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There are often discussions on the nature and/or longevity of hell. It is believed by most that the wicked, in order to meet the justice of a righteous God, suffer for all eternity in "hellfire" without being consumed by it. But is that what the Bible really teaches? Let us see.... Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? ....so, who DOES dwell in the everlasting burnings??? 15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil. He that walks in righteousness? Really? Consider all the following... Exodus 3:1-5....19:18-20....40:38....1 Kings 8:10,11....Ezek. 28:14.....Daniel 7:9,10.....Hebrews 12:29 Lots of fire in all these different scenarios, but nothing was burned... Except there is a warning against the wicked that they should avoid at all costs this fire. Why? See Exodus 19:21-24.....and do you remember the account of Nadab and Abihu? See Levit. 10:1,2. So some things perish in the same fire that others things continue to survive in! What is this fire? It is the very presence of God. When Moses went up to the top of Sinai he went into the midst of fre and smoke and thunder and lightening for 40 days and came back with his face shining so much the people couldn't bear it and demanded he cover it up. Even a reflection of God's glory was unbearable to sinners. That is why only the High Priest, and only after serious preparation, could enter the Most Holy Place, and then only once a year...and with a rope tied to his ankle in case he fell before the Lord and someone had to drag him out! Oh, and when Nadab and Abihu were taken out from being "devoured in the fire", they were still fully dressed, yet fully dead!!! So, according to Isaiah, the righteous are enabled to live in the everlasting fire of the Lord's presence forever, but that same fire consumes sinners. Thus the fire of God is NOT a fire of COMBUSTION, but a fire that consumes sin!!! And sin, as we all would agree, is rooted in the (father of) lies, deceptions, and selfishness of Satan. These principles of evil are not going to be destroyed by a physical fire, but at the very last, by the presence of God Himself as He comes with the New Jerusalem and devours the wicked. See Revel. 20:9 And what of sin in the repentant sinner? What destroys that? Again, not a physical fire, but the presence of God. The lies, deceptions, and selfishness is are destroyed by the Spirit of Truth and Love and Light. See... John 14:17;15:26;16:13; Romans 1:4; 8:2; 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor. 3:3,17,18; 2 Tim 1:7; 1 Peter 4:14.... When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost were the disciples devoured by the fire that came with it? No, they were prepared for service. John the Baptist said the Jesus would baptize His people with the Holy Spirit AND with fire. It is the fire of the presence of God in our lives that devours sin and selfishness. If any claim to be "filled with the Holy Spirit" and "the presence of God" yet you still are clinging to sin, your claims are false. If the principle action of the Holy Spirit in the believers life is not to bring the repentant sinner into harmony with the righteousness of God, you are partaking of a false spirit. And finally, the presence of God does not torture sinners for all eternity...it destroys them for all eternity. It is an eternal death which is the everlasting punishment. Not torture. The wages of sin is death, not torture. Sinners are NOT immortal. Immortal life belongs ONLY to God, (1 Timothy 6:15,16) and is given as a GIFT to those who are saved through faith in the blood of the Lamb...eternal life is NOT given as a gift to sinners in order that they may be tortured for all eternity. Read again John 3:16. That one single verse, the most well known in the entire Bible, is the ONLY verse needed, if believed, to refute forever any notion that hell is a place of eternal physical suffering. If now, you are thinking of quoting another verse which you claim says different, you do not believe in John 3:15,16