DEGREES OF PUNISHMENT IN HELL
Because God is just, those who reject God will suffer punishment and torment according to their sinful behavior.
God is perfectly just, and each person who rejects God’s gracious offer of forgiveness and spiritual transformation will suffer the punishment and torment for the sins each committed during their lifetime. God will reward those in heaven and will punish those in hell according to what they did during their lives (Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12; Jeremiah 17:10; Ezekiel 12:14, 18:20, 30; Matthew 12:36; Luke 12:2-3; Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 3:8, 11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 3:23-25; 1 Peter 1:17).
See image of the angel from heaven revealing degrees of punishment and torment in hell.
The angel from heaven revealed to the apostle John the degrees of rewards for Christians and punishment for unbelievers at the end times, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened
Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15 ESV).
The apostle Paul further explained rewards for Christians and punishment for unbelievers, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking[and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” (Romans 2:5-8 ESV).
There is stricter judgment with greater revelation from God and responsibility.
Jesus’ brother, James, warned, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1 ESV).
Jesus also warned the Pharisees that they would “be punished most severely” (Luke 20:47 NIV) for their willful hypocrisy praying lengthy prayers while they were mistreating widows. Jesus also denounced those who did not repent and believe in him in the cities in which he performed most of his miracles, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:21-24 NIV).
Finally, Jesus told a parable about a master and his servants. The servants who knew the master’s will and did not get ready or do what the master wanted would be punished more than the servants who did not know the masters will and did what deserved to be punished, “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:47-48 NIV).
Based on the above, the more knowledge you have of God and his will, the more strictly God will judge you depending on your knowledge, responsibility, and actions.
Not all sins are equal.
Although all sins will prevent you from having a relationship with God, if you don’t repent, accept, and follow God, all sins do not deserve the same punishment in hell. When Jesus spoke to Pilate, he discussed Judas’ sin of betrayal of Jesus and said, “You (Pilate) would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one (Judas) who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin” (John 19:11 NIV). Judas’ sin of betraying Jesus was greater than Pilate’s sin of sentencing Jesus to death after Pilate tried to avoid doing so. Likewise by way of example, in terms of degrees of punishment, the sin of murder is greater than eating too much food or gluttony.
Hank Hanegraaff, After Life: What You Need to Know About Heaven, the Hereafter & Near-Death Experiences (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013), 65-66; Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994, Appendix 6 and glossary copyright 2000), 1143; Erwin Lutzer, Your Eternal Reward: Triumph and Tears at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1998), 163-171; Kenneth D. Boa and Robert Bowman Jr., Sense and Nonsense about Heaven and Hell (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), chapter 3; Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for Life After Death (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021), chapters 7 and 8.