Torment as Punishment in The Book of Revelation

Revelation 9:5-6

And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

Revelation 14:10-11

he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will 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 goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.

Revelation 20:10

And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

In the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, “the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace” (Gen. 19:28). And Isaiah 34:8-10,

For the Lord has a day of vengeance,
A year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
Its streams will be turned into pitch,
And its loose earth into brimstone,
And its land will become burning pitch.
It will not be quenched night or day;
Its smoke will go up forever.
From generation to generation it will be desolate;
None will pass through it forever and ever.

Prophetic imagery views smoke going up forever as representative of total destruction. We must remember that in the book of Revelation, it is prophetic and apocalyptic literature which can be hyperbolic as well as very symbolic. The Apostle John is describing the vision in which he saw. He’s putting into words all of those images. It would be more accurate to view this word “forever” not as an infinity of time but rather as the direction and ascent of the smoke. It is a smoke that continually rises up into the highest atmosphere of the earth. If you were standing at a far distance from this great city of Babylon the Great that is destroyed (Rev. 14:8), and could see the smoke for miles and miles away, then you would get the picture in your mind of this total destruction. In today’s imagery, it would be like seeing a mushroom cloud over New York city from across state lines. You would instantly get the picture in your heart and mind of the totality of the devastation. I believe this is the kind of feeling that John is conveying through his words. Indeed, within the context of “the smoke of their torment” that “goes up forever and ever,” Babylon the Great is the backdrop of the example of judgement people will receive who decide to worship the beast and his image (Rev. 14:8).

Next, we have the phrase, “they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image.” This phrase seems indicative of the idea that there is no escaping God’s judgement if you decide to take the mark of the beast. You will not have peace. You will not have rest. But you shall be doomed to destruction by brimstone and fire. This verse is speaking of their time on earth as being a period of unrest. In order to worship the beast and his image, they still need to be alive. In order to still receive the mark of the beast, they still need to be alive. Therefore, these people are not in hell yet. They are still on the earth experiencing God’s wrath being poured out.

During this time, they will experience torment prior to their destruction as Revelation 9:5 tells us: Locusts will come from the bottomless pit and will not be permitted to kill anyone but will torment people for five months with pain similar to that of a scorpion’s sting. In this time, they will seek to die but death will evade them so that they will continue to be tormented until the five months are complete. From the context of this chapter, it seems like the locusts are demons that torment people because (1) they came out of the bottomless pit which is where demons go, (2) they are referenced to as scorpions which is a term used for evil spirits, and (3) the angel of the abyss is their commander. These five months are part of the context of Revelation 14:11 where there will be no rest day or night.

What the day and night doesn’t mean is everlasting days. It simply means a progression of days without reference to a foreseeable end in sight since the torment will be so excruciating or unrelenting that it has the appearance of no end in sight. It will feel like forever. It also does not necessarily mean that the torment will continue every single second or minute. But rather, while it is day or while it is night, there is no guarantee of relief and no foreseeable end in sight so long as the condition continues. This phrase is used in Isaiah 34:10 speaking of the fire that “will not be quenched night or day.” In this context Edom was completely consumed.

More evidence that Revelation 14:10 is not speaking about hell as the lake of fire is if we compare this verse with 2 Thessalonians 1:9 which says, “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” In Revelation it says, “in the presence of the Lamb.” These two verses would contradict one another if they were both talking about the final judgement of hell because they cannot be tormented or have the penalty both in the presence and away from the presence of God. It’s either one or the other. In this case, Thessalonians is speaking about the final judgement which is the absence of God and then Revelation is speaking about a present state of existence on earth during the day of the Lord.