Will God Torture People Forever?
by
Randy A. Croft
Does is really matter what a person believes about hell?
Years ago, preachers used to fill people with terror describing the pain and suffering of hellfire. One preacher said that the fires of hell are so hot that if a sinner were suddenly taken out and plunged to the hottest place on earth he would freeze to death. One preacher described it like this..."See! It is a pitiful sight. The little child in this red-hot oven. Hear how it screams to come out. See how it turns and twists itself about in the fire. It beats its head against the roof of the oven. It stamps its little feet on the floor of the oven. You can see on the face of this little child what you see on the faces of all in hell--despair, desperate and horrible!"
Now it is true that most churches today do not try to describe hell in such terms, but I was at a Christian bookstore recently and this past year several new books on hell came out, all along the traditional lines of eternal torment and suffering. We don’t like to use the language of children suffering and enduring pain and torment, but isn’t that the truth behind the doctrine of eternal hell fire.
A boy grew up New York as the son of a minister. He had strict upbringing, and often failed his parents. Father reprimand, "Robert if you keep committing these sins, Almighty God is going to put you in hell and burn you forever and ever." After years of this, he had enough. Finally replied to dad, "Dad if that’s the kind of God you serve, I don’t want anything to do with Him!" "If that’s what God does, then I hate him." In anger he got up and left home. He soon became known as Mr. Robert Ingersoll, the world famous atheist who would travel from city to city and talk against God and the Bible. All because of the teaching on hell stirred up within him a picture of God that could not be reconciled with the God of love.
Now, obviously, we want to believe what the Bible is clear about, regardless of how it makes us feel, but I am surprised how many sincere Christians have overlooked all the relevant and applicable scriptures dealing with the judgement. When dealing with a biblical subject, especially a controversial one, we need to take all of the biblical passages that address the issue before coming to conclusions. Some questions may be formed, and others answers, but it’s necessary to include as many passages to help us understand the topic at hand.
It’s important that we address this topic because it tells us the truth about the love of God and how God deals with those who choose not to believe and follow Him. It tells us of his character and mercy.
Let’s look at a few assumptions that are very clear.
#1. World will end.
The Bible is clear, over and over and over--that one day there will come an end to this world. One of the greatest truths in the Bible, in God’s good timing, all evil, sickness, violence, crime, suffering, and hurt will come to an end. Someday there will be "no more curse" (Rev 22:3), and the ugly and painful things in this world "won’t be remembered or even come to mind." (Isa 65:17).
#2. God never forces us to go to heaven or hell. He gives us a choice.
First of all, the bible says that some people will not live forever. Some will be saved (go to heaven), some won’t. But it’s our choice to follow God or not. God will not force us to be in heaven. Heaven would be hell for many people who have no interest in God today...they wouldn’t be happy there.
Deut 30:19 "Today I am offering you life or death, blessing or curses. Now, choose life! Then you and your children may live."
Matthew 7:13-14. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
John 3:16 "eternal life...perish"
In Luke 13:3 Jesus says. "But unless you repent, you too will perish." To really grasp this, let’s look up the definition of the word perish:
perish. v. to suffer destruction, to become extinct
Those who deny Christ will perish, be cut off, or cease to exist. The greek word behind "perish" is unequivocally clear that life is snuffed out. Eternal life is a gift give by God.
Romans 6;23 "The wages of sin is death...gift of God eternal life."
The reality behind the doctrine of hell, is that God never intended hell as a place for people...
2 Peter 3:9 "God is not willing that any perish, but all to come to repentance." Again perish...
The bible refers to the complete destruction of people who choose not to follow God 182 times--98 OT, 84 NT. Example: Bible says the wicked will suffer "destruction" (Job 21:30), will "perish" (Ps 37:20), be destroyed (Ps 37:38), be cut off (Ps 37:9), be devoured (Ps 21:9), be devoured (Rev 20:9), (Philippians 3:19) their end is destruction; burned up (2 Peter 3:10), suffer everlasting destruction (2 Thess 1:9). There are 5-6 passages when taken alone, without any other scriptures to explain, can imply hell as a place of burning forever, so I can understand how millions of Christians believe in eternal torment--but not when the bible interprets itself. Will you hold onto 5-6 texts or 182 texts. One principle of bible study--take all the bible says on a topic before drawing your conclusions. Let the Bible interpret itself. In fact the 182 other texts explain every one of the 5-6 ambiguous texts and are consistent that there is not eternal torment. Handout.
The Word Hell:
Used 54 times in bible
OT: 31 times from "Sheol" which means "the grave." Everybody goes to hell--both the good and bad. Jacob in Genesis was a spiritual leader and said he would go to "Sheol" when he died, and so would his son "Joseph" (Gen 37:35). So did righteous Job (Job 17:13). All God’s followers. Everybody went.
NT: 10 times from "Hades" which means "the grave." Tombstones in middle east often have "hades."
12 times from Gehenna which means "place of burning."
1 time from "Tarturous" which means "place of darkness."
Only 12 times in all of bible is hell referred to as a place of burning...Gehenna. Gehenna was the word used by Jesus and is a transliteration of "Valley of Hinnom." This valley, which lies immediately southwest of Jerusalem, was a place where dead animals, garbage, and other refuse was dumped and burned. What the fire didn’t burn up, maggot finished off for lunch. Even dead criminals were thrown into this burning dump. Jesus used this burning garbage dump as what will happen to the wicked at the final day of judgment. That’s why Gehenna is only mentioned by Jesus in the bible as a reference to judgement. Doesn’t make sense outside of Jerusalem.
Is Hell burning now?
2 Peter 3:7. "By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and the destruction of ungodly men."
2 Peter 3:10. "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be burned up."
Matthew 13:40-41 "Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all who cause sin and all who do evil."
What will be left?
Malachi 4:1-3 "There is a day coming that will burn like a hot furnace, and all the proud and evil people will be like straw. On that day they will be completely burned up so that not a root or branch will be left," says the Lord All Powerful. "But for you who honor me, goodness will shine on you like the sun, with healing in its rays. You will jump around, like well-fed calves. Then you will trample the wicked. for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I do this."
Ps 37:10, 20 "In a little while the wicked will be no more. You may look for them, but they will be gone." "The wicked will die. The Lord’s enemies will be like the flower of the fields; they will disappear like smoke."
But what about Eternal Torment? Isn’t that in the Bible?
No, you will not find the words eternal torment in the bible. You will, find the term eternal fire, and this has led to some of the confusion. But lets see what the bible says on this point.
Matthew 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, "Depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."
Matthew 25:46, NIV. "Then they will go away to everlasting punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Notice it is punishment, not punishing--there is a difference. Is eternal fire, eternal in duration or in effect?
The key scripture to help us understand eternal fire is in Jude 7. This passage explains what eternal fire is.
"In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire."
How many of you have visited Sodom and Gomorrah? Have you seen pictures of it burning today? No. These twin cities are covered up by the south end of the Dead Sea. Under water. The fire left an eternal effect. Not eternally burning.
The effect and reality of its destruction is eternal. The fire eternally destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, but the flames and torment do not last eternally.
This is a key point in understanding the doctrine of hell. The consequences and judgment are eternal, but the continuation of the event is not.
Don’t overlook this point as it is a major part of why many sincere people reject God...they simply cannot understand how a God of love would torment someone for all eternity for 15-20 years of rebellion and rejection. This would make God worse than Hitler, for even Hitler’s victims eventually died and were not suffering endless pain.
2 Peter 2:6 "he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example.
Yes there is a fire, there is a judgement. But Sodom and Gomorrah are the examples of the eternal fire of God’s judgement.
If I say that Michael Jordan is the example of a fantastic basketball player, then anytime you hear someone say they are a fantastic basketball player, you compare them with the example. Example of how to build a model car/plane...you build it wrong-compare it to the example.
What about being tormented FOREVER and ever? Likewise, not in bible. Does say.
Rev 14:11 Talks about smoke of torment rises forever and ever.
There you have it.. smoke rises forever.
Revelation is highly symbolic, taken from Isa 34:9, 10 in reference to God’s judgment against the city of Edom. "her land will become blazing pitch! It will not be quenched night and day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate."
Edom is today a pile of ruins, rubble in south Jordan near modern Petra. Consequences forever.
Forever is a funny word in the bible. Hebrew--"olam" greek "eon". The word forever denotes a period of time as long as the subject determines. 56 times in Bible, forever is used in connection with things that have ended...I Sam 1:22, 28. Like the word tall. Depends what referring to. Area. How big is an area...depends. How long is forever...depends on referring to. See handout.
Hell is a reality at the end of the world. This world will not last forever. God doesn’t look forward to destroying the wicked.
"No pleasure in death of wicked" EZ 33:11
"The Lord is very compassionate and merciful" James 5:11
"Son of Man, came not to destroy, but to save." Luke 9:56
His "Strange act" ISA 28:21. He will act. He will use fire. But he wants to end sin as quickly as possible, not prolong it somewhere torturing people.
I read a story about a guard at a state penitentiary who operated the lever that sent power into the electric chair for the executions. One night they brought a man in to be executed. The guard went up to strap the man in the chair and put on the headgear. He looked at the man for a minute and thought he recognized him as a boyhood friend. "Frank, is it you?" The man in the chair said, "Yes. It’s me." The guard started to tremble all over as he continued strapping him in the chair. He started to talk quietly telling him how terrible he felt that he had to execute him, but Frank answered and said, "It’s all right, John, do your duty. I’m guilty of murder and have been condemned justly." Couldn’t just let him loose on the streets. Couldn’t ignore the choice that was made. Not safe community, not fair to the victims, not just. The guard squeezed his arm because they had been such good friends as kids and sadly went to the lever and watched the clock. When the moment arrived for the execution, the guard sweating profusely, cried out with tears "Goodbye, Frank, and may God bless you." and he pulled the lever and fell to the floor unconscious. The guard had to honor the choices that Frank made. But he didn’t want to prolong the suffering. It will be much harder for God to destroy those who rejected him, but he must do it to make the universe safe for eternity.
Revelation 21:3,4 "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now God’s presence is with people, and he will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone." No hell somewhere with crying and pain. All over.
He will wipe our tears. No more tears or death. But no one will wipe the tears from God’s eyes. Let’s be determined this week to live for this God of love, and tell others about what kind of God he truly is.
