- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Chapter One - Eternal Damnation: What does the Bible Really Teach?
- Chapter Two - Biblical Examples of Everlasting Destruction
- Chapter Three - Further Biblical Support for Everlasting Destruction
- Chapter Four - The Great Lie: What about the Immortal soul?
- Chapter Five - Biblical Analysis of Claimed Support Texts for Eternal Torture
- Chapter Six - Refuting Extra-Biblical Arguments for Eternal Torture and Against Literal Destruction
- Chapter Seven - Extra-Biblical Arguments II: Exploring Judeo-Christian History
- Chapter Eight - Morality & Justice and Other Issues Related to Damnation
- Chapter Nine - The True Literal View on Eternal Damnation
- Chapter Ten - CONCLUSION: Will God Torture People Forever?
- Appendix A: Additional Hebraic Texts on Everlasting Destruction
- Appendix B: The Nature of Human Beings: Spirit, Mind & Body
- Bibliography
Biblically Dispelling the Myth of Eternal Torture
_________________________Visit author’s web site at www.sheol-know.org
Chapter TEN
CONCLUSION:
Will God Torture People Forever?
As pointed out a couple of times in this study already, the doctrine of eternal torture is the silent subject of the Christian church. This is strange especially when considering the importance of the issue of eternal damnation—it literally deals with the eternal fate of masses of humanity. Yet you won’t hear many Christians bring it up. If you do, you aren’t likely to hear much elaboration on it. You could almost say it’s a taboo subject. My impression is that most Christians secretly wish this hideous teaching were not part of their Christian doctrine but they keep from parting with it because they’ve been taught that the scriptures adamantly teach it. Not to mention they are pressured to unquestioningly believe whatever their pastor or denomination officially affirms as true. The express purpose of this study is to plainly show people that the scriptures do not teach this perverse belief and never have.
What Adherents of Eternal Torture REALLY Believe John 3:16 Says
As pointed out earlier in this study the eternal torture doctrine is often covered up by various code words and phrases. Proponents of this view teach that unrepentant sinners will “perish” or be “destroyed” even though they really mean no such thing. Another favorite cover-up phrase is that unrepentant sinners will be “eternally separated from God.” This is a nice and vague expression. Yet, none of these code words or phrases even remotely suggest what adherents of eternal torture really mean by such language—never-ending conscious torment with no merciful pause or end to the suffering.
To illustrate what I’m getting at, let’s consider one of the most popular verses of the bible:
JOHN 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
We frequently see or hear this passage on billboards, in magazines, on the radio, at sports events, in tracts, etc. What’s strange is that adherents of eternal torment deny what this passage literally teaches. In fact, they argue that “perish” in this text means something completely opposite to what perish actually means.
Just for a moment let’s put aside these misleading code words and quote this popular passage the way proponents of eternal torture actually interpret it:
JOHN 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not be tortured forever in hell but go to heaven.”
This is what adherents of eternal torture really believe this passage says. Yes, when we disregard all their misleading code words this is what they honestly believe! Can you imagine this beloved evangelical passage, written as such, plastered on billboards, magazines, tracts, etc. everywhere? Can you imagine seeing it on a banister or in the crowd at the next Superbowl? Why not? This is what they really believe it says.
When the light of blatant truth exposes the lie like this, we see how fiendish and ludicrous it really is.
John 3:16 happens to be my favorite passage in the bible. I adhere to it wholeheartedly and completely. It plainly states the most important truths of the bible: 1.) God loves us. 2.) He doesn’t want any of us to perish, which is the ultimate wage of sin. 3.) He therefore made a great sacrifice—the death of His Son—to set us free from sin and its ultimate consequence. And 4.) He did this in order to grant us the gracious gift of eternal life. This is all I’m saying in this study in a nutshell. Why have religionists made such easy-to-understand and beautiful truths as this so complicated, hideous and ludicrous?
Will God Torture People Forever?
Will God torture people forever?—This is what I really wanted to call this book. I decided not to, however, because I figured the average person would consider it too extreme of a title and be turned off. But is it too extreme? I believe the question “Will God torture people forever?” rips through all the lies and niceties and gets straight to the heart of the issue of damnation.
As already pointed out in Chapter One, many adherents of eternal torture object to what this blunt question implies because they argue that people “choose hell.” I often hear this clichéd statement. Evidently, according to their reasoning, God has absolutely nothing to do with people going to hell—the lake of fire—or what they will experience there.
Actually “hell” is just another code word for adherents of eternal torture. Whenever they use the word “hell” what they really mean is eternal conscious torture with no merciful pause or end to the suffering. So when they adamantly state that “People choose hell,” what they really mean is “People choose never-ending fiery conscious agony.” What utter ridiculousness.
It is true, however, that people choose sin, that is, they choose to rebel against the righteous will of their Maker. And, as the bible makes repeatedly clear, the wages of sin is death. So people choose sin, which ultimately leads to death, and God is the supreme authority and judge who must ultimately carry out this sentence. As scripture declares:
JAMES 4:12 a
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy,
When it comes down to it, God is ultimately either going to save people—grant them eternal life—or destroy them—extinguish them from existence. Because God is the supreme authority and giver of life He therefore has the right to take life away, if He must. His ultimate decision to take a person’s life is based upon that person’s choices. God’s moral nature never changes (Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17); His plain statement to the Israelites, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life,” (Deuteronomy 30:19 b) is His ultimate proposition to all humanity as well. This explains why we see this bottom-line proposition all over the bible: for example, Matthew 7:13-14, John 3:16, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:13, Galatians 6:8, etc. If people freely choose to rebel against God and His righteous way, then they are freely choosing to be cursed by Him and condemned to death. This reveals how much respect God has for our free moral agency—whatever choices we make He’s going to honor.
This helps us to understand Jesus’ straightforward and solemn statement:
MATTHEW 10:28
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Those who choose to fear God and receive His gift of reconciliation will be blessed with eternal life (“life in the age to come”). Those who foolishly refuse will be mercifully executed in the lake of fire, God’s incinerator.
So to answer the question, Will God torture people forever? The answer is no. Such an idea is utterly repulsive to the moral, just nature of the Almighty. Literal death is the wage of sin, and He will justly-but-mercifully issue out this wage on judgment day—if He must.
God of course doesn’t want anyone to perish like this. As it is written:
EZEKIEL 18:31-32
“Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!”
God is talking to His people Israel here, but this passage reveals His heart on the matter—He doesn’t want anyone to perish. This is repeated in reference to all humanity:
2 PETER 3:7-9
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.(8) But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (9) The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God’s will on the matter is clear: He desires all humanity to repent and be blessed with eternal life. Those who foolishly choose selfishness and rebellion will suffer the destruction of the second death.
If you are not sure that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth and the life” as He claimed in John 14:6, then I encourage you to honestly and humbly seek it out. As the LORD declared in Jeremiah 29:13-14 a: “ ‘You will seek me and find when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD.” God will reveal Himself to those who sincerely seek Him.
Conclusion
This study concludes that the doctrine of eternal conscious torture is a sadistic teaching completely foreign to the bible. It stems from a satanic lie, is founded on a pagan view of human nature (i.e. the immortal soul which even God cannot destroy) and is perpetuated by religious tradition. It is a horrible stain on Christianity and a blasphemy to the just, merciful name of the Almighty.
Some may criticize that I’ve come across too strong in this writing, others may argue that I’m overly repetitive with major points and scripture citations, still others will object to my habit of illustrating the absurdity of eternal torture by quoting plain bible passages the way adherents of this belief really interpret them; but this error is so deeply embedded in the psyche of the church and our culture that it’s going to take such an approach to wake us up to biblical reality.
The doctrine of eternal torture is simply a gross mistake in the history of Christendom. Being in any way tolerant of this error is unacceptable. We need to quit mindlessly believing unbiblical doctrines that misguided ministers continue to peddle generation after generation and let the scriptural facts speak for themselves. It’s time for Christians of all persuasions everywhere to stand up and boldly proclaim the biblical truth about everlasting destruction. Yes, this must be proclaimed in a spirit of love and compassion, with much patience in face of the closed-minded stubbornness of religionists and traditionalists; and, no, it’s not an issue to break fellowship over (even though staunch advocates of eternal torment are likely to do this). As we faithfully proclaim what the Judeo-Christian scriptures plainly teach on human damnation the truth will expose the hideous lie that the church has so wrongly embraced for so long. The doctrine of eternal torture needs to finally be put to rest in favor of what the bible has always clearly taught regarding human damnation—everlasting literal destruction with no hope of restoration or resurrection.
Let those of us who have “ears to hear” and understand this clear biblical truth strive for the same bold spirit as that of the great abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison:
“I am in earnest—I will not equivocate—I will not excuse—I will not retreat a single inch—and I will be heard.”
~ The Liberator, January 1831
©
2013 truthaccordingtoscripture.com
Comments
What I can't understand is how these people who claim hell is eternal torture & burning are totally okay with it. I have to wonder if they really, truly believe it. I mean, just think about someone here on earth being burned alive. It's one of the most horrific things ever, one of the worst, most painful things a human can go through, and of course no one takes pleasure in that happening to ANYONE, no matter what their religion is. But typically, the person who is burned is either rescued, or they die after a few minutes...but hell is supposed to be forever! So really, burning forever!
I personally have attended a church that pretty much teaches that we are all evil and we deserve to suffer in hell forever, so the only way we don't is if we accept Jesus. And let me tell you, this hell doctrine has had an awful impact on my life and terrorized me for years. I felt no joy in being "saved", knowing that 70% of the world (about the percentage that isn't Christian) was going to burn in hell. I was only around 10 years old when I first went to "grown-ups" church service and learned about hell, and I went home crying and thinking God hated me if he thought I deserved that. After that I just tried to forget about it, to bury it, but I'd think about it a lot and at times I'd just cry for all the souls who would have such a horrible fate. I refused to get attached to anyone who wasn't a Christian since it would only bring more pain to my life, knowing that they'd burn in hell unless they converted to Christianity. I remember meeting a really nice Jewish girl back in 7th grade, and when I found out she was Jewish I avoided her as much as possible. I didn't want to become her friend. I feel so awful about it, but it was the only way I could cope with the fact that she was going to hell, according to my church.
Now that I am in a young adults Sunday school class at this church, they don't beat around the bush at all about hell. During the past year I have been going through an awful time in my life and am suffering from depression, because of my hellfire fear. I've always felt that there's nothing to be happy about if most of the world will burn in hell. I couldn't even enjoy the things I used to love to do, I couldn't concentrate on my schoolwork, because I was ALWAYS thinking about people burning in hell. But I started to think, if God really is so loving, why WOULD he keep people alive just to burn them? And why would he bring the rest of us so much pain knowing that so many people, and probably including a few that we know, are suffering so horrendously?
So that's when I started looking into the topic of hell myself, and wondering if the fire and such could be metaphors. At this point I would cry hysterically at least once a day over hell, and I started praying to God, just begging him to show me the truth, and begging him not to torture that sweet Jewish girl I knew and many others. When I came across the eternal death belief I did feel relieved. I'm wondering if my prayers are being answered. But I also start to feel down again when I see people insisting that hell IS eternal torment. I guess I shouldn't rely on humans so much for the answer though, and trust God to show me.
Now, in no way do I think that we humans are perfect, or worthy of salvation. I do believe that nobody is perfect, and all humans have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus died for us and offered the free gift of salvation. So when Jesus comes back, unrepentant sinners will need to be destroyed. But not tortured! Was it not God who gave us all the moral conscience and empathy that makes us not even want to torture an animal, let alone a human? So I don't understand why He would do such a thing.
So I suppose I should stop my blathering, but I wanted to share how this hellfire doctrine has made my life hell! And again, I don't understand how so many people can actually believe in it, but be okay with it, and not react the way I did. I just hope God is really answering my prayers. This past few years of my life, and especially the last year, have been extremely difficult and I am trying hard to overcome my fear and depression over this. I'm still getting there, but I feel I'm doing much better. Thanks you for writing this page because I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who feels reassured that God really does love us!
I was wondering how you were making out? I just read your post. I am proud of you that you have decided to search out the truth. I, too, feel the same confusion over this Doctrine as you do. I, too, am exploring it. And my investigation is tasking me (so far) to the belief that eternal torture is NOT biblical. The Church may be adamant about it, but there are too many references to indicate that death and destruction mean just that to morph them into eternal life in torment. Please keep me posted on your progress.
John M
I read your entire article on the subject of eternal torment and you are right it is nowhere taught in Scripture. I was saved in 1967, However, the truth about hell and eternal punishment did not come to me in 1982 through deep study of Scripture on the subject. I was never a follower of the World Wide Church of God or of their splinter groups. In fact I was a Pentecostal believer until around 1976. As a Bible student I then started my own Bible Study group and learned a lot of things I was taught to be false and contrary to Scripture. Your on the right tract. Keep up the good work. I would like your permission to put this whole article of yours on out website. Thank you for standing for the truth of Scripture. Eddie J. Adams
Hannah, your story really tugged and jerked at my heart. I used to be the same way. (God bless you by the way for teaching in your church)
I have So much study on this subject (And the one where you are worried about others not hearing the Gospel) I really wish you and I could have a Bible study together by phone on the topics you are concerned about. All of your questions are easily answered from the Bible. It took me a long time to realize how deadly the doctrine of eternal burning torture chamber destroys faith, and causes people to fear the God of deep and unending love. Yes, he will end the life of the wicked someday, but thats because the wicked refuse to let go of what God intends to destroy - sin. Notice that God came to do what? Destroy the works of the devil and sin itself. Thats why he came. To SAVE all creation from sin. But anyhow - notice too that he also casts death and hell into the lake of fire. IN other words - even hell itself is destroyed.
There are many many more evidences to the fact that ONLY PEACE will be in the universe.
Anyway, I dont mind discussion and I can give you many more resources if you wish (Bible based) Just contact me at ambit12ATgmailDOTcom
Many blessings Sister.
Mark
God but am I to turn off all of my reasoning power and believe so that I will not be eternaly tortured either by the Christian God or the muslim God? and if I could do this brain washing would God not know it?
And how could a Christian mother be happy in heaven knowing even one of her sons is in hell. And if she is brainwashed to forget--does she have free will?
If you even have to think about this, then you either think Adam is a winner and Your God is no more than a shoelace that is fit only to be tied in knots. I do not get it. Almost every Christian prays diligently the 'Lords Prayer', praying for God's will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. I imagine that Heaven is filled with a Love that is so pure and bright (like a fire) that nothing here on Earth could withstand it, to this point, our puny minds and understanding cannot even begin to comprehend it. So what does God will? Simple, that every last person is saved.
Now, this is where Adam or perhaps Satan has more power than God. But, let's get some perspective before we continue. Adam and Eve were created perfectly, even God was well pleased. Yet, by a single encounter with a snake (read no other influences like being born into sin like every person since) both Adam and Eve fell short of the prize and because of this, every single person since that time, has been born in the inescapable snare of sin. That is all except Jesus Christ, but that is another story.
So, now we have the progedgy of Adam and Eve, doomed to sin having an unbroken lineage of sin, expected by God, to some how crawl out of the gutter and find salvation? Really?
Rom 8:20 For the Creature was subjected to vanity, not by its own choice, but by the one who subjected it.
Seems to me, that the poor sinner is playing against a stacked deck.
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
So, one may choose to believe in a God that condemns a person with chance of recompense. Beit, by death or by eternal suffering, neither speak well of a loving gracious God. In fact, it speaks very well of a God that has no idea of justice. Yes, justice, for what is just about placing a person in a situation that this person cannot escape (read person born into sin, with a vane heart and sinful nature) and then either tortures or kills the person. I would say JUSTLESS.
What is loving about killing a person when the all perfect God created the perfect man who had no chance of living sin free. Where is the love, whereupon this God sends his son to die for the sins of the world in true forgiveness, but the sins are not forgiven. I mean, how could the be. It is no different than saying to a man before he is executed that he is forgiven. No he is not. Forgiveness wipes the slate clean. If the slate becomes dirty again and the forgiveness of God cannot compensate, then a puny man in sin has more power than God.
But, what if all men are truly forgiven. What if the punishment is a form of correction (look up the meaning of the Greek words used) What if the eternal fire is no more than the consuming fire of our eternal God? We know from Jesus himself that there is a bell curve, that to those who have been given little, little shall be expected and the punishment light. Whereas those to whom much has been given, much, much more is expected and the punishment (read correction) is longer.
A good example is trying to teach an old dog new tricks. Is this done by torturing the dog? Certainly not by killing the dog. (remember even the biggest sinner is still a child of God) Of course not. Rather, much time and patience is needed in order for the dog to break free of old habits to gain trust in order to learn anew. Granted, not many men have the time, patience or inclination to do this.
Yet our loving Father, has already, because he knows the end from the beginning and it is already so. One day, all men, women and children will worship God in all the glory that He deserves, because of unbridled love, honor and respect. A God that is incapable of this, deserves nothing. Where will you be and what will you say? Paul said, though the man may suffer loss (works) he shall be saved, as if by fire.
Many thanks,
Julie
I have no earthly idea if you will ever read this, but if you do, please respond. I can feel your pain and I want you to know you are not alone.
Your sister in Christ,
Julie
I know we all have free will, but whoever truly believes that YHWH will torture people forever in hell, really have a problem. Now, I know, the great majority of those who believe in such thing will try to quote and interpret bible scriptures to back their belief, but it is simply NOT true, for YHWH is not a Monster.
I challenge all (christians, pastors, evangelists, and even the so called prophets of this century) those who truly believe such a thing, to get in the presence of YHWH in prayers, on their knees, and talk to him like father and son/daugther, and reply to my post and tell me if YHWH truly replies to their prayers and tell them Yes, he will torture people forever.
Anyone who truly believe in this horrifying thing can take the challenge.
oh brothers, it hurts even to think about it, our loving God will burn people forever?
Come on, if you truly believe that, pray, do not just discuss, but pray, pray so YHWH can open your eyes.
Love you all!