How long will the punishment in hell last? Well, listen for yourself to Jesus’ description of hell. Speaking of the conditions in hell he says, “Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9: 48). Now you very well may object, “Wait a minute! You can’t take these words literally; Jesus is using a metaphor.” Okay, point granted. Jesus is using a metaphor. But if we conclude that Jesus is using a metaphor then we must understand the meaning of the metaphor. In other words, why does He say that their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched? What is the point? Why is this an apt metaphor for the punishment in hell? How does a worm not dying and a fire not being quenched convey to us the horrors of hell? Well, I think the metaphor is quite clear. The worm not dying and the fire not being quenched means that these things go on forever; there is no end to them. In other words, the justice of God in hell is never satisfied.

So how long will the punishment of those in hell last? According to Jesus, it will last forever and ever.

Something to think about from “The Kingdom Perspective.”

“And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’”

~ Mark 9: 47-48