Do those condemned to hell suffer forever?

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Bruce_Leiter

Active member
Feb 17, 2023
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I have been discussing with my friend if the suffering to those condemned to hell eventually ends, my views are that there is no end because the Book of Revelation explicity states that the devil, the false prophet and the beast are thrown alive into the lake of fire which means they are not even Judged, and they are tormented forever and ever. Then the wicked humanity are resurrected and condemned after judgment and they join the original three in hell. My friend holds the view that the fires of hell burn them and they perish eventually, which doctrine is true?
Read the whole Gospel of Matthew and the many times Jesus says that people in hell are in "outer darkness" and live forever while weeping and gnashing their teeth. It is the forever-nature of God's just justice for their lifelong rebellion against him. There but by God's grace go I.
 

Bruce_Leiter

Active member
Feb 17, 2023
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Actually, this subject distresses me. In our faith all the great sinners shall be forgiven. What becomes of the abused lifelong kindly people? The abusers are forgiven and welcomed into Heaven, the abused and kind are welcomed to stand alongside their murderers, rapists, robbers, in Heaven. It does not seem fair. I imagine there may be deep spiritual resentment. Will the innocent experience resentment at the last and be excluded from Heaven? In this way then the innocent is cheated of their natural well deserved inheritance. Isn’t that the objective of the Devil after all? In a way, the Bible seems to teach devious crafty sinners on just exactly how to cheat the well meaning and innocent righteous.
According to Paul in Ephesians 2:1-3, we are all born either actively or passively in rebellion against God, that is, dead to him, and worthy of eternal punishment. Only through faith and trust in Jesus Christ can we come alive (Ephesians 2:4-9) by grace through faith in order to do good works in his power (2:10).
 

Bruce_Leiter

Active member
Feb 17, 2023
395
166
43
I have been discussing with my friend if the suffering to those condemned to hell eventually ends, my views are that there is no end because the Book of Revelation explicity states that the devil, the false prophet and the beast are thrown alive into the lake of fire which means they are not even Judged, and they are tormented forever and ever. Then the wicked humanity are resurrected and condemned after judgment and they join the original three in hell. My friend holds the view that the fires of hell burn them and they perish eventually, which doctrine is true?
There is no end to hell because God's just nature never ends.
 

CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
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The one who says there is no eternal Torment are saying Jesus is lying to us.

Jesus is the Authority on the topic, and human understanding and rational try to explain why the eternal condition of hell. Why?

It seems more like a hope than an explanation.

Jesus said: In context to hell:


Matt 25:31-46
Jesus said this after he told the Parable this is not a parable but a direct statement:
31When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
(Judgement)

33And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:


42for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’


46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

FYI, EVERLASTING in Greek means Forever and without end.


Jesus is not Lying.