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From Here to Forever
burning hell, that for the sins of a brief earthly life they suffer torture
as long as God shall live!
Where in God’s Word is such teaching to be found? Are feelings
of common humanity to be exchanged for the cruelty of the savage?
No, such is not the teaching of the Book of God. “As I live, saith the
Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the
wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil
ways; for why will ye die?”
Ezekiel 33:11
.
Does God delight in witnessing unceasing tortures? Is He regaled
with the groans and shrieks of suffering creatures whom He holds in
the flames? Can these horrid sounds be music in the ear of Infinite
Love? Oh, dreadful blasphemy! God’s glory is not enhanced by
perpetuating sin through ceaseless ages.
The Heresy of Eternal Torment
Evil has been wrought by the heresy of eternal torment. The
religion of the Bible, full of love and goodness, is darkened by
superstition and clothed with terror. Satan has painted the character
of God in false colors. Our merciful Creator is feared, dreaded, even
hated. The appalling views of God which have spread over the world
from the teaching of the pulpit have made millions of skeptics and
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infidels.
Eternal torment is one of the false doctrines, the wine of abomi-
nations (
Revelation 14:8
;
17:2
), which Babylon makes all nations
drink. Ministers of Christ accepted this heresy from Rome as they
received the false sabbath. If we turn from God’s Word and accept
false doctrines because our fathers taught them, we fall under the
condemnation pronounced on Babylon; we are drinking of the wine
of her abominations.
A large class are driven to the opposite error. They see that
Scripture represents God as a being of love and compassion and
cannot believe that He will consign His creatures to an eternally
burning hell. Holding that the soul is naturally immortal, they con-
clude that all mankind will be saved. Thus the sinner can live in
selfish pleasure, disregarding the requirements of God, and yet be
received into His favor. Such doctrine, presuming on God’s mercy
but ignoring His justice, pleases the carnal heart.