What is the fate of the wicked, that is, those who refuse to repent?

The Bible clearly states that the penalty for sin is death.

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The last part of the verse makes it clear that eternal life is a gift and is not something that humans have inherently.  This is restated in different words a couple of chapters later.

Rom 8:13  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

These verses make it clear that the fate of the wicked is death.  But sometimes people question the plain meaning of death and think that it means eternal life in hell.  So let’s look at some other Scriptures.

In Jesus Christ’s ministry He was very clear about the fate of the wicked.  Jesus stated that at the end of the age the wicked will be cast into the furnace of fire.

Mat 13:40  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
Mat 13:41  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
Mat 13:42  and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Mat 13:49  So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,
Mat 13:50  and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

This is the same fire in the book of Revelation into which the wicked are cast.

Rev 20:15  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev 21:8  But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The same fate of the wicked is explained in another passage concerning the time when Jesus Christ returns.

Mat 25:31  “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
Mat 25:32  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

…
Mat 25:41  “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

Does the term “everlasting fire” mean that the wicked will burn in hell fire forever?  No!  This question is answered in the book of Malachi.

Mal 4:1  “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the LORD of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.

Mal 4:3  You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the LORD of hosts.

The wicked are thrown in the fire and burned up and turned to ashes.  They are destroyed; they don’t burn forever.  1 Thes 1:9 also makes it clear that the wicked are destroyed.  Referring to the wicked:

2Th 1:9  These [the wicked] shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

Jesus Christ warned that the alternative to entering into eternal life is being cast into hell fire.

Mat 18:9  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell [gehenna] fire.

Mar 9:43  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell [gehenna], into the fire that shall never be quenched—

The Greek word translated hell in Mat 18:9 and Mark 9:43 is gehenna.  It comes from Hebrew and literally means the Valley of Hinnom, a valley just south of Jerusalem where people tipped their rubbish, filth, and animal carcasses for burning.  Gehenna was a rubbish tip, and Gehenna fire was the fire lit in the rubbish tip to burn the rubbish.  In other words, at the end of the age the wicked are treated like rubbish and burned up.

In addition to the very clear Scriptures which we have just covered, there are others which describe indirectly that the wicked are burned up in fire.

Mat 3:10  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Mat 3:11  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Mat 3:12  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Luk 3:8  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Luk 3:9  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Luk 3:16  John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Luk 3:17  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
Mat 7:19  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Mat 13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ‘ “

Joh 15:6  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Heb 6:5  and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Heb 6:6  if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
Heb 6:7  For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;
Heb 6:8  but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

Conclusion

The fate of the wicked, that is, those who refuse to repent, is to be burned up by fire and turned into ashes.  Their fate is to be completely destroyed.