Hi Anya,

My response to your question is done in all humility. I am not a “teacher.” I am just a woman who loves the Word and is, like you, trying to figure it all out. That said, these are my thoughts:

Many people insist that if you question the notion of hell, you are rejecting established church orthodoxy. However, they fail to understand that the notion of burning forever in flames was never a widely accepted and held belief during the first 500 years following the death, burial, and resurrection of our High Priest, Yeshua.

Tertullian was the first to write about an eternal fiery hell, while Augustine has been credited with establishing the notion of hell. Augustin’s apparent lack of expertise in Greek helped cement this concept in the Western church. (https://rb.gy/akfbr) The Catechism of the Catholic Church (https://www.catholic.com/tract/the-hell-there-is) also endorsed the idea of burning forever in everlasting flames.

Satan is eventually thrown into the Lake of Fire (Gehenna) where the beast and false prophet had already been thrown alive. “These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” (Revelation 19:20) It is reasonable to presume from the verse that the ultimate outcome will be utter destruction of Satan and his cohorts.

In the case involving humans who end up in Gehenna/Lake of Fire, we must remember that it is the “smoke of their torment that ascends forever.” It does not say that people burn forever.

Ultimately death, Sheol, and anyone not found written in the Book of Life will be destroyed in Gehenna. (Revelation 21:8) This is the second death.

It should also be mentioned that it was the practice of kings in the ancient near east to utterly destroy their enemies. (Malachi 4:1) (Hebrews 12:28-29)

God (Elohim Most High) is described as being like a consuming fire. (Deuteronomy 4:24) (Hebrews 12:29) (Exodus 24:17) (Deuteronomy 6:15).

The Hebrew word for consume is akal (H398) which means to eat; figurative of fire, devour, consume. The Greek the word is (G2654) katanalisko: use up, spend, consume (as with fire). Exodus 15:7 reads: “ you overthrew Your adversaries by Your great majesty you unleashed Your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble.”

Our Father Yahuah is a righteous judge who judges righteously. We have a choice in the way we are to be ultimately judged. A person who puts their faith in Yeshua and chooses to live by the dictates of Torah will be judged by the “spirit” of the Law. Those who reject Messiah and the commandments will be judged by the “letter” of the Law. (See “Epilogue: Yeshua, the End of the Law” in our book.)

2 Thessalonians 1 describes the destiny of those who endure suffering in service to the coming Kingdom. Those who do not “will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of Yahuah and the glory of His might,”