No. This is a false teaching of materialists who deny that man has an immortal soul that survives the death of the body. Certain denominations teach that the wicked, including the devil himself, will be totally consumed and cease to exist in Hell. Several problems arise when this idea is examined.
First, the scriptures use the same word to indicate the duration of both Heaven and Hell. Notice Matt. 25:46, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." It is very unlikely that the one word would have two opposite meanings in the same passage. The torment of hell is "forever and ever" (Rev. 14:11). This same phrase describes the endless reign of the saved with God (Rev. 22:5). If the wicked cease to exist because eternal doesn't mean unending, what is to become of the righteous?
Second, "total annihilation" is contrary to New Testament teachings about the resurrection. Jesus said that the wicked would come forth from the grave "unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:29). The resurrection contemplated is not a return to the frailty of earthly life but the resurrection preparatory to the great judgment. Speaking of that resurrection, Paul said it was characterized by immortality and incorruption (1 Cor. 15:42-53). These all, small and great, stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Rev. 20:12) and then the wicked are cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15). Daniel wrote, "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Dan. 12:2). Only people who exist and are conscious can experience shame and everlasting contempt. Likewise, when Jesus said of Judas, "Good were it for that man if he had never been born" (Mark 14:21), it would make little sense if in Hell Judas would become as if he had never been.
S. T. E.
"And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." "Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual." "The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven." "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
