other Books of the Bible depict eternal torment?" to which I answered yes. The main question asked the opposite: "Is the Book of Revelation the only place in Scripture teaching eternal torment?" To that my answer were be "no." I did not make the expected distinction between torment and punishment but on that point I think I was correct ;-). I admit that I went beyond the question... I could not resist the temptation to point out verses that seem to promise hope even for the damned. Thanks everyone for your feedback. – Dan Fefferman Jul 08 '23 at 21:43