Hell has once again become a point of public discussion among Christians after commentator Kirk Cameron said he now leans toward annihilationism rather than eternal conscious suffering. Cameron has stated he is open to changing his mind and considers the issue secondary to the Gospel. Still, many believers were surprised that such a foundational doctrine would be reconsidered.
In the middle of that renewed debate, author and speaker Bill Wiese has stepped forward with a simple but weighty question: What does the Bible say?
Wiese opens his recent teaching without theatrics or mockery. “Will people exist forever in hell? Yes, most certainly. You will not cease to exist.” His tone is direct and sober. The subject, he makes clear, is not theoretical. It is eternal.
He grounds his position in the nature of God and the authority of Scripture. “There is no scripture that supports an unbeliever will be spared from eternal torment and hell. God will not change his word.” Quoting Psalms 89:34 and Malachi 3:6, he emphasizes that the Lord does not alter what He has spoken. If God has described punishment as everlasting, Wiese argues, believers cannot redefine it to make it more palatable.
The discussion has intensified in part because annihilationism can sound less severe. The idea that the lost simply cease to exist after judgment appears, at first glance, more compassionate. But Wiese insists compassion must begin with truth. “God made us eternal beings in Genesis 1:26.” If humanity is created with an eternal dimension, the issue is not whether people live forever but where they will live forever.
He also addresses the seriousness of sin itself. “We have sinned against a holy, omnipotent, perfect, almighty God.” Wiese explains that the gravity of an offense is tied to the one offended. Sin against an infinite God carries eternal consequence. He points to the cross as proof that God does not treat sin lightly. “He gave the human race his very best in sending his own son to die in our place on the cross. And then people scoff at that fact or flat out reject this amazing free gift of salvation.”
For Wiese, hell is not about cruelty. It is about justice and the rejection of grace. He rejects the notion that time spent in hell could somehow pay off sin. “Time spent in hell could never pay for our sins. Our time is not valuable enough to God. Only the shed blood of Jesus has that value.” Citing Hebrews 9:22 and Ephesians 2:8-9, he stresses that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works. If human effort cannot save, neither can prolonged suffering.
Central to his argument is Matthew 25:46. “And these will go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into eternal life.” Wiese notes that the same Greek word aionios is used for both punishment and life. “The same word is used to describe both heaven and hell’s duration.” If eternal life truly means forever, he argues, then eternal punishment must mean the same.
He further points to Revelation 20:10, which describes the devil being “tormented day and night forever and ever.” Wiese says this defines what everlasting means. “So here we see that the place the devil and men are cast in is defined as day and night forever and everlasting.” He also references Revelation 14:10-11, which says the smoke of their torment ascends forever and they have no rest day nor night. “To be tormented with fire and brimstone one has to still exist.”
In raising these passages, Wiese does not mock those who disagree. Instead, he repeatedly returns to Scripture. His approach is not sensational but textual. The conversation sparked by Cameron’s comments has revealed how uncomfortable many believers feel about hell. Yet discomfort does not erase doctrine.
Hell is not a punchline. It is not a debate topic to be handled casually. It is a warning wrapped in mercy. Wiese closes with a question that frames the matter plainly: “So all humans are eternal beings. The question is, will you spend it in everlasting bliss in heaven or in everlasting torment in hell? You decide.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
