The Eternal Worms of Hell

During a discourse in Capernaum, in Galilee, Jesus Christ spoke about the condemnation of notorious offenders in Hell (Mk. 9:42-48). Condemned souls will be subjected to the torments of unquenchable hellfire! Warnings like this were commonplace in the preaching of the Messiah. However, something was different this time. The Lord proceeded to describe the torment of sinners in a marvelous and unforgettable way. Certainly, this was spoken to frighten the people. Motivation is needed to flee the wrath to come! This is the only recorded place where the Son of God spoke about the eternal worms of Hell. 

“…And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into Hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” – Mark 9:42-48

Love incarnate desires mortal men to comprehend the torment and suffering of sinners in Hell. Specifically, the Son of God desires to bring to our attention two things: unquenchable fire and undying worms. Following this order, our exploration will begin with the fire and conclude with the worms. 

The Unquenchable Fire of Hell

Christ was compelled to speak about the unquenchable fire of Hell in Capernaum (Mk. 9:33). It had become a stronghold of scorners and mockers. While it is true that the Messiah wouldn’t allow his closest friends to be ignorant about the torments of Hell (Lk. 12:4-5), the Lord was particularly troubled for the people of Capernaum. On another occasion, Jesus Christ said to Capernaum, “…it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee” (Matt. 11:23-24). The Jews of Capernaum were shocked! For some perspective, this is what Jude said about Sodom and Gomorrah under inspiration. 

Sodom is a Historical Example of Hellfire

“Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” - Jude 1:7

Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Cities of the plain, became a living Hell on Earth in real time. Literally, the same kind of fire that is burning in Hell and the Lake of Fire rained down upon these cities (Rev. 14:10-11, 19:20, 20:10, 21:8). We are talking about “fire and brimstone” (Lk. 17:29, Gen. 19:24) – a very specific fire that comes from burning sulfur stones called brimstone. Furthermore, with one glimpse of the eyes, lips, tongue, and breath of Jesus Christ during the 2nd Advent War, and it becomes clear to everyone that this same fire will be at work in the End of the World (2 Thess. 1:9, Rev. 1:14, Isa. 30:27-28, 33, 2 Thess. 2:8, Isa. 11:4, 66:15-16). 

“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of Heaven;” – Gen. 19:24

This unique kind of fire was chosen by God to be an “everlasting fire” because of how it inflicts torment and “suffering” upon its subjects (Matt. 25:41, Jude 1:7). This much can be derived from history in the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, because it’s the one and only “example” of human “suffering” that accurately depicts the power of “eternal fire” in real time (Jude 1:7). The destroying power of this fire should strike fear in the hearts of all mankind (Rom. 9:22). 

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.” – Matt. 10:28

El-esh-oklah
Deut. 4:24, Heb. 12:29; Ex. 33:3, 5,
​Lev. 9:23-24, 10:1-2, Num. 16:35

In the Bible, the wrath of God is described as something being “kindled” (Ps. 2:12, Num. 11:1-3, Ps. 78:21-22), something waxing “hot” (Ex. 32:10), or something that is becoming “fiery” (Heb. 10:27). Also, when people or places have been destroyed, specific attention is given to “the heat” of the fire in how it is “devouring” (Deut. 29:23-24, Isa. 33:14). The “fervent heat” of the fire in its ability to “destroy” is the subject of focus (Matt. 10:28, 2 Pet. 3:11-12).

The temperature of a fire determines its ability to burn, melt, dissolve, or vaporize things with respect to solids, liquids, and gases. Sulfur burns with a blue colored flame that can reach temperatures approaching 1600 °C. The color of fire changes with the increase of heat as follows: red (525-1000 °C), orange (1100-1200 °C), white (1300-1500 °C), & blue (1400-1650 °C). For some perspective, organic material burns and vaporizes at 600-650 °C. The crust of the earth melts at 1200 °C. The hotter it gets, the more things will burn, melt, and dissolve, and as a result, more chemical reactions will take place. 

Remember Lot’s wife? She wasn’t the only one who turned into salt on that fateful day of hellfire! We are talking about salt in the form of Calcium Sulfate. According to Deuteronomy 29:23-24, “the whole land” became nothing but “brimstone, and salt, and burning”. This is why Peter brought attention to the “ashes” of Sodom and Gomorrah (2 Pet. 2:6). Seeing that a furnace of burning sulfur can reach temperatures approaching 1600 °C, a massive rainfall of fire and brimstone coming down upon the Cities of the Plain would have “destroyed them all” in an extraordinary way because of how things would be turned into Calcium Sulfate (Lk. 17:29). Moses David, with a PhD in Chemical Engineering, has provided a scientific explanation of this chemical reaction. 

The Buildings

A heavy storm of fire and brimstone like this would have burned, melted, and vaporized the Cities of the Plain, and in the process, it would have turned the buildings into Calcium Sulfate.

“Ancient buildings are made from stone, mortar and limestone. Upon heating, calcium carbonate and calcium hydroxide will lose carbon dioxide and water, leaving behind calcium oxide. Calcium oxide reacts with burning sulfur to form calcium sulfate as follows: CaO + SO2 + ½O2  → CaSO4” – Dr. Moses David, PhD in Chemical Engineering

​The Bones

A heavy storm of fire and brimstone like this would have burned, melted, and vaporized the Cities of the Plain, and in the process, it would have turned the Calcium Phosphate of every person into Calcium Sulfate. 

“Bone is comprised of Calcium Phosphate, which reacts with Sulfur Trioxide gas at elevated temperatures to form Calcium Sulfate and Phosphorous Pentoxide. Phosphorous Pentoxide sublimes at a rather low temperature of 360 °C, and thus will not remain with the bone but will be vaporized. [Ca3(PO4)2 + 3SO3 = 3CaSO4 + ↑P2O5]” – Dr. Moses David, PhD in Chemical Engineering

Some Sodomites may have temporarily escaped the rain of fire because they were hiding in the rubble of their broken-down houses. Others may have attempted to flee on foot while taking cover under whatever was available for the meantime. But there were no survivors! No one could escape. This is due in part to “the smoke of their torment” (Rev. 14:11, 18:18, 19:3, Isa. 34:10). People were being seized and arrested by the toxic gas that is released from burning sulfur. 

“Sulfur burns in air to form sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide gases…Sulfur dioxide reacts with water and oxygen in the presence of heat to form sulfurous acid. Sulfur trioxide reacts with water and oxygen in the presence of heat to produce sulfuric acid. Therefore, the moisture on the skin of the Sodomites would immediately turn into sulfuric acid all over the body in the conditions present at Sodom and Gomorrah. The moisture in the eyes would turn into sulfuric acid in the eyes! The moisture in the nose, mouth, and lungs would also turn into sulfuric acid! It would be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream within minutes according to scientific research (Dahl (1983)). The death of an average Sodomite was accompanied by much suffering due to the extreme chemical effects involving strong acidic reactions in all parts of the human body.” – Dr. Moses David, PhD in Chemical Engineering

The fate of Sodom and Gomorrah gives mortals a glimpse into the “suffering” of Hell (Jude 1:7). A thorough study of this example proves to be a powerful exercise, as it brings into view the sights, sounds, and smells of this hellish place. However, in Hell, the fire is never quenched (Mk. 9:42-48)! Similarly, Christ said, “their worm dieth not” (Mk. 9:42-48). 

The Immortal Worms of Hell 

Some theologians and commentators believe that the immortal worms of Hell are metaphorically representing the eating of a guilty conscience in the souls of the damned. I find this interpretation to be edifying, howbeit unbiblical, because it omits the clear testimony of Job 7:5, 17:14, 18:13, 19:26, 21:26, 24:20, 25:6, 33:22, Ps. 49:14, Isa. 14:11, 51:8, 66:24, Mk. 9:42-48, & Acts 12:23. Interpreters should know that Jesus Christ was quoting from Isaiah 66:24 in Mark 9:42-48 when He spoke about the worms of hellfire. Therefore, arguably, we should pay special attention to what Isaiah has to say about worms. 

“Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.” – Isa. 14:9-11

Isaiah spoke again about hellish worms when he presented to readers the ultimate humiliation and deglorification of the Antichrist in “Sheol” / “Hell”  (Isaiah 14:9-11). The Man of Sin can be identified in context by the royal title, “the King of Babylon” (Isa. 14:4). In the storyline of the prophecy, all the inhabitants of Hell are astonished to behold the Antichrist being eaten by worms! What about you? 

“Hell…Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” – Mk. 9:43-44, 45-46

“Hell Fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” – Mk. 9:47-48

Mysteries like these are only disclosed through a close study of Holy Scripture (Prov. 25:2). Jesus Christ was quoting from Isaiah, and Isaiah was quoting from Job, as is customary in the Bible. Scripture interprets scripture! Also, sometimes a correct understanding of “earthly things” is essential for our comprehension of spiritual things (Jn. 3:12). Things in nature are sometimes reflected in the spiritual world, or vice versa. This is evident in a simple comparison of Isaiah 14:11 and Job 21:26. 

The Mortal Worms of Death

“They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them” – Job 21:26

In nature, the maggot is spawned from the dead before it eats its gory meal (Acts 12:23). It has earned the name, “the firstborn of death” (Job 18:13). The entombed eggs hatch and the worms go to work on the dead body, and then it is only a matter of time until the body is reduced to dust. Can you see how the very existence of the worm is intertwined with death? These creatures are the mortal worms of death. 

“Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.” – Ps. 49:14

The purpose of God in creating these worms cannot be fully realized without first comprehending what the Bible teaches about death as a divine punishment to sinners. God made the world for mankind (Gen. 1:26-31, Prov. 8:30-31, Ps. 115:16, Isa. 51:16). Originally, God was envisioning a world where mankind would live forever and never see death (Gen. 2:9). But as soon as Adam and Eve sinned, on that “day” they spiritually died (Gen. 2:17), and now the whole human race has to suffer the consequences. “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). 

“…for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” – Gen. 2:17 

In Adam we are all born spiritually dead (Rom. 5:12-14, 8:6-8, 1 Cor. 15:22, Eph. 2:1). Those who are spiritually dead are doomed to physically die (Heb. 9:27). God doesn’t want sinners living forever on Earth in the Garden of Eden by virtue of the Tree of Life, so Adam and Eve were banished from paradise (Gen. 3:22, 24). This was done to enforce the judgment that was already imposed upon mankind in the words of Genesis 3:19. 

“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” – Gen. 3:19

Divine arrangements were made to deglorify sinners into dust. Medically speaking, a man physically dies when his heart stops. Biblically speaking, a man physically dies when the soul or spirit of the person departs from the body (Gen. 2:7, 25:8, 17, 35:29, 49:33). God then dispatches angels to go and seize the disembodied souls of these sinners to cast them into Hell (Matt. 22:13)! But what about all the bodies? The due process of justice isn’t complete without something being done to the bodies of sinners. Lovingly, God made the Earth for mankind. Angrily, God takes the souls of sinners away from the Earth through death. And God appointed the worm to take away the bodies of sinners from the Earth. 

“The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.” – Job 24:20 

The Creator designed creation to preach sermons to mankind. The worm sweetly feeding on the dead carcasses of wicked sinners is a process that satisfies the wrath of God. The world is made better by one less sinner. The holy heart of God is cheered at a little less sadness (Gen. 6:7, Ps. 104:35). 

“Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.” – Ps. 104:35 (Ps. 104:7, Job 26:5)

Our world would be littered with the dead bodies of sinners if it weren’t for the destroying work of decomposers like worms and bacteria turning men into dust. The worms are ministers of death whose work is “corruption” (Job 17:14). They do not feed on living flesh. They only eat dead flesh – we are talking about rotting and bacteria-infested flesh! They even eat the bacteria that is in the flesh. Coincidentally, the primary bacteria that also works to decompose a human corpse, proteobacteria phylum, looks like maggots under a microscope. The bacteria comes from the gut and digests the dead body from the inside. 

“Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.” - Job 33:22

The decomposers of the dead are called, “the destroyers” (Job 33:22). Visibly or invisibly, the worms utterly “destroy” the bodies of sinners until there is nothing left (Job 19:26). The presence of maggots rapidly increases every minute as they “devour” the skin, flesh, and bacteria of the rotten corpse (Job 7:5, 18:13, 19:26). This process continues until the dead body is literally covered with maggots; as Job said, “They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them” (Job 21:26). Have you ever seen it in real life? The body is literally concealed under a thick layer of worms like a piece of clothing (Job 7:5). 

The worm is one of the smallest of God’s creatures. It is harmless to the living and defenseless when attacked. Nevertheless, it is a fierce consumer of the dead! The dead are violated by the worm. A corpse is defenseless before the worm. And the rotten meal is sweet to the worm! These are tokens of divine wrath: “…the worm shall feed sweetly on him” (Job 24:20). Unless you have beheld the worm at work you couldn’t possibly understand. When the worm meets with mortal men in the end, this can only mean one thing: humiliation. Death is the deglorification of sinners. The worm defeats them! God is demonstrating divine wrath in real time through creation. He that hath an ear, let him hear.

By design, the first death is teaching us about the second death. The tokens of divine wrath that accompany the first death are harnessed by God and adapted to meet with tormented souls in Hell. Essentially, it is a second death (Rev. 2:11, 20:6, 14, 21:8). Fearfully, the destroyers of the first death are present in the domain of the second death. Jesus Christ called these creatures of Hell, “their worm” (Mk. 9:44, 46, 48). An army of hellish worms is summoned by God to bite, gnaw, and feed on sinners.

A benevolent God forces sinners to encounter the rotting corpses of dead things as they go about their business in their earthly lives. It is a medicine to the soul (Eccl. 7:2-5). It would do sinners good to take a long hard look at the unsightly mess of rotting death: see how it looks, imagine how it feels, and be nauseated with horror at the smell! We are forced to look on the first death, even as all men will be made to look on the second death (Isa. 66:24). There we shall see worms, as instruments of divine wrath in the first death, employed by God for a mighty work of eternal destruction. Herein, God’s wrath will be forever satisfied in the horrifying destruction of transgressors. 

The Giant Worms of the Abyss

God is the master of typology. The Law of the Old Testament is a Theater of Typology. A good interpreter will understand the mysteries. Similarly, God is a master of metaphors and analogies. Divine genius regularly uses physical things in nature to reveal something unique about the invisible world of spiritual things. 

Night & Day 

The ugly nocturnal creatures of the night, like rats, possums, snakes, bats, moths, and crickets, remind us of the danger that lurks in the spiritual darkness of the world (Ps. 104:20, Isa. 45:7, Job 26:13). The colorful creatures of the day, whose melodious sounds fill the air, remind us of God’s goodness and mercy, and the heavenly blessings of the Kingdom of God (Ps. 30:5, 110:3, 2 Sam. 23:4, Lam. 3:22-23). 

The Heavens

Historically, looking up into the sky, mortal men have seen with their own two eyes how the Heavens reveal “the glory” and “power” of God (Ps. 19:1, 150:1, Isa. 40:26; 2 Cor. 12:2). The sustained brightness of the sun, moon, and stars for thousands of years demonstrates the “eternal power” of God (Rom. 1:20; Ps. 89:28-29, 36-37). Something visible and finite in nature is teaching us about something invisible and eternal in the third Heaven (2 Cor. 12:2). 

Hellish Creatures in the Deep 

Historically, looking down into the ocean, mortal men have been unable to see much except a void of darkness in the deep. Jonah the Prophet went deeper into the oceanic abyss than any living man had ever gone before, but he couldn’t see anything because there was no lookout window in the belly of the whale. Nevertheless, under inspiration, he felt as though he went as close as possible to Hell - closer than any living man had ever gone before - and thus he cried out to God for the resurrection power of salvation (Jonah 1:17, 2:1-10, Matt. 12:38-40). Speaking of under inspiration, as a type of Christ, Jonah said that he was in “the belly of Hell” and surrounded by the bars of the earth (Jonah 2:2, 5-6). 

“And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of Hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.” – Jonah 2:2

“The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.” – Jonah 2:5-6

The Bars of the Pit: Job 17:16; The Bars of the Earth: Job 2:6; The Gates of the Grave: Isa. 28:10, 17-18; The Gates of Death: Job 38:17, Ps. 9:13-14, 17, 107:18; The Gates of Hell: Matt. 16:18 

Do you understand the sign of Jonah (Matt. 12:38-40)? Had there been a window in the belly of the whale, and lights to illuminate the darkness, like in modern submarines, then Jonah would have certainly seen something hellish in the abyss. Only recently has modern technology allowed us to see into the deep, and everyone around the world has been shocked to behold the creatures that were hiding in the darkness. Literally, people are frightened at the sight of them because the fish really do look like demons! This is no coincidence. 

Technically, the deepest parts of the ocean are called Ocean Trenches, but the heathen have come to call this place, “the abyss”, without even knowing that this word in the Greek was exclusively used as a name for Hell in the New Testament (G12 | ἄβυσσος, abussos; Rev. 9:1-2, 11, 17:7-8, 20:1, 3, Lk. 8:31, Rom. 10:7). Again, this is no coincidence. Somehow, people are unanimously agreeing that this place is like Hell! As it is written, “There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” (Ps. 19:3). The scary characteristics of the physical are teaching everyone about something spiritual. 

The Giant Worms of Hydrothermal Vents 

In 1977, a submarine mission in the deep stumbled upon hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean. The water coming out of these vents is alien to earth. Scorching hot water about a hundred degrees shy of fire is coming up from the underworld! Actual fire burns at 525 °C. This water is coming out at 371 °C. But the highest temperature ever recorded at the vents is 464 °C! This is a temperature only 61 degrees short of fire. This is like liquid fire coming up from the underworld! And the water really looks like the smoke of a fire on earth in how black clouds rapidly ascend into the atmosphere. The scenes look hellish. 

Are these the chimneys of Hell? The hot water from these vents doesn’t boil because of the immense pressure at the bottom of the ocean. Under these unique circumstances of heat and pressure, the water somehow becomes saturated with sulfur, among other minerals, and when it encounters the extremely cold water at the seafloor, then precipitation releases the minerals in a liquid smoke. Nearby the vents, scientists were amazed to find a large quantity of unknown organisms. Previously, no one believed life could exist at such depths of darkness. More importantly, scientists were shocked to see giant worms situated directly around the hydrothermal vents. 

“Hydrothermal vents are thought to form when seawater percolates down through fissures in the ocean floor at the juncture of spreading centers or sliding tectonic plates (e.g. mid-ocean ridges, ocean basins, hotspots). The cold seawater is then heated by hot magma and reemerges after being heated to over 700 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot seawater in hydrothermal vents does not boil because of the extremely high pressure at the depths where the vents are formed. When the extremely hot water from the vents mixes with the near-freezing seawater, minerals such as sulfur precipitate out and form smoking chimneys on the seafloor.” – Dr. Preethi Morris 

The giant worms, named Riftia Pachyptila, mount themselves in a fixed position on the rocks surrounding the chimneys of sulfur smoke. As larva they swim to a location of their choice nearby a vent because they want to inhale the poisonous smoke! Somehow they thrive in a hellish environment of death. “The worms have the highest growth rate of any known marine vertebrate; they can grow to 1.5 meters in less than 2 years” (Dr. Preethi Morris). Large colonies of worms have been found that stand over 6 ft tall. 

Why are there so many fields of hydrothermal vents on the seafloor? Where does all the sulfur come from to produce a constant effusion of black smoke? The location of Hell is at the center of the Earth (Jonah 1:17, 2:1-10; Matt. 12:38-41; Eph. 4:7-11, Acts 2:24-36, Ps. 63:9-10, Ezek. 31:14, 15, 18, 32:18, 24). This undoubtedly has some kind of impact upon the underworld. Granted, it is a supernatural place that is full of burning sulfur, but we have Sodom and Gomorrah as an outstanding example (Jude 1:7). The fire and brimstone that was rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah was a supernatural fire, and obviously this sulfur had a major impact upon the earthly environment of that land (Gen. 19:24). The same is to be expected of the underworld. Hell is the most likely source of all the sulfur that permeates the magma of the Earth.

Not everything in the visible world is supported or supplied by something in the physical universe (Heb. 11:3). There is an overlap between physical and spiritual things in the universe. All things considered, the hydrothermal vents really could be called the chimneys of Hell. The sulfur smoke coming from the magma is originally sourced from Hell! And these vents are a marvelous attraction to the giant worms of the abyss. Why? The worms have no mouth or digestive system. The red plumes of the giant worms act like gills for inhaling the sulfur smoke, and this is essential for their existence.

Remember how maggots live to feed on the bacteria-infested flesh of the dead? The giant worms of the deep live to indirectly feed on the sulfur smoke that is coming from the domain of the dead. How? Each of their bodies are filled with the presence of a trillion bacteria. Through the help of the bacteria, and the inhaled sulfur smoke, a chemical reaction called chemosynthesis takes place that produces glucose for the worms. 

“The worms contain a plume that acts like a gill to acquire CO2, O2, H2S, and HS-. These gases are transported through the worm’s heart into the respiratory system to be distributed to the chemosynthetic bacteria that live inside of the worm. The worm’s tube-like trophosome contains bacteria acquired through the body wall during the larva stage. These bacteria convert hydrogen sulfide into reduced carbon compounds such as glucose, which are used for an energy source. This reaction is performed by chemosynthetic bacteria which convert sulfide into ATP, and NAD(P)H through the oxidation of sulfide, and then fix carbon dioxide into glucose through the Calvin Cycle using the energy substrates.” – Dr. Preethi Morris 

A byproduct of these chemical reactions is sulfur crystals. Literally, the trophosome of the giant worms is full of sulfur crystals! This is astonishing evidence that the worms are indirectly feeding off of the sulfur smoke. Maggots live to eat dead sinners. The giant worms of the abyss live to inhale the smoke that is coming from the torment of dead sinners in Hell! And they do this indefinitely, while showing no signs of mortality that science can measure. The scientific evidence suggests that these worms can live as long as their energy source remains intact. 

“As other species of tubeworms, the growth rate slows down as the worms age, making a calculation of age difficult to make. Researchers have made growth models based on the growth rates of similar species, and estimated that certain giant tube worms are over a thousand years. Another aspect is that the chitin forming the tube is resistant to physical and chemical degradation and can last for 5.5 x 108 years. If these worms are not exhibiting the deteriorative features of aging through modern scientific observation, and studies suggest a lifespan of centuries or over a millennia, it stands to reason that the organisms are not aging in the standard sense of most other earthly organisms.” – Dr. Preethi Morris 

These worms aren’t vulnerable to predators. They certainly aren’t edible! Predators wouldn’t like to chew on the poisonous sulfur crystals within the bodies of these worms. What’s to stop them from living thousands of years? The composition of their bodies is extremely resistant to physical and chemical degradation. Scientific projections show that the bodies of these worms could theoretically last 550 million years without decomposition. Essentially, we are looking at nearly immortal gigantic worms inhaling sulfur smoke in the darkness of the abyss. Can you believe it? Once again, God is using physical things to teach us about spiritual things. Looking up into the Heavens, we can clearly see the eternal glory of Heaven (Ps. 19:1, 150:1; Rom. 1:20; Ps. 89:28-29, 36-37). Similarly, looking down into the abyss of the ocean, we can clearly see the eternal horror of Hell (Mk. 9:42-48).