"Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise you the LORD." Psa 104:35.
A prophecy about the king of Trye (which represents Satan's final destruction).
"...therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of you, it shall devour you, and I will bring you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold you. All they that know you among the people willl be astonished at you: you shall be a terror, and never will you be anymore." Ezekiel 28:18, 19.
What does it mean when the Bible speaks of everlasting or eternal fire?
"Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;" Genesis 19:24. "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 as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Jude 1:7. Sodom and Gomorrah suffered the vengence of eternal fire. They were burnt to the ground. Eternal fire according to this plain Bible example does not mean eternal burning but that the results of the fire are eternal .
Are there any other examples in the Bible that would illustrate this?
"But if you will not hearken unto Me to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched." Jeremiah 17:27. Here is an unquenchable fire that God prophesied against Jerusalem if they refused to keep His Sabbath day holy. Jerusalem was burnt to the ground first by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and then again by gernal Titus of Rome in 70 AD. Jerusalem is not still burning today but the fire that destroyed the city was not queched until it completed its utter work of destruction. Jesus said the wicked would be cast into hell into fire that will never be quenched (Mark 9:43). What did He mean by that?
"For the LORD has a day of vengeance, A year of recompense for the cause of Zion. Its streams will be turned into pitch, And its loose earth into brimstone, And its land will become burning pitch. It will not be quenched night or day; Its smoke will go up forever. From generation to generation it will be desolate; None will pass through it forever and ever. But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, And owl and raven will dwell in it; And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness." Isaiah 34:8-11. It is clear that when the Bible speaks of eternal or unquechable fire it is not speaking of what pops into most of our heads - a never ceasing burning. (Animals can not live in a place that is continually burning.) Instead according to these verses and Bible examples it is a fire that cannot be put out until its work of destruction is complete and of which has everlasting results.
What is the Second Death? "Fear none of those things which you will suffer: behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you will have tribulation ten days: be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; he that overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." Revelation 2:10-11. To understand what the second death is you must understand what the first death is. According to Jesus the first death is like a sleep that all will awake out of (see Mark 5:39; John 11:11-14; John 5:28, 19). The second death is just the opposite it is a sleep that one will never wake out of. Ceasing to exist best describes the second death.
"So man lies down, and rises not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep." Job 14:12 . "For evildoers will be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they will inherit the earth. For in yet a little while, and the wicked will not be: yes, you will diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek will inherit the earth; and will delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
Psalms 37:8-11. "But the wicked will perish, and the enemies of the LORD will be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke will they consume away." Psalms 37:20.
"Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him a thousand years." Revelation 20:6. "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." Revelation 20:14.
Even death and hell will experience the second death - that is they will cease to exist forever. Praise God!!!
"And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4.
God does away with death and pain forever. They will be no sinners suffering in hell forever for our merciful and just God will end death and pain. Even hell will be done away but God's law will never be done way with!