End TimesTier 1AgreeStarted by Robert Williams - May 13, 2026 - 9 comments
Hell is eternal... but temporary
Discussing:
“Hell is eternal conscious torment.”
Thread starter's perspective:
Hell is illustrated as torment, but is described as annihilation
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ЭЛ
6
Many people dream the place where nobody does crime. So the place is hell.
Why they scare hell if the place is safe to stay there forever?
They are able to do crime in heaven, but in hell they can do nothing bad.
NC
657
I lean towards annihilationism myself (although I am not dogmatic about it). What I found interesting is the language Jesus uses when describing Gehenna/the Lake of Fire; he says the body is destroyed there. This can be understood as annihilation or as continuous destruction when read in English. In Greek, however, the difference can be accurately indicated, avoiding ambiguity.
In Greek, when it is said that the body is destroyed in Gehenna, the aorist tense is used for "destroyed". This is significant because although the aorist tense is erroneously seen by many as just a past tense, it often (especially in the subjunctive mood, as it is in Matthew 5:30) is used not to indicate time, but rather completeness. This is as opposed to the present subjunctive form, which would indicate a continuing action.
As an example, take the phrase "It is good that he read". If we understand "read" as a general statement (i.e., it is good that he read in general), this would be rendered in Greek in the present subjunctive, but if we understand "read" as referencing a single act of reading (i.e., it is good that he read a specific text once, but not necessarily again), it would be rendered in the aorist subjunctive.
As the word "destroyed" in the examples Jesus gives us is rendered in the aorist subjunctive, this implies a single event of destruction, as opposed to if he used the present subjunctive, which would indicate a continuous destruction.
Verses, however, that are not in the subjunctive mood need to be read differently since this explanation is very specific to the subjunctive.
It should also be noted that this is not a 100% confirmation of anything, as there are always exceptions.
DT
1.0k
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.”
Revelation 14:11
Though I suppose it depends on how you interpret Revelation and who the ones are that worship the beast and his image.
MS
504
where are you getting the " described as annihilation" from? Personally I'm not sure if I side on eternal torment, or if eventually the soul ceases to exist.
RW
365
Hell, based on scripture, is either:
- eternal torment
- eternal separation from God and all that comes with Him (peace, comfort, love, etc)
- ceasing to exist
I'd like to give an argument for the last of the three views of hell (ie: annihilation). To start, scripture suggests that NOTHING is eternal but God... UNLESS God allows it (eg, the soul) and that eternal life is the REWARD from God:
John 11:26 states, "everyone who lives and believes in Me **will never die**.
Likewise, Jesus also stated that, "**this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.**" (John 17:3)
And: **the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life** in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
This seems to imply those who don't believe *will* die, opposed to their soul remaining for all eternity, as with those to whom the reward of eternal life if given. In other words, all people die (Hebrew 9:27) but those that "die *in* Christ" are the ones that are to receive eternal life/will be resurrected (John 11:25).
Moreover, Jesus was clear on the fact that the soul *is* destroyed in hell:
"And 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)
Of course there is much more to this, including how "forever" is tied to the punishment. But that will have to be for later as I don't want to bog down this post.
