"Is it the painful torment that they fear?"
Is it the painful torment that they fear?
Does it not seem that the judgment upon Mystery, Babylon involves severely painful torment?
Revelation 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
That painful torment is so bad, that isn't this what others fear, her torment?
Revelation 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
It doesn't say for the fear of her judgment, but for the fear of her torment.
It says that she will be burned with fire:
Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Revelation 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Isn't being burned alive is one of the most painful to experience?
It would appear that her judgment is not over within a few seconds.
Apparently isn't there a duration of intense torment, because that torment is terrifying others that are not there?
Are people far off, and merchants far out to sea, keenly aware of that painful torment of hers?
Are they able to somehow hear the screaming in agony of those being tormented in her?
Or are they also able to see the suffering of the people live somehow?
Or does something unique happen, like what happened to Dathan and Abiram?
Numbers 16:30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
So, in the case of Mystery Babylon, does she go down alive into hell?
Do the merchants, standing afar off, somehow get to hear, and or see, the torment of people on fire being swallowed up alive into hell, where the torment continues and intensifies?
Either way, will all of the LORD's people, that may still be there, be taken out of her before the fire, like Lot was from Sodom?
Reading about that ought to make me think about the fires of hell, and my friends, relatives & co-workers that are still going there, because they are not saved yet.
So, when I neglect to give them the gospel, is it because I somehow really don't believe in hell, or worse yet, do I secretly hope for them to go there?
Is it like having the ability to rescue someone from a burning building, but instead deciding to ignore them, or worse yet, to watch?