Will the Wicked's Torment Last Forever? "He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name" (Revelation 14:10-11). At first glance this may seem to confirm the traditional idea of a seething, sulfurous hellfire, mercilessly and eternally tormenting helpless immortal souls. But, if we don't already hold to a preconceived mental picture of hell, we can quickly grasp that this passage describes a quite different circumstance. First, notice that the smoke of their torment ascends forever; it does not say that their torment continues forever. Smoke is what remains of the burned bodies of those who worshiped "the beast and his image" (verse 9), the political and false religious system Jesus will destroy and replace at His return. Other passages clarify that the wicked will be destroyed and become ashes under the feet of the righteous: "'For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,' says the LORD of hosts, 'that will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,' says the LORD of Hosts" (Malachi 4:1-3). The reference in Revelation 14:11 to the wicked receiving "no rest day or night" speaks of those who continue to worship the beast and his image. Once they are thrown into this hellfire, they will be burned up and will no longer exist to be tormented. Notice David's comment that the wicked will not be tormented forever, but will go up "into smoke" and perish: "But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the LORD, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away" (Psalm 37:20). The unrepentant wicked, who knowingly refuse to accept the sacrifice of Christ and refuse to submit to, obey and worship God the Father, will be destroyed by fire. The smoke of their torment will rise "forever," meaning that nothing will prevent or stop it. The Greek word translated "forever" does not always mean eternity or infinity. It can simply refer to something that will not be stopped, that will continue as long as conditions permit.

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