[88]Jesus came to earth and lived and died and was buried; and it was written of him that he went to hell.  “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.” (Psalm 16:10) If hell is a place of endless torment and Jesus went there he could not have been released.  The fact that he did not remain in hell is proof conclusive that hell is not a place of eternal torment.

[89]Jehovah established the true religion in the earth, which was and is to worship him and glorify his name.  Satan established a false religion in his attempt to be like the Most High.  God established his covenant with the nation of Israel and commanded that they should keep themselves separate and distinct from the heathen nations round about.  Satan established a false religion amongst the heathen nations and caused them to worship images and other things aside from Jehovah.  These heathen idolaters built an altar in the valley of Hinnom for the purpose of offering sacrifices to their gods.  The Jews forsook their covenant with Jehovah and became worshipers of Baal, one of Satan’s deified ones.  In practising Baal worship they offered their children as sacrifices, and upon this has been based the doctrine of torture by fire, concerning which Jehovah says:  “They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind”. (Jeremiah 19:5) Again said the Lord:  “They built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech, which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin”. (Jeremiah 32:35) The things which the heathen sacrificed they sacrificed to devils and not to God. (1 Corinthians 10:20) This false or devil religion established amongst the deluded people of the world was another means employed by Satan to blind the minds of men to the true teachings of the divine plan.

[90]In exercising divine justice, Jehovah at no time employs torture; but he denounces such doctrine as an abomination in his sight.  Divine justice exercised destroys the evil doers; therefore that which is destroyed eternally is everlastingly punished.  Some Scriptures proving this are:  “Evil doers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.  For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be....  But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs:  they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away....  For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off....  For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved forever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off....  Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land:  when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it....  The transgressors shall be destroyed together:  the end of the wicked shall be cut off.”—­Psalm 37:9,10,20,22,28,34,38.