“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” ~Psalms 145:20
Did you catch that, shall perish, not be tortured and burn forever! So, where did this misconception ever come from? How did the word of God get so convoluted and twisted? Who changed it? Who would want to trash the character of God? Satan, that’s who!
The devil wants us to ask ourselves this question, “How could an all loving God condemn us to burn forever and be eternally tortured in this place known as Hell?” The answer is simple; He couldn’t!
Unfortunately this is the way many people think about God—only going to Him out of fear of the alternative—being tormented forever in a fiery Hell. However, what they don’t understand is this isn’t the truth, it’s a lie that the devil is selling. Satan doesn’t want you to know that his days are numbered, and soon he will be destroyed!
“…You have become a horror, and shall be no more forever.” ~Ezekiel 28:19
That verse clearly says, shall be no more forever, i/e dead forever! The devil would love for us to believe that he will live forever, just like Jesus but in his counterfeit position of ruling this place called Hell. The fact of the matter is he will be utterly destroyed by Jesus! He won’t be poking all the godless sinners with a pitchfork forever because he will be dead along with all of his demons and, all of the evil, ungodly people as well. They will all be burned up and gone forever.
“The Lord preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.” ~Psalms 145:20
Notice again that the above verse clearly states that God will destroy the wicked. It does not say He will torture them in eternal hellfire. The devil has been spreading this lie of an eternal burning Hell where he will torture the ungodly for eternity, to discredit the truth of an all loving, all forgiving God.
Satan also wants to downplay the reality that he will not live forever, in fact, he will be destroyed along with all of his demons according to the word of God! “… and fire will come down from God out of heaven and destroy them.”
The devil knows very well that the word of God will prevail, it will all come true and happen one day, every single word of it. He knows his days are numbered, and he also knows that he will be utterly destroyed!
He wants to pull you away from God. He will lie and deceive in any way he can as a ways to his perverted means. He wants to see himself as the victor in this great controversy. He wants to sell the story that he will be in charge of Hell, the king of eternal torture, but this simply is not true!
Satan will be destroyed along with all traces of evil, and yes, that includes all evil humanity. It isn’t that God wants to destroy anyone, it is rather the results of our free-will choice to opt out of His offer of eternal life . . . for eternal death.
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” ~2 Peter 3:9
But doesn’t it say Hell will burn forever…?
Have you read verses like Mark 9:43 and Luke 3:17 as well as other verses that say the fires of Hell will never quit burning? These verses say…some will go into the hellfire that will never be quenched,and they will burn with unquenchable fire. This is where we have to be extremely diligent in how we read the Bible. Nowhere does it say that this fire will never quit burning. What it does say is that this fire can never be quenched, that it is unquenchable. The word quenched means put out or extinguished. In other words, this fire is going to burn until everything is burned up and there is no more fuel to feed it. No one will be able to extinguish it!
Yes, there will be a final storm of hellfire here on earth, but it will not burn forever, and understand that it is not a location but rather a condition. Satan wants us to believe that God will send all nonbelievers to an eternal place of torture. The devil spreads this lie because he wants to destroy God’s character. God is love, but Satan wants us to think that He’s a mean ogre who wants to cause some to suffer forever. That just is not biblical, and the following Bible verses are just a few of many that will more than prove this. God wants to save everyone!
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” ~1 Timothy 2:3-4
“Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west.” ~Zechariah 8:7
“Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” ~Isaiah 45:22
Now that we cleared up that confusion let’s move on to three words that are often misinterpreted from the Bible, Hades/Hell, Sheol, and Gehenna. The word Hades means the grave. Next is Sheol which is Hebrew for “the grave pit.”
“Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” ~Isaiah 14:15
And lastly, the Greek word, Gehenna, which translates to a valley or pit. It is where bodies and refuse were burned, a slow-burning graveyard if you will. So wherever you read the words, Hades, Sheol or Gehenna, it is merely referring to a grave of some sort, a place to dispose of dead bodies. None of these words mean an actual physical, fiery, eternally burning place known as Hell.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~Romans 6:23
The penalty for sin is death, not eternal torment! We are all offered the substitutional death that Jesus Christ died to give us. Those that refuse to accept redemption will burn up in the hellfire that will rain down on them when Jesus returns, and they will be no more. They will perish, but this fire will not burn forever. There are only two ultimate eternal states of existence, eternal life or eternal death.
So, why did God make Satan . . . ?
“ . . . For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” ~2 Corinthians 11:14
Why would an all loving God create such a horrible being as Satan? To answer this question we must ask yet another question…was Satan always evil? The above verse tells us that Satan is disguised as an angel of light, that implies that he is really something else. He is now an evil fallen angel or spirit. He was cast from heaven and became Satan. So the ultimate answer is God didn't create Satan, He created Lucifer.
"How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!” ~Isaiah 14:12
God made all of His created beings with free will, including His angels. Lucifer was not always evil. He was once God’s number one angel, that is until pride was found in his heart.
“You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.” ~Ezekiel 28:15
Q: Aren’t you glad that God left us His Holy Word of truth?
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I feel a bit authoritative, since most people have NOT actually been to hell, but I have. And God the Father Himself rescued me from that eternal place. We need to understand that when Jesus said in Mark 9:48 “where their worm does not die” Jesus IS talking about the souls lost in hell, and that they keep living forever. Their worm denotes which worm, it is the worm of a soul lost in hell. If the worm which MUST feed upon human souls to exist, does NOT die, then mathematically the only logical conclusion is that the person must not die either. If the person dies, the worm dies. I hope this is clear? When I arrived in hell, I knew that hell was eternal and that I was going to be trapped in that place forever and forever and forever. This is what makes hell … hell!
Thank you for your comment,
The verse in Mark that you sited is talking about the condition of lost humanity at Christ’s return. The “worm” in this text is referring to internal torment, and the word “quenched” in this verse is refrencing the FIRE at Christ’s return that can not be quenched/put out! If you read the previous verse (Mark 9:47) which clearly identifies this fire as “hell fire.”
This is what is going to happen at Christ’s return. Anyone not covered in Christ’s robe of righteousness will be burned up in this all consuming, deadly hell fire at His return. The word hell in Hebrew is Sheol, which means the grave, the pit of death. Added to the word fire gives us a clear meaning of the word “hell fire”… death fire.
Here are just a few verses that clearly state the condition of those who refuse Christ’s offer of salvation.
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.
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is DEATH; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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.
2 Thessalonians 2:8 – “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”
I hope this helps clear up some confusion in this most important matter. Nevertheless, keep reading the KJV Bible and asking the Holy Spirit to lead you to all truth.
Jesus would have remained in the tomb of hell had jesus sinned. The Unseen Father would have been put into satan’s holding pen for final jusgment.1 Peter 3:19 – 20. Jesus would have remained in the tomb or hell going to dust. Hell is not an eternal place that tortures people forever. The thought that hell is such a place make god’s image to make tormenting laws. zoos and gays and pedophilia people are tormented and killed. That happens to lost souls in Satan’s prison over and over again. Muslims islamic law is used in that place.
The soul that sins it shall die. The church made that to be live.
No, Satan does not have a place (holding pen) where he can torture anyone. Hell is not a location but rather a condition. We must understand that the word Hell, the greek word is shoal, which means the pit, the grave. And Hellfire is the condition of the earth at Christ’s return. Unrepentant sinners who refuse Christ’s salvation will burn up upon Christ’s return. Satan doesn’t have a prison where he will torture sinners. The only prison will be for him, Satan when he is bound to a desolate earth for a thousand years with no one to tempt, torment or torture. Then He and his demons will be permanently destroyed when we return with Jesus in the New Jerusalem and the earth will be made anew and we will live on the new earth with Jesus forever!
My name is Alan Finch. JESUS became my Lord and Saviour in April of 1976.
My 1st 38 years as a Christian, I believed the unscriptural teaching about that there is going to be eternal torment for multitudes and multitudes of people. I then began to seriously question that teaching. I then decided to do an in-depth study of the Bible concerning this issue, and the Scriptures revealed to me that I had believed a horrible lie for all those years.
The Lake of Fire is not a physical Lake of Fire, but a Spiritual Lake of Fire from God’s Spirit for the purpose of “RESTORATION.” God is a God of “RESTORATION,” not a God of destruction.
In Acts 3:21 God promises that there shall be a “RESTORATION” of ALL things! What is there not to understand about this wonderful promise that God has made to us?
The overall theme of the Bible is that God’s ultimate plan for ALL mankind is to restore, not destroy in an eternal Lake of Fire or eternal annihilation!
In John 12:32 JESUS clearly states that He is going to draw ALL people to Himself! Not a portion of mankind, but ALL of mankind.
In John 6:44 JESUS clearly states that nobody can come to Him except the Father draws that person to Him. For those who are true Christians, WE MUST NOT KID OURSELVES IN THE FACT THAT WE ONLY CAME TO JESUS BECAUSE GOD’S SPIRIT DREW US TO JESUS!
In the present, and in the future, God has His own timing when He will draw each individual to Himself.
Addressing the issue of the belief in eternal annihilation, the Lord clearly tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that He has planted eternity in our hearts. God has made us living Spirits. It is impossible for our Spirit to be destroyed.
GOD HAS NOT FAILED IN HIS ORIGINAL PLAN FOR ALL OF MANKIND WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE ETERNAL TORMENT OR ETERNAL ANNIHILATION. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO FAIL IN ANYTHING!
God worked out His plan in past Ages, God is working out His plan in the present Age that we are now living in, and God will work out His plan in future Ages to come.
I have spent the last several years in Biblically expounding in a 32 page document that I have put together on the truth of there being no eternal suffering in a Lake of Fire for anyone. I have just explained the real LOVE of God that today’s Church just simply does not seem to grasp.
If anyone would be interested in a copy of my document, email me at: (candy33alan@aol.com), and I will email you a copy.
Hello Alan,
To reply to this first misconception…Your statement, {The Lake of Fire is not a physical Lake of Fire, but a Spiritual Lake of Fire from God’s Spirit for the purpose of “RESTORATION.” God is a God of “RESTORATION,” not a God of destruction.} You are wrong. There will be what God refers to as a “Lake of fire”… and this will occur upon His return. All who are alive that refuse His Salvation when He returns will be consumed in this hellfire/lake of fire. Those who accept Him as their Savior will be lifted up, glorified, and free from harm.
If God were not a God of destruction, He could not be a God of justice. How can you think that all of the evil, exceedingly evil people on this earth will not be destroyed at His coming? Read 2 Peter 3:10.
This is as far as I’m going to engage until you do some independent bible study. Read the whole bible from cover to cover and you will see that not everyone is going to heaven, nor will they reside on the new earth. there will be a separation of sheep and goats, left and right, good and evil. The annihilation of evil is not a bad, but rather a good thing. I will pray that God will bring you clarity on this matter.
My name is Alan Finch, and 44 years ago, I submitted myself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
In May of 2014, I began writing a document that addresses the Biblical issue of: “is there really going to be eternal torment in a physical Lake of Fire?” “is there really going to be eternal annihilation” “to give a biblical answer to the question of, if there is no eternal torment in a physical Lake of Fire, and there is no eternal annihilation of our very being, then what are we being saved from, and what is our purpose for being here during this present time really all about”
When I first started writing this document, it was 12 pages in length, it now has grown to be 30 pages in length. Obviously the document is much too long to post in this comment section, but If anyone would like a copy of my 30 page document, email me at: (candy33alan@aol.com) and I will be more than happy to email you a copy.
Hi Alan,
Thank you for your comment. To answer your question I will start with the Biblical fact that there will most definitely be a literal Lake of Fire on The Day of the Lord! All who have made a conscious choice to follow the ways of this Satanic possessed world will die a fiery death. However, there is not, what mainstream Christians call, a physical location known as hell. The word ‘hell’ means the ‘grave’. That being said, eternal hell therefore means eternal death. So if one chooses to go it alone, to disregard the offer of the protective robe of righteousness of Jesus Christ, they will die at His appearance. The sequence of these final events (according to the word of God) are as follows:
1) Jesus returns to earth with His heavenly angels,(the 2nd coming).
2) He raises the dead saints, and takes both the living and the dead saints (those who know Him & love Him) to heaven for a thousand years. Those that have chosen not to know Him will die upon His arrival at this 2nd coming. Satan and his demons (the fallen angels), will be bound to the barren earth for this thousand year period with no one to torture.
3) After the thousand years, all who are with Jesus in heaven will come back to earth with Him for the final judgement (The Day of the Lord), at which time all evil people will be raised from the dead, and will be judged at that time for their deeds (sins), will be found guilty, and will die the eternal death (the second death) in the ‘Lake of Fire’ at that time. The term eternal hell simply means eternally dead. There are only two ultimate conditions, eternally alive or eternally dead.
4) At this time the entire earth will be destroyed along with Satan and his demons. Everything that exists will vanish, and Jesus will recreate the New Earth, and we will all spend eternity living on the New Earth with Jesus as our King.
I hope this helps you to understand this very controversial subject. The Bible is crystal clear on this sequence of events, as well as the fact that there is not an eternal burning location known as hell. Hell is and event, not a location per se.
Please feel free to contact me any time.
Blessings,
Linda
Linda
Where in your comments above do you account for Revelation 20:7-9? If all are killed when Jesus comes back for us and the Devil is bound to baron Earth (I thought the bottomless pit) along with no one to torture for a 1,000 years; who are the people from all the nations of the Earth who the Devil is going to round up to attack Jesus, before He resurrects the dead for their final judgement to be cast into Hell? Did I miss something?
Linda
In your comments above, how do you explain Revelation 20:7-9? If Satan is bound on the baron Earth for a 1,000 years (I thought the bottomless pit), with no one to torture because they were killed at Christs return to get his Saints; who are the people Satan rounds up before the resurrection of the dead who attacks Christ before He resurrects the dead? Maybe I’ve overlooked something in your comments…could you elaborate please?
In response to your questions, I will answer them in the order they were asked.
#1) Q: Satan is bound on the baron Earth for a 1,000 years (I thought the bottomless pit?)
A: The barren earth IS the bottomless pit that John the Revelator is referring to. If you start reading at Rev. 20:1, the angel came down from heaven….to earth, he came down to earth with the keys. to bind Satan to the baron earth.
#2) Q: Who are the people Satan rounds up before the resurrection of the dead who attacks Christ before He resurrects the dead?
A: At the second coming Jesus returns to earth to collect His people (both the living and the dead). At this time all of the evil people will be burned up and die. Then after the 1,000 years, Jesus returns again this time with His Saints for the great white judgment. At this time He, Jesus, resurrects all the dead evil people and this is when Satan rounds them all up for the battle of Armageddon. They will all die again, and this is known as the 2nd death in the Bible.
Hope this answers your questions.
Yes, you have overlooked what happens after the thousand years in heaven. We, the saints, will return to the earth in the New Jerusalem which will hover over the earth, and we at that time will witness the resurrection of the evil dead. At this time Satan will rally them to attack! This event is known in the Bible as “the second death” because even those evil people that were in the grave at Christ’s second coming will now be risen and will die a second time. Hope this helps. If you need verses just let me know.