The WT does not teach an Eternal Hell--Does the Bible?

The conventional wisdom of today and taught by The Watch Tower states that a loving God would not condemn people to an eternal hell where they would be tormented day and night forever.  However, those same people forget that God is not only loving (1 John 4:8-10), gracious (1 Peter 2:3) and merciful (James 5:11) but He is also holy (Rev. 4:8), just (2 Thess 1:6) and hates sin (Psalm 5:5-6). There are many verses to show that God will punish the sinner (Matt 25:46) and that there is a fiery hell, a place that Jesus warned people about (Matthew 18:8).

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus talks about a Day of Judgment when all people will face God and those not covered by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross “will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” In this one verse the same word “eternal” is used to describe the punishment awaiting the wicked and the eternal life of the believer.

"And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,” (2 Thess 1:9)

"Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 7).

“These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever,”(Jude 12-13)

“And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:11)

“And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:12)

"And 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." (Mark 9:43)