Indeed. As I mentioned to you privately, I would love to believe in Annihilationism, but it is difficult to prove from scripture, and at the very least the word of God suggests that the wicked will be tormented for a very long time after the millennium has ended. This is born out by Revelation 20:7-10:
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 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. (KJV reading)
At first glance, the above translation (like others) suggests a reading of "and the Devil ... shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever," but a closer look at the Greek reveals that the verb is used in 3rd person plural, and thus yields the reading, "and they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever."
The wording here is καὶ βασανισθήσονται ἡμέρας "and they shall be tormented/or tortured," not simply "punished" or "destroyed." But the question is: Who is the "they" here? Certainly it is not the Devil alone or the verb would be in the singular. It could merely be referring to the Antichrist and the False Prophet, but this does not at all fit the context. The passage is primarily about what will become of the nations after Satan gathers them for battle against the saints, so the logical conclusion is that the nations will be those who suffer torment day and night for ages to come:
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And he shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 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 they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The only question remaining is exactly what sort of time frame is referred to by the expression "unto ages of ages," but it is certainly a long time. The church age alone has been just one age, and it has now lasted for more than two thousand years.
Blessings in Christ, Friend Of, and thanks for posting the thread.
Hidden