I am wondering, why do most religions tell us that evil people are tormented in Hell (Lake of Fire) forever? From what I have found in the last four verses of the Unmerciful Servant and the last two verses of Isaiah, evil people seem only to be allowed to live in Hell for only long enough to pay for their sins and then they die. The last four verses of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew says:
Matthew 18:32-35
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
And the last two verses in Isaiah:
Isaiah 66:23-24 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
I realize that Satan, the false prophet, the beast and those with the mark of the beast are to be seemingly tortured forever, but the people in Isaiah don't see them, only dead bodies. I don't see how churches can preach a permanent torment, along with the fact that God has said that he would punish us as we deserved. I realize there is Psalms 81:15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. There is also Matthew 25:46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” I take these to only mean that they will be eternally dead, never to live again, not that they will suffer eternal torment. The eternal destruction seems to be their eternal punishment. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47 which both say: They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” And also Hebrews 10:29 indicate that there will be differing punishments for evil people. Hebrews 10:29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? How does religion propose to punish some more than others if they are all to suffer torment forever? [All verses from the New International Version (NIV) bible]
Matthew 18:32-35
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
And the last two verses in Isaiah:
Isaiah 66:23-24 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
I realize that Satan, the false prophet, the beast and those with the mark of the beast are to be seemingly tortured forever, but the people in Isaiah don't see them, only dead bodies. I don't see how churches can preach a permanent torment, along with the fact that God has said that he would punish us as we deserved. I realize there is Psalms 81:15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. There is also Matthew 25:46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” I take these to only mean that they will be eternally dead, never to live again, not that they will suffer eternal torment. The eternal destruction seems to be their eternal punishment. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47 which both say: They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” And also Hebrews 10:29 indicate that there will be differing punishments for evil people. Hebrews 10:29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? How does religion propose to punish some more than others if they are all to suffer torment forever? [All verses from the New International Version (NIV) bible]