To those who believe in the Bible as the word of God.
There is also another future "destination" here that wasn't discussed -- "paradise on earth" after resurrection.
“TRULY I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.”, Jesus told a convicted
criminal before he died while impaled.
One point, you would think the criminal according to the "hell" teaching, would go to hell
but Jesus promised him "paradise".
Another point the Bible clearly states - EARTH WILL REMAIN FOREVER
(Ecclesiastes 1:4)
" A generation is going, and a generation is coming, But the earth remains forever."
(Psalm 104:5)
" He has established the earth on its foundations; It will not be moved from its place forever
and ever."
_____
Imagine this conversation between 2 people discussing the concept of "Hellfire" . A
place where the devil is supposed to torment evil people.
Does the Devil Carry Out God’s Will?
Mauricio: “There’s something we might consider about the teaching of hellfire."
Alejandro: “What’s that?"
Mauricio: “Well, who do people usually say is “in charge” of hellfire? Who supposedly
punishes the people that are in hell?"
Alejandro: “The Devil."
Mauricio: “Yet, the Devil is God’s worst enemy. If God sends people to a fiery
hell to be tormented by the Devil, wouldn’t that imply a level of cooperation between God
and the Devil?"
Alejandro: “Hmmmmm"
Mauricio: “To illustrate the point—you’re a father, correct?"
Alejandro: “Yes, I have a son. He just turned 15."
Mauricio: “Imagine that your son becomes very rebellious. He does a lot of bad things
that sadden you. What would you do?"
Alejandro: “I would try to correct him."
Mauricio: “I’m sure you would repeatedly try to help him get back on the right track."
Alejandro: “Absolutely."
Mauricio: “Let’s say that despite all your efforts, he rejects what you’re telling him.
Eventually, you may feel that you have no choice but to punish him in some way."
Alejandro: “Yes."
Mauricio: “But what if you found out that an evil man had been influencing your son,
teaching him to do all those bad things?"
Alejandro: “I would be angry with that man."
Mauricio: “Now, this is where I would appreciate your comment. Knowing that a
wicked, immoral man had influenced your son against you, would you turn to that man and ask him
to punish your son for you?"
Alejandro: “Of course not. That wouldn’t make any sense."
Mauricio: “Really, then, does it make sense that God would ask Satan the Devil—the
very one who influences wicked people—to punish those same people?"
Alejandro: “No, I guess not."
Mauricio: “For that matter, if God wanted the wicked to be punished, why would the
Devil—God’s archenemy—comply with God’s wishes and torment them?"
Another very interesting point - If we think we messed up a lot and deserved to be in "hell" and be tormented when we die, think about this ... in order to be tormented, we have to be conscious right?. Does the Bible teach that the dead are conscious?
NO.
“The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of
nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been
forgotten.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5)
It is impossible for the dead, “conscious of nothing at all,” to experience the agonies
of hellfire.
Does that mean that we are not punished for our sins? No, that is not the case. Our holy
God punishes sinners, but he does not torture them. And when sinners repent, he forgives
them. What is the punishment for sin? The Bible gives a forthright answer: “The wages sin
pays is death.” (Romans 6:23) Life is a gift from God. When we sin we no longer deserve
that gift, and we die.
You may ask: ‘How is that just? Why, everyone dies!’ That is true because we are all
sinners. In effect, no one deserves life. “Through one man sin entered into the world and death
through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.”—Romans 5:12.
At this point you may be thinking: ‘If we all sin and so we all die, why should we try to be
virtuous? It seems that the wicked man is treated exactly the same as the man who tries to
serve God.’ But that is not the case. Although we are all sinners, God forgives those who
sincerely repent and try to change their ways. He rewards our efforts to ‘make our minds
over’ and to do good. (Romans 12:2) These truths are the basis of a marvelous hope.
Death is not the end of those who do good. There will be resurrection. Death is the end of
those who are incorrigibly wicked.
There will be a paradise covering the whole earth and inhabited by those who have sincerely
tried to serve God. Wicked people will not burn in hellfire, but they will have no place in
the coming Paradise.
At Psalm 37:10, 11, we read: “The wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give
attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the
earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”
