Does God Punish People Forever?
1A The possibilities (five viewpoints)
1B. Denial: “There is no such place. Christians just made it up.”
2B. Earthly suffering: “Hell is what you go through on earth.”
3B. Annihilation: “It refers to the final destruction of all evil persons.”
— II Thessalonians 2:8: “Destroy (“katargeo”) with the brightness of His coming” (cf. Romans 6:6; I Corinthians 13:8).
— Matthew 10:28 (Hell—”Gehenna,” “apolesai”— cf. Romans 14:15).
— II Thessalonians 1:9 (“olethros”— cf. I Corinthians 5:5).
4B. Restoration: “All persons will ultimately be saved.”
— Primarily centers the attention on the usage of words translated “eternal” or “forever” (age).
— “Aidios” used two times: Jude 6 and Romans 1:20. Stresses permanence and unchangeableness.
— “Aionios” used 68 times— unmeasured time. Contrasted with the word “temporary” (“proskaira”) in II Corinthians 4:18.
— Used of God in Romans 16:26; I Peter 5:10; I John 5:20; (and of God’s power: I Timothy 6:16).
— Used of blood of Jesus: Hebrews 13:20.
— Used many times of the eternal life of the believer: Romans 6:23.
— Used of the Holy Spirit: Hebrews 9:14.
— “Aion” used 102 times— refers to the moral and spiritual characteristics of a particular period of time. Greeks used this word to contrast with that which comes to an end.
5B. Unending torment: “Hell is a place of eternal suffering.”
2A. The proof that he does punish people forever in a place called hell.
1B. The biblical description of hell.
1C. Hades used 11 times (“unseen”); refers to dwelling place of the wicked dead.
2C. “Tartaros”: II Peter 2:4—abode of certain wicked angels (cf. Jude 6-7).
3C. Lake of fire used five times in Revelation. Revelation 20:15; 21:8 (second death).
4C. Bottomless pit: pit of the abyss. —Used nine times; refers to lower regions as the abode of demons, out of which they can be let loose at times.
5C. “Gehenna” used 12 times: Aramaic form of Hebrew Gehinnom of Valley of Hinnom—dump.
— Valley of Hinnom, where children were burned with fire as sacrifices to Molech Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31 (cf. Matthew 23:33).
6C. Outer Darkness: Matthew 8:12: 22:13; 25:30 (weeping and gnashing of teeth).
7C. Place of torment: Luke 16:28 (also called “Hades”—verse 23).
2B. The specified duration of hell.
1C. Everlasting punishment: Matthew 25:46.
2C. Eternal condemnation: Mark 3:29 (sin).
3C. Eternal judgment: Hebrews 6:2.
4C. Everlasting destruction: II Thessalonians 1:9.
5C. Eternal fire: Matthew 18:8-9. (“Gehenna”); Matthew 25:41; Jude 7.
6C. Unquenchable fire: Mark 9:43-38 (cf. Isaiah 66:24).
7C. Eternal torment: Revelation 19:20; 20:10.