When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
Acts 7:54

We pointed out last time that the religious leaders’ gnashing of teeth was due not to sorrow, but to anger, and even hatred. This is evident because they didn’t release Stephen and receive Christ. They murdered Stephen.

We also pointed out that when Bible speaks of people in Hell gnashing their teeth, they aren’t doing so because of sorrow, but because of anger, and even hatred. To understand this, consider the following.

The Bible says those who do not believe in God, or oppose God, actually hate God! If that sounds too harsh, consider the verses in the footnote at the end of this article. Those who oppose God hate Him in this life, and it stands to reason that in Hell they will not only continue to hate God, but their hatred will reach it’s zenith. Why?

Those who are lost insist that they are not that bad and therefore do not need forgiveness by a Savior. When they are condemned to Hell for eternity, they will hate God all the more for condemning them when they were actually “good people.”

And hatred of God in Hell may even be more vehement for religious people when they are condemned in spite of their religion. “How dare God not acknowledge all the religious rituals and deeds I performed!”

Add to that the fact that in this life everyone—including the most evil—experiences the common grace of God, which includes a measure of God’s restraining grace. That’s right, even the most sinful are not as sinful as they could be because God mercifully restricts us from unbridled sin. Remember that in Job, even the devil could do no more harm to Job than God allowed! In Hell God’s restraining grace is removed. The only aspect of God that anyone will experience in Hell is God’s unmitigated wrath. With no restraint on sin in Hell, those who are there will hate God completely and forever. That, my friends, may be the worst reality that anyone will experience in Hell. After all, we were created to love and worship God. Those in Hell will experience the antithesis of their reason for being. Forever.

No wonder those in Hell will gnash their teeth in anger and hatred.

Verses about non-believers hating God:
John 3:20, John 7:7, John 15:24, Romans 1:28-30, Psalm 83:2, Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 32:41, Deuteronomy 5:9, Psalm 68:1, Psalm 81:15, Proverbs 8:32 These are only examples. There are more.