The Nature and Duration of Punishment
The Nature of Hell/ The Nature and Duration of Punishment
Russel, the founder of JW, was sixteen years old when he became a skeptic because he couldn’t accept the doctrine of hell. 1 In 1879 Russel attended a lecture on hell given by Advent Christian Church leader Jonas Wendell. Relieved that there was no eternal conscious punishment Russel’s faith in the Bible was restored. 2
Professor Allan Gomez says that the discussion on the annihilationist’s arguments against the doctrine of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked revolves around only two main points:
Does the wicked experience conscious torment? and Do they suffer this torment eternally?
He says: “But I believe that there are two sets of texts that answer these two questions conclusively. One set of passages comes from Matthew 25; the other verses come from the Book of Revelation 14:9-11; 20:10 3
“The Nature of Hell (Matthew 25:41, 46)
[v. 41] “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire [to pur to aionion] which has been prepared for the devil and his angels….’ [v. 46] And these will go away into eternal punishment [kolasin aionion], but the righteous into life eternal [zoen aionion].” 4
We observe first of all that the wicked share the same fate as Satan and his demonic hosts. Indeed, this text tells us that hell was created specifically for Satan and his angels. As followers of Satan, impenitent men will meet the same fate as he. This is significant because when we look at other passages in the Book of Revelation that speak of the Devil’s fate (see below), we are fully justified in ascribing this same fate to unredeemed men.” Notice that this passage describes hell as a place of “eternal fire.” Should we understand this to mean literal, material, and physical fire? Or should we regard the expression as metaphorical language, designed to convey an awful spiritual reality through physical language? Most conservatives — who affirm the doctrine of eternal, conscious punishment — would say that this is metaphorical language. For one thing, the rich man in Luke 16:24 is described as being in agony in the flames. He is also described as having a tongue, and Lazarus is said to have a finger. But this scene occurs in Hades, during the disembodied state between death and resurrection. It is therefore difficult to see how a nonphysical being could have a literal tongue, much less be tormented by literal, physical fire. The same would apply to the other physical metaphors used to describe hell, such as the undying worm (Mark 9:48) and the chains of darkness (Jude 6). 5
The Nature of Punishment (Revelation 14:9-11; 20:10)
[14:9] “…If anyone worships the beast and his image… [14:10] he will be tormented [basanisthesetai] with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. [14:11] And the smoke of their torment [basanismou] goes up forever and ever [eis aionas aionon]; and they have no rest day or night, those who worship the beast and his image,… [20:10] And the Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented [basanisthesontai] day and night forever and ever [eis tous aionas ton aionon].” 6
These texts describe the nature of the punishment as “torment.” The words used in these texts are forms of the Greek word basanizo. As Thayer states, basanizo means “to vex with grievous pains (of body or mind), to torment.” Likewise, Arndt and Gingrich say that basanizo means “to torture, torment,” and may apply to either physical or mental vexation. When we examine the uses of the verb basanizo and its various noun forms throughout the New Testament, we see that great pain and conscious misery are in view, not annihilation or cessation of consciousness. For example, the centurion’s sick servant is grievously tormented (deinos basanizomenos) by his palsy (Matt. 8:6). Revelation 12:2 uses the verb to describe the pains of childbirth. In 2 Peter 2:8, righteous Lot is described as tormented (ebasanizen) in his soul by the wicked deeds of the Sodomites. In Luke 16:23 and 28, the plural noun “torments” (basanoi) is used to describe the rich man’s conscious suffering in Hades. Indeed, in verse 28 Hades is described as “the place of torment” (ho topos tou basanou). 7
The Duration of Punishment in Revelation
When we considered Matthew 25:46 above, we noted that aionos can, in some contexts, qualify nouns of limited duration. (Though, as we also observed, the context of Matthew 25 demands that we take aionios in its unlimited signification there.) But here, we find the emphatic forms eis aionas aionon and eis tous aionas ton aionon (“unto the ages of the ages”). This construction is only used to describe unending duration. As Sasse points out, the “twofold use of the term [aionios]” is designed “to emphasize the concept of eternity.” The fact that the forms used are plural in number further reinforces the idea of never-ending duration. Speaking of the Greek construction in this verse, the great biblical commentator R. C. H. Lenski observes: “The strongest expression for our ‘forever’ is eis tous aionan ton aionon, ‘for the eons of eons’; many aeons, each of vast duration, are multiplied by many more, which we imitate by ‘forever and ever.’ Human language is able to use only temporal terms to express what is altogether beyond time and timeless. The Greek takes its greatest term for time, the eon, pluralizes this, and then multiplies it by its own plural, even using articles which make these eons the definite ones.” 8
This same emphatic construction is found in Revelation 1:6; 4:9; and 5:3, where it refers to the unending worship of God. Revelation 4:10 and 10:6 it is used to describe God’s own endless life. And in Revelation 22:5 the construction is employed to characterize the everlasting reign of the saints. 9
Note also that the unending nature of the torment is shown by the fact that the expression “day and night” is used to describe its duration. The expression “day and night” is indicative of ceaseless activity. This same phrase is used of the never-ending worship of God in Revelation 4:8 and 7:15. By juxtaposing the words “day and night” with “forever and ever” in 20:10, we have the most emphatic expression of unending, ceaseless activity possible in the Greek language. In summary, these verses from Matthew and Revelation are more than adequate to answer the two questions before us. The language is unambiguous, emphatic, and conclusive. These verses by themselves should be sufficient to settle the argument forever. 10
Jesus more than anyone annunciated the doctrine of everlasting torment for the lost. He was a perfect manifestation of love and justice and stooped to become one of us and bore the vengeance of God’s fire. If God should open our eyes to understand the terrible price He paid, we would in that instant comprehend the awful guilt of spurning that price. If those who scorned the old covenant were consumed with the fire of this present age, “how much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant” (Heb. 10:29)? 11
Professor Jones in his book “Why God Allows Evil” says that occupants of hell will remain eternally unrepentant and it is consistent with the Scriptures. Why should we think they will ever repent? When God’s wrath is poured out on the wicked in Revelation 16:9, we read that “they were seared with intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over the plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify Him” 12
It seems that Russel’s sentimentalism assumed that in heaven our feelings about others will be as present and our joy in the manifesting of God’s justice will be no greater than it is now, says Professor Gomez.
These arguments clearly refute JW’s arguments. What do you think?
- Robert Bowman, Jehovah’s Witnesses (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 9.[↩]
- Ibid., 10.[↩]
- http://www.bible-researcher.com/hell4.html[↩]
- Ibid.,[↩]
- Ibid.,[↩]
- http://www.bible-researcher.com/hell4.html[↩]
- Ibid.,[↩]
- Ibid.,[↩]
- Ibid.,[↩]
- http://www.bible-researcher.com/hell4.html[↩]
- Ibid.,[↩]
- Jones, Why God Allows Evil (Oregon: Harvest, 2017), 99[↩]
English 
Portuguese