In today’s episode, I want to conclude my podcast series concerning the duration of hell. Is hell a place of eternal suffering, or is hell a place of eternal death?

One of the main scriptures used to promote the view of eternal torment is Matthew 25:41, 46. Jesus says that when he comes to judge the world, he will say to those who did not believe in him: “ ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ . . .these will go away into eternal punishment.”

These verses are often used to prove that hell is a place of eternal torment. Other evangelical scholars, however, have a different interpretation. Collin Brown says that eternal fire and punishment might be ways to describe a fire that consumes the wicked and continues to burn.[1] In other words, the text leaves open the possibility that Jesus is describing hell as an eternal place that destroys the wicked forever.

Clark Pinnock is more specific. Concerning this verse, Pinnock says, “The fire of God’s judgment simply consumes the lost… God does not raise the wicked in order to torture them consciously forever, but… condemn them to extinction.”[2]

Other evangelical scholars raise similar doubts about what Jesus meant in Matthew 25. In my opinion, beliefs about hell should not be based on passages that are debatable and open to divergent interpretations.

Another proof text used to defend the doctrine of eternal torment is the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. In this story, Jesus says that after death, Lazarus went to Abraham’s bosom, and the rich man went to Hades, which is described as a place of fire and torment.

One problem with using this story as a proof text for eternal torment is that the story appears to be a parable. By definition, parables like the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son are fictional stories that teach a moral lesson. I don’t think we should build a doctrine about the afterlife on a parable.

Furthermore, a close reading of this story shows that it’s not a story about hell. It is a story about reversals. The story is about a rich man and a poor man whose circumstances are reversed in the next life. The rich man does not appear to be wicked. He is simply rich. Lazarus does not appear to be virtuous. He is simply poor. In death, their conditions are reversed. In my opinion, because of its parabolic nature and the possibility that it may simply be a story about reversed circumstances after death, this story should not be used as proof for eternal torment.

The same tentative approach should be used when reading about the eternal Lake of Fire in the book of Revelation 14:9-11:

If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.

In Revelation 20:14-15: “Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

There is no doubt that the phrase “forever and ever” means for all eternity, but the book of Revelation is full of symbolism and figures of speech. Again, I believe caution is warranted. Do we really want to build our doctrine of eternal torment on words that may be symbols for something else?

If God wanted to say that the fate of unbelievers is eternal torment, why didn’t he explain it more clearly? Let’s look and see what God did say.

The Bible says, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:14).”

Jesus says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28).” Jesus says that God can destroy the soul in hell.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Those who do not believe in Jesus will perish, meaning they will die and be destroyed.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 says unbelievers “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”

The Apostle Paul said, “I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction (Philippians 3:18-19).”

Hebrews 10:27 says that sinners face “a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” To be consumed by fire is to be destroyed by fire until nothing remains.

This survey concerning the fate of unbelievers leaves us with relatively few verses that suggest they will burn forever in the fires of hell. One is debatable. One is a parable, and the other is in the book of Revelation, which is filled with symbolism.

When faced with a choice between divergent teachings in the Bible, theologians often resolve the problem by noting the weight of evidence that favors one conclusion over another. They prioritize clearer and recurring ideas to interpret obscure or exceptional ones. In this way, we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture.

I’m appealing to conservative evangelical Christians who take their Bible seriously. Examine the predominant ways that God’s judgment of sinners is described. The weight of the evidence leans in the direction that sinners will be destroyed in the fires of hell. In other words, they will burn up and cease to exist.

My approach to the topic of the duration of hell is not unique among evangelicals, and my conclusions do little harm to the traditional view of hell. I am not denying hell’s reality nor its terrifying implications. I am simply arguing that although hell is a place of suffering, it is not an eternal suffering.

If the traditional view is wrong, we have lost little but gained much. Our evangelistic warning to unbelievers continues to be a frightening message. Those who refuse to repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness will be judged and face eternal destruction. Unbelievers face a fiery demise. The fate of the wicked is a place of burning fire where they will be destroyed. The only loss to the message is the eternality of suffering.

Compared to the little we have lost, we have gained much. No longer must we teach that God will torture people in the flames of hell for all eternity. We have a God who, according to his holiness, will rightfully administer justice upon sinners by destroying them in hell. According to this view, God’s holiness is upheld, his righteousness is maintained, and his love and mercy continue to shine.

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[1] Brown, Collin. Kόλασις, Punishment. Dictionary of New Testament Theology, edited by Collin Brown, vol 3, Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1978. pp. 98-99.

[2] Pinnock, Clark, as quoted by Don Horban in Eternal Damnation, Universalism, and Conditional Immortality. Cedarview Community Church, https://cedarview.org/resources/sermons/eternal-damnation-universalism-and-conditional-immortality/eternal-damnation-universalism-and-conditional-immortality. Cederview. Internet accessed February 13, 2026.