Eternal Damnation

By Doug Cook   2017

Mark 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

I am continually amazed at how many people, referring to themselves as born again believers, have no problem believing that eternal life in heaven is forever, perpetual, everlasting… yet when the bible uses the same English and Greek words to describe the same truths about hell and the lake of fire they twist scriptures into pretzels trying to prove that the forever, eternal, everlasting fires of hell are not forever, perpetual and everlasting.  They believe people only suffer hell for a season till their dues are paid then they are “consumed” and no longer exist.  Others believe they only suffer hell for a season then are “restored” back to God, all based on one scripture in Acts 3:21 “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”  These believers have interpreted “ALL” to mean “everyone and everything” will be restored back to their position with God; one brother even included the devil and his angels eventually being restored back to their position in heaven!!!

The first time I heard this enigma it really disturbed my spirit, so I did what I usually do and that is go back and completely restudy the bible using every scripture I could find on the specific subject.  Even with three decades of bible study behind me I realize no one knows everything there is to know about the bible, especially me, so I try to keep myself open to truths that I may not have learned yet.  If someone can prove a truth to me by scriptures, I’m always ready, willing and able to change my outlook.  I want to know the real truth, which means a more intimate relationship with the Lord, whatever cost that entails. 

Over the decades I have learned to never give any credibility to any Christians who say “I think,” “I feel,” “I believe,” “my daddy said,” “my pastor said,” or my “denomination believes,” therefore it is truth.  All they are doing is blindly parroting principles someone else convinced them to believe that gave them “itching ears” and they haven’t done a comprehensive research of the bible to prove any of these beliefs.  1Thessalonians 5:21 says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”  Just because a large sect of people sincerely believes a doctrine does not make it biblically sound.  In fact, the large majority of “God’s” people were always wrong in the bible and the same principle still applies.  Truth should NEVER be established by the number of people believing it.  99% of denominationally yoked people sincerely believe their sect is the only ones that have the truth, yet all the different factions contradict each other… This unquestionably infers most all of them are deceived and sincerely believe false doctrines.  However, if you can quote numerous scriptures in context backing up your belief, you’ve got my attention and I’m ready to listen.  Truth only comes from the Word of God and it must be rightly divided, devoid of any influence from carnal factious opinions.

Mark 9:43-48 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

This section defines hell three different times as a place where worms won’t die and the fire is never quenched (Extinguished; allayed; repressed).   If God says something three times in a row in a short group of verses, you can bet He is trying to establish a specific point.  Interesting note: The Greek word for the phrase “that shall never be quenched” in this passage is “asbestos,” where we get our English word asbestos from.  Now mostly outlawed, it was a substance used in insulating buildings because it was incombustible (it could not be burned or consumed by fire).   This passage plainly says the fires of hell will never be extinguished or will burn forever.  These verses also warn us to make the right decisions in this temporary life so we will not be cast into this eternal fire.  Written as a warning these words imply that our punishment would last as long as the fire does which is the whole reason for mentioning the fire never goes out three times.  It also states worms don’t die so the implied meaning is that neither would any other living creature that is thrown into the fires, including us.  Our spiritual bodies must be like asbestos… non consumable.  Without committing apostasy, nowhere in this passage can anyone twist the words to mean we only get cast into hell for a season until our dues are paid, then we get either consumed or restored to something else.

Revelation 20:10-15  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.   And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and (the first) death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation reveals the “lake of fire” is different from hell and referred to as the “second death.”  The beast and the false prophet are the first ones to be cast into this place and it states without any disillusion they will be “tormented day and night for ever and ever.”  You would have to have the evil one help you misunderstand what this statement means.  These evil people will be tormented forever, eternally, time without end.  They will NOT be burned up or consumed because you can’t torment anyone eternally that no longer exists, neither will they be restored to any kind of heavenly position they were in at the beginning of time.  It also says death and hell will deliver up dead people which are in them for the white throne judgment.  How can all the people who went to hell thousands of years ago be brought up for judgment if they were “consumed” in the fires of hell and no longer exist? After this judgment, those who are not born again will be “cast into the lake of fire” where the beast and the false prophet are and shall also be “tormented day and night for ever and ever.”  Then the Lord casts death (first death) and hell into the lake of fire and nowhere does it say they are consumed, in fact the text implies these fires also burn for ever and ever.  So for those that say the fires of hell are not forever are deceived.  The fires of hell will burn forever like Mark 9:43-48 prove, but the only difference is hell will be burning in the lake of fire, not in the position it is in currently.  In several places the bible uses the expression “dead in our sins.” (Ephesians 2:5, Colossians 2:13, 1 Peter 2:24) The word “dead” is used figuratively not literally as we are living in this life but are dead to sins.  The same applies when the bible talks about the “second death.”  It doesn’t mean we are consumed or no longer exist; it is defined by Thayer’s Greek Lexicon as, “the misery of the soul arising from sin, which begins on earth but lasts and increases after the death of the body in hell.”

Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

How anyone can take this verse and say they believe in “life eternal” being forever, but go out of their way to twist other scriptures to say “everlasting punishment” is only for a season is quite an enigma.  The Greek word for “everlasting” in this verse is “aiōnios.”  However, the Greek word for “eternal” in this verse is also “aiōnios.”  The SAME word is used in the original Greek for both words.  The original translators could have just as easily used the words “eternal punishment” and “life everlasting” and not harmed the meaning of the text at all.  Keeping this verse in context, either both uses of the Greek word are forever (perpetual, endless) or neither is forever.

2Peter 2:12-17 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

I’ve seen some try to say “to be taken and destroyed” and “perish in their own corruption” means these evil people that have forsaken the right way will be destroyed or consumed and will no longer exist.  The English word “destroyed” can mean cracked, damaged or ruined as when a ship is sunk it is referred to as destroying that ship, yet it still exists at the bottom of the ocean.  The same applies to people who are destroyed yet still exist eternally in the pits of hell.  The fleshly body may disintegrate, but the soul lives on forever.  “Perish in their own corruption” means the same thing as “dead in their sins,” as we observed earlier and is figurative not literal.  This passage also says they “shall receive the reward of unrighteousness.”  The reward of the unrighteous is being sent to hell and we have already seen this is punishment forever.  It again is impossible to completely destroy someone yet place them in the “mist of darkness” (hell) “for ever.”  Thayer’s defines this “mist of darkness” metaphorically as “ignorance respecting divine things and human duties, and the accompanying ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell.” 

Jude 1:10-12 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.  Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Jude is speaking about the same type evil people as Peter was “to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”  How can they be dwelling in the blackness of darkness if they are not dwelling at all anywhere?

Revelation 14:9-11 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Here John is speaking of the people who worship the beast and receive his mark in their right hand or forehead.  It says they shall be” tormented with fire and brimstone,” “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night.”  How can someone be tormented for ever and ever and not exist anymore.  Also, how can these people only be burning for a season to pay their dues and then be destroyed or “restored,” as some believe and still fulfill the biblical mandate of “for ever and ever?”  If punishment and torment in hell and the lake of fire isn’t perpetually without end then this verse is a lie.

Matthew 25:41-45 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Jesus is describing the curse he pronounces on the rebellious people who refuse to take care of the sick, hungry and imprisoned.  They will be given over to “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”  Hell and the lake of fire was designed for the devil and his angels, but many will be accompanying them in the everlasting fire which burns forever, not just for a season till the punishment is over.

2Thessalonians 1:8-9 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

“Punished with everlasting destruction,” and again the Greek word “aiōnios,” is translated as everlasting which still means perpetual, for ever and ever, and eternal just like in eternal life.   

Jude 1:5-7 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.  Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

He has reserved the fallen angels in everlasting chains under darkness until the judgment of the great day.  The “great day” is the day of the white throne judgment which we saw in Revelation.  They will then be judged and thrown into the lake of fire where they will still be under everlasting chains of darkness, not temporary chains.  It also says the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are currently “suffering (present tense, as in ongoing) the vengeance of eternal fire.”  Again using the Greek word “aiōnios” describing the length the fire will burn, as used in eternal life in other passages!  Yet there are the few frozen chosen that still say eternal doesn’t mean eternal when applied to the fires of hell???

Luke 16:19-26 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

There are those that, in order to justify their lack of belief in “eternal damnation,” say that this passage was “just a parable” so Jesus was just telling a type of, once upon a time, fairy tale to try to teach us something.  First, this implies Jesus, the only one without sin, is telling us something that isn’t true or never happened.  Secondly, just what was Jesus trying to teach us in this passage except where people with different priorities go after the first death?  We have already seen scriptures that prove there is a hell and the people are continually in torments with everlasting fire so He wasn’t making that part up and it is not “just a parable.”  Abraham did exist and was a righteous man so that’s not “just a parable.”  There was a holding place for all the Old Covenant righteous that were waiting on Jesus to die for the atonement of their sins, and Jesus called that place Abraham’s bosom so no story telling done here either.  The bible talks about all the dead Old Covenant righteous people seen alive again walking around the city after Jesus was crucified.  Could these be the one’s that were waiting in Abraham’s bosom who now had their sins atoned for?  I’m sure someplace there was a beggar named Lazarus, even though the bible never mentions him.  So just what part of this “just a parable.” wasn’t true?  I heard one say “nobody in hell would ask for water.”  Oh really!  This can’t be proven from the bible so have they been there and know this for a fact or just adding to the Word of God to fit their false belief?  It seems we are dealing with “blind guides, which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.”  They have to discredit this passage because it’s another firm witness to hell being a continual place of torments and fire burning eternally but never consuming their asbestos bodies.

1Samuel 28:11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

1Samuel 28:14-15 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.  And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

The Book of 1 Samuel helps prove the point of the last set of scriptures about Abraham’s bosom.  When Saul begged the witch at Endor to contact the righteous dead prophet Samuel he asked her to “bring me up Samuel.”  She told Saul “an old man cometh up.”  And when Samuel spoke he asked Saul “Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?”   He came UP from somewhere he was resting and waiting.  More than likely this was the bosom of Abraham like Jesus said because the rich man in Hell was able to see Abraham afar, yet he could not reach him because of the great gulf between them which could not be crossed over.  The righteous saints of the Old Covenant were asleep down somewhere waiting for the true Lamb of God to atone for their sins and to keep the bible in harmony this must have been the bosom of Abraham Jesus himself described.  We currently look back to the cross for our atonement, but, in the Old Covenant, they were looking forward to the cross for theirs.

     Matthew 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

     Mark 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

Luk3 9:30-31 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:  Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

There are a couple of places that mention Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus on the mount of configuration.  It does not say weather they came up or came down, it just says they appeared.  Moses was stopped at the river Jordan and led by God back into the wilderness and no one knows for sure what happened to Abraham.  He died and God buried Him in the land of Moab somewhere, but his grave has never been found. Neither does the bible say Moses came up or came down from anywhere.  They just appeared to Jesus. However we know by the bible that Elijah never died the first death and was taken up to heaven in a chariot sent by God.  He and Enoch were the only ones mentioned in the bible that did not die but were taken by God.  Elijah must have come back down for the meeting with Jesus but the bible doesn’t say.  This does not prove or disprove the bosom of Abraham location.  God has two exceptions that we know of that bypassed the bosom of Abraham and went straight to heaven.  But he also has two exceptions (the beast and the false prophet) that will bypass the white throne judgment and go directly to the lake of fire.  So God does make exceptions “after the council of His own will” and doesn’t want or need our approval.

2Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Revelation 6:9-11 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:  and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?  And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow–servants also and their brethren, which should be killed even as they were, should be fulfilled.

In the New Covenant Jesus has already atoned for our sins, so when the righteous die and we leave our earthly body we are instantly present with the Lord, resting underneath the altar in heaven.  There is no need for us to wait in the bosom of Abraham because the atonement has already been completed.  However, hell is still in existence today and the rich man is still in torments and whoever else dies today without Christ will join him in this place of torments until all are brought to the white throne judgment or the judgment seat of Christ.

2Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

When the English words “consume” and “destroy” are defined by the few literally as no longer in existence, it causes this verse to contradict other passages in the bible that say the wicked will be tormented and burning in hell eternally.  The bible never contradicts itself so the words must be used figuratively here to keep the bible in harmony with itself.  It is “the sum of thy word is truth,” not a few words taken out of context.  (Psalms 119:160)  Truth is established when contradictory passages cannot be found anywhere else in the bible.

John 5:28-29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

At the end when all hear His voice and come forth, they will be resurrected to life or damnation, how is it that one is eternal and the other is temporary?  In keeping this verse in context they have to both be eternal or both are temporary.  This passage does not distinguish a difference in time between the two and when you match up other portions of scripture that use words like eternal, everlasting and for ever with life and damnation, this verse must mean perpetual for both life and damnation to make it not contradict other scriptures.

Matthew 13:40-42 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

At the end of the world, sinners will be cast into the fire where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth, in other places in scripture it calls this eternal torments.  It in no way does it imply here the wailing and gnashing of teeth will happen only till they are completely burned up.  Based upon other scriptures using the “sum of thy word,’ it must mean the wailing will be eternal and forever or it will be in contradiction to other scripture.

Isaiah 14:12-19 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.  They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?  All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.  But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

Eventually, Lucifer will be tormented in the pits of hell with the fires that burn for ever and ever, and somehow God will allow us to look upon him and realize how insignificant he really was, yet was able to use his evil influence on the whole world.  The phrase “as a carcase trodden under feet” beginning with the word “as” means figuratively “like a” carcass, not literally being a carcass or dead and no longer living. 

After discovering concrete evidence in the bible that people that go to hell are burning in torments forever, I was genuinely perplexed why a few believers were making such a colossal effort to hope to prove that eternal damnation was not possible.  Usually when we have trouble believing something it is caused by an event or person in our past lives that had dramatic influence in our thinking.  When you dig deep enough in these believers past lives you will most likely find a blood relative, spouse, child, or special acquaintance that died and was obvious that the deceased never developed a relationship with Jesus, which only leaves one outcome for a non-believer in Christ.  Our extremely limited human intellect cannot fathom someone who we assumed was a “good” person spending an eternity in a lake of fire, so we create another type of “Jesus” with an extra doctrine to help us muddle through the situation and in the process pervert as many scriptures as we can to create a god that thinks like we do.  This is a dangerous game to play as we could end up convincing ourselves and others to worship the wrong god, as has been demonstrated by the thousands of denominational deities now being worshiped.

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

It is impossible for us in our human intelligence to understand what God does, much less why He does it.  We must accept what He established and created by faith and quit trying to make Him fit into our opinion of what a “loving God” is capable of.  Even His “love” is way beyond the scope of our understanding, so let’s quit deceiving ourselves into believing we know what a “God of love” would do and trust Him for the outcome of everyone’s place in eternal life or eternal damnation.

Your servant in Christ.