If I may interject, it seems it is God who sustains. Without God, sustenance is impossible. For Hell to exist, God must in some small measure be present, otherwise Hell dissipates like a fleeting dream upon awakening.
I am not sure this is on the OPS topic of the thread....it seems to be close so I will chance an answer. If not, I am sure the mods can delete my post here.
Rev.14:10 gives the impression that the Lamb of God may be present in hell, and says that those who worship the beast “will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”
That does not mean that Christ is IN hell. With all Scripture, we must do the diligence of the originals to have the proper meaning.
So when it refers to the torments of hell in the presence of the Lamb,
the term “in the presence of” means “in the sight of,” not “in the same space as.”
The Greek word used literally is “
before the Lamb”; they will be tormented “before the Lamb.”
The same word is used in
Revelation 3:2 like this: .......
“I have not found your works complete
in the sight of my God.”
That’s the same exact construction: “in the sight of my God,” “in the presence of my God.” He can see. It’s before him in that sense.
So, to answer your question/thought, I for one would say that hell would have no existence if God were not keeping it in existence.
And second, hell is described as punishment and judgment — as not just consequence, but punishment. And so there will be an awareness of those in hell of God’s righteous disapproval present. His disapproval, his judgment, his punishment — that will be present to their minds forever.
Always a blessing to talk with you!!!