Will God Torture Sinners Forever?
Some teach that God will torture sinners forever in hell. What does the Bible teach about that?
The term “for ever” in the Bible, means a period of time, limited or unlimited. It is used 56 times in the Bible in relation to situations that already ended. In Jonah 2:6, “for ever” means “three days and nights” (Jonah 1:17). In Deuteronomy 23:3, this means “10 generations.” In the case of man, this means “as long as he lives” or “until death” (1 Samuel 1:22, 28; Exodus 21:6; Psalm 48:14).
The Bible specifically teaches that hell fire will go out and that there will not be left “a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it” (Isaiah 47:14). Malachi wrote that sinners would burn up as “stubble” and would become “ashes under the soles” of the feet of the redeemed (Malachi 4:1, 3).
Even Satan will be turned to ashes upon the earth (Ezekiel 28:18). The wicked do not keep on burning endlessly; the fires of the last day will literally “burn them up” (Jeremiah17:27; Matthew 3:12; 25:41; 2 Peter 3:7–13; Jude 7).
The Scriptures teach that “the wages of sin is not eternal life in hell fire, but “death” (Romans 6:23), which the same penalty God assured Adam and Eve would be theirs if they ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:17). Ezekiel states clearly that “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4) not live in misery.
The wicked will burn in the fire as long as they live, or until their punishment of death is over. God states that all will be punished according to their deeds. This means some will receive greater punishment than others, based upon their works (Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:5-7; Proverbs 24:12).
But after the punishment, the fire will go out. The Bible also teaches that in God’s new kingdom all “former things” will be passed away (Revelation 21:1, 4). Hell, being one of the former things, will also pass away and end. If God tortured His enemies in hell throughout eternity, He would be more cruel than men have ever been. This characteristic is of Satan not God.
The teaching of eternal torment in Hell is an attack upon the loving character of a tender and merciful heavenly Father who loved His children unto death. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The following link will help shed more light on this topic:
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
