In fact, I believe why most hold to ECT (Eternal Conscious Torment) is because they do not understand that the word "forever" does not always mean "forever" in the Bible.
Take
Revelation 14:11 as an example.
Should the English words "for ever" (or "forever") be read literally meaning an endless state?
Well, I heard a pastor once say that the best way to interpret the Bible is to let the Bible do the interpreting for you. What I am I talking about? Well, the Bible tells us that the phrase "
smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever" is a metaphorical phrase from
Isaiah 34:10 which says that the smoke of Edom went up forever and ever. Yet is the city of Edom burning today? No, of course not. So we then realize that this phrase is speaking metaphorically.
In other words,, the word "forever" (and it's related words) does not always mean forever in the Bible. “Forever” can be talking about "forever" here on this Earth (as long as someone lives) or in having a sense of "completeness" or "totality" for a specific thing). For what do you make of the following verses below that say that "forever" (or it's related words) is not forever?
• In
Genesis 13:15 the land of Canaan is given to Israel “forever”.
• The Law is to be a statute “forever” (
Exodus 12:24;
Exodus 27:21;
Exodus 28:43).
• Sodom's fiery judgment is "eternal" (
Jude 1:7) until -- God "will restore the fortunes of Sodom" (
Ezekiel 16:53-55).
• Israel's "affliction is incurable" (
Jeremiah 30:12) until -- the Lord "will restore health" and heal her wounds (
Jeremiah 30:17).
• The sin of Samaria "is incurable" (
Micah 1:9) until -- Lord "will restore ... the fortunes of Samaria." (
Ezekiel 16:53).
• Ammon is to become a "wasteland forever" and "rise no more" (
Zephaniah 2:9,
Jeremiah 25:27 until -- the Lord will "restore the fortunes of the Ammonites" (
Jeremiah 49:6).
• An Ammonite or Moabite is forbidden to enter the Lord's congregation "forever" until -- the tenth generation (
Deuteronomy 23:3):
• Habakkuk tells us of mountains that were "everlasting" until -- they "were shattered"
Habakkuk 3:6).
• The Aaronic Priesthood was to be an "everlasting" priesthood (
Exodus 40:15), that is-until-it was superceded by the Melchizedek Priesthood (
Hebrews 7:14-18).
• Many translations of the Bible inform us that God would dwell in Solomon's Temple "forever" (
1 Kings 8:13), until -- the Temple was destroyed.
• The children of Israel were to "observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant" (
Exodus 31:16)-until -- Paul states there remains "another day" of Sabbath rest for the people of God (
Hebrews 4:8-9).
• The Law of Moses was to be an "everlasting covenant" (
Leviticus 24:8) yet we read in the New Covenant the first was "done away" and "abolished" (
2 Corinthians 3:11-13), and God "made the first old" (
Hebrews 8:13).
• The fire for Israel's sin offering (of a ram without blemish) is never to be put out. It shall be a "perpetual" until -- Christ, the Lamb of God, dies for our sins.
Hell. We now have a better covenant established on better promises (
Leviticus 6:12-13,
Hebrews 8:6-13).
• God's waves of wrath roll over Jonah "forever" until--the Lord delivers him from the large fish's belly on the third day (
Jonah 2:6-10;
Jonah 1:17); Egypt and Elam will "rise no more" (
Jeremiah 25:27) until -- the Lord will "restore the fortunes of Egypt" (
Ezekiel 29:14) and "restore the fortunes of Elam" (
Jeremiah 49:39).
• "Moab is destroyed" (
Jeremiah 48:4,
Jeremiah 48:42) until--the Lord "will restore the fortunes of Moab" (
Jeremiah 48:47).
• Israel's judgment lasts "forever" until -- the Spirit is poured out and God restores it (
Isaiah 32:13-15).
• The King James Bible, as well as many others, tells us that a bond slave was to serve his master "forever" (
Exodus 21:6), until -- his death.
• “Eternal” (Greek aionia, αιονια) is sometimes used of a limited (not endless) period of time. But the most common use is illustrated in
2 Corinthians 4:18 where it is contrasted with “temporal” and in
Philemon 1:15 where it is contrasted with “for a while.”
Anyways, in conclusion, I have discovered that the word "forever" as used in the Bible is true. It does mean "forever" but it is talking in "forever" under the context of within either a temporary Covenant, or here upon this Earth (which is temporal), or within the Lake of Fire (Which is also a temporary place).
Here is the source for list above for the Scriptural examples used on the word "forever":
http://www.apttoteach.org/attjom/index.php
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