In studying the topic of existence after death in the Bible, we would all much rather focus on Heaven and the New Earth. It is easy to go into complete denial about God’s judgment. But information about God’s judgment is there for a reason. We should know it. In this article, I will focus on just three verses and they are frightening.
Revelation 14:9-11 reads like this:
And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
Revelation 14:9-11 (ESV)
The context of this passage is the confrontation of the Church with the two beasts of Revelation 13. These “beasts” likely represent a strong demonic presence in a political form and a religious form. When will or did this happen? I think the most reasonable answer is that these beasts exercised their power during the Roman Empire. This doesn’t leave out the possibility that they are something still to be seen in the future. For our purposes, when they exist is irrelevant. The warning is not to receive their “mark”, which is something willingly and knowingly received, shows loyalty to the beast and rejects loyalty to Christ.
God is not soft on those who make such a choice. God’s wrath against such people is poured “full strength” into the cup of His anger. How does this fit into “God is love” and John 3:16? Jesus is given to us out of love and a desire to save people. His death is sufficient to save everyone. Outright rejection of such a heroic and costly act brings God’s wrath in full form. You experience what is known as the “alien” nature of God. God is not normally a wrathful being, but He can be.
When is this wrath revealed? It could be during the lives of the people in question, but it is definitely also a part of Judgment Day for them. While this group may find Judgment Day less tolerable than Judgment Day for others who are not saved, others will definitely also experience an eternal form of God’s wrath for basically the same reason–rejecting Christ.
Do the words of this passage suggest that God sits over these people and takes satisfaction in making them suffer eternally? While it does say that the “smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever”, I reject the idea that God and the angels are observing it or making it happen eternally. In fact, the worst part of being in the final form of Hell (The Lake of Fire) is not the fire but the abandonment by God. It is better to have God actively punishing you than to have Him forsake you. The forsakeness (God completely abandoning you) that Jesus experienced on the cross was Jesus taking the worst punishment of Hell for us.
One last thing to note about this situation is to ponder why “fire and Sulphur” doesn’t consume these people. Some “theologians” have tried to soften the idea of Hell by assuming than you burn up and are gone. That would be nice. The emphasis on the eternal nature of Hell, seems to refute that idea.
The resurrection of the dead is something that happens to all people, including the damned. The nature of the resurrected body may be why they don’t burn up. The resurrected body suffers but remains even in such a harsh environment.
By this passage we are duly warned about God’s alien nature. It is not to be trifled with. Praise God that we can experience only His love. Jesus specifically took on our forsakeness so that we never have to experience it. Thinking about God’s wrath can remain an academic topic for us.
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