“And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, 7 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 6–7).  (The underlined portion is represented in two tables below)

When dealing with annihilationism and the issue of eternal punishment, Jude5-7 is particularly important. If we look at the text and analyze what the Greek says, it becomes evident that the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah are presently experiencing the punishment of eternal fire. This directly contradicts conditionalism. Let’s take a look at the text, analyze it, and then answer objections.

• verse 6 
  1. “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode,
  2. He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,
• verse 7
  1. just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them,
  2. since they as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh,
  3. are exhibited  as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”

Here is the Greek syntax of the relevant words.

• verse 6 
  1. “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode,
  2. He has kept [perfect tense] in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,
• verse 7
  1. just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them,
  2. since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh,
  3. are exhibited [present tense] as an example
     1. “are exhibited” is the main verb
  4. in undergoing [present participle] the punishment of eternal fire.”
     1. “undergoing” is the present participle that takes the time of its action from the main verb

Syntax

For those who do not understand the syntax, here is a list of the terms and what they mean as they relate to this article:  present tense, perfect tense, present participle.

1. Present tense – The action is occurring in the present tense, right now.  “I walk.”
2. Perfect tense – The action has occurred in the past and is still happening now.  “I have been walking.”
3. Participle – The action is ongoing.  The verb is used as a noun. “I am walking.”
   1. “Simultaneous process – the action in the participle is a process going on at the same time as the action in the main verb.”¹Duff, Jeremy. The Elements of New Testament Greek (Page 85). Cambridge University Press. Kindle Edition.
4. Present Participle (Jude 7 ‘undergoing’).
   1. “the present participle indicates an action occurring at the same time as the main verb.”²Mounce, William D., Zondervan. Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar (Kindle Location 17333). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. underline added
   2. “The present participle is used for contemporaneous time.”³Wallace, Daniel B.; Wallace, Daniel B., The Basics of New Testament Syntax: An Intermediate Greek Grammar (p. 267). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. underline added
   3. “The present participle is normally contemporaneous in time to the action of the main verb.”⁴ibid, p. 273

Now let’s take a look at Jude 6 and 7.  I’ve provided two tables with the English and Greek along with the Syntax of the important words, so you can see what is going on.  Again, I will highlight, in green, the significant items.

Table 1:  Jude 6 “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,”
English	He	has kept	in	eternal	bonds	under	darkness
Greek		τετήρηκεν		ἀϊδίοις	δεσμοῖς	ὑπὸ	ζόφον
Translit-erated		tetērēken		aidiois	desmois	hypo	zophon
Greek		τηρεω		αει	δεω	υπο	ζοφος
Translit-erated		tēreō		aei	deō	ypo	zophos
Syntax		verb, perfect, active, indicative, third person, singular		adjective, dative, plural, masculine	noun, dative, plural, masculine	preposition	noun, accusative, singular, masculine

Table 2:  Jude 7 “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.”
English	are exhibited	as an example	in	undergoing	the	punishment	of eternal	fire
Greek	πρόκεινται	δεῖγμα	→	ὑπέχουσαι	→	δίκην	αἰωνίου	πυρὸς
Translit-erated	prokeintai	deigma		hypechousai		dikēn	aiōniou	pyros
Greek	κειμαι	δεικνυμι		εχω		δικη	αἰώνιος	πῦρ
Translit-erated	keimai	deiknymi		echō		dikē	aiōnios	pyr
Syntax	verb, present, middle/passive, indicative	noun, accusative, singular, feminine		verb, present, active participle, plural, nominitive, feminine		noun, accusative, singular, feminine	adjective, genitive, singular, neuter	noun, genitive, singular, neuter

Let’s put this all together:  Jude 6-7

• Verse 6 
  1. “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode,
  2. He has kept [perfect indicative] in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,
• Verse 7
  1. just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them,
  2. since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh,
  3. are exhibited [present tense] as an example
  4. in undergoing [present participle] the punishment of eternal fire.”

The angels (6a) are presently, consciously being kept in bonds (6b). We know they are conscious because, in Luke 20:36, Jesus said that angels don’t die.⁵For more information on angels not dying, see Luke 20:36, Annihilationism, and immortal angels. Furthermore, the words “has kept” is the perfect tense in the Greek which is a past action that has continued action in the present.⁶”The perfect is used less frequently than the present, aorist, future, or imperfect; when it is used, there is usually a deliberate choice on the part of the writer. The force of the perfect tense is simply that it describes an event that, completed in the past (we are speaking of the perfect indicative here), has results existing in the present time (i.e., in relation to the time of the speaker).” (Wallace, Daniel B., The Basics of New Testament Syntax: An Intermediate Greek Grammar (p. 246). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. underline added, underline and color added.) This confirms that the angels who “did not keep their own domain” are presently being kept in eternal bonds for judgment. It is happening right now.

Clearly, the evidence supports the idea that the wicked are presently undergoing punishment.  Please consider the following quotes that further emphasize what is happening in the text.

• “The verb for undergoing is in the present tense, which means that the inhabitants of Sodom are at the moment going through their punishment…The word translated example is literally “sample”; that is, here is an actual case of sinners being punished; this serves both as proof and as a warning to future generations of the reality of divine punishment (note TEV “plain warning”).”⁷Arichea, Daniel C., and Howard Hatton. A Handbook on the Letter from Jude and the Second Letter from Peter. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 1993.
• “undergoing” is from the verb, “ὑπέχω hupéchō; “Lit. to hold under, meaning to undergo, experience. In the NT with díkē (1349), justice, meaning punishment as in Jude 1:7, to pay or suffer punishment.”⁸Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000.
• “ὑπέχουσαι [from ὑπέχω hupéchō] is present tense, so it might imply a present punishment. However, remember there is no absolute time significance outside the indicative, and this is a participle. So all the tense of ὑπέχουσαι says is that it is undefined in its aspect.  However, if relative time is accounted for, since πρόκεινται is present, the linear ὑπέχουσαι would be describing action happening at the same time as πρόκεινται and hence a present “undergoing.” So the suggestion is that the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah are currently being punished for their sins, and their current punishment serves as a current warning to us.”⁹billmounce.com/monday-with-mounce/sodom-gomorrah-and-pornography-jude-7

In verse 7, Jude says that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (7a) who went after strange flesh (7b) are presently an example (δεῖγμα, deigma, 7c) in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire (7d).  Jude knew that the fires of Sodom and Gomorrah were extinguished, yet he chooses to say they are an example of the punishment of eternal fire, which is happening now (present participle). This is because he is using the permanent judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah to illustrate the permanent judgment of the wicked who are presently” undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”

Furthermore, “deigma” (7c, “example”) is used by Jude to designate that what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of what happens to the wicked and he adds that they are presently “undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”

Deigma and hypodeigma

However, some conditionalists point out that δεῖγμα, deigma, is not the same as ὑπόδειγμα, hupódeigma which is a representation or type.  They say that deigma is a specimen of something and cannot be used to signify the example of punishment.  But, in response consider the following.

• δεῖγμα, deigma (Jude 7)
  • δεῖγμα [deigma /digh·mah/] n n. From the base of 1166; GK 1257; AV translates as “example” once. 1 a thing shown. 2 a specimen of any thing, example, pattern.”¹⁰Strong, James. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995, underline added.
  • “δεῖγμα, τος n: (derivative of δείκνυμιa ‘to make known,’ 28.47) the means by which the nature of something is made known, particularly as an example of what is to be avoided—‘example (such as to warn), means by which something is known.’ πρόκεινται δεῖγμα πυρὸς αἰωνίου δίκην ὑπέχουσαι ‘they exist as an example of undergoing the punishment of eternal fire’ or ‘they suffer the punishment of eternal fire, as an example (to us all)’’ Jd 7.¹¹Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996, underline added
  • “δεῖγμα deígma; gen. deígmatos, neut. noun from deíknúō (1166), to show. An example, specimen, sample, a display of things sold, occurring only in Jude 1:7 making the suffering of Sodom and Gomorrah an example of the future suffering of God’s judgment.”¹²Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000, underline added
• ὑπόδειγμα, hupódeigma, 2 Pet. 2:6
  • “ὑπόδειγμα [hupodeigma /hoop·od·igue·mah/] n n. From 5263; TDNT 2:32; TDNTA 141; GK 5682; Six occurrences; AV translates as “example” four times, “pattern” once, and “ensample” once. 1 a sign suggestive of anything, delineation of a thing, representation, figure, copy. 2 an example: for imitation. 2A of the thing to be imitated. 2B for a warning, of a thing to be shunned.”¹³Strong James. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, underline added.
  • “ὑπόδειγμα, τος n: a model of behavior as an example to be imitated or to be avoided—‘model, example.’¹⁴Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996, underline added.
  • “to show, forewarn. An example or pattern to be imitated in action (John 13:15); in suffering (James 5:10); for warning (Heb. 4:11). A representation or type (Heb. 8:5; 9:23 [cf. 4:11]; 2 Pet. 2:6).”¹⁵Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, underline added.

Furthermore, we see in 2 Peter 2:6 the use of hypodeigma to describe “the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example [hypodeigma] to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter.”  The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are said to be both hypodeigma (2 Pet. 2:6) and deigma (Jude 1:7).  Both are examples. But more specifically it is the people of Jude 7 who “are exhibited as an example [deigma] in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”

Problems for the conditionalists

First, this evidence contradicts conditionalist thought. To them, the text cannot mean that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are presently under conscious punishment (v. 7).  To them, punishment means being annihilated, not an ongoing experience of agony.  The problem is that they relate punishment to nothingness.  For more on this logical problem see, Philosophical challenges to the conditionalist view of eternal punishment being nonexistence and Conditionalism and conflating eternal punishment with non-existence

Second, if as the majority of annihilationists assert that when people die, they enter a state of soul sleep, which is a state of existence without consciousness and awareness, then they cannot experience anything. But this would make no sense with the connection that Jude makes of the angels who cannot die and are presently being kept in bonds just as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are being exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” This same problem occurs for the conditionalists who think that once a person dies he ceases to exist.

Third, according to annihilationists, eternal punishment is eternal nonexistence.  Eternal punishment is when God executes the wicked and causes them to not exist. So if the people are presently undergoing eternal punishment (7d), how can that be since the conditionalist view of eternal punishment (future nonexistence) hasn’t yet happened since the wicked are to be resurrected only to be annihilated ‘again’?

Objections answered

1. Sodom and Gomorrah and its people are no longer in existence.  Therefore, the people of Jude 7 will be annihilated.
   1. To say that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah no longer exist begs the question. They are physically dead, but that does not mean they are not alive now. The Bible certainly implies that people continue to live after physical death (Matt. 17:1-3; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Cor. 5:8; 12:2). So, to assume the people of Jude 7 will be annihilated based on an interpretation of what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah cannot be shown to be correct.
2. The phrase “are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire” is referring to their nonexistence.
   1. This objection does not work because the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah are exhibited (present tense) as an example of undergoing (present participle) punishment of eternal fire. In conditionalism, the ultimate punishment is nonexistence. But that which does not exist cannot experience or undergo punishment. Also, considering the ongoing present tense of Jude 7 regarding the present condition of the wicked angels that God “has kept in eternal bonds.”  Those angels are conscious, right now, and are under bondage.  Furthermore, “has kept” is in the perfect tense which designates past action with continued results. In other words, those wicked angels are experiencing “eternal bonds under darkness” right now. Likewise, Jude relates this to the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah who are presently undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
3. The imagery of Jude 7 is present tense, but the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah has been completed.  Therefore, since the people are dead, those under the punishment of eternal fire are also dead, nonexistent.
   1. Both Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed long ago. But the text says that they are presently exhibited “as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” It is a mistake to assume that because Sodom and Gomorrah don’t exist anymore, it means the punishment of eternal fire also implies nonexistence, especially when the ‘eternal fire’ spoken of is in the present tense (present participle). According to Jude 7, they are presently exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. If they don’t exist (or are in a state of soul sleep), then how can they presently experience the punishment of eternal fire?  If the conditionalist says that their punishment is eternal nonexistence, then the conditionalist must deny a future resurrection of the wicked because it would mean that they are annihilated again.  It makes no sense.
4. Eternal fire and eternal punishment consistently point to God’s final judgment of extinction, so that they are an example of what will happen to the wicked.
   1. This argument does not work because Jude 7 says that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are exhibited (present tense) as an example in undergoing (present participle) “the punishment of eternal fire.” The plain and clear reading of the text demonstrates a present situation of those wicked people from Sodom and Gomorrah which I have demonstrated in this article. I know that the conditionalists have a variety of ways to force the text to say the opposite of its plain meaning. But, if we remove their question-begging and eisegesis, we have the present reality of “undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”
5. The eternal fire is not eternal torment.  Instead, it is the punishment of being annihilated.
   1. This is another example of begging the question. Just saying that eternal fire is not eternal torment, doesn’t make it so. The phrase ‘eternal fire’ is only used in the New Testament where it occurs 3 times: Matt. 18:8; 25:41; Jude 7. In each context, ‘eternal fire’ is a very terrifying thing. There is nothing in any of the other usages (Matt. 18:8; 25:41) that suggests annihilation. It isn’t there. In Matthew 25:41 the accursed people will be cast into the eternal fire which “has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” The devil and his angels are conscious in that eternal fire. So too, will be the wicked.
   2. See the article Word Study on Eternal Fire.
6. Eternal fire means that the source of the fire is eternal; namely, God. God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29).
   1. To say that the eternal fire is eternal because the source is eternal does not deal with what the nature of the “eternal fire” is that is under discussion. This position would have to mean that the “eternal fire” has always existed. But, conditionalists routinely say that the fire is quenched after the fuel is burned up. But this would mean that the eternal fire is not quenched because it is, as they say, eternal in its source. And it is this “eternal fire” that is applied to the wicked in Matthew 18:8; 25:41, Jude 7.  So, then, how is such a fire going to go out if it has an eternal source from God and that fire is applied to the wicked?  If the conditionalist responds by saying that the eternal fire will complete its work and annihilate the wicked, that all they’re doing is assuming their position to be true in reading it into the text.   In Matthew 25:41 the accursed people will be cast into the eternal fire which “has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” The devil and his angels are conscious in that eternal fire. So too, will be the wicked.
7. The Eternal Fire in Greek is aionios pur, which is “age fire.”  It is a fire that lasts for an age.  Therefore, it is not eternal.
   1. this kind of argument is used by Universalists who extract a literal aspect of a word and apply it to the whole context. It’s an error in interpretation. Nevertheless, God uses the term aionos to signify each analogy. Furthermore, there are only two ages (Matt. 2:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30):  this age and the age to come. In this age, people marry (Luke 20:34), blasphemy will not be forgiven (Matthew 12:32), and we will receive 100 times as much reward (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30).  In the age to come, we will receive eternal life (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30) and we do not marry (Luke 20:35).  So using their logic, the fire that lasts an age will last in the age to come and since the age to come never ends, the implication would be that the fire never ends.
8. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed and reduced to ashes which states that the destruction itself serves as an example of what will happen to the ungodly
   1. Yes, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. But, such destruction does not necessitate that the people within them were annihilated and don’t exist anymore. Living beings can be destroyed and still live, such as demons (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34). The Jews wanted to destroy Jesus, but he would have still lived in his intermediate state (Matt. 2:13; 12:14; Mark 3:6; 11:18; 27:20). Furthermore, people are found to exist, consciously after death in the Bible (Matt. 17:1-3; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Cor. 5:8; 12:2). Extinction of the person’s soul/spirit is not found in the Genesis context of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is only in the light of conditionalist presuppositions that such an argument is even attempted. Furthermore, according to Jude, the cities were reduced to ashes as a warning sign of God’s judgment and those people who were destroyed are presently undergoing the punishment of eternal fire, (Jude 7). Don’t make the mistake of imposing an Old Testament example that is interpreted in light of annihilationism and then impose that interpretation on the New Testament context in Jude 7.
9. If you do insist on taking the position that they are currently undergoing eternal fire, then it would be necessary to show where similar language is used regarding the intermediate state of the dead before God’s judgment.
   1. It’s not necessary to do any such thing. The text speaks for itself. Nevertheless, as far as the intermediate state of the wicked before God’s judgment goes, we have the account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. Whether it is considered a parable or an actual story, the fact is the message contains a clear proclamation of conscious torment in the intermediate state.
10. In Jude 7, the tense of the participle takes its meaning from the governing verb.  It is present tense but is referring to what happened in the past when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. So, what the participle really means is that it was finished. It is a historical present that is not declaring a present condition of the wicked but using the past in the present, to illustrate the destruction then as well as now.
    1. The text mentioned what happened in the past, but it is brought up as an example of what’s going on now. I’ll just quote Lenski here.  “Jude connects v. 7 with v. 5 and v. 6 (not with v. 6 alone). This connection does not lie in ὡς; it lies in τὸν ὅμοιον τρόπον τούτοις, the adverbial accusative: “in a similar manner to these,” and “these” is masculine and refers to “angels, that kept not,” etc., (v. 6) and to “those that did not believe” (Israelites, verse 5). The reference must be to both because τε connects these so closely. With this adverbial accusative, Jude says that this third case is similar to both the other cases. The similarity lies in the fact that all these sinners, unbelieving Israelites, rebel angels, fornicating Sodomites, received a final, eternal penalty…the similarity is found in the fate of these cities and that of the “these,” … both verbs are historical aorists. The sins differ: unbelief (v. 5); ambitious, dissatisfied rebellion (v. 6); frightful fornication (v. 7). The sinners differ: Israelites who had the Lord’s promises; angels who had their glorious domain; pagans who had their lovely land. The three suffered similar, irrevocable punishment.”¹⁶Lenski, R. C. H. The Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John and St. Jude. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1966.

Conclusion

Jude 6-7 demonstrates that God “has kept [the wicked angels] in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day (v. 6). The perfect tense of “has kept” shows that it is currently happening. Furthermore, Jesus said that angels do not die (Luke 20:36). This means that the angels are presently and consciously being kept under bondage as they await the future judgment that will never end for them. Jude continues with the theme of their present conscious condition, by saying that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah in verse 7 “are exhibited” (present tense) as “undergoing” (present participle) the punishment of eternal fire. This means that the present condition of the wicked angels of Jude 6 who are being “kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,” is related to the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah who are presently undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. The conditionalists have it wrong.

“If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 “If your right-hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell,” (Matthew 5:29–30).