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Study 6: Destruction Vocabulary

What Words Does the Bible Use for the Fate of the Wicked?

A Note on How to Study

Throughout this series, we distinguish between what the Bible explicitly says and what people infer from the Bible. These are not the same thing.

  • Explicit: You can point to a verse and quote it. The text directly says this.
  • Inference: Someone claims the Bible teaches something, but no single verse says it. They have drawn a conclusion -- possibly a good one, possibly not -- but the conclusion itself is not in the text.

In this study, we will look at the actual Hebrew and Greek words the Bible uses when it describes what happens to the wicked. We will ask: what do these words mean in their original languages, and do they match what most people assume the Bible teaches?

Section A: The Old Testament Destruction Words

  1. Read Psalm 37:20. What two things does this verse say will happen to the wicked? What imagery does it use to describe how they will disappear?

  2. Read Psalm 68:2. What natural substance does the psalmist compare the wicked to? What happens to that substance in the presence of fire?

  3. Read Psalm 145:20. What two contrasting actions does God take? What does He do for those who love Him, and what does He do to the wicked?

  4. Read Psalm 104:35. After the sinners are "consumed out of the earth," what does the psalmist say they will be?

  5. Read Psalm 37:10. What will you find when you look for the wicked? What will happen to "his place"?

Section B: The New Testament Destruction Words

  1. Read John 3:16. What two outcomes does this verse present? What is the alternative to everlasting life?

  2. Read Matthew 10:28. What does Jesus say God is able to do to "both soul and body in hell"? Does He say "torment" or "destroy"?

  3. Read Matthew 7:13-14. What does Jesus call the destination of the broad way? What does He call the destination of the narrow way? What is the contrast?

  4. Read Philippians 3:19. What does Paul say is the "end" (final outcome) of the enemies of the cross?

  5. Read 2 Thessalonians 1:9. What word does Paul use for the punishment of the wicked? Is the word "torment" or "destruction"?

Section C: Destruction Similes -- What Pictures Does the Bible Use?

  1. Read Malachi 4:1, 3. What will the wicked become on the day that burns like an oven? What will be left of them? What will the righteous walk on?

  2. Read Hosea 13:3. List the four things the wicked are compared to. What do all four of these things have in common?

  3. Read Nahum 1:10 and Isaiah 1:31. What material are the wicked compared to in both passages? What happens to that material when it meets fire?

  4. Read Obadiah 1:16. What does this verse say the judged nations will be? In your own words, what does "as though they had not been" mean?

Section D: The "Perish vs. Life" Pattern

  1. Look at these five passages together:

    • John 3:16 -- perish vs. everlasting life
    • Matthew 7:13-14 -- destruction vs. life
    • Romans 6:23 -- death vs. eternal life
    • Philippians 3:19 -- destruction vs. glory
    • Psalm 145:20 -- destroy vs. preserve

    What pattern do you see? Are the two outcomes presented as two kinds of continued existence, or as opposites?

  2. Read Romans 6:23. If the "gift of God is eternal life," what does that imply about whether eternal life is something humans already possess?

  3. Read Luke 13:3, 5. Jesus gives a warning and a choice. What is the alternative to repentance?

Explicit or Inference?

For each statement below, decide: Does the Bible explicitly say this (you can point to a verse), or is it an inference (a conclusion someone draws that no verse directly states)?

A. "The wicked shall perish." - [ ] Explicit -- the Bible says this - [ ] Inference -- someone concluded this

B. "God is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." - [ ] Explicit -- the Bible says this - [ ] Inference -- someone concluded this

C. "The destruction words in the Bible really mean ongoing torment, not actual destruction." - [ ] Explicit -- the Bible says this - [ ] Inference -- someone concluded this

D. "The wicked shall be ashes under the soles of your feet." - [ ] Explicit -- the Bible says this - [ ] Inference -- someone concluded this

E. "When the Bible says 'perish,' it means 'spiritual ruin' -- continued existence in a ruined state." - [ ] Explicit -- the Bible says this - [ ] Inference -- someone concluded this