NOT only is the doctrine of eternal torment derogatory of the character of a God of love, but it maintains an impossible theory. The Lord himself says: "I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls which I have made." Isa. 57 : 16. The keeping of impenitent souls in everlasting conscious punishment would certainly be contending with them forever. The psalmist says that God "hath indignation every day." Ps. 7 : 11, R. V. As His indignation can only be against the wicked (as stated in the A. V.), God would necessarily be wroth as long as wicked beings were in existence.
In the second psalm, verse 2, we read, "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way." So the questions of the prophet Nahum, "Who can stand before His indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of His anger?" imply the impossibility of everlasting endurance under the wrath of God.
"By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger are they consumed." Job 4 : 9. So the Saviour says: "Be not afraid of them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt. 10 : 28.
If the wicked can not endure God's anger forever, they surely can not exist forever, for His indignation will continue as long as the adversaries of His kingdom will endure. Then there must come a time when the adversaries of His kingdom shall cease to exist. And so says the psalmist: "Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be." Ps. 37 : 10. What will have become of them?—"The wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs; they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away." Verse 20.