The way I have understood this is that the more knowledge someone has of God and Christ, the greater the torment of separation from that. The greater the punishment the more someone knows of Christ, and the greatest torment for the "sons of the kingdom" who are tossed into the outer darkness where there is crying and gnashing of teeth (speaking to the greatest level of torment of knowing all God has for them as "sons of the kingdom", and missing it).
As for gradations of torment for sin, I have not reached any kind of consensus. Just on how much someone knows of God's presence through knowledge of God, ending with total separation. The smoke of torment can be literal, or just a graphic depiction of the suffering that the dead are going through. One person I know believed that the torment would be conscious non-existence, and that the torment would be severe.
Beware for the heart of man is highly wicked and will find a means to justify what it desires to beleive .
Probably wondering what on earth is this man talking about .
This .
While in part what you did write is true
MANY will use this as a means to sit idle .
Well the less we knew the better off we might be concering such punishment .
But reader and all that has ears to hear
ANYONE whose heart thinks like that , IS already embracing its own deadly destruction .
In other words , WHERE is the love FOR GOD in any of that mindset .
You would be amazed at what people tell themselves in order to feel safer and better .
mark my words it is not gonna bode well at all for them either.
Guess what GOD desires . AND i sure hope we have that desire in us .
FOR US TO SEEK HIM with the WHOLE HEART . and GUESS what desire GOD puts into the sheep
TO DO THAT . Keep that in mind . now lets all bible up and get busy seeking and learning
and let us stir one another up to have one mind . And
this is the mind i speak about my friend . OH LORD YOU spared a thing like me
I WANT TO SERVE YOU . You are not here to serve me , BUT I TO SERVE YOU .
I am but a wee thing , saved soley by grace who hates my own evil
And i desire to justify NO EVIL of men , nor the evil in my own flesh .
SO i will not justify anyones sins
I will not holler at men who come to correct my sin or anyone elses sin .
But rather if i be found in sin and they do correct me , MAY I REPENT OF MY SIN and not rather call them
a judgmental legalistic hater .
Just saying . sorry about the length of this post . But i am so wore out with what i am seeing in christendom
I do hope that encouraged you greatly .