p. 5 | About Hell by T.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Oct 8, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 39.

About Hell

By T.

About Hell.—A preacher over in Oklahoma, according to articles that he is furnishing for one of our religious exchanges, has become very much burdened over teaching the world the ancient theory of hell-fire and brimstone. He thinks that he finds the basis for his doctrine in the Bible. But the Bible does not teach, nor has it ever taught, that there is an eternally burning lake of fire and brimstone in which the wicked will writhe forever. The injustice of such a thing ought to appeal to any reasonable mind; and the individual who has thought that the Bible taught this doctrine, should give a great sigh of relief when he finds that this is not true. The God of the Bible is not a tyrant who takes pleasure in tormenting people.

The Bible does plainly say that the wicked shall be totally burned up, but nowhere does it say that they will burn forever and ever. One of the clear Bible texts upon the subject is the following: “For, behold, the day cometh, it burneth as a furnace; and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Jehovah of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make, saith Jehovah of hosts.” Mal. 4:1-3.

Now notice that this text says that the wicked shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, so that it leaves them neither root nor branch; and furthermore, “they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of Hosts.” The wicked man has shown himself utterly unworthy to possess eternal life, and therefore God does the most merciful thing; that is, totally destroys him.

The doctrine of eternal torment is an outgrowth of that other unscriptural doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul, and has been made to do great service among religious teachers who sought to play upon the terrors of individuals until they could drive them into the church. The writer calls to mind more than one infidel who has been won to the Christ of the Bible on finding that the God of the Bible is not the author of the doctrine of the eternally burning lake of fire and brimstone. If this brother-pastor will only study his Bible anew, and with unprejudiced mind, he will find that he is performing a thankless task, even tho he thinks he is doing God service. T.