The Good News on Hell.

It's interesting the way that ideas work. They truly are like seeds in that they sprout into belief's, these belief's then affect how we see and hear things in terms of what's real and what isn't. These seed's are planted via doctrinal teachings and then become presuppositions which are then used to filter claims out of scripture which only allow us to see what we have already presupposed to be true. This is why it is of utmost importance to give the Doctrine of Yahshua the preeminence so that we can be cleansed of these things just as He promised.
John 15:3 "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
John 8:31 Then said Yahshua to those Jews which believed on him, "IF ye continue IN MY WORD, then are ye my disciples indeed;"
John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE."

There are a few different doctrines that are tightly woven into the doctrine of Hell that need to be addressed in order to create the clarity needed to untangle this web. These would be the doctrine of "equality of sin" that states that all sins are equally grievous and deserving of the same punishment and the doctrine that states that man is an immortal soul. The word "Hell" itself has so much built into it that when most people hear it they instinctively think of a fiery place of torment, where souls go to be tortured for eternity. Thoughts of Satan, demons and burning flesh and the never ending screams of tormented souls without any hope of relief for all of eternity. The scriptures do indeed speak of justice and the coming day of judgement and punishment but do they speak of a place of eternal torment (the key word here being eternal). Yahshua said that knowing Yahweh, the only true Elohim, is Eternal Life. In other words eternal life is not the default and can only come through intimate knowledge of Yahweh through His Son. Would this doctrine of Hell tarnish our view of Yahweh and His Son if it isn't true? Yes it would, especially in light of the fact that He knew the end before He even created the universe. He knew who would be His and who would not before giving life to all. Were lost people created knowingly so that He could torture them for all eternity? While I do understand that those who do evil choose to do so of their own accord and Yahweh is indeed just and will reward them according to their sins, I do not believe the scriptures and more specifically the doctrine of Christ teach eternal torment. Notice what Paul says below:
Romans 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Romans 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Romans 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Immortality is given to those that do good and obey the Truth. Those that do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness are not given immortality but are given tribulation and anguish, that is to say that they will not live forever. This is in agreeance with the Everlasting Gospel.
John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
John 10:28 "AND I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
Another example from the Gospel.
John 17:1 These words spake Yahshua, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:"
John 17:2 "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, THAT HE SHOULD GIVE ETERNAL LIFE to as many as thou hast given him."
John 17:3 "AND THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL, that they might know thee the only true Elohim, and Yahshua the Messiah, whom thou hast sent."
Paul again reiterates in his letter to the Romans that eternal life is given, calling it a gift.
Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to Elohim, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Romans 6:23 For THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; but the gift of Elohim is eternal life through Yahshua the Messiah our Master.
Eternal life must be given and it is only given to those that hear the Messiahs voice and follow Him. We must pass from death unto life as our default setting is mortality just as John stated in his epistle.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that NO MURDERER HATH ETERNAL LIFE abiding in him.
According to the teaching of Hell wouldn't murderers have to have eternal life in order to be tormented for eternity? Look at the contrast between everlasting punishment and eternal life below.
Matt 25:42 "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:"
Matt 25:43 "I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not."
Matt 25:44 "Then shall they also answer him, saying, Master, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?"
Matt 25:45 "Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."
Matt 25:46 "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
Death is an everlasting punishment in that once a person is dead, they are dead, and will be in the state of nonexistence for eternity. I believe this to be the reason that Yahshua referred to those that were no longer physically alive as "Sleeping" because the first death is not eternal in that they will awaken again to be judged. Look at what He said below concerning death.
John 8:51 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep MY SAYING he shall NEVER see death."
Yahshua is speaking here about the 2nd death which is the everlasting one. Note that it is those that keep His sayings that never see it. Christ speaks of punishment in multiple places. Look at what He said concerning those that know His will and don't do it.|
Luke 12:46 "The Master of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion WITH THE UNBELIEVERS."
Luke 12:47 "And that servant, which knew his Master's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with MANY stripes."
Luke 12:48 "But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with FEW stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
In the above scenario one person knew the will of his Master and did not do it and will therefore be given his lot with the unbelievers except he will be beaten with MANY stripes. According to the doctrine of Hell, which teaches that all unbelievers go to there, this person would be destined for eternal torture as well but this passage does not say that. The other person did not know and therefore will be beaten with FEW stripes. Note that neither of them is beaten for eternity as the both words "Few" and "Many" would be limited to a certain number (in the Law there is limit not to exceed 40 stripes). Also note that one mans sins, although they could very well be the same exact sins, are counted as more grievous than the other. This goes against the teaching that all sins are equal. Yahshua said the following to Pilate.
John 19:11 Yahshua answered, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee HATH THE GREATER SIN."
There are sins greater than others, we see that with the different penalties given for different sins in the Law as well.

The word "Hell" is injected in multiple places in the Gospels, so much so, that I've heard the claim made that no one taught more on "Hell" than Christ. The Words that Yahshua spoke are the words of the eternal life and to replace His words with words with alternate meanings is a dangerous game. The Greek word Hades is equivalent to the Hebrew word Sheh-ole (Grave) as it is used when quoting verses from the Hebrew text. That said, there is also another Greek word that is translated "Hell" in most bibles and it is the Greek word "Gehena". Gehena is the valley of Hinnon located just outside of Jerusalem. At the time that Christ walked the earth this place was thought to be cursed and was used as a trash dump. It is said to have been a place where fire burned continually and which people would go to toss their garbage and animal carcasses into the fire for disposal.
In the verse below, Yahshua teaches His disciples how it is that one should fear the Most High. This is a very important commandment in that it is the fear of Yahweh that is the beginning of wisdom.
Mathew 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to KILL THE SOUL: but rather fear him which is able TO DESTROY both soul and body in hell (Gehenna)."
We should fear Yahweh in this manner, as the one that is able to destroy (to kill) both the soul and the body in Gehenna. Just as garbage and dead animals were burnt up in Gehenna so will it be for the wicked. This is the healthy fear by which we should fear Him, it is not just some type of reverence as is commonly taught today nor is it to fear Him as one that will torture the majority of humans for eternity. Below is the rendering of the same passage by Luke.
Luke12:4 "And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do."
Luke 12:5 "But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell (Gehena); yea, I say unto you, Fear him."
Luke's account of this same teaching differs a bit from Mathews in that the killing referred to happens before being cast into Gehenna where in Mathews account it says that the killing happens in Gehenna. Luke's account seems to accentuate the point that Gehenna is being used here for the lake of fire which will be the 2nd death.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell (hades, the grave) were cast into the lake of fire. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the BOOK OF LIFE was cast into the lake of fire.
This text describes being thrown into the lake of fire as the 2nd death (not alive) and not having their names written in the book of life.
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is often referenced by those that believe in Hell. The parable does say that the rich man is tormented but nowhere does it say that it is an eternal condition neither does it make clear whether this happens before the lake of fire or perhaps it is the suffering that will take place in the lake of fire. It would appear, however, that this does take place before as the word Hades is used and not Gehenna.
Luke 16:19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
Luke 16:20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
Luke 16:21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luke 16:22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
Luke 16:23 And Being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luke 16:24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
Luke 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
Luke 16:27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,
Luke 16:28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
Luke 16:29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
Luke 16: 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
Luke 16:31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
We see by this teaching that there will be torment associated with judgement, we also see the justice in his condemnation, as the rich man had no compassion during his life and left Lazarus to suffer when it was well within his means to care for him. We also see that had he listened to the Law and the Prophets he could have avoided this demise. What is absent from this teaching is even the slightest implication that the rich man is tortured for all eternity. Yahshua said the the following concerning the lake of fire.
Matt 25:41 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"
He calls the fire inside of the lake an everlasting fire. He does not say that the people that are thrown into the lake of fire will live forever inside of the fire. That language, however, is used to describe the Devil's demise.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
In the verse below we see what will happen to people that are thrown into this same place.
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (hades, the grave) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell (hades, the grave) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the BOOK OF LIFE was cast into the lake of fire.
We do not see the same description for those people thrown in the lake of fire as we do for the Devil just a few verses below. We actually see what would appear to be the opposite. Whether this prophetic language concerning Satan's judgement is figurative or not we know that it is his prescribed judgement and not humans.
The passage below is often cited as proof that Christ taught eternal torment in Hell but upon closer examination we see that He was quoting Isaiah.
Mark 9:43 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell (Gehenna), into the fire that never shall be quenched:"
Mark 9:44 "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Note the same language is used as the verse below.
Isaiah 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the CARCASSES of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
Verse 24 is often interpreted in a way to support the doctrine of "Hell" but to do so one must ignore the entire context of what is being said. The people that transgressed against Yahweh will be carcasses... As in dead... The Hebrew word behind "carcasses" is translated 3 ways, carcasses, corpses or dead body. These people are all dead. They are not alive... Corpses tend to have worms and the text says that it is the worms that will not die neither shall their fire be quenched. That said, does that mean that the worms will live forever and the fire is eternal or does it mean that they will be all consuming? Look at the below verses concerning prophecies of past judgements for context.
Jeremiah 17:27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
We know that this judgement did indeed take place but the gates and palaces of Jerusalem are not on fire today despite the prophecy stating that the fire shall not be quenched and neither were they on fire in the days of Nehemia after the prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction was fulfilled.
Nehemia 2:17 ¶Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
The gates were burned with fire, as in past tense. People use this type of language today and can be seen in the reporting of the fires taking place in L.A., calling them unquenchable infernos.
Jude also makes similar statements when writing about judgement in his letter.
Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of ETERNAL FIRE.
The judgement on these people is an example which means that it is observable. That land to this day is nothing but a sulfur wasteland having suffered the vengeance of eternal fire. It's not on fire today until forever, clearly the usage of the language as it pertains to "Eternal" and "Unquenchable Fire" is not referring to an eternal fire that burns forever and ever for the sole purpose of torturing "immortal" souls in retribution for sins. When looked at in context Jude 1:7 is saying that we should look at Sodom and Gomorrah as an example of what the coming judgment will look like. The ultimate penalty of sin is not eternal torture, it is death, as in the opposite of alive.
I've heard street preachers telling people as they walk by that they have to acknowledge that they are sinners deserving of eternal "Hell" so that they can be saved. Is this the Gospel (Good News)? Where in the Bible does it say that in order to be saved you have to make such an acknowledgment? Imagine Paul going to pagan areas preaching the Gospel (The Good News) and telling them that they are all destined for "Hell" and that all of their friends and loved ones that had passed were currently being tormented for Eternity as part of this Good News. The truth is we don't see that in the book of Acts. We should not lean on to our own understanding and we should only go by what is written, however, we do have to ask reasonable questions. Good News means Good News and a Loving Elohim means a Loving Elohim and both are scriptural but the word Hell is not. This word has been defined outside of scripture and does not have a scriptural equivalent and this widely accepted doctrine has been propagated by way of translators injecting that word into Bibles. If this doctrine is not true it is designed to corrupt the pure and True seed of the only Gospel which is able to save souls. This doctrine of Hell has deep roots, so much so, that it's considered, by most denominations, heresy to even question it but one has to start at the very beginning to unravel this web.
Before Adam and Eve sinned against the Almighty they were given a warning.
Gen 2:16 And Yahweh Elohim commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely DIE.
We see the penalty for sin here at the very beginning. The Hebrew word behind the English word death here is "Mooth" and it means to die, kill, have one executed.
Adam and Eve had eternal life. Yahweh was warning them here by saying they will die, which means cease to exist... Dead... Once people die they are placed in the grave. The Hebrew word for grave is "sheh-ole" and this word is translated in some bibles in certain places as "Hell". Look at the passage below where Jacob speaks of his impending death.
Gen 37:34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Gen 37:35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the GRAVE (Sheh-0le) unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
The word Sheh-ele is translated as grave in this passage. We know that Jacob will be in the Kingdom and not in a place called Hell because we are told that in the Gospel.
Matt 8:11 "And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven."
What Jacob was saying was that he would die and go to the grave. He was in no way referencing "Hell".
Now look at how this same word was translated in the verse below.
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned INTO HELL (Sheh-ole), and all the nations that forget Elohim.
Sheh-ole is translated here as "into Hell" but should be rendered "into the Grave" or "the Pit".
There are many more examples of the injection of the word Hell in the Prophets but I would like to bring attention to one in particular because it is, in my opinion, the most blasphemous.
Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in HELL (Sheh-ole); neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
This is a prophecy of Yahshua the Messiah's death and resurrection. The KJV translators replaced the word grave here with "Hell". This passage is repeated in Greek in the book of Acts.
Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in HELL (Hades), neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
We see here that the Greek word "Hades" has the same definitive value in the Greek scriptures as the Hebrew word "Sheh-ole". These are both interchangeable and simply mean the grave. Yahshua paid the penalty of sin by dying as the wages of sin is death. It is not eternal torture in a place called Hell.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Elohim is eternal life through Yahshua the Messiah our Master.
There is an obvious contrast here between eternal life and death. Paul writes and states that the wages of sin is death just as we saw Yahweh tell Adam. Death does not mean eternal life which is what would be required for eternal torture in Hell. If the wages of sin was eternal torment in Hell then how could Christ have taken our place and paid that price for us? He took our place by dying and the fact is that Christ died once because the wages of sin is death.
Rom 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Rom 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto Elohim.
It is death that has lost its sting not eternal torture in a place called Hell and it is the bondage of the fear of death that believers have been delivered from, not the fear of eternity in Hell, just as the writer to the Hebrews writes below.
Hebrews 2:14 For asmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of DEATH that is, the devil;
Hebrews 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of DEATH were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Look at the prophecy below concerning what Yahshua triumphed over.
Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up DEATH in victory; and the Yahweh Elohim will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for YAHWEH HAS SPOKE IT.
Additionally , nowhere in the Law and the Prophets do we find a teaching on eternal torment. As a matter of fact we find quite the opposite. Yahweh made His ways known to Moses, these ways are His Law. We also see through Yahweh's actions what His character is like.
Psalms 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psalms 103:8 Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psalms 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger FOR EVER.
He will not keep His anger for ever. This is in stark contrast to the doctrine of Hell. He is merciful... We see the consequences of breaking certain commandments in the Law. Some consequences call for restitution, some call for stripes and others for death but it's interesting that nowhere do we see a prison system in the Law that incarcerates for long periods of time like we see in pagan cultures. Dying by stoning or burning is by no means a pleasant death, I'm sure, but even then the pain is temporary and ultimately relieved by death itself. Even the wicked that were judged to be worthy of stripes were limited to 40 according to Yahweh's Law. This doctrine of Hell seems to tie into the teaching that all sin is equal and there are no sins greater than others but that is not what the Law teaches and it certainly is not what Christ taught concerning sin.
Deut 25:2 And it shall be, if THE WICKED MAN BE WORTHY to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, ACCORDING TO HIS FAULT, by a certain number.
Deut 25:3 Forty stripes he may give him, AND NOT TO EXCEED: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.
Once again, nowhere in the Law and the Prophets do we see eternal torment in a place called hell, this is significant. What is also significant is that we find the opposite taught according to Yahweh himself. He is merciful and this is repeated throughout because He wants this to be known. He does not even take pleasure in the death of the wicked how much less the idea of a place called "Hell"?
Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Yahweh Elohim: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
The issue here is not whether or not there is a punishment after the Great Judgement and before the 2nd death that will be given to those that fall short, neither is it that they will ultimately die by way of fire. The issue is whether or not it involves eternal life in a place of torment.
The prophecy below speaks of Edom's judgment and can be used as a reference that will help understand the execution of the prophetic language used.
Isaiah 34:9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
Isaiah 34:10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
Edom was destroyed in the 6th century BC just as prophesied in the above passage and there is strong archeological evidence that it's capital and surrounding cities were destroyed by fire. That land is now part of modern day Jordan and Israel and is obviously not on literal fire and filled with smoke today. The prophetic language used for Edom's destruction was meant to be taken as a warning of impending destruction and clearly was not to be taken in a literal word for word sense. Edom was indeed judged and the judgement was eternal in that the Edomites never inhabited that land again and their cities were never rebuilt but they are not on fire today.
I don't believe that there is a scriptural basis for Eternal Hell in the Law and the Prophets and thusly, neither do I believe that the disciples would have understood Messiah's use of the word Gehenna to mean a place of eternal torment. They would have understood what Gehenna was and they also would have understood the prophetic language used to describe the coming judgement spoken of in the Law and the Prophets. That said, there is one passage in scripture that seems to vividly describe peoples eternal torment and it is found in the 14th chapter of the Revelation of Yahshua the Messiah.
Revelation 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Revelation 14:11 And THE SMOKE of their torment ascendeth up FOR EVER AND EVER: and they have no rest DAY OR NIGHT, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Now look at the descriptive language used in Revelation 14 in juxtaposition to the language used to describe Edom's destruction.
Isaiah 34:9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
Isaiah 34:10 It shall not be quenched NIGHT OR DAY; THE SMOKE thereof shall go up FOR EVER from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it FOR EVER AND EVER.
The language used for the destruction of Edom is extremely similar to the language of Revelation chapter 14 and is strong evidence against taking prophecies regarding coming judgment in a word for word literal sense. The fire in Edom died out once the destruction was complete and the smoke dissipated soon after. The land has had people in it since then, although the prophecy states that no one would pass through it forever and ever. Those cities ceased to exist and in that sense nobody would ever pass through those once great cities. We should look at the prophecies in Revelation through a similar lens to do otherwise one would have to ignore the overwhelming amount of scriptural evidence to the contrary and undo the majority of scripture based on one passage containing prophetic language that we know from passed prophecies are not to be taken 100% literally.
The wages of sin is death, not eternal torment, this is found throughout the scriptures.
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto DEATH, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Eternal life is only given to those that place their faith in Christ.
John3:16 "For Elohim so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should NOT PERISH (DIE), but have EVERLASTING LIFE."
This is probably the most cited verse in all the bible. Note that it does not say that whosoever believeth in Him should not burn in Hell forever. There is a sharp contrast between Everlasting Life and Death but even that contrast is temporary since one day there will be no more death.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for THE FIRST HEAVEN AND THE FIRST EARTH WERE PASSED AWAY; and there was no more sea.
Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from Elohim out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of Elohim is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and Elohim himself shall be with them, and be their Elohim.
Revelation 21:4 And Elohim shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, NEITHER SHALL THERE BE ANYMORE PAIN: for THE FORMER THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY.