Does the Bible teach that Satan rules over hell? Many Christian denominations and Catholics have this idea when they picture hell in their mind. And even in many artistic depictions, it perpetuates this concept.
In fact, nowhere in the Bible does it teach what most people envision of the Devil ruling over hell. The Devil with red horns and a tail, holding a pitchfork. Demonic and grotesque in appearance. His job to properly torture people based on their sins for eternity in hell inside of the hot burning earth.
Actually, these are ideas that come from Greek, Roman, and other pagan religious influences. Not in the Bible.
The closest the Bible gets to any type of description of this is a parable about heaven and hell in Luke 16:23-24. However, it is only a parable, a story as an example. Not an actual description.
So then what IS the Biblical truth about hell?
What the Bible says about Hell
The Bible uses a variety of images to describe what hell and Satan is like.
The Bible describes Satan, the Devil, as Lucifer. Lucifer is a fallen angel, who rebelled against God’s law, wanted to be like God, and worshipped. So as a created angel, Satan is actually beautiful, bright, and was holy and perfect originally. He is not red, with horns, a tail, or a pitchfork.
In Matthew 13:50, Jesus speaks about the final judgment, saying, “Throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This suggests that hell is a place where sinners are punished with fire after being judged.
In Revelation 14:10-11, we read that those who worship the beast will “drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever.”
This might suggest that hell is a place of eternal punishment.
But what about verses like Malachi 4:3 “And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.”?
How are they burning forever but also ashes under their feet?
This seems conflicting.
Some have suggested that those in hell get their body restored over and over so they can keep being tortured. What an awful view of the punishment for sinners.
The Bible says God is the God of love (1 John 4:16), but how can we reconcile this with hell?
We need to first understand a few concepts in the descriptions of hell. Then we need to compare the different Bible verses that describe hell and see what picture they provide.
Bible Verses About Hell
Below are some key verses from the King James Version (KJV) that mention or describe hell:
- Matthew 5:22 – “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
- Matthew 10:28 – “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
- Matthew 13:42 – “And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
- Matthew 25:41 – “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”
- Mark 9:43-44 – “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
- Luke 16:23-24 – “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
- 2 Thessalonians 1:9 – “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”
- Revelation 20:14-15 – “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
- Revelation 21:8 – “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
- 2 Peter 2:4 – “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;”
- Jude 1:7 – “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 an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
- Revelation 14:10-11 – “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
- Malachi 4:3 – “And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.”
- Revelation 20:10 – “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
- Revelation 20:14-15 – “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
- Isaiah 28:21 – “For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.”
- Romans 2:6 – “Who will render to every man according to his deeds:”
- Matthew 16:27 – “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”
- Revelation 20:12-13 – “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”
What these verses DO say very plainly is that:
- Excluding the one parable of Luke 16:23-24, the Bible does not say that hell exists now, but hell, the fiery punishment, and final judgment happens at the end of sin and end of earth (before it is remade).
- It is God who is in charge of the “hell fire” and makes the lake of fire used in God’s final judgment of wrath and indignation against the sinners.
- God’s mercy has run out. Though God is love and loves all of His creations, He can no longer allow sin to continue, so as a “strange act” of final judgment He executes judgment on those not saved with the “second death”.
- The sinners are cast down into a lake of fire in the presence of God, Jesus, and the holy angels.
- The lake of fire and final judgment includes using sulfur and brimstone to make “hell fire” to destroy them.
- It doesn’t say this lake of fire is inside the earth, but that in relative position it will be on earth (because the final judgment happens on earth), and the lake will be below where Jesus and the holy angels are at during the judgment on the surface of earth.
- That each sinner’s punishment or duration in the lake will be appropriate for their personal sins. As God will judge each fairly, not cruelly, by their own deeds.
- That this lake of fire will kill and destroy the soul and body of the sinners, Lucifer (Satan), the beast, false prophets, and those that worship the beast or his image, and the fallen angels.
- This final judgment and punishment is called the second death. And is
- Those that are saved, are in the book of life, and they will not experience this second death.
So based on these verses, we need to figure out what is not clear:
- What does it mean punished with everlasting destruction?
- What is everlasting fire, eternal fire, and unquenchable fire?
- Is Satan, the beast, and false prophets tormented day and night for ever and ever? Will the smoke of the sinner’s torment “ascend up for ever and ever”: and will they “have no rest day nor night”?
As it is clear hell is definitely not ruled by Satan.
But it may not be clear yet if hell a real place of eternal punishment or is a final punishment that ends in death forever?
1. Is hell “Eternal” and the punishment “forever”?
To answer this question let’s consider the most well known Bible verse John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This is just one verse of many that lay out Jesus’ plan to save sinners from the punishment of sin, and instead give them eternal life.
And the key part is that if you are saved you get eternal life.
If you are not saved you perish, because you do NOT get eternal life. So the concept that sinners burn in hell forever and ever, or are resurrected over and over as they are punished, would not make sense.
The oxford dictionary defines perish as “suffer death, typically in a violent, sudden, or untimely way” and “suffer complete ruin or destruction”.
This makes the “second death” truly a final death, one which is forever and their punishment is eternal, because they will be dead forever. Never to be resurrected again. Thus an everlasting destruction of them.
2. Is hell and it’s fire to burn forever?
The Bible describes the lake of fire with everlasting fire, eternal fire, and unquenchable fire, because the fire itself is unquenchable. No one by God will be able to put the fire out. We know this because the Bible says in Jude 1:7:
“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 an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
Sodom and Gomorrha are not still burning in fire today. So eternal is not describing the length or duration of the burning. But the quality or type of fire.
This is why nothing is left but ash.
3. Is the punishment going to last for eternity?
The verse that describes smoke of the sinner’s torment “ascend up for ever and ever”: and will they “have no rest day nor night” is describing two things:
- That the final result of their sin and punishment will never be forgotten and always recognized as the consequences of sin. Thus why it is described as symbolically ascending “for ever”. Similar to how the Bible describes our prayers ascending. But “for ever” is talking about the period of time of the judgment, and that the effect if their punishment will last for eternity.
- That some sinners will have a longer punishment than others which may last more than one day. But it does not say that it will be “for ever” or forever.
When Revelation 20:10 says Satan, the beast, and false prophets tormented day and night for ever and ever, is the most conflicting verse to understand.
The best way to understand this is to research the original manuscript language and word meanings of “ever and ever” in Greek. Because it does not say “forever” but “for ever”. And “ever” can mean forever, but it can also refer to an age or time. Using Strong’s concordance, we can confirm this.
Depending on the English translation type, this Greek word “ever” could be translated word-for-word like KJV, or by the interpreter’s meaning they think it means. Forever as eternity… or for ever a period of time.
So based on the context of other verses about if it is forever or for a period of time, we would use the meaning of the word “ever” based on consistency with the Bible as a whole.
But if you are still not sure…
Keep studying to find out more about the character of God, about the wages of sin, and the truth about Satan’s role.
Lesson 11 Study Guide by Amazing Facts:
Who rules hell? Are there people in hell right now? What is hell like and how big is it?
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Our Adventist Life is a dedicated online evangelist and mother of two, deeply rooted in her Seventh-day Adventist faith. With over 15 years of experience in creating and optimizing digital content, she brings a unique blend of professional expertise and spiritual insight to her work. Her passion lies in exploring Biblical truths and their practical applications in daily living, self-care, and family nurturing. Through her writing, she aims to inspire and guide her readers toward a more fulfilling Christian lifestyle, drawing from her own experiences as a parent and a follower of Christ. Her thoughtful and engaging content reflects her commitment to sharing the love and wisdom found in the Scriptures with a modern audience living in the end times.
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