Mark 9:42-48 NASB
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44 [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] 45 If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, 46 [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] 47 If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, 48 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.
I just like starting with a little surrounding context.
So does anyone think there is a bit of exaggeration for dramatic effect going on here, or is God trying to say that the warning is THAT serious. They are talking about chopping off your hand or gouging out your eye!
Moving back on topic, v.43 seems to affirm that Hell is a real place and the fire there never goes out.
V.44,46,48 “
where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED“ is a quote from Isa 66:24.
Isaiah 66:22-24 NASB
22 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I make will endure before Me,” declares the LORD,
“So your offspring and your name will endure.
23 “And it shall be from new moon to new moon
And from sabbath to sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the LORD.
24 “Then they will go forth and look
On the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm will not die
And their fire will not be quenched;
And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”
Mark 9 and Isaiah 66 speak clearly about corpses and worms and unquenchable fire, but could apply equally to either torment or destruction based on what other verses and outside view you brought into reading them. They seem inconclusive with Mark maybe leaning just a bit towards Torment and Isaiah leaning towards destruction.