Historically, the key passage on hell in the Gospels is Jesus’ teaching about the sheep and the goats. Jesus, the Son of Man, banishes the accursed to “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). Does this “eternal fire” denote pain or extinction? John answers this question: “The devil…was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur…[and] will be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). Here fire denotes torment. And this torment, not obliteration, lies ahead for the Devil, evil angels, and all unrepentant human beings.
Robert Peterson