Eternal Hell

Before now, if you wanted to know what the Bible says about Hell, you had to choose between four basic theories, in which souls are tortured way out of proportion to their crimes.

The verses I have found support a new, fifth theory about a Hell in which there is more hope than we have been taught, although there is more danger, than we thought, from our capacity to harden our hearts against God forever.

The four theories are, (1) the Protestant view of Hell, that all who go there are tortured there forever out of all proportion to their "crimes," while "saints" have no more responsibility, to secure their ticket to Heaven, than to say a few words that affirm a few beliefs. (2) the Catholic view that some go to a Hell of disproportionate punishment, and others to a temporary Hell that is still a place of horribly disproportionate punishment. (3) the Universalist view, that all escape Hell but only after possibly "thousands of years" of horribly disproportionate punishment. (4) the Annihilationist view, that all are tortured there for a long time out of all proportion to their sins, and then cease to exist. They are just killed.

What I find in Scripture is a place of proportionate punishment, where the most rebellious offender suffers only "twice" what he has done to others. (Rev 18:3-6. See also Isa 40:2, 61:7, Jer 16:18, 17:18, Zec 9:12, Pr 24:12, Mt 16:27, 2Ti 4:14, Gal 6:7.)

When that "debt" has been "paid," Hell releases him. (Matthew 18:34.) And yet Hell will never be empty because some will rebel against God forever. (Revelation 20:10, 14:11.)

But part of the evidence that "Hell's Aim is Heaven's Love" is that this same "fire" in Hell also "salts" the saints, (did you know that? Mark 9:49) where its explicit purpose is purification and correction, and where it is clear that "fire" is meant as a metaphor of great difficulties which can include being literally burned but can mean many other things.

This has implications not only for hope in Hell, but for the responsibilities of Heaven. Indeed, a few words before a few friends might be enough to reach Heaven, for someone with little capacity or knowledge. (Luke 12:47 and 1 Cor 4:5)

But generally Hell is the fate of those (1) who will not double their talents through relieving the suffering of others, (Matthew 25:14-46), (2) who do not weep for the sins of the land, Ezekiel 9, (3) who will not "shine their light" (Matthew 5:13-16) in darkness, because darkness hates any light source. (John 3:19-21.) And (4) who do not forgive others as they have been forgiven. (Matthew 18:21-35, 6:15)

In other words, God has very high standards for us; higher than any of us are naturally inclined to reach. "Fire" is an apt metaphor for the process by which God works on all of us to raise us as high as we will allow, that we may reign with Him, not just believing good doctrines but doing "impossibly" good things.

This "fire" begins here on Earth, and the same process (including the same love and mercy - not grace) continues after we leave.