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It is a fair question, as the Gospel message disappears from pulpits across America. What people believe is not the focus, in my humble opinion. The focus should always be, "what does the Bible tell us"?
If you are really interested, my I suggest that you go to www.blueletterbible.org. At the top, do a word seach on hell, and then one on the "lake of fire". That should be enough scripture for you to make up your mind. Remember, Jesus said, "heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Word will never pass away."
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Literal hell? No, it doesn't sound fair at all. At least not how they've been describing it to us. How can a just God burn any one of His children that He loves in hell fire for all eternity? It just doesn't make sense. He loved them so much that He gave His life to save them but if they refuse that free gift He tortures them for all eternity in a lake of fire? That portrays God as the worst of all beings in the entire universe. No human has ever gone on record for such heinous acts as these attributed to a God of unsurpassed love. It just doesn't fit God's character.
What the Bible teaches may surprise you. Please suffer your way through this very short lesson. The conclusion will be a pleasant surprise, IMO.
Remember Jesus prayed for the cup to pass if possible? Well, Jesus drank that "cup" for us. It is the cup that is filled with the wine of the wrath of God's indignation.
The wicked will have to drink that cup for themselves since they did not allow Jesus to drink it for them.
The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. Psalms 11:5-6 (KJV)
When will this happen? When will the wicked be burned?
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. Mal 4:1 (KJV)
Where will it happen? Where will they be burned?
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...
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. 2 Peter 3:7,10 (KJV)
How will it happen? And, once again, when and where?
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 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. Rev 20:7-9 (KJV)
So if we consider just these verses we learn that hell is not burning now. It can't be because the earth that is now is reserved for fiery punishment of the wicked. That can't happen while the saints are here. Plus, the time in which this happens is called the day of the Lord which comes as a thief in the night. That hasn't happened yet.
So hell fire isn't burning yet, according to these scriptures. But once it starts, how long will it burn?
Well, there are some verses which suggest, at first reading, that the fires burn forever. But there are an equal number of verses which suggest that the wicked perish, are consumed, and that we will walk on their ashes--that is, once the earth is purged with fire the Lord must recreate it so that the meek might inherit it. John saw a new heaven and new earth. Why? Because the first had passed away. And Peter tells us that the earth will be burned up and all the works in it. This includes the wicked, apparently, because Malachi prophesies that it will burn them up and leave them neither root nor branch and that we will tread on their ashes.
So we find a good mix of scriptures which seem to support two opposing viewpoints regarding hell fire. Which are we to believe?
Well, the camp which believes in an eternally burning hell fire must overcome a few obstacles not the least of which is the justice of God. But aside from accusing God of being unjust for inflicting unwarranted punishment they must explain away some key Bible passages. One such passage is found in Romans and states that, "The wages of sin is death." The word death must be dealt with and so they claim death here is spiritual death not physical death. But that reasoning fades away when we read the remaining part of the verse which says, "but the gift of God is eternal life." Now life here refers not simply to spiritual life but physical life as well because we will be reunited with a real body. And if you seriously consider the reasoning, life that has no end is eternal life, regardless of its quality. So in essence their argument rewards everyone with the gift promised to the saints which is eternal life.
The other camp believes that hell fire, though still very real, does not burn forever but eventually goes out when it has consumed the wicked and cleansed the earth of their works. The too have some apparent obstacles to overcome. For one the fire is said to be unquenchable. That is really not so hard to explain. This fire is set by God and it will not be possible to put it out until it has accomplished its purpose and consumed all of the fuel. So that is fairly easily reconciled with their belief in a non-eternal hell fire. Another apparent obstacle is that the devil which is cast into the lake of fire is said to be tormented day and night for ever and ever. This is a much more stubborn obstacle. Yet, we find in the previous verse that "fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured" the wicked. So we don't find this verse saying the wicked are tormented for ever and ever only the devil, and by implication the beast and the false prophet because they are there also. I will not try to explain the Greek in this text so let's just leave it at that. At least we know that the wicked are not tormented for ever but rather are "devoured" by the fire.
So armed with this information we can comfortably conclude that the wicked will not burn for all eternity. And, the fires of hell are not now burning.
There is one last verse which is very interesting. If you read it very carefully it says that the saints, not the wicked, dwell in everlasting and devouring fires. If may help to recall the verse which says that God is a consuming fire. Now lets read the verse.
The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? 15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; 16 He shall dwell on high Isaiah 33:14-16 (KJV)
Did you see it? If God is a consuming fire then it is the saints, not the wicked, that will live eternally with everlasting burnings and the devouring fire. It seems the idea is that God consumes sin. It cannot live in His presence. Does this make any sense at all to you? I hope it allows you to see another perspective as you read these troublesome passages from the Bible.
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Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev 20:10 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.
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