Eternal conscious torment

Is hell eternal conscious torment?

While many people avoid the topic, the Bible frequently speaks of hell in both the Old and New Testaments. A lot of what we know about hell comes from Jesus Himself, who regularly taught about it during His earthly ministry. To answer the question “is hell eternal conscious torment?” we need to understand how the Bible describes hell.

The Bible uses different terms to describe the existence and nature of what we call “hell” in English. One term is the Hebrew word sheol (or hades in Greek), which means “place of the dead or departed spirits” (see Psalm 88:3). This word is a general reference to the realm of the dead where all human spirits go upon death, good or evil. Jesus spoke of this realm in Luke 16:19–31 and appears to suggest that it is split into two “compartments“ or “sides,” one of blessing for those who were faithful to God and one of torment for those who were not.

Another term for hell is the Greek word gehenna, which means “Valley of Hinnom.” This is a physical, literal valley south of Jerusalem where some Old Testament Israelites sacrificed their children to the Canaanite god Molech (2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 7:31–32). In later years, the valley was used as a dump to burn trash from the city. Jesus used gehenna as an illustration for what hell is like (Mark 9:45, 47).

The final phrase the Bible uses to reference hell is lake of fire, described in Revelation 19:20 and Revelation 20:14–15. This is the final destination for the spirits in sheol/hades who rejected Christ as Lord. At the great white throne judgment, those whose names are not found in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire.

With those biblical definitions in place, we can answer the question “is hell eternal conscious torment?” by looking at each descriptor in turn:

Is hell eternal? Some claim that hell is not eternal but only a temporary place of punishment for one’s sins, after which the sinner will be extinguished. This view is called annihilationism. The Bible teaches that hell is eternal and has no end. In Mark 9:43–48, Jesus refers to hell as “the unquenchable fire” and says that it is a place where the “worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” In Revelation 20:10, the devil, the beast, and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire and “tormented day and night forever and ever.” In other words, hell is eternal.

Is hell conscious? Some claim that souls in hell are not conscious or aware of their existence. The Bible teaches otherwise. The clearest example of this is seen in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (see Luke 16:19–31). In this story, the rich man who enters hell (the punishment side of sheol) is fully aware of his existence as he talks about his agony and the pain he’s experiencing. Souls are fully aware of their existence in both heaven and hell.

Finally, is hell torment? Some claim that hell is not a state of torment or pain, but simply separation from God. In reality, eternal separation from God would be greatest torment a soul could experience. Additionally, the Bible teaches that souls in hell will experience constant, eternal torment or pain as punishment for their sins. Again, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man is in agony as he longs for a single drop of water. Additionally, Scripture teaches that all who have rejected Christ will be thrown into the “lake of fire,” which is described as a place of torment that continues day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10–15).

So, is hell eternal conscious torment? According to the teachings of Jesus and the book of Revelation, the answer is a clear “yes.“ Hell is eternal in that it has no end. Hell is conscious in that souls are aware of their existence. And hell is torment in that souls constantly experience agony for their rejection of Christ and the wickedness of their deeds. This harsh reality of the nature of hell is why it is so important for Christians to share the good news of Jesus with those who are lost.