In our last article, What Is Hell?, we explored how the Bible most often describes the fate of the wicked using words like death, destruction, and perishing. The book of Revelation even calls the lake of fire “the second death.”
Yet many readers immediately think of other passages—verses that seem to describe unending torment.
What about phrases like “eternal punishment,” “their worm does not die,” or “the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever”?
These texts deserve careful attention. Rather than ignoring them, we need to read them closely and in their proper context.
To answer this, we’ll cover:
- “Everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46)
- “Their worm does not die” (Mark 9:48)
- “Unquenchable fire”
- “The smoke of their torment” (Revelation 14:11)
- The lake of fire and the devil (Revelation 20:10)
- A consistent biblical picture
- Why this matters
- Looking ahead
Let’s start by understanding what the Bible mean by eternal punishment.
“Everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46)
One of the most frequently cited verses appears in Jesus’ description of the final judgment:
“And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46, NKJV).
At first glance, this seems straightforward. But notice the wording carefully. The verse contrasts eternal life with everlasting punishment.
The text does not say eternal punishment. Instead, it speaks of punishment whose result is eternal.
This distinction matters. Consider a simple example: a death sentence is a punishment whose result is permanent. The act of execution is not endless, but the outcome is final.
In the same way, “everlasting punishment” can naturally describe a punishment whose effects are everlasting.
Let’s now look at another problematic text about worms that seem not to die.
“Their worm does not die” (Mark 9:48)
Another vivid phrase appears in Jesus’ warning about hell:
“And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’” (Mark 9:47-48, NKJV).
This expression comes directly from the final verse of Isaiah:
“And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh” (Isaiah 66:24, NKJV).
Notice something important: the scene describes corpses, not living people being tormented.
The imagery refers to complete consumption. Worms and fire continue their work until nothing remains.
In the ancient world, such language conveyed disgrace and total destruction, not endless suffering.
But what do we have to say about the unquenchable fire that seems to burn forever?
“Unquenchable fire”
The Bible often speaks of unquenchable fire. But in Scripture, this phrase does not mean fire that burns forever without accomplishing anything.
Instead, it means fire that cannot be put out until it finishes its work.
For example, the prophet Jeremiah warned that Jerusalem would be destroyed by an “unquenchable fire” (Jeremiah 17:27). That fire did not burn eternally. But it could not be stopped once judgment began.
The same language appears in the New Testament when John the Baptist says Christ will burn the chaff with “unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). Chaff does not burn forever; it burns until it is gone.
What about the smoke of torment that seems to ascend forever? Let’s see how to understand that.
“The smoke of their torment” (Revelation 14:11)
Perhaps the most dramatic passage appears in Revelation:
“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” (Revelation 14:11, NKJV).
Revelation, however, is a book filled with symbols and imagery. To understand its language, we must look at its Old Testament background.
A similar expression appears in Isaiah when describing the destruction of Edom:
“It shall not be quenched night or day;
Its smoke shall ascend forever.
From generation to generation it shall lie waste;
No one shall pass through it forever and ever” (Isaiah 34:10, NKJV).
Is Edom still burning today? No. The phrase describes the permanence of the destruction, not an endlessly burning fire.
In the symbolic language of prophecy, rising smoke signifies a judgment whose results cannot be reversed.
Let’s now understand the lake of fire.
The lake of fire and the devil (Revelation 20:10)
Another passage sometimes cited is Revelation 20:10, which describes the devil being thrown into the lake of fire and being “tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Two things are worth noting.
First, the verse specifically refers to the devil, the beast, and the false prophet—symbolic and cosmic figures within the book’s apocalyptic imagery.
Second, just a few verses later, the lake of fire is clearly defined:
“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Revelation 20:14, NKJV).
Whatever the imagery involves, the final outcome is still described as death.
A consistent biblical picture
When we step back and read the whole Bible together, a consistent pattern emerges.
The fate of the wicked is described as:
- Perishing (John 3:16)
- Destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
- Being burned up (Matthew 3:12)
- Becoming ashes (Malachi 4:3)
- The second death (Revelation 20:14)
These expressions point toward the same conclusion: the final judgment removes evil rather than preserving it forever.
And how we understand this matters.
Why this matters
This does not make the warning of judgment any less serious. On the contrary, it underscores its finality.
The loss described in Scripture is not temporary suffering but the permanent loss of life itself.
At the same time, this understanding highlights the beauty of the gospel. Eternal life is not humanity’s natural possession. It is God’s gift, offered through Christ.
The good news is not merely escape from punishment. It is the promise of life.
Looking ahead
One final passage still raises questions for many readers: the story of the rich man and Lazarus.
Is it a literal description of the afterlife, or something else?
In the next article, we will examine this well-known story and ask how it fits within the broader teaching of Scripture about death and judgment.
This article is part of an ongoing series exploring death, resurrection, judgment, and hope—by reading the Bible carefully and allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture.
The Cleaver 