Eternal Torment: Is It Biblical?
The sobering idea of eternal hellfire is a topic of hot debate among those who bear the name of Christ, as well as many Theists who do not. Many people, myself included, wonder or have wondered how a loving God could send people to an eternal hell. Nobody wants there to be such a hellish abode consisting of eternal torment. I sure don’t. It seems so unfathomably unfair. However, a sinner being granted eternal life in the holy realm likewise seems unfair. All arguments aside, it’s simply not our choice whether there’s a hell… or is it?
It’s true that many Bible translations and scholars over time have errantly interchanged the terms “hell, Hades, Sheol, Gehenna, death, second death, the grave, outer darkness, and the lake of fire” as the same thing and/or placed the wrong word in the context it’s used, although, some of those terms are indeed synonymous. However one may examine the various idioms of whatever the translated vernacular is, the severely negative implications are wholly unchanged. Therefore, God’s Word and those who adhere to the literal interpretation thereof are often accused of fear mongering others into a forced belief in Jesus Christ, but is this really the case?
Well, the case can be made for both yes AND no. It’s quite overwhelming how many times the Bible says to fear the Lord all through its pages. Nonetheless, we believers are commanded to get the Good News of the Gospel out to the lost. Relaying our fear of God to the unsaved is an essential part of evangelism indeed.
Acts 10:34-35 (New International Version)
34Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
2 Corinthians 5:11 (New International Version)
11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
Jude 1:22-23 (New International Version)
22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Luke 12:4-5 (New International Version)
4"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
Accusing Christ and His followers of fear mongering is a common misconception, although, Jesus clearly says to fear God, who can throw your whole being into hell. The solution to this perpetual paradox can be found in God's character; He is holy.
If He is even just slightly less than holy, we could expect that He would therefore allow every single flawed, sinful being into His imperfect presence without having to meet any criteria whatsoever. The eternal abode thereof would likely include a mix of good and evil, much like the current conditions in which we find ourselves. We would still see death, less than 100% trustworthiness of God (including ourselves and each other), infinite cases wherein love does not abound, and all around entropy of all things.
If He is completely unholy, we would all be doomed beyond imagination.
If He is purely holy, no less than perfectly holy beings could reside forever in His presence free of torment... unless holiness was divinely applied to them, thus being covered by the divine Atonement that satisfies the decrees of perfect holiness and justice. This is the case exactly. In keeping with God's creation of free will, we’re able to choose whether we’re covered by His provided Atonement, thus becoming holy, thus meeting the criteria to enter into His presence, thus living forever with Him. This state of existence is called Heaven, and that’s what’s promised to those who accept the Lord’s Grace and follow Him.
In contrast, those who refuse to be made holy will remain unholy, thus being cast away from His holy presence and Kingdom accordingly. Therefore, due to God's creation of free will, hell indeed is an unfortunate reality…
…However, that bit of logic alone will fail to convince anyone of the reality of an eternal hell. Only God’s Word can do so on this side of eternity.
There is an increasingly prevalent doctrine circulating Christendom and general circles of non-Christian Theists that there’s no such place of eternal torment. This occurs whether by the idiomatic interpretations as mentioned above, or by a “prophet of God” who claims to receive direct words from God which refute the classic interpretation of the many passages of Scripture which describe something other than an absolute cessation of the wicked’s existence. The various false teachings thereof range from all souls will go to Heaven no matter what, to the wicked, including their consciousness, will be destroyed in an instant in the lake of fire. Either way, there would be no such eternal torment of any kind to be concerned with.
Matthew 24:24 (New International Version)
24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.
Do NOT be deceived. The enemy has an extremely subtle strategy to cause people to accept false doctrines by putting into false “divine” encounters, whereby “prophets” arise, or just false interpretational doctrines, all such true things as:
1). Jesus is the Christ, who came in the flesh to save mankind
2). Repent of your sins
3). Obey God's commandments
4). Read His Written Word
…and then sneak in dangerous lies, such as unbelievers having nothing to really worry about in the eternal realm. Satan knows to bait his victims of deception with truth before the lies can stick.
As a Christian who’s quite familiar with the paradigm of Atheism, I’m privy that they believe their entire beings will simply cease to exist forever upon their biological death. If the theology is presented whereas even “God Himself” says they will be destroyed in an instant, or just cease to exist, it would be no contest that they would continue to not fear the Lord, that is, if there’s no such eternal torment be concerned with.
While I have no way to prove to skeptics the reality of a hell of any timeframe, the case can easily be made that it’s at least biblical through and through. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament support this theology.
The book of Job is considered by many to be the oldest book in the Bible. Most are familiar with Job’s unique situation wherein he experienced extreme hardship although he was righteous. His friends assumed he had some hidden sin whereby God was pouring out His wrath on him to punish him. One of Job’s friends, Bildad, eerily described what increasingly sounds like the eternal torment other Scriptures describe as he was ignorantly pressing Job to repent.
Job 18 (New International Version)
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
2 "When will you end these speeches?
Be sensible, and then we can talk.
3 Why are we regarded as cattle
and considered stupid in your sight?
4 You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger,
is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?
Or must the rocks be moved from their place?
5 "The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out;
the flame of his fire stops burning.
6 The light in his tent becomes dark;
the lamp beside him goes out.
7 The vigor of his step is weakened;
his own schemes throw him down.
8 His feet thrust him into a net
and he wanders into its mesh.
9 A trap seizes him by the heel;
a snare holds him fast.
10 A noose is hidden for him on the ground;
a trap lies in his path.
11 Terrors startle him on every side
and dog his every step.
12 Calamity is hungry for him;
disaster is ready for him when he falls.
13 It eats away parts of his skin;
death's firstborn devours his limbs.
14 He is torn from the security of his tent
and marched off to the king of terrors.
15 Fire resides in his tent;
burning sulfur is scattered over his dwelling.
16 His roots dry up below
and his branches wither above.
17 The memory of him perishes from the earth;
he has no name in the land.
18 He is driven from light into darkness
and is banished from the world.
19 He has no offspring or descendants among his people,
no survivor where once he lived.
20 Men of the west are appalled at his fate;
men of the east are seized with horror.
21 Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man;
such is the place of one who knows not God."
Afterwards, as you can read in the book of Job, Job didn’t refute the existence of such a place. He only maintained his innocence. Furthermore, verse 20 of Job 18 really rings a bell concerning something Daniel mentioned:
Daniel 12:2 (New International Version)
2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
The prophet Isaiah included far worse details concerning the fate of the wicked that both Daniel and Bildad described:
Isaiah 66:22-24 (New International Version)
22 "As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD. 24 "And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind."
Here in Isaiah, we see startling imagery those familiar with the New Testament will quickly recognize; “their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched.” I personally see no possible way to force that to mean a cessation of existence.
Back in Isaiah 33, he mentioned “everlasting burning:”
Isaiah 33:14 (New International Version)
14 The sinners in Zion
trembling grips the godless:
"Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?"
As recorded in Mark’s account, Jesus Himself reiterated this very notion. He made clear that the characteristics of Isaiah’s descriptions were synonymous with the hell of which He was warning. He further elaborated that the unquenchable fire is “where the fire never goes out:”
Mark 9:43-48 (New International Version)
43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God
'their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’
Even the demons, who ultimately influence the false teachings of “no eternal torment” to circulate humanity, know that torment indeed awaits them:
Matthew 8:28-29 (New International Version)
28When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarens, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
You may ask, “what about human beings?” Jesus makes it clear in His prophecy of the sheep and goat judgment and other parables that wicked men will join the fallen angels in the place of torment, consisting of unquenchable, eternal fire. This is the eternal punishment.
Matthew 25:41 (New International Version)
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew 25:46 (New International Version)
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
John the Baptist, a true prophet, likewise employed the imagery of unquenchable fire:
Luke 3:15-17 (New International Version)
15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Jesus also consistently used the imagery of “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” used in conjunction with “outer darkness” and the “fiery furnace.”
Matthew 8:11-12 (New International Version)
11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 13:40-42 (New International Version)
40"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:49-50 (New International Version)
49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 22:13 (New International Version)
13"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Matthew 24:50-51 (New International Version)
50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:30 (New International Version)
30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Luke 13:28 (New International Version)
28"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God
“Weeping and gnashing of teeth” strongly implicates torment. Serving as further elaboration, as recorded in Luke, Jesus spoke a famous parable known as “Lazarus and the rich man.” In this parable, we get unquestionable confirmation that evil men will experience conscious torment:
Luke 16:19-31 (New International Version)
19"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,[a] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
The Apostles were in obvious agreement with Christ that a fate of torment awaits those who refuse to be saved:
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 (New International Version)
8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
2 Peter 2:17 (New International Version)
17These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
Jude 1:5-7 (New International Version)
5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt Sodom and Gomorrah
Before the argument is made that “eternal fire” really means instantaneous destruction that’s just “permanent for all eternity,” remember the demons crying out to Christ about it not yet being their time to be tormented, and Jude’s mention here of “everlasting chains.” The people of Sodom and Gomorrah
How can we be sure?
Matthew records Jesus’ denunciation of some unrepentant cities. The people of those cities straight rejected the Gospel of salvation offered to them, unlike Sodom Sodom , Tyre , and Sidon Sodom Sodom
Matthew 11:20-24 (New International Version)
20Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida Tyre and Sidon Tyre and Sidon Sodom
With that out of the way, let’s look at the rest of what Jude said in this context:
Jude 1:12-13 (New International Version)
12These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
Don’t forget that Jesus included “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in nearly every time He mentioned the outer darkness. If the unsaved are only to face instantaneous destruction in the lake of fire, how would they have time to weep and gnash their teeth? Weeping implies mental anguish, and gnashing of teeth implicates both mental and physical anguish.
Do understand that death as we know it is far from permanent. Just as Daniel wrote long before, Jesus confirmed that ALL people will be resurrected and judged, whether by the holiness applied to them, or the unholiness they opted to maintain:
John 5:28-29 (New International Version)
28"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
And finally, this same John, who recorded Christ’s words above, received the most startling revelation of all time directly from the risen Christ. In this book of Revelation, we conclude the Bible with many serious promises, good and bad. If there was any question concerning the fate of evil doers before, the words of Christ’s Revelation to John completely seal the truth of a literal, eternal torment in the lake of fire:
Revelation 14:9-11 (New International Version)
9A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
Revelation 20:9-10 (New International Version)
9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:15 (New International Version)
15If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8 (New International Version)
8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
Each of those passages hardly needs commentary. Revelation defines the “second death” and the “lake of fire” in detail, and there’s no room for allegorical interpretations thereof. We now know what the eternal torment is ultimately called (the second death), where the torment will occur (the lake of fire), who will be tormented (the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and anyone whose name was not found in the Book of Life), and how long it will endure (day and night for ever and ever).
Again I say, DO NOT be deceived by any doctrine, a prophet, a supernatural encounter whereas you are called to be a prophet, or anything else that contradicts the Written Word, no matter what other Scriptural truth is included. Anything less than 100% true is FALSE.
Repent and keep repenting of your sins. Trust your soul with Jesus Christ. He offers full Atonement over your sins of the past, present, and future. Walk in His ways. Trust His Word. Flee from deception. Get the Gospel out to the lost. He will gather His flock into the Father’s House, and from then on His flock will always be with Him. Many can and will be snatched from the fire and saved forever…
John 14:1-4 (New International Version)
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
Peace.
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