Bible Readings — Bible Questions Answered

Completeness of the Destruction

What will be the character of this death? BR-ASI9 354.1

“Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction.” 2 Thessalonians 1:9. BR-ASI9 354.2

What will befall those who do not repent? BR-ASI9 354.3

“Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3. “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.” 2 Peter 2:12. BR-ASI9 354.4

How does John the Baptist describe this destruction? BR-ASI9 354.5

“He will . . . gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11, 12. BR-ASI9 354.6

For whom was this fire originally prepared? BR-ASI9 354.7

“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.” Matthew 25:41. BR-ASI9 354.8

Note.—This fire is called “everlasting” (aionion, Greek, “age lasting”) because of the character of the work it does; just as it is called “unquenchable” (Greek asbestos, “unquenchable,” “unquenched”) because it cannot be put out, and not because it will not go out when it has done its work. “Eternal fire” reduced Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes. (Jude 9; 2 Peter 2:6.) BR-ASI9 354.9

Will any part of the wicked be left? BR-ASI9 354.10

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Malachi 4:1. BR-ASI9 354.11

How completely will wicked man be destroyed in hell? BR-ASI9 354.12

“Fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28. BR-ASI9 354.13

Note.—This scripture proves that the soul is neither immortal nor indestructible. BR-ASI9 354.14

The everlasting punishment—“everlasting destruction”—of the wicked is this destruction of soul and body in hell (Greek, Geenna [Gehenna]). BR-ASI9 354.15

Gehenna, a word for hell, is the Valley of Hinnom, the place outside Jerusalem for burning refuse, dead animals, and the bodies of criminals. Any such bodies if incompletely burned would be devoured by worms. So long as the fires were never quenched and the worms did not die, the result of being cast into Gehenna was utter destruction. BR-ASI9 354.16

The unquenched flames of Gehenna—which do not preserve, but consume, whatever they feed on—aptly picture what other texts describe as the utter destruction of the wicked in unquenchable fire. BR-ASI9 355.1