There seems to be quite a few, or a lot, of universalists in the E Orthodox church:
"Is this true that in the Orthodox Church there are still two quite opposite views existing, one of which holds that everybody will sooner or later be delivered by God from the hell, and another one stating that those who are not saved will be tormented in the hell forever?
"...This is quite true. You can read equally compelling arguments and decide for yourself."
Universalism in the Orthodox Church?
"I would very much like to be a Universalist. In terms of my Christian hope, in terms of my emotional attachments, I would love to believe that in the end, no one would harden their heart against the Love of our Lord Jesus Christ, all would repent and believe, and all would find salvation in the age to come. I believe that this is at least a logical possibility, as there is no person who ever lived who could not repent, to whom God does not extend the offer of salvation.
"In recent years, Universalism has become a popular option in the Protestant world. This is true not only of larger mainline denominations in which the idea of any condemnation coming from God has been rejected for going on two centuries, but also increasingly in evangelical circles through popular books like Rob Bell’s Love Wins. Of late, it has begun making inroads into the beliefs of some Orthodox Christians, at least in the United States, albeit in a version carefully tailored to circumvent conciliar condemnation.
"It is readily apparent that the sort of naked Universalism popular in the Protestant world, the simple denial of any real judgment or condemnation of anyone in the world in any age by Christ, is incompatible with the teachings of the Orthodox Faith. (Even in this, there is occasional push-back offered by some Orthodox Christians in the form of casting doubt upon the Fifth Ecumenical Council and/or attempting to rehabilitate Origen, but I leave it to another author to address the patristic witness on this issue).
"Rather, therefore, the particular form of Universalism making its appeal to the Orthodox faithful is a modified one, which does not deny judgment or the existence of a hell outright, but which renders these as purgative, such that everyone is eventually saved after a time of punishment. This seems appealing to many because it seems to preserve God’s Justice in punishing sin while also reflecting great compassion. Many converts to the Orthodox Faith were attracted by the teaching of a God whose Love is more ultimate than His Justice, as opposed to the God of wrath and retribution posited in Western theories of penal substitutionary atonement, and this form of Universalism seems to be the continuation of the move in that direction....
"...You too quickly dismiss the thoughts of Orthodox universalists. And you dismiss them with a casual effort. The metaphors and images that dominate all of the Pascha liturgical tradition tends to have a universalist flavor. You can argue that hell is still eternal based on Scripture and the 5th Council, but you cannot deny that the flavor is still there and it runs through tons of patristic material (cf. Ilaria Romelli’s work)."
Hell (Unfortunately) Yes: Why I Can't Be a Universalist – Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy
Unfortunately there are errors in every denomination, none are perfect.
Within Univeralist ideology, even Satan is forgiven. This flies in the face of God's declarations to what he will do with Satan (Isaiah 14)
Also Jesus disciple Judas Iscariot was not saved and Jesus said all my sheep I can save accept one. So it is possible that God doesn't always get what he wants for humanity, because many will choose to be separated from him, especially in the last days when all hell breaks loose and the so called Universalist faith movement start cursing the body of Christ eho have always warned of Justice coming and eventually it will end up in cursing God.
These things have happened in the past, but the finale will be on a much grand scale, the world is separating from God, not uniting and the line in the sand has been drawn.
It is like those who say....
‘The Lord will do nothing,
either good or bad.’
Bible >
NIV > Zephaniah 1
◄ Zephaniah 1
►
New International Version
1The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:
Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord
2“I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,”
“When I destroy all mankind
on the face of the earth,”
declares the Lord.
3“I will sweep away both man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea—
and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.”
“When I destroy all mankind
on the face of the earth,”
declares the Lord,
4“I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,
the very names of the idolatrous priests—
5those who bow down on the roofs
to worship the starry host,
those who bow down and swear by the Lord
and who also swear by Molek,
b
6those who turn back from following the Lord
and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”
7Be silent before the Sovereign Lord,
for the day of the Lord is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
he has consecrated those he has invited.
8“On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials
and the king’s sons
and all those clad
in foreign clothes.
9On that day I will punish
all who avoid stepping on the threshold,
c
who fill the temple of their gods
with violence and deceit.
10“On that day,”
declares the Lord,
“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,
wailing from the New Quarter,
and a loud crash from the hills.
11Wail, you who live in the market district;
all your merchants will be wiped out,
all who trade with silver will be destroyed.
12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish those who are complacent,
who are like wine left on its dregs,
who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing,
either good or bad.’
13Their wealth will be plundered,
their houses demolished.
Though they build houses,
they will not live in them;
though they plant vineyards,
they will not drink the wine.”
14The great day of the Lord is near—
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15That day will be a day of wrath—
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness—
16a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.
17“I will bring such distress on all people
that they will grope about like those who are blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like dung.
18Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”
In the fire of his jealousy
the whole earth will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live on the earth.
(Zephaniah 1:1-18)
