It is eternal separation from God. The wicked have made themselves unable to stand in God’s presence. The corruption of their personalities and deadness of their spirits make the wicked unable to respond in any positive way to the presence of God; they instinctively shrink from Him. God will assign them a place far from himself which appropriately fits their condition of character. We call this place “the lake of fire”.  

 The punishment of the wicked is everlasting- endless.

The wicked will be punished forever. Scripture expresses this idea through the use of several strong word pictures:  

(1) “fire unquenchable” (Isaiah 66:24; Matthew 3:12; Mark 9:43-45; Luke 3:17).  

(2) “the worm dieth not” (Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:44, 46, 48).  

(3) the wrath of God “abideth on him” (John 3:36).  

(4) “smoke of torment ascending up forever and ever” (Revelation 14:11; 19:3).  

 The punishment of the wicked is not remedial or corrective.

Those who die in sin and without God will continue forever in this state. Whatever we have become at the time of judgment, we will be for eternity. 

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt [or abhorrence] (Daniel 12:2 NASV).  

 The punishment of the wicked is the expression of God’s wrath.

God is love, but He is also truth, holiness, pure light, perfect righteousness, and faithfulness. God cannot tolerate sin and remain true to His nature. He expresses this intense hatred for sin as wrath. He must rid himself of every reminder of sin. He must also punish every offender to the full extent of the penalty he deserves. Christ bore this full penalty, but those who refuse to be  

identified with Him must suffer their own penalty, the experience of God’s wrath.  

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36).