From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

Three kinds of evidence in Scripture declare the eternality of all souls. Understanding these facts should add all the more urgency and fervency to our proclamation of the Gospel to all men.

One reader put the question this way: "Where does the Bible teach the eternality of the soul? Maybe a better term would be the everlastingness of the soul, for only God has eternality. Logically, one might be prompted to conclude that since the soul is not an everlasting entity, God instituted the judgment of Hell as terror prior to annihilation."

It is true that nowhere in the Bible do we find the direct statement, "the soul is eternal." However, we can point to three categories of Biblical evidence for the eternality (or, as our reader more correctly called it, everlastingness) of the souls of both the saved and the lost.

The Eternal Experience of Souls

First, we find many passages that teach the eternality of the soul by teaching the eternal experience of various things by the soul, either in the New Heavens and New Earth, or in the Lake of Fire. I'll focus here on those that speak of the unsaved, since a discussion of annihilationism was what spurred readers' questions. A number of passages speak of the soul as experiencing eternal punishments such as torments of conscience, anguish, despair, weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Among them are these:

And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 8:11-12)

So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:49-50)

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched - where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched - where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire - where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' (Mark 9:43-48)

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb." (Revelation 14:9-10)

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

The Bible's Use of the Greek Words for Eternality

Secondly, we find use of words such as "eternal", "everlasting", and "forever" in ways that logically necessitate the eternality of the soul. For example, the same word (the Greek aionios and its variants, from which we get the English word aeon) is used for eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:2), for eternal life (John 3:15), and for the eternal God (1 Timothy 1:17). If any one of these were temporary or had an ending, then logically (and impossibly) the others must also.

The same phrase that means "forever" (compound usages of aionios meaning, literally, "to the ages of the ages") is used of God being alive forever (Revelation 15:7), of the eternal life of believers (John 10:28), and the eternal torment of the lost (Revelation 14:11). Once again, if any one of these were not everlasting, then logically the others would be of the same nature. And, once again, the fact that these passages tell us that the experience is eternal - both the bliss of the souls and bodies of the saved and the punishment of the souls and bodies of the lost - necessitates that the existence of the souls and bodies that will undergo those experiences must likewise be eternal.

The Soul is the Eternal Possession of God

Third, we find numerous passages that speak of the soul as the eternal possession of God or under the eternal control of God. Among them are the following:

For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. (Psalm 86:13)

Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)

Indeed it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness; but You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. (Isaiah 38:17)

For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made. (Isaiah 57:16)

Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4)

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26)

But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' (Luke 12:20)

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "will render to each one according to his deeds": eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness - indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. (Romans 2:5-11)

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. 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 ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:9-11)

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation 20:7-14)

An Essential Element of the Gospel

Without looking at this entire body of Biblical evidence and its logical necessities, one might be tempted to conclude that the souls of the lost in particular are not everlasting entities, and therefore that the judgment of Hell might precede annihilation. But the full panorama of Scripture presents an airtight case for the eternality of the souls of both the saved and the unsaved, in their final blessed and tormented states.

This teaching is an essential element of the Gospel, and these facts should add all the more urgency and fervency to our proclamation of the Gospel to all men. The preaching of the Gospel in its fullness reminds and reassures every believer that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18), and it warns every unbeliever that "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish" (Romans 2:8-9) await the unrepentant soul.

Dear reader, have you put off trusting in Christ alone for your salvation? Don't delay. Tomorrow may be too late. If you would like more information on how to be sure you have eternal life, please contact us. We'll be happy to help you.

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