Did God create hell and if so, how can he be considered merciful?
Hell is the place where the departed souls who rejected Christ are now. The Lake of Fire is different from Hell. The Lake of Fire is where the souls who rejected Christ will be sent for eternity after the White Throne judgment. These souls are not in the Lake of Fire yet, they are still in Hell right now. The reason the Lake of Fire lasts forever is because those who are there will continue to sin. They will continue to curse and blaspheme God. The sin never ends, and neither does the Lake of Fire. Because God is just, he will not allow sin in his presence. People who are not covered with the blood of Jesus will be covered by sin, and will not be allowed into the presence of God. God is merciful because he sent his Son to die on the cross and take our sins (as well as sickness and disease, strife, etc) and take the sins of every person who ever lived. One can’t get more merciful that that. You are not the judge of all people, so it doesn’t matter how you would punish a convicted murder
