To begin this study on hell, let me first ask the question, do you believe that God is Love, longsuffering, kind, merciful and just? 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/2PE.3.KJV Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ROM.5.KJV John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JHN.3.KJV Isaiah28:21 “For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ISA.28.KJV The Bible calls God’s destruction of the wicked a strange act, because destruction is not the normal choice that God would make. 2 Peter 3:7 “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. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/2PE.3.KJV Luke 12:45 “But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.12.KJV Revelation 20:9 “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/REV.20.KJV Two notes to these verses: the first is that NOBODY receives a reward or a punishment without being judged, and the second is that, the word “hell” here simply means the grave; because obviously, the fires aren’t started until after the judgment takes place. Jesus says in Revelation 22:12 “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/REV.22.KJV After Jesus comes back, THEN everyone receives a reward. Jude 1:6 “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JUD.1.KJV Why does the Bible call the fire “eternal fire”? Does the Bible call the fire “eternal fire”? Does this mean that it will continue to burn for ever? Are Sodom and Gomorrha still burning? NO! Malachi 4:1 “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. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/MAL.4.KJV The effects are eternal, the death is permanent. That is why Revelation 20 called it the “second death”. For more clarity on the word forever let’s look at a few verses. Remember the story of Jonah in the whale? How long did Jonah spend in the belly of the whale? Jonah 1:17 “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JON.1.KJV Jonah 2:6 “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with her bars was about me for ever: Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JON.2.KJV I bet it FELT like forever being in the belly of a whale! 1 Samuel 1:11 “And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/1SA.1.KJV Samuel is not still in the temple with Eli the priest. Forever, in this case simply means, as long as he lived. Proverbs puts it succinctly in chapter 26:20 “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out...” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/PRO.26.KJV When everyone and everything not in the New Jerusalem is burned up, the fire goes out! Do you think that a merciful and just God could torture someone for all eternity? Could you love a God who would do that? Do you think that a person who murdered “only” one person should be tortured for as long as a person who murdered millions of people? Would you be happy in heaven if you could see someone you loved being tortured throughout all eternity? Psalm 9:17 “The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/PSA.9.KJV 2 Peter 2:4 “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/2PE.2.KJV Initially the devil and his angels were cast to this earth to be “reserved” for the day of judgment. Revelation 12:7 “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/REV.12.KJV What judge would hand down a sentence before the trial even begins? God destroyed the whole earth back in Noah’s day yet He provided a way of escape and He will destroy it again after the day of judgment, but he has already made a way of escape. Jesus died to save anyone who wants to be saved. 1 Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13 who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/1TI.1.KJV
