Annihilationism simply will not wash. Christ says that the lost will go into “eternal fire,” which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. And then He adds, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). Since the same word eternal describes both the destiny of the righteous and the wicked, it seems clear that Christ taught that both groups will exist forever, albeit in different places. The same eternal fire that Satan and his hosts experience will be the lot of unbelievers... The wicked will experience shame and contempt for as long as the righteous experience bliss.