Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 8:1-17.
Memory Verse: John 14:6.
1. What two cities are given as an example of the destruction of the wicked? 2 Peter 2:6, Jude 1:7.
NOTE: God destroyed those two evil cities with “eternal fire” the same kind of fire that will destroy the wicked in hell. We know that the literal cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were located by the Dead Sea, are not still burning today.
2. When will the wicked be destroyed in hellfire? 2 Peter 2:9, John 12:48, Matthew 13:40-42.
NOTE: In the above texts, the Bible states that the wicked will be cast into the fire when they are judged at the end of time- not when they die. This means that no one is in hell now. It is only fair that no one should be punished until his case has been decided in the judgment. Why else would Jesus say He’s coming to “reward…everyone according to his work”? (Revelation 22:12).
3. If the wicked who have died are not in hell yet, where are they? John 5:27-30, Job 21:30-32.
NOTE: The Bible states that the wicked who have died are reserved in the grave until resurrected at the end of the millennium (Revelation 20:5). They will hear Jesus’ voice calling them and will come forth from the grave, not from hellfire.
4. What are the only two choices for all men? John 3:16, Romans 6:23.
NOTE: The punishment for sin is not everlasting life in hellfire but the exact opposite- everlasting death by hellfire. We all die the first death (Hebrews 9:27), but the Bible says that the wicked will die “the second death” in “the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14). From the first death, all are raised for reward or punishment; but there is no resurrection from the second death. It is final. In addition, the concepts of limbo and purgatory are not found in Scripture. The Bible teaches only two choices, two possible destinies- eternal life or eternal death (Deuteronomy 30:15).
5. What will happen to the wicked in hellfire? Psalms 37:10, 20, Malachi 4:1-3.
NOTE: The wicked in hellfire will be utterly consumed. Only ashes will remain.
6. Where will hellfire be located? 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 20:9.
NOTE: Hell will be here on earth.
7. Will the devil be in charge of hellfire? Revelation 20:10.
NOTE: No! Far from being in charge of hellfire, the devil will be cast into it. The flames will finally turn him into “ashes upon the earth,” and after suffering “day and night” for the leading role in the rebellion he instigated, he will ultimately be “consumed” and “shall be no more forever” (Psalm 104:35, Ezekiel 28:18-19).
8. Will the fires of hell ever go out? Isaiah 47:14.
NOTE: After sin and sinners are destroyed, the fire will eventually go out. Hellfire will not burn throughout the ages. Obviously, the fire will eventually be spent, for the Lord says, “And ye shall tread down the wicked,;for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet...” (Malachi 4:3). An eternal hell of torment would make it impossible to ever be rid of sin. God’s plan is to isolate sin and destroy it, not perpetuate it. Revelation 21:5 says, “Behold, I make all things new.”
9. Doesn’t the biblical phrase “unquenchable fire” indicate that hellfire never goes out? Matthew 3:12.
NOTE: Unquenchable fire cannot be put out, but it does go out once it burns up everything. For example, Jeremiah 17:27 warns that if God’s people were not faithful, He would kindle a fire in Jerusalem that “shall not be quenched.” And the Scriptures declare that this prophecy has already been fulfilled. The Babylonians. “and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire…To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah,...” (2 Chronicles 36:19-21). That fire could not be put out until it had consumed everything; then it went out. It is not burning today, even though the Bible calls it “unquenchable”.
10. Doesn’t the phrase “eternal fire” mean unending? Explain. Jude 1:7.
NOTE: We must let the Bible explain itself. In this verse, we can see that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with “eternal fire” as an example of hell, but those cities by the Dead Sea are not still burning. They were turned into ashes (2 Peter 2:6), which is what eternal fire does. It is eternal in its consequences.
11. When Revelation 20:10 states that the wicked will be tormented “for ever and ever,” doesn’t that indicate endless time? Jonah 2:6.
NOTE: Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17), yet he said “forever.” It probably felt like forever! The Greek word translated as “forever” in Revelation 20:10 is aion, from which we get the word “eon.” It often represents an unspecified period of time, limited or unlimited. The word “forever” is used at least 50 times in the Bible in reference to something that has ended. In one instance, “forever” describes the life of a faithful slave (Exodus 21:6), and in another place, “forever” means ten generations (Deuteronomy 23:3). In regard to a person, “forever” often means “as long as he liveth…” (1 Samuel 1:22, 28).
12. Are both soul and body destroyed in hell? Matthew 10:28.
NOTE: Many believe that the soul never dies, but God says twice, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). So, according to the words of Jesus, the wicked will be utterly destroyed in hellfire- both soul and body.
13. For whom will hellfire be kindled? Matthew 25:41.
NOTE: The purpose of the fire is to destroy Satan, his evil angels, and sin. If we refuse to turn away from the plague of sin, we will have to be destroyed by it- because if sin is not destroyed, it would again contaminate the universe.
14. How does the Bible refer to God’s destruction of the wicked? Isaiah 28:21.
NOTE: God can’t stand the thought of destroying those He loves. “The Lord is not…willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He is constantly saying to them, “...turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11). Destroying people is so foreign to God’s ways that hellfire is called His “strange act.” Even the Scriptures will admit that God’s only desire was to save them (Romans 14:11).
15. After sin and sinners are destroyed, what will Jesus do for His people? 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:4.
NOTE: God will establish new heavens and a new earth upon the ashes of this purified world. He promises joy, peace, and indescribable happiness for all living creatures throughout eternity.
16. Will the sin problem ever rise again? Nahum 1:9, Isaiah 65:17.
17. What penetrating question does Job ask about man compared to his Maker? Job 4:17.
NOTE: If your son became a hardened murderer, would you feel that he should be punished? You probably would. But would you want him to stay alive in a fire, in terrible agony, for even one day? Of course not. You could not stand that. Neither could the loving Lord stand to see His children so tortured. That would be worse than the worst of all war atrocities. Is God like that? No! An eternal hell of torment, being diametrically against His character of love and justice, would be unbearable for Him.