Q. I have always had trouble reconciling a loving God with the fact that the unrighteous will be tormented in hell-fire throughout eternity. How can a loving God punish people eternally?

A. The Word of God is clear. "God is love" (1 John 4:8). He has loved us "with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). That love was demonstrated on Calvary when Christ died for all humanity. The Bible states that to restore perfect harmony within the universe, those who reject the salvation of Jesus can no longer inhabit the eternal universe. In what the Bible refers to as "His strange act"' (Isaiah 28:21), God destroys the wicked.

The statement that the wicked will be tormented forever is a problem for many. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever" (Revelation 14:11). However, the Bible does not teach an eternally burning hell. The term "for ever and ever" often is used to indicate that the results of the punishment are eternal, such as in Jude 7: "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." The fires of Sodom and Gomorrah are not still burning. However, the results have been eternal.

Paul states that there is no eternally burning hell, but the destruction is eternal. "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

The concept of eternal, burning torment entered the Christian Church when Roman paganism began to invade Christianity. The Bible teaches eternal life for the faithful and eternal death for the unfaithful.

Vol.4 No.4

Q. Doesn't Revelation 14:9-11 teach that sinners will be punished in an eternally burning hell?

A.  It is popular among Christians to believe that when the wicked die, they are banished to an eternally burning hell. What a frightening thought! Actually, after reading "and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever" it seems logical to conclude that the wicked will bum forever. But when other texts are examined, we see that the term "forever and ever" does not always refer to an unlimited time period. For example, in speaking of the Hebrew servants, the Bible states, "his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever" (Exodus 21:6). Obviously, a servant can only serve his master as he long as he lives.

Hannah, in reference to her son said in I Samuel 1:22: "1 will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever." But a few verses later she puts it this way: "Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord"(1 Sam. 1:28). Also, Jonah said "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever" (Jonah 2:6). But we know that Jonah stayed in the whale's belly only three days. So we see that the term "forever" often refers to time periods of limited duration.

Sodom and Gomorrah are referred to as "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 7). But again, we know that they are not still burning.

It is the effect of the punishment that lasts forever, not the punishment itself. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:46).

Vol.7 No.5

Q. My brother's church teaches that unchristened babies will burn in hell. What can I tell him from Scripture?

A. Your question involves two issues, infant baptism and hellfire. Interestingly, no supporting statements of Scripture exist regarding infant baptism. Instead, the baptism advocated by the Bible symbolizes an experience. In Acts 2:38, we find that baptism should be preceded by repentance for remission of sins. It is highly unlikely that any infant possesses such cognition.

Throughout the New Testament we see incidents of baptism by immersion. The eunuch that Phillip ministered to, the Philippian jailer and his family, the apostle Paul, and Jesus Christ Himself, all were baptized as adults. And it is doubtful that the Bible's admonitions to baptism were written to encourage parents of babes to christen their young.

The theory that hell is a place of everlasting fire is an age-old misconception. The unquenchable fire in Matthew 3:11, 12 depicts the type of fire that will consume the wicked until evil is utterly destroyed. Jude 7 clearly portrays this destruction. "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner.. . are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Sodom and Gomorrah have long turned to ashes. The everlasting fire of Matthew 25:41 refers to the permanence of the eradication, not the fire.

Sadly, these misconceptions onginate because of a false conception of God. God is neither arbitrary nor unreasonable. Although we are not told whether infant deaths will lead to heaven or hell, we can be assured that God will be merciful. He longs for all to obtain salvation. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11).

Vol.11 No.1

Q. Doesn’t the Bible clearly teach that there is a real hell where sinners are punished eternally? For example, Revelation 20:10 says, “… and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

A. We certainly agree with you that the Bible speaks of a real hell in which sinners will be punished. Jesus spoke of a real hell with real fire. “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Peter wrote, “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7).

However, while the Bible teaches that there is a literal hell, it does not teach that the wicked will writhe there in agony for all eternity.

Sodom and Gomorrah show us what God means when He speaks of eternal fire. “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah ... are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 7). Are Sodom and Gomorrah burning today? The Bible answers this question. “And Babylon ... shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.... But wild beasts of the desert ... and owls shall dwell there ...” (Isaiah 13:19-21). “Eternal fire” is obviously talking about the eternal effects of the fire, not about a fire which burns eternally.

Matthew 25:46 says, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Does this mean that the wicked will suffer for eternity in the flames? “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (Malachi 4:1). They will be burned up completely, not burning! Not even a root or branch will remain. Verse 3 even says, “… they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet ...” If we are to walk on their ashes, they will not be still burning! Everlasting punishment is different from everlasting punishing. While the wicked must die an eternal death, they will not be dying for eternity.

The passage to which you refer in Revelation 20:10 is clear when we read the Bible’s explanation of it: “This is the second death” (verse 14). The term “for ever” is used in the Bible 56 times to describe things that have an end. See 1 Samuel 1:22, 28; 25:1. From these verses we see that “for ever” in the Bible means until the end of a person’s existence. The wicked will suffer torment only until they finally “burn up.”

Nowhere does the Bible teach a concept of an “immortal soul” suffering eternal torment in hell. God “only hath immortality” (1 Timothy 6:16), and clearly, He will not bestow immortality on the righteous until the Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:51-54). The wicked will not receive immortality, but will be punished with the opposite–eternal death, not eternal life in hell.

Could we really enjoy heaven with a God who would allow His enemies to suffer in agony through ceaseless ages? The doctrine of eternal torment is Satan’s attempt to malign God’s loving character. “... As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11).

God will not allow sin and suffering to drag on through eternity in a place of torment. “What do ye imagine against the Lord? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time” (Nahum 1:9).