I agree with him, too. But I point out he's right when he says the things we're attempting to discuss are beyond our comprehension, and what glimpses of the truth of it we get can't possibly be a complete understanding. And so I temper the phrase "hell isn't a place of ______" (Fill in the blank anyway you want)
I point out that what God has told us, that we can understand, is that "All Judgment has been given to the Son." IOW, what Jesus says, goes. Which is supremely fair! I mean, HE paid the penalty for sin, Himself, personally. If He says it's not enough in my case, who can really argue with Him about it? And if He says I need to be "tormented day and night for ever and ever," right along with the beast and the false prophet, who is in a position to tell Him He's wrong?
To which I can only say "Lord have Mercy!"
So please note the sensibility of having the defense attorney, person who paid the penalty, and the Judge all being the same Person! (Also notice that said individual would have had to die, and rise again)
The Day of Judgement will surely be a dark one, and a horrible one for all on earth.
Jesus stated that the word he spoke to us, the Holy Testimony of Christ, will be our judge on that day.
People will be judged as they have judged. They will find their secret thoughts shouted from the rooftops. They will be forced to adjust their beliefs and so their behavior so as to cease being hypocrites.
The actual verse on people being tormented "forever and ever"?
If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of Gods fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.
It says "they will have no rest day or night". It does not say for how long that will be. It will likely be until they accept all of the judgments given to each of them individually.
It says, "
the smoke of their torment will rise forever".
To be judged as one judges is not a punishment matter, such as today where we throw people in jail and they are just so often upset they were caught and do not in any way repent.
To be judged as one is judged changes people, proves to them their own hypocrisy, and forces them to change. As they do not change, the judgments will continue until they begin to live fairly with each other and to judge each other fairly and honestly.
This is to correct their wrongs which begin in their hearts.
It is not something which will be "a few days of repentance" and then "that is it", as it was with Jonah and Nineveh. Nineveh returned to sin after that generation of Jonah and was destroyed.
It will be permanent, a completely new age, no longer under Law, but under Jesus Christ where "man will be completely wiped off the face of the earth" because the old man will be done away with.
And "the Spirit will be poured out onto all peoples".
The "knowledge of God will cover the earth as water covers the seas".
Their souls, as they are, will be forever destroyed, never to return. But, what then? Surely a soul can return to God with all that it was lost? Or can it not be rebuilt?
In the parable of the workers in the field and the one talent, those who came in late got the very same pay as those who started earliest in the morning.
Not that anyone will believe any of this. No, they will cling to their evil judgments and unforgiving natures to the very end. They will keep to their harsh statements about Jesus. They will continue in their mean thoughts towards God. They will hold onto punishment and vengeance to the very end, because that is what the carnal wants. They want scapegoats. They want to be right in their own self and they refuse to be simply justified by God.
The beginning of the New Day, the true Holy Sabbath of God will surely be a most horrible one.