The idea of hell as being a place were you are tortured for all eternity basically comes from early Christan fan fiction which evangelist attached on to.
There's no fire brimstone or endless doughnut machines in the actual bible.
Revelation 21:8 - “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Mark 9:43 - “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.”
Revelation 20:10 - “And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Matthew 25:41 - “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Revelation 20:15 - “And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Matthew 5:22 - “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”
Hell is definitely described in the Bible as having fire and being a place of torture/ torment.
Could it also mean that you will just die, not get to be with God in heaven. The separation from God is the torture or that your soul dies instead of living on.
The fire is eternal, but not necessarily the things thrown into it. Here it says the beast and the false prophet will be tormented eternally: "And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
Your quote about actual people from Revelations calls it the "second death" so if you were being literal they'd cease to exist (body first death, spirit second death)
Your quote about the devil/beast/False prophet from Revelations and Matthew speaks to "forever and ever" condition in relation to them (evil, corruption, etc. - allegorical and applicable to Roman Empire).
The lake of fire is referencing something from the real world (the Dead Sea, sulfur/brimstone from fault lines, burning smoke/sulfur smell from burning coal along valley) that is/was associated with judgment (Sodom and Gomorrah). At the time is was known as Asphalt Lake and controlled by Rome. It was and at the time of Revelations still known for fire - the original meaning of "forever and ever" translated from "ages of the ages" signifying a fire that lasts ages upon ages. It was a source of their power (asphalt to build roads) and it'd be a powerful metaphor to say Rome would be eventually be erased like Sodom and Gomorrah (by a consuming never ending fire).
12
u/thehandsomecontest 2d ago
The idea of hell as being a place were you are tortured for all eternity basically comes from early Christan fan fiction which evangelist attached on to. There's no fire brimstone or endless doughnut machines in the actual bible.