Is Punishment Eternal?

[Andy C]

Is Punishment Eternal?
By Dave Hunt

There is a growing movement among professing Christians towards universalism: the belief that everyone will finally be saved. One can empathize with those who hold this opinion. Eternity is forever. No matter how just the penalty, endless punishment seems cruelly excessive. The very thought of the Lake of Fire being the eternal abode of any creature, no matter how evil, is humanly repugnant.

Could God who “is love” (1 John 4:8) really sentence anyone to eternal punishment? Would He not find a way, somehow, for all eventually to be saved? The Bible must be our guide. But does the Bible in fact teach that those who leave this life without Christ are lost forever?

Jesus warned of hell repeatedly, referring to it fourteen times. Peter refers to it three times, James once, and the four times it is mentioned in Revelation make up the balance of the twenty-two times the word “hell” occurs in the New Testament. Jesus referred to hell as a place of torment in a “fire that never shall be quenched” (Mark 9:43-48). That sounds like eternal punishment — but for whom?

With one exception, there are two Greek words translated as hell in the New Testament: hades and geenna (gehenna). The word hades is rendered “hell” eleven times and is the counterpart of the Hebrew sheol, the only word for hell in the entire Old Testament. Sheol was where the souls and spirits of the dead went upon the death of the body. Since the same word is used for the abode of all the dead, sheol/hades must have accommodated both the lost and the saved. That this was indeed the case, and that their condition and experience were drastically different, is clear from biblical usage of these words in both Old and New Testaments.

Is Punishment Eternal? - Rapture Forums

The very thought of the Lake of Fire being the eternal abode of any creature, no matter how evil, is humanly repugnant.

www.raptureforums.com

 

[Spartan Sprinter]

Geez this is bringing flashbacks of one of the trolls that was on here

 

[Tall Timbers]

I once had a side discussion with a catholic priest who was an honored guest speaker at a weekend event. He supported this idea without reference to Scripture of course. When he seemed to be done, I said, if all of what you say is true, then satan too will be spending eternity with God, right? He looked quite uncomfortable for a quiet moment before answering yes, which he had to based on his argument. I didn't say anything more as I didn't feel like casting pearls before swine.

 

[Batman]

We are in a major spiritual battle every day with most of humanity and unfortunately, belief in things like reincarnation, purgatory, and karma are still alive and running through out the world. I often wonder how much of this is from the cults vs cartoons vs movies vs video games. They all push this. I also feel a lot of churches may not necessarily be silent about the truth but perhaps they do not want to ruffle the feathers of non-christian attendees and members that should know better. There is no other source material for revelation on this but the world gets and gives lies and works to discredit the Word.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Parents and Grandparents aren't teaching their kids about Hell because "tender young ears," PC, or they, themselves, don't know or understand

I think having a good understanding of Hell is important for children, as it's part of the fear of The Lord

28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28,KJV

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10, KJV

6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6, KJV

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy 3:14-17, KJV

Grandma didn't pull any punches when she taught me the little children's prayer, including what it means, shortly before or after I was saved at 3. Including a vivid description of Hell (fire, brimstone, worm that never dies, outer darkness, gnashing of teeth, wailing, stench, etc.) and that it is a real and eternal place.

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray The Lord my soul to keep
But if I die before I wake
I pray The Lord my soul to take
In Jesus Name, Amen.

42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mark 9:42-48, KJV

11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 8:11-12, KJV

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
Matthew 13:40-51, KJV


10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:10, KJV

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15, KJV

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Revelation 21:7-8,KJV

 

[Goodboy]

There is a growing movement among professing Christians towards universalism: the belief that everyone will finally be saved. One can empathize with those who hold this opinion. Eternity is forever. No matter how just the penalty, endless punishment seems cruelly excessive. The very thought of the Lake of Fire being the eternal abode of any creature, no matter how evil, is humanly repugnant.

Could God who “is love” (1 John 4:8) really sentence anyone to eternal punishment? Would He not find a way, somehow, for all eventually to be saved? The Bible must be our guide. But does the Bible in fact teach that those who leave this life without Christ are lost forever?

The article may be great but it was too long for me to read, so I will just respond to what was stated above which may not really apply to the article, but there are some Christians that really need to hear this.

One of Satan's tricks and a dangerous road to go down is to challenge the Bible (God's Word) against our thinking. Our worldly thinking is very limited in scope and our minds are extremely simple compared to God. It's like the difference between what we humans think and what an ant thinks. If we could communicate with an ant, they could not understand what we do and why.

The Bible makes this point.
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

[bigMoose]

Many years ago I opined that one of the false Gospels may well be the Gospel of love... For my understanding that Our God's Love is based on a pillar of righteousness. "Things" must be right to be accepted. Painting abominations with the word "love" does not make them righteous. Not "free love" in my generation, nor "love is love" in this day and age.

God is Love. His Way. His Will. His Rules. Full stop.

 

[Hol]

one of the false Gospels may well be the Gospel of love.

You're right. It still catches me off-guard at times.