When we dive into the Scripture, it’s like opening a reservoir full of wisdom about right and wrong, good and bad. It also tells about the problem of sin. What does the Bible say about the wicked is difficult to understand. To understand God’s punishment and accept why.
But it isn’t their fate or destiny as some might think. It isn’t predetermined.
The Bible clearly says we each have free will to choose, but we all also have a fallen nature.
You see, the Bible isn’t shy about discussing the dark side of human nature. From the sneaky moves in the Garden of Eden to the big-time blunders of kings and commoners alike, it’s got it all. The Bible’s history of wickedness is deep—it looks at why people do what they do, how it affects everyone around them, and what can be done about it. But it can be hard to understand God’s judgment of sinful wickedness. The thought of death and hell.
We’ll see what are the real consequences of wickedness and sin. And because sin didn’t start with Adam and Eve, we will also see what is Satan’s punishment.
Finding answers directly from the Bible.
These verses are about what is the destiny of the wicked based on a chain of verses that are referenced in a specific order to help give clarity and context.* It has very minimal commentary so that you can do your own self-reflection and discovery of the verses. Many times the Bible explains itself if you just know where to look.
With each group of verses, there are probing questions to help you consider what is being said. Each verse in the study is linked to an online Bible, should you want to check the context of the verses around it. Also, allowing verification of what scripture says, as well as purity of a study based only on the Bible.
1. What is the wages of sin?
- 1 John 3:4 (KJV) — “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
- Romans 6:23 (KJV) — “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
2. How will each case be decided?
- Revelation 20:11-13 (KJV) —
“11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 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.
13 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.” - 2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV) — “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
3. By what means will God destroy sin finally?
- 2 Peter 3:10 (KJV) — “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
- Matthew 13:40-42 (KJV) —
“40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
4. When will this take place?
- Psalms 11:6 (KJV) — “Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.”
- Revelation 20:9 (KJV) — “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”
- Revelation 20:15 (KJV) — “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
5. How completely will sin and sinner be destroyed?
- Malachi 4:1-3 (KJV) —
“1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
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.” - Psalms 37:10 (KJV) — “For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.”
- Psalms 37:29 (KJV) — “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.”
- Nahum 1:9-10 (KJV) — “9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. 10 For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.”
“The wicked are to be utterly destroyed — consumed away into smoke, brought to ashes. Having inseparably allied themselves with sin, they have forfeited the right to life and an immortal existence, and chosen the way of death and destruction. By their choice they have proved themselves worthless. For this reason they are compared to chaff, briers, thorns, etc. Their destruction will conse- quently be no real loss. They will themselves have lost their opportunity to obtain eternal life; but by the way in which they used their probationary time they proved themselves unworthy of it. Their destruction will, in fact, be an act of love and mercy on the part of God; for to perpetuate their lives would only be to perpetuate sin, sorrow, suffering, and misery. Terrible, therefore, as this judgment will be, there will, in consequence of it, be nothing of value lost — nothing lost worth saving. The experiment of sin will be over, and God’s original plan of peopling the earth with a race of holy, happy beings will be carried out (2 Peter 3:13).”
— Bible Readings for the Home Circle, p. 522
6. What becomes of Satan?
- Ezekiel 28:18-19 (KJV) — “18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:26 (KJV) — “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
- Revelation 20:14 (KJV) — “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
7. What else will be consumed in the fire that destroys the wicked?
- 2 Peter 3:10 (KJV) — “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
This fire is called ‘everlasting’ because of the character of the work it does; just as it is called ‘unquenchable’ because it cannot be put out, and not because it will not go out when it has done its work.”
— Bible Readings for the Home Circle, p. 520
8. Will there be degrees of suffering in the destruction of the wicked?
- Luke 12:47-48 (KJV) — “47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”
- Revelation 22:12 (KJV) — “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.“
9. Where will both righteous and wicked be rewarded?
- Proverbs 11:31 (KJV) — “Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.”
- Psalms 37:34 (KJV) — “Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.”
This study guide was based on Reading No. 6, pages 92-93 from Brief Bible Readings for Busy People,
prepared by the Home Missionary Department
of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Review and Herald Publishing. Published originally in 1930.
View the original study guide, which this guide is based on, as a scanned PDF. Full credit to them.
*A Bible chain reference is a system of cross-referencing between different passages or verses of the Bible to connect and relate different concepts, themes, or topics mentioned in different parts of the Bible. It helps readers gain a deeper understanding of the overall message and meaning of the text. To use it, readers start with a particular topic or theme and then look up the corresponding list of verses, paying attention to the connections and relationships between them. Studying them in a particular order, helps one understand the topic from beginning to end. Just like peeling the layers off of an onion. It’s a useful tool for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the Bible and its teachings.
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.
Home Missionary Department
“Adventist mission touches lives through medical care, media, education, mission workers, Global Mission pioneers, outreach resources and so much more. The Adventist mission is entering new areas. Establishing new congregations. Changing lives.” “More than 2,500 Global Mission pioneers are now working around the world. Since 1990 pioneers have established more than 11,000 new Seventh-day Adventist congregations.” – Read more about Adventist Mission.