Many Christians have traditionally understood Hell as a place of eternal conscious punishment for those who reject God. Passages such as Matthew 25:46 and Revelation 14:11 are frequently cited as evidence that this punishment never ends.

But other biblical passages describe the fate of the wicked using words such as death, destruction, and perishing rather than eternal suffering. Jesus says God can “destroy both soul and body” in Gehenna, while John 3:16 contrasts eternal life with perishing.

This has led some Christians to embrace conditional immortality or annihilationism, arguing that eternal punishment means an irreversible death rather than an endless process of being punished. Others defend the traditional view, while still others believe Scripture ultimately points toward reconciliation with God.

So what does the Bible actually teach?

Are the wicked consciously punished forever, eventually destroyed, or ultimately reconciled with God? Which interpretation requires the fewest assumptions beyond the biblical text?