Saturday, March 29, 2014

What Does The Bible Say About Eternal Torment?


Rumor has it that Jesus talked more about Hell than He did about Heaven. If anyone has ever told you that, they just didn't do their homework.  It is very easy to find out how many times Jesus said Heaven or Hell (in modern day translations) with a concordance.

There are two main reasons I don't believe Hell, whatever it is, lasts forever. They are:
(1.) The use of the words translated "eternal" & "forever"
(2.) Endless Punishment is not in harmony with the rest of the Bible

Paul plainly stated that the "mystery" of Christ IN us has been hidden for ages and is now ready to be revealed. Obviously, God allows us to understand certain things about His plan at certain times. This should help us see how we could believe in the doctrine of eternal torment for hundreds of years and just now be understanding the meaning of the scriptures concerning God's judgments. When the early church was hurled into the dark ages, the common people were not even allowed to read the Bible....if they had been able to read....

Use reason here. Does God know everything? Did He know that for hundreds of years people would not have access to His word, yet, was willing to let them go to Hell for not believing in Christ? What does that say about God?  We know when Paul came along with the revelation that one is saved by grace through faith and not by works, this was NEW to the people of God, also.  His message was so new and radical that he had to fight for his life everywhere he went to preach it. This same story sort of repeated itself again when Martin Luther had his revelation of grace. Many applecarts toppled didn't they? I think our religious apple carts need to be turned over.

Could history be repeating itself now? For about 1500 years most of the church has believed the doctrine of eternal torment. But that was not always the case because universal salvation was only declared "heresy" in the 6th century. Evidently quite a few of the early Christians believed that God would reconcile all men back to Himself.  Now, it seems that many mainline denominational and interdenominational people are seeing the scriptures in a different light. And, like Paul, the men of God who are bringing in this good news, are suffering persecution from the majority.  It has always been the "remnant" not the majority, that has the message of God.

If you are one that would love to believe that God will eventually restore everyone to Himself, be encouraged, there is plenty of evidence in His word.  If you have no problem with 99% of humanity burning in Hell, forever, you may not be interested in the least. But, out of sheer curiosity you can read on and see what the Bible does have to say about God's restoring all back to Himself.

See what the Bible has to say about Jesus Christ reconciling the world. This Christmas you may be able to sing "Joy To The World" and actually mean it.

God Bless.
Debbie :)

Gen. 22:18 "and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,because you have obeyed me."

Gen. 26:4 "I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,"

Gen. 28:14 "Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring."

Gen. 49:10 "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his."

Job 23:13 "But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases."

Ps. 2:8 "Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession."

Psa. 22:27 "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,"

Psa. 65:2 "O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come."

Psa. 65:3 "When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions."

Psa. 72:11 "All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him."

Psa. 72:17 "May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed."

Psa. 86:9 "All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name."

Psa. 107:1 "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psa. 145:9 "The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

Psa. 145:10 "All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you."

Psa. 145:21 "My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever."

Prov. 8:29 "when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth."

Prov. 8:30 "Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,"31 "rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind."

Lam. 3:31 "For men are not cast off by the Lord forever."

Lam. 3:32 "Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love."

Isa. 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Isa. 11:9 "They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea."

Isa. 25:6 "On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine, the best of meats and the finest of wines."

Isa. 25:7 "On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;"

Isa. 25:8 "he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken."

Isa. 26:9 "My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness."

Isa. 40:4 "Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain."

Isa. 40:5 "And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Isa. 43:24 "You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins an wearied me with your offenses."

Isa. 43:25 "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

Isa. 45:23 "By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear."

Isa. 46:10 "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."

Isa. 53:4 "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted."

Isa. 53:5 "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Isa. 53:6 "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Isa. 55:11 "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

Isa. 57:16 "I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me, the breath of man that I have created."

Isa. 60:1 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you."

Isa. 60:2 "See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you."

Isa. 60:3 "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

Isa. 66:23 "From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD."

Jer. 31:31 "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."

Jer. 31:32 "It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD."

Jer. 31:33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Jer. 31:34 "No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

Dan. 4:37 "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble."

Dan. 7:14 "He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

Ezek. 16:53 "'However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them,"

Mic. 7:18 "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy."

Mic. 7:19 "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Hab. 2:14 "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

Zeph. 3:9 "Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder."

Mal. 1:11 "My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty."

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Mt. 1:21 "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Mt. 2:6 "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

Luke 2:10 "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Luke 3:6 "And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "

Luke 15:1 "Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him."

Luke 15:2 "But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Luke 15:3 "Then Jesus told them this parable:"
Luke 15:4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"
Luke 15:5 "And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders"

Luke 15:6 "and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'

Luke 15:7 "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

John 1:7 "He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe."

John 1:9 "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. "

John 1:29 "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:17 "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

John 3:35 "The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands."

John 4:42 "They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

John. 6:33 "For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

John. 5:24, RSV "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."

John. 6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."

John. 6:45 "It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me."

John. 6:46 "No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father."

John. 12:32 "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

John. 12:47 "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it."

John. 17:2 "For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him."

Acts 3:20 "and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you, even Jesus."

Acts 3:21 "He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets."

Acts 3:25 "And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'

Acts 3:26 "When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Rom. 5:15 "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!"

Rom. 5:16 "Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification."

Rom. 5:17 "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."

Rom. 5:18 "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men."

Rom. 5:19 "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."

Rom. 5:20 "The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,"

Rom. 5:21 "so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through
righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Rom. 8:19 "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed."

Rom. 8:20 "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope"

Rom. 8:21 "that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."

Rom. 8:22 "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."

Rom. 8:23 "Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."

Rom. 8:24 "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?"

Rom. 8:25 "But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Rom. 11:15 "For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"

Rom. 11:32 "For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all."

Rom. 11:26 "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob."

Rom. 11:36 "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

Rom. 13:10 "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

1 Cor. 3:12 "If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,"

1 Cor. 3:13 "his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work."

1 Cor. 3:14 "If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward."

1 Cor. 3:15 "If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."

1 Cor. 12:3 "Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."

1 Cor. 13:8 "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."

1 Cor. 15:21 "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man."

1 Cor. 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

1 Cor. 15:26 "The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

1 Cor. 15:28 "When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all."

1 Cor. 15:45 "So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit."

1 Cor. 15:46 "The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual."

1 Cor. 15:47 "The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven."

1 Cor. 15:48 "As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven."

1 Cor. 15:49 "And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven."

2 Cor. 5:14 "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died."

2 Cor. 5:15 "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

2 Cor. 5:18 "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:"

2 Cor. 5:19 "that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

2 Cor. 5:20 "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."

2 Cor. 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Gal. 3:8 "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you.""

Gal. 3:16 "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ."

Eph. 1:10 "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:"

Eph. 1:11 "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,"

Eph. 2:4 "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,"

Eph. 2:5 "made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions, it is by grace you have been saved."

Eph. 2:6 "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,"

Eph. 2:7 "in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

Eph. 2:8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God,"

Eph. 2:9 "not by works, so that no one can boast."

Eph. 4:10 "He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe."

Phil. 2:9 "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,"

Phil. 2:10 "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,"

Phil. 2:11 "and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Col. 1:12 "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."

Col. 1:13 "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,"

Col. 1:14 "in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Col. 1:15 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."

Col. 1:16 "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."

Col. 1:17 "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Col. 1:18 "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."

Col. 1:19 "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,"

Col. 1:20 "and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

1 Tim. 1:15 "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst."

1 Tim. 2:4 "who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." {NIVUS}

1 Tim. 2:5 "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,"

1 Tim. 2:6 "who gave himself as a ransom for all men, the testimony given in its proper time."

1 Tim. 4:9 "This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance"

1 Tim. 4:10 "(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe."

1 Tim. 4:11 "Command and teach these things."

2 Tim. 1:9 "who has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,"

2 Tim. 1:10 "but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men."

Heb. 1:2 "but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe."

Heb. 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."

Heb 2:14 "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--

Heb 2:15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  


Heb. 2:17 "For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."

Heb. 8:10 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Heb. 8:11 "No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest."

Heb. 8:12 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

Hebr. 9:25 "Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest
enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own."

Hebr. 9:26 "Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."

Hebr. 10:10 "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

1 Pet. 3:18 "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,"

1 Pet. 3:19 "through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison"

1 Pet. 3:20 "who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,"

1 Pet. 4:6 "For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit."

2 Pet. 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

1 John 2:2 "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

1 John 4:14 "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world."

1 John 4:16 "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."

1 John 4:19 "We love because he first loved us."

Rev. 5:13 "Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

Rev. 5:14 "The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped."

Rev. 15:4 "Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

Rev. 21:3 "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."

Rev. 21:4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Rev. 21:5 "He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

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