The Gospel Beacon

“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.” Jude 7

Question: Does this verse teach that hell is not eternal? After all the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha are not burning today.

Answer: The answer to that is no this verse does not teach that hell is temporary. The context spoken here is not the physical cities but the people in those cities. For example it says they gave themselves over to fornication and strange flesh. Does that mean the city streets and buildings did those things? No of course not the people of the city did.

The people of the city did those things and they are today suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. So this verse actually proves the eternality of hell. Look at what we see in 2 Peter 2:6, “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.” This passage is clearly talking about the physical city while the other is clearly talking about the people. Both are correct the people are suffering eternal fire and the city itself was turned to ashes.

The eternality of hell is clearly established in the Scriptures just by the words eternal and everlasting. The Bible says we will have eternal life in Heaven the Bible also uses the term everlasting life. If hell is temporary then life in Heaven must also be temporary. The Scriptures in several places make the eternal state of hell very clear to us.

“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.” (Revelation 14:10-11)

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

“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.” (Mark 9:43-44)

“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.” (Revelation 20:10)