Theme Text – ‘God is love…perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment’ (1John 4:16, 18)
1) We studied the actual meaning of the various words translated as hell in the Bible – Sheol/Hades, Gehenna and Tartaroo. We also read the history of how hell fire and eternal torment crept into Christianity. And we found what the Scriptures say about Jesus’ Ransom for Adam, and his upcoming Kingdom restoration of the Earth and mankind. But even if eternal hell torment isn’t biblical, won’t it still be alright to use hell fire as a threat to frighten people into submitting to God?
Not really. A disappointed God says, ‘Their fear toward me is taught by the precepts of men’ (Isa 29:13). He rather desires a willingly obedient heart driven by love for Him and goodness – not by fear.
And the idea of torment is abhorrent to God. Once when Israelites imitated Baal-worshippers, built sacrificial altars and burnt their children alive in the fire, God angrily declared that such a concept never did enter His mind (Jer 19:5 NASB). He forbade torture in His Law.
As the Johannine epistle says: ‘God is love…perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment’ (1John 4:16, 18)
2) Wishing people to eternal torment – does that harmonize with our loving God?
- Would any of us have the heart to take the hand of our vilest foe and place it on a hot flame? No. It’s inhumane.
Won’t our God of love have the same compassion upon his disobedient creations? Or would he eternally torture men for their sins of 60-80 years?
Jeremiah says,
‘It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not’ (Lam 3:22-23).
Would a God who commands us to love our enemies, wish to burn them forever? - God’s mercies are far above Man’s mind. His glorious rescue plan has been harmoniously narrated from Genesis to Revelation!
The sins of Man are to be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord [Jesus] whom the heaven must receive until the Times of Restitution of All Things [the Kingdom], which God hath spoken by the mouth of All his Holy Prophets since the world began (Acts 3:19-21).
Appendix – A Summary/Snapshot of the Real ‘Hells’
Question For Further Study
Like hell torment, are there other unbiblical Dark Age doctrines that have settled into Christianity? – Read further.
One of the many entirely contrary schemes alive and well in Christendom today is the idea of a burning, tormenting " hell " awaiting fallen man. Upon examination of this scheme against Holy Scripture we conclude that there is no such place and for reasons found there though not an exhaustive comment.
I would like to list a few for your consideration… For there to actually be a burning hell fallen man MUST be immortal. Not only must he have been made by God immortal, he must also Re-Incarnate into some form or other in order to have what's necessary to be consciously alive to suffer torment. We find in Gen.3:4 Satan telling Adam and Eve… " you shall not surely die…" which is the same as saying " you are immortal." This means that the redeemed of God have eternal life and so do the un-redeemed.
Next, Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, is given historical credit for concocting a tormenting hell where the wicked dead go to suffer for infinity for their wickedness upon their death. Plato believed and taught that the wicked, in life, are never properly punished for their wickedness while for the righteous man no good deed goes un-punished. Plato believed in and taught Re-Incarnation as well.
Let's face it… to become alive again after physical death and be placed in a tormenting hell you need to be immortal and you need to Re-Incarnate into something since the body returns to dust. Besides that, " The wages of sin is death," Ro.6:23a, not eternal life in a
" hell " where you never really die but are tormented in flames forever and forever.
It is a pagan lie to put in man more than God did when He created man… such is to lie and say man is immortal… Satan said that, not God, Gen.3:4.
The human body can not endure fire… it will vaporize leaving behind the natural elements of the earth from which it was made. It's even a scientific impossibility to claim there is indeed a burning hell into which the fallen of mankind go upon death… a direct lie against Ecc.12:7 as well.
Taking even a cursory look at Lk.16:19-31 we learn the following… that it is a parable and not a maxim of the faith… the parable begins in Lk.15;1. We know that the Lord Jesus is not teaching Re-Incarnation between verses 22 and 23 because Re-Incarnation is the devils lie. We know that the dead do not speak to the living from the grave because dead men are dead… the life returns to God who gave it, Ecc.12:7.
We see that Jesus, being the Living God, can not be outwitted by man but is so extremely wise beyond measure because He is the Living God, defeats Satan's ambassador's by using their own belief systems against them as He does here in Lk.16:19-31. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the fallen dead… Re-Incarnation… Acts 23. What better way is there to expose rebels than to use their own belief systems against them for the benefit of educating the elect of God ? Eph.5:11 context; Phi. 1:28.
Nonetheless, the Gnostic Christians want to have a hell to burn their enemies in thus exposing them as not loving their neighbor as themselves. Furthermore, these would have a hell brought into the new heavens and new earth" where in righteousness dwells,"
2 Pet.3:13.
There is much more to expose about the lie of there being a burning hell into which the Gnostic Christians have conjured up in obedience to the lie of Satan that… " you will not surely die," Gen.3:4, thus countering the Word of God for Him who decreed that " the wages of sin is death," Ro.6:23a.
Why is it named eternal punishment. I'm on board with eternal destruction. But punishment surely implies prolonged consequences for actions.!? And Jesus warned so heavily of Hell, Gehenna. Saying that it was better to remove your eyes if they cause you to sin, or to cut off your hands! because that is better then being cast in hell. He also said, do not fear those who can kill the body here on earth, more over fear Him who can destroy the soul at the second death. He is saying that enduring potentially severe amounts of pain, being crucified, beaten etc etc. is better then being thrown in the lake of fire!?
I think there are many people who would be thrown in the lake thinking 'tell you what, I've got away with a lot here… ' It's like, when you understand that by sinning you aren't just deciding your own fate, you are dragging others down with you! that's why righteousness is so important, you stand for what's right at all costs because you can save people by doing so! But we need the holy spirit to be righteous otherwise we continue in sin and mislead people. God doesn't just destroy people, he punishes them.
Just think of all the years of death, famine, war, oppression, torture… it goes on! mental illness! everything. cause by Satan/Eve, and then imagine that happening to your Son; the children of God… hmm I don't know. maybe I'm wrong but the talk about the smoke rising for eternity…
'Revelation 14:11 "and the smoke of their torment will rise for ages and ages, (plural, ages upon ages) and they have NO REST day and night, who are bowing before the beast and his image, and any who receive the mark of his name."'
In what sense is that refutable as evidence for eternal torment?
I don't think Jesus would have stressed the importance of it by encouraging people to chop off their own appendages or their own eyes, to avoid the lake of fire.
And what about the great winepress?
This is God's wrath for direct disobedience. We hurt God when we disobey him. Not just ourselves, and then we hurt others, just think about it. when others are hurt, they hurt God, think of the billions of people he will have to destroy, each one of them knowing personally, every bit of pain they've been through in their lives. and the disobedience. he knows the number of hairs on our heads. And, like Satan, there will be people who even once they know the truth, they will disobey. It's not as simple as just destroying people. If a person gets away with not knowing the destruction they have caused… then there is no justice.
I imagine that the pain wickedness causes God, who is all knowing!, he knows the evil decisions people make, the innocent people who suffer, he feels the pain with them! and we still choose more pain! I imagine His wrath is exactly how the disobedient, and more so those who know they are going against his will! (that's why its so much worse for Satan and those who have received the holy spirit!) they know God's will, they know the truth and they still go against it, for carnal desire. Desecrating the most Holy sacrifice. Someone who died for them. for us. This causes God so much pain, he put his son to death for these people, and their actions render his death in vain.
Jesus almost breaks with intense love, as he warns us to not disobey the holy ghost! to not receive the gift of life in vain, because he knows what it means if we trample the gift of life under foot. the wages of sin is death but the wages of wickedness and disregard of all that He has done for us. Is the second death.
It's alright to have your own views… yet that Isa 29:13 quote is way outta context:
And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment of men learned by rote;
It's about false piety… not that being "God Fearing" is inherently bad.
that's true, but in the context of this piece, it's clear to me, that there was an understanding of the difference in fear of God (bringing wisdom) and fearing God so much that we commit ourselves to him through fear.
~ I do however comprehend the chance of misinterpretation.
I'd submit that it would be good to make a distinction.
Jesus says do not fear what kills you in the flesh, but fear him who kills your spirit.
this indicates its better to suffer in this life then to be destroyed in the next. which I think is an argument for everlasting torment! But according to this site, that is not so. All a bit confusing really.
This gets down to what is a 'soul' (i.e. 'nephesh' in Hebrew)'? The first time nephesh appears in the Bible is Gen.1:20 with nephesh applied to animals (living creatures). Gen.2:7-8 give the 'formula' for making a living soul : non-living body made from dust + breath of life ('spirit' is literally wind/breath) = living soul (nephesh). You could look at 'breath of life" (spirit) as the spark making the dead body alive. As one theologian put it (I can't remember his name): "You don't have a soul, you are a soul." The Bible 'soul' is exactly the 'soul' when you describe a person as 'a good old soul' meaning he is a good person (in the heart/behavior) and a living creature. A 'soul' is the entire creature – physical body and 'personality making the person so when Jesus says don't fear him who can kill the body and not the soul but rather fear him that can kill the body and soul in Gehenna, he is basically saying don't fear him who can kill only your body (and not destroy your goodness), but fear the one who can kill your body and corrupt your goodness/behavior. Since the scripture says that the soul can be 'killed' it's rather difficult to claim that the soul is immortal/indestructible from this verse.
nice