A Defense of Dualistic Conditional Immortality

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Introduction:

I believe in “Dualistic Conditional Immortality,” and not “Traditional Conditional Immortality.” I used to believe in “Eternal Torment” (i.e. Eternal Conscious Torment) and even defended it at one time, but I have come to find this belief to be both unbiblical and immoral. I will provide one major real world example and lots of Scripture in my writing here to demonstrate why I believe this is so.

Conditional Immortality
(i.e. Traditional Conditional Immortality):

Lake of Fire:

This is the view that after the Judgement, the wicked are either annihilated (erased from existence), or they are eventually destroyed or eliminated (after they are punished for a certain set amount of time in the Lake of Fire). I believe this view of the Lake of Fire is biblical. So when I refer to “Conditional Immortality” in a positive way, or when I refer to “Conditional Immortality verses” in support of my view of God’s punishment of the wicked, I am referring only to the Lake of Fire teaching portion only. For I do not hold to the Conditional Immortality Proponent’s viewpoint on hell.

Hell:

Traditional Conditional Immortality Proponents believe that hell is just a metaphor, and they believe in a teaching called “soul sleep” (i.e. that the wicked will not know anything and sleep or not be aware of anything until the Judgment). I do not find their view on soul sleep to be biblical. Traditional Conditional Immortality Proponents also believe the story of Lazarus and the Richman is just a fictional story used to teach a spiritual truth or lesson. However, I do not believe this view of hell is biblical.​

Dualistic Conditional Immortality:

Lake of Fire:

This is the view that after the Judgement, the wicked are either annihilated (erased from existence), or they are eventually destroyed or eliminated (after they are punished for a certain set amount of time in the Lake of Fire). I believe this view of the Lake of Fire is biblical.

Hell:

Dualistic Conditional Immortality Proponents believe hell is a very real and literal place. There are differing views among these types of believers on how hell is portrayed, but they all believe hell is literally real, and it is a place that no person would desire to be. It is a place of torments (Just as Scripture says). Some who hold to this view believe that hell is similar to that of the view portrayed in the Eternal Torment. They believe it is a place where the wicked are being burned in flames (tortured), and they are screaming from the pain of the flames, etc.; Others (like myself) believe that the rich man was not tormented by an intense earthly flame (that would cause great pain), but he was tormented by the heat of the flame near him, or he was tormented by an otherworldly flame that did not cause him to scream uncontrollably (like an earthly flame would do).​

Eternal Conscious Torment:

Lake of Fire:

This is the view that after the Judgement, the wicked will burn alive and be tortured in the flames of the Lake of Fire for all eternity. Many have refused to come to the faith because they had a hard time accepting that God would torture people alive in flames for all eternity. It may surprise the reader that there is actually a very small number of verses that support the Eternal Torment view of the Lake of Fire (5 major ones to be exact, and there are a ton of verses in support of the wicked being annihilated as their final fate). With the exception of the Greek philosopher Epicureans, Greek philosophers (Such as Plato) generally taught of the soul's natural immortality-without God.

Hell:

The Eternal Conscious Torment View appears to teach that hell is a place of extreme torture where the wicked scream uncontrollably from the pain of being burned by the flames of hell. This appears to be the popular view in both churches and in secular movies in Hollywood. Churches have even reenacted this fictitious terrifying version of hell in this manner on Halloween calling them, “hell houses.” (satisfying people’s cravings to be afraid on Halloween with haunted houses; In my opinion, hell houses are a reenactment or imitation of pure evil that simply attempts to copy haunted houses which attempt to cater to the same wrong desires of this world).​

A Defense of Dualistic Conditional Immortality:

I........Quick Definition.
II.......Explaining Hell.
III......God is into Fair Justice.
IV......Forever Does Not Always Mean Forever.
V.......Eternal Torment Verses Explained.
VI......God Alone has Immortality.
VII.....The Tree of Life.
VIII....Verses on the Destruction of the Wicked.
IX......Verses on Destruction of the Devil & Death.
X.......Verses on Receiving Immortality.
XI......Real World Example.
XII.....Chart: Which View Allegorizes Scripture More?​

I. A Quick Definition:

Dualistic Conditional Immortality is the view as taught in the Bible that says that "hell" is a very real and literal place; But the wicked will perish (i.e. be erased from existence) in the Lake of Fire (After the Judgment).

Some believe this annihilation in the Lake of Fire happens immediately (after being cast into it), and others believe it happens after a certain amount of time (after being punished in the Lake of Fire). I hold to the view that the wicked will be punished for a certain amount of time before they are annihilated.​

II. Explaining Hell:

In Luke 16:19-31, what folks fail to understand is that when the Rich-man went to Torments (Hell or Hades), he was not actually being burned by any Earth-like flames. How so? Well, if the Rich-man was engulfed entirely by Earth-like flames --- he wouldn't be asking for a little water to cool his tongue, he would have been screaming too loudly in pain to even hear Abraham (if such were the case). If he was able to hold down his pain of screaming (for a moment), he would be shouting to Abraham for a giant barrel of water or lots of buckets of water to lower the flame or to put it out. But does the text say the rich man was screaming? Surely not. Yet, this is how people today depict the wicked in hell. In fact, if a person was being engulfed by flames today in the real world, how likely are they to carry on a normal conversation with you? They wouldn't because they would be screaming too loudly from the pain.

So we are faced with one of two possibilities here:

Possibility #1. In Luke 16:24, when the Rich-man said, "...I am tormented in this flame," the Rich-man was referring to the fact about how he was tormented in the flame that was either nearby him or in front of him that was in the gulf that was between him and Abraham (Sort of like if I said I am happy in this car --- yet the car is in front of me). (Similar language like this can be found with the words "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman," - Genesis 2:23). Adam was not referring to his own flesh, with the word "this", but he was referring to Eve who was in front of him. In other words, it was the heat of the flame in front of the rich-man that made him uncomfortable or tormented.

Possibility #2. The rich-man was in actual flames but it was not an Earthly flame to cause him any kind of extreme pain whereby he could carry on a normal conversation instead of screaming. The flame would have to be very mild in discomfort or it did not cause the same level of pain as a real flame would (as we know it).​

Now, do not misunderstand me, dear believer. I am not trying to minimize the true horrible nature of hell as we read about it in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Hell is bad. I believe hell is an extremely horrible place. We should warn others not to go there, and point them to the saving grace, and love of our Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Surely the rich-man was not putting on an actor’s performance when he desired to warn his brothers about such a place. Hell is bad. Really bad. Nobody should want to go there. It is a place of torments. But we should not also paint a picture of hell that the Bible does not paint or teach, either. Some make hell out to be something that it is not specifically stated (Portraying it as an extreme torture chamber of men and women screaming uncontrollably). We simply do not know that this is so. If the Lord wanted to let us know that hell is a place of extreme torture and pain, and screaming, He would have given us this description in Scripture as such, but He didn’t. I believe it is well, when we do not go beyond what is written (Especially when that addition leans towards the negative side). Sure, we may guess as to what may be or not, but to officially say that hell is like this or that when the Bible has not said so, is to add to Scripture something that is not there. So please understand that even my explanations on what is happening to the rich man is not a hardcore facts in Scripture but mere possibilities to give comfort about what we know involving our Lord’s goodness and fair justice.​

III. God is into fair justice:

Luke 12:47-48 says,

47 "And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."​

“Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal 1; knowing that ye [you-all] also have a Master in heaven.” (Colossians 4:1).

1. equal: characterized by fairness (Source: 1913 Webster’s Dictionary).​

“Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.” (Romans 9:14).

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once said,

“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”​

In fact, the whole reason why Jesus went to the cross was to pay the price for our sins. If God was not into fair justice, He simply would not have needed to send His Son to pay the price for our sin and He could have simply just forgiven us with no payment for sin. But the Lord our God is a God of fair justice. So the Son was sent to die for you, and me. How bitter, and yet sweet that truth is. For it truly shows how truly loving and good the Lord is to us.​

 

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IV. “Forever” (and Some of Its Related Synonyms) Does Not Always Mean “For All Eternity”:

In fact, I believe why most hold to Eternal Torment is because they do not understand that the word "forever" (and some of its related synonyms) does not always mean "for all eternity" in the Bible. Sure, sometimes the word “forever” can mean “for all eternity,” but not always. Why do I say that?​

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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.​

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In other words, the word "forever" (and its related words) does not always mean ”for all eternity” 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 temporal thing). For what do you make of the following verses below that say that "forever" (or it's related words) does not mean “for all eternity?”​

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• In Genesis 13:15 the land of Canaan is given to the descendants of Israel “forever.” However, the Earth (Where Canaan resides) will pass away (Matthew 24:35) (Revelation 21:1).​

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• Isaiah 34:9-10 mentions a city in the region of Idumea (of the people of Edom) and how its burning pitch will not be quenched night or day, and the smoke of that city will go up forever. However, again, the Earth (Where Idumea resides) will pass away (Matthew 24:35) (Revelation 21:1). Note: Please pay special attention to this passage. It also mentions “night, “day” and “for ever and ever” just like Revelation 20:10.​

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• The Israelites and their sons were to keep the Passover “forever” (Exodus 12:24).​

The Passover is a part of the laws of Moses. But Christians today are not under the Laws of Moses (Romans 6:14) (Acts 13:39) (Acts 15:1-24).​

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• Exodus 27:21 says Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning as a statute (law) forever unto their generations (descendants). Exodus 28:43 says that Aaron and his sons must wear certain pieces of clothing when they enter the Tabernacle. This was to be a statute (law) unto Aaron and his sons forever. The Aaronic Priesthood was to be an "everlasting" priesthood (Exodus 40:15). However, the Aaronic priesthood was temporary, and it was replaced by the priesthood order of Melchisedec (Hebrews 7:11-19).​

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• Israel's "affliction is incurable" (Jeremiah 30:12) until -- the Lord "will restore health" and heal her wounds (Jeremiah 30:17).​

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• Habakkuk tells us of mountains that were "everlasting" until -- they “were scattered” (Habakkuk 3:6).​

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• God was to dwell in Solomon's Temple "forever" (1 Kings 8:12-13, 1 Kings 8:27), until -- the Temple was destroyed (2 Kings 25:8-17).​

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• 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 rest for the people of God (Hebrews 4:8-9) and they are not to let others judge them if they don’t keep the Sabbath days (Colossians 2:14-17).​

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• The fire for Israel's burnt offering (animal sacrifice) is never to be put out (Leviticus 6:12-13), and yet -- Christ offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, and sat down on the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12).​

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• Jonah describes how the earth with her bars was about him forever when he was in the fish (Jonah 2:6), until--the Lord delivers him from the large fish's belly on the third day (Jonah 1:17).​

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• The forts and towers shall be for dens (animal habitations) for ever, until -- the Spirit is poured out (Isaiah 32:13-16).​

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• The King James Bible, as well as many other translations, tells us that a bond slave was to serve his master "forever" (Exodus 21:6). This obviously would be only until his death.​

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• Numbers 15:15 says that the animal sacrifices will be forever, but we clearly know this is not the case because Jesus has become our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) (1 Peter 1:19).​

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• In Philemon 1:15: Paul mentioned to Philemon how Onesimus may have departed so that Philemon may receive him back forever. Obviously if this were to have happened, Onesimus is not an immortal man still living upon the Earth with his master (Philemon) today. If Onesimus returned, he would have returned back to his master forever within the context of their temporary lives upon the Earth.​

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So 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). For example: A husband can say to his wife that he will be with her forever. But of course, this talking in context of "forever" as being here upon this Earth. In many cases, words such as "everlasting" or "forever" can be in context to a particular thing that is temporal within the Bible.


Source used:
(Please take note that I do not agree with everything these Christian authors believe, say, or do).
(I also adjusted some of his points on his list, as well).
Apttpteach

 

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V. Popular Eternal Torment Verses Explained:

There are only about 5 major verses in Scripture that appear at first glance to teach Eternal Torment.

1. Daniel 12:2
2. Matthew 25:46
3. Mark 9:44 (Same: Mark 9:48) (Similar to Matthew 25:41).
4. Revelation 14:11
5. Revelation 20:10

But all of these verses can be explained properly in light of comparing Scripture with Scripture.

1. Explaining Daniel 12:2

“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2).

Well, it is perfectly reasonable to read Daniel’s description of the unsaved here as describing not what they feel, but rather, how others feel about the unsaved. They rise to everlasting contempt because at their resurrection they discover that they will always be viewed with contempt by the righteous who, unlike them have risen to eternal life. Although the wicked will not live for eternity, the contempt held for them will.

Consider this: Adolf Hitler is dead, yet don’t we still revile his name? Even if his soul is conscious in some intermediate state, he probably can’t hear us or read our minds when we scorn his memory. Does this mean that when we think of Hitler we don’t think of him with contempt, since he is gone? Of course not! Even an atheist who does not believe that Hitler exists in any form would still say that he is looked upon with contempt. His contempt is ongoing, even if he himself is not (though he will certainly be resurrected). Just in terms of common sense, being disgraced and a subject of contempt does not by any means prove conscious existence.

Furthermore, consider the significance of Isaiah 66:24:

And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh” (KJV).

At first, it may not be apparent why I quoted this passage. But this passage sheds light on Daniel 12:2 once we understand the Hebrew behind the word for “an abhorring.” The Hebrew term deraon, translated “an abhorring” in Isaiah 66:24, is the same word translated as “contempt” in Daniel 12:2. Isaiah 66:24 is also the only other passage in the Old Testament that uses this term. For this reason, we can look at Isaiah for some guidance as to what the term means and how it applies to Isaiah.

Isaiah uses the same rare Hebrew term that Daniel does to describe what is often translated in English as “contempt.” It is assumed in the case of Daniel that the “contempt” is an emotion that conscious, living people are experiencing in hell. But notice that Isaiah says that carcasses, dead bodies, are what will be loathsome or abhorrent. How conscious is a dead body? How much shame can a dead body feel? None, obviously. These corpses are an abhorrence, i.e. they are subject to contempt, because even though they have no conscious existence, other beings that do have conscious existence abhor them.

2. Explaining Matthew 25:46:

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:46).

What does “eternal judgment” mean in Hebrews 6:2? It’s pretty simple; God judges, and the result is everlasting. Few traditionalists (i.e. Eternal Torment proponents), if any, argue that this verse teaches that God is continually judging for eternity, banging his gavel and repeatedly declaring saved or unsaved the same finite number of existent people. But wait a minute; it doesn’t say “the eternal results of judgment.” It says “eternal judgment.” Following the reasoning applied to Matthew 25:46, this verse must teach that God is continually in the act of judging! In other words, the consequences of the punishment are everlasting, and not the act of punishing that is ongoing. In fact, if we compare Scripture with Scripture, we discover exactly what this“everlasting punishment” actually is.

In 2 Thessalonians 1:9. It says, “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” (KJV).

So the wicked will be destroyed. Their everlasting punishment is…. everlasting destruction! Destruction means it is not around anymore. Something that is destroyed is no more. If I tell you I will destroy a piece of paper, I will either shred it, or burn it, etc.; It will be no more from what it used to be. It will cease to function in the manner that it was. It was destroyed. So Matthew 25:46 is referring to an everlasting punishment. This punishment has everlasting consequences and it is everlasting destruction (i.e. something that will be no more). Just as there is an “eternal judgment” mentioned in Scripture. A one time judgment with eternal consequences, and not a court like judgment that will stretch out into eternity for all time. Therefore, there will also be an “everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46), or a punishment that has everlasting consequences by an “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). It will be a destruction or ruin, or end of the wicked that has everlasting consequences.

Now, some try to say that comparing “everlasting life with everlasting punishment” is proof of Eternal Torment.

However, if we were to look more closely at Matthew 25:46:

Everlasting is the parallel (which speaks of the eternal consequences).

Both life and death (destruction, i.e. the punishment) have eternal consequences or effects.

But life and death (punishment) is the contrast.

So the verse is one part parallel and one part contrast.

As I already pointed out, the "everlasting punishment" is said to be "everlasting destruction" in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, which is death.

So the contrast is life (reward) and death (punishment).

And everlasting is the parallel.

Anyways, if ECT (Eternal Conscious Torment) was true, the verse would say,

"And these shall go away into everlasting life to be tortured in flames: but the righteous into life eternal to be in peaceful bliss." (Matthew 25:46 ECT Influenced Translation).

But the verse doesn't really say that, though; So Matthew 25:46 is not a solid case in proving Eternal Torment. At first glance, a person may get this impression when reading it, but we know that many verses in Scripture can be easily misunderstood with a quick reading (if we are not careful to compare Scripture with Scripture).​

Sources used in this post:
(Please take note that I do not agree with everything these Christian authors believe, say, or do; I am merely posting the source links to show that I quoted them at certain times for the point of my article):
Daniel 12:2 Does Not Teach Eternal Torment | Rethinking Hell
Matthew 25:46 Does Not Prove Eternal Torment – Part 1 | Rethinking Hell

 

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3. Explaining Mark 9:44:​

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“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:44).​

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In Mark 9:44, and Mark 9:48, Jesus quotes Isaiah 66:24, which is a part of Scripture where Isaiah tells us about how the carcases of the wicked will be viewed by those who worship the Lord (i.e. the saints) (see Isaiah 66:23); This event takes place in the future “New Earth” in God’s upcoming kingdom (see Isaiah 66:22).​

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22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make,​

shall remain before me, saith the Lord,​

so shall your seed and your name remain.​

23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another,​

and from one sabbath to another,​

shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.​

24 And they shall go forth, and look​

upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me:​

for their worm shall not die,​

neither shall their fire be quenched;​

and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.​

(Isaiah 66:22-24).​

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Okay. Let's go over this passage in more detail. So Isaiah says that “they (referring to the ‘all flesh’ mentioned in Isaiah 66:23) shall go forth, and look upon the CARCASES (not ‘immortal living souls’) of the men that have transgressed against me: for their WORM (the maggot that feeds on those ‘carcases’) shall not die, neither shall their fire (the fire that burns up those ‘carcases’) be quenched: and they (the people that have transgressed against God) shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”​

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Webster’s 1913 Dictionary:​

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Carcass ​

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1. n. A dead body, whether of man or beast; a corpse;​

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If we are to believe words in our own dictionary, we must believe that when Isaiah 66:24 talks about carcases, he is simply referring to dead bodies or corpses, and not immortal souls.​

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Okay. So when Jesus talks about the fire not being quenched, and the worm not dying in Mark 9:44, and Mark 9:48, He is not referring to anything other than what the passage in Isaiah 66 itself taught. So Mark 9:44, & Mark 9:48 must mean the same thing that Isaiah 66:24 means. The idea of the “never-dying worm” is a symbol for the fact that as long as there is a dead body to be chewed on, there will always be a worm to do the chewing – not that any individual worm is immortal. It is not saying that the fire that cannot be quenched will always go on forever even after the carcases are gone. Fires consume and burn up things, including carcases.​

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Anyways, the human being in this picture (within Isaiah 66:22-24) is most definitely DEAD, and not alive. “Carcases” don’t suffer pain, and they aren’t aware that worms are eating them; and, after they have been in fires for a while, they burn up, and they don’t exist anymore. So their worm dies not, and their fire is not quenched until they serve their purpose in consuming their carcases entirely until they are no more. If these wicked men and women were still alive in the flames screaming, and they would continue on for all eternity in the flames, and the saints were just checking in on them, clearly Isaiah would have painted a different picture for us by the use of other words to make that point clear (But he didn’t).​

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4. Explaining Revelation 14:11:​

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10 “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:​

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”​

First, 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. Are we to assume that the city of Edom will burn for all eternity? Mystery Babylon will also have her smoke go up for ever and ever (Revelation 19:3). Are we to assume that the city of Mystery Babylon will be on fire and give smoke for all eternity? Jesus says Heaven and earth will pass away (Matthew 24:35), and Revelation 21:1 says, “for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; “. So it’s not possible for these cities that are on our current Earth to keep putting off smoke for all eternity (if the Earth will pass away).​

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Second, I believe the words “and they have no rest day nor night” is switching back to the point in time within the Tribulation. In other words, verse 11 is saying that those who worship the beast will be destroyed like Edom was destroyed (using the Metaphor in Isaiah 34:10), and they will have no rest day or night while they are worshiping the beast within the time of the Great Tribulation. So Revelation 14:11 is not teaching Eternal Torment (Although somebody can easily conclude such an idea with a surface reading).​

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What am I talking about?​

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Well, here is my commentary on Revelation 14:9-11:​

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Revelation 14:9-11​

9 “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, [Present tense time during the Tribulation period]​

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:​

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever [Verse 10, and the beginning part here of verse 11 is a warning by the angel describing the future punishment of those who worship the beast. This temporary one-time punishment takes place after the judgment that is a singular event whereby they will eventually be destroyed] [Important Side Note: The “smoke of their torment going up forever” is the same as the cities of Idumea, and Mystery Babylon; They will not last “for all eternity” because the Earth will pass away as Jesus said]:​

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Revelation 14:11 (continued):​

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“…and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. [Present time during the Tribulation period which describes the earthly living state of those who worship the beast]”​

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Important Note:

The words in blue and red above in brackets is my commentary to the text.


Source used:
(Please take note that I do not agree with everything these Christian authors believe, say, or do; I am merely posting the source links to show that I quoted them at certain times for the point of my article):
Where the Worm That Never Dies — Mark 9:48 - Afterlife | Conditional Immortality

 

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5. Explaining Revelation 20:10:​

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“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).​

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First, the devil, the beast and the false prophet are demons. So even if one wanted to make this verse about eternal torment for faithless sinful mankind, the context in view here is in reference to demons and not wicked or faithless human beings.​

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Second, some suggest that the beast and the false prophet have been hanging down in the Lake of Fire for about 1,000 years before Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire (Suggesting that one remains alive while in the Lake of Fire for a very long time). While I do not discount the possibility that the beast and the false prophet may be alive down within the Lake of Fire, there is also the possibility that they are simply corpses by the time Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire, as well. How so? Well, Scripture can refer to the dead or the deceased with the word “are.” Isaiah says,​

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“They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.” (Isaiah 26:14).​

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Also, while God certainly may have many reasons to send Satan into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years before releasing him one last time at the end of the Millennium, why didn’t God just cast Satan into the Lake of Fire for 1,000 years along with the beast and the false prophet instead? Could it be that such a place is indeed a place of eventual destruction or annihilation? Fires in our real world teach us that they consume things.​

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But what about the part in Revelation 20:10 that says,​

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“the devil… shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever”​

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While I believe the KJV is the perfect Word of God for our day, and I prefer to simply look up words in older English dictionaries, I believe sometimes the original languages can on rare occasions give us a deeper and or expanded meaning.​

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The word “ever” repeated twice within Revelation 20:10 (in the KJV) is taken from the Greek word “aiōn.” According to Strong’s, this word is defined as a period or age (Which from our perspective can seem like an eternity).​

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In other words, Revelation 20:10 is saying that the devil, the beast, and the false prophet will be tormented day and night for... "ages, and ages."; Here are a few translations that express something similar:​

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"for the eons of the eons." ~ Concordant Literal New Testament​

"for the ages of the ages." ~ Darby Bible Translation.​

"for the aeons of the aeons." ~ The New Covenant by Dr. J.W. Hanson​

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In other words, Revelation 20:10 could be potentially saying that the devil, the beast, and the false prophet may be tormented day and night for the purpose of the Ages and Ages (or the Ages of Ages). Meaning the Ages and Ages that are past! They are being punished day and night for the evil that they committed during the past Ages and Ages here on this Earth. Fair justice. For the word "for" can also be defined as "because" (i.e. the purpose of) within the English language.​

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Revelation 20:10 Darby​

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"And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] both the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for [the purpose of] the ages of ages."​

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For the devil, the beast, and the false prophet are all demons who have tormented mankind for ages and ages. So they will be cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone and will be tormented day and night and not for all eternity.​

​

So the "ages and ages" could be talking about "past ages" and not "future ages."​

​

This is further supported by the fact that Paul says the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:26), which suggests that there were other enemies of God that the Lord destroyed before this last enemy. This then ties in nicely with Revelation 21:4 saying, "the former things have passed away." These former things that have passed away are: tears, sorrow, crying, death, and pain. For the first heaven and first earth will pass away and a new heaven and a new earth will take its place (Revelation 21:1). For Jesus says, "I make all things new." (Revelation 21:5).​

​

Now, does this mean I do not believe the English words “for ever, and ever” in my King James Bible? Perish the thought. Most certainly not! I believe the Word of God.​

​

I believe the devil will be tormented day and night for ever, and ever, but this is only within the context for as long as the Lake of Fire exists and it is only in context to how long the devil will exist as a conscious active being. Remember Philemon 1:15? Did Onesimus return to his master Philemon for all eternity or forever? Is Onesimus and Philemon still alive today? No, of course not. Onesimus returned forever to Philemon in context to while they were both alive on the Earth alone.​

​

Furthermore, if we were to look again at Revelation 14:11 it says the smoke of their torment ascends for ever, and ever. Smoke of torment ascending for ever and ever” is a metaphorical phrase from Isaiah 34:10 that says,​

​

“It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.” (Isaiah 34:10).​

​

Notice the words "night nor day shall not be quenched” in the verse.​

​

Surely the smoke of the city of Edom will not go up for all eternity because Jesus says Heaven and Earth will pass away (Matthew 24:35) and Revelation 21:1 says, “the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.” You cannot have eternal cities burning forever on a planet that passes away. It doesn’t make any sense. So this lets us know that the words "for ever and ever" and “night and day” is in reference to the language for destruction. This is how I believe that we are to interpret Scripture. We interpret Scripture with Scripture (Isaiah 28:10) (Acts of the Apostles 17:10-11). If we are to be consistent with how biblical language is used. When in reference to punishment, the words “for ever and ever" is in reference to destruction from Isaiah 34:10. That is how these words are described and setting the tone of how we should understand these phrases or words. Yes, Scripture says in Revelation how God lives for ever and ever, but this is not in context to punishment but to God. Take for example the word "know" in the Bible. It can mean "having knowledge" like in Genesis 3:5. But used in another context, it can refer to physical intimacy like in Genesis 19:5. The dictionary has several definitions for the word "ever." Besides the word "ever" meaning eternal, it also defines the word "ever" in this way, as well.​

​

Ever: ​

(adverb):​

​

To a great extent or degree.​

​

Dictionary Source:​

Ever dictionary definition | ever defined​

​

So while this may not be 100% biblical fact, it may possibly mean in Revelation 20:10 as saying,​

​

“...shall be tormented day and night for ever [a great extent] and ever [degree].”​

​

Also, the beast and the false prophets are demons in Revelation 20:10, and not wicked men. The false prophet in Revelation 16:13-14 is implied to be the one who is the second beast who rose up out of the earth (Revelation 13:11-15). So even if one wanted to take the words for ever and ever literally in Revelation 20:10, it is referring to demons and not wicked humans.​

​

1 Corinthians 15:26 says,​

“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”​

​

If we believe the last enemy to be destroyed is death, this strongly implies that there are other previous enemies of God who will also be destroyed, as well.​

​

This is EXACTLY what we see described of the devil in Ezekiel 28.​

“By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.” (Ezekiel 28:16).​

 

[Bible Highlighter]

VI. God Alone Has Immortality:

Some believe that man is inherently immortal;

But Jesus (God) alone has immortality.

14 “...our Lord Jesus Christ:
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
​

“....even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalms 90:2).

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,...” (Isaiah 57:15).

​

VII. The Tree of Life:

God prevented Adam and Eve from eating of “the Tree of Life” for a reason.

Let's read the verse.

“So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24).
​

This took place right after Adam and Eve fell spiritually (i.e. The Fall of Mankind). If they were to eat of the tree of life, they would have possessed everlasting life or immortality physically. They would have been in their corrupted sinful bodies for all eternity. This would not have been good, so God kept them away from eating of the “tree of life.” Only the faithful resurrected saints will one day have access to the tree of life.

Revelation 22:14 says,

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
(Revelation 22:14).
​

In other words, man is not inherently immortal. Even those who do evil and partake of “the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29) will obviously not eat of the tree of life in Revelation 22:14. For eating of the “tree of life” paints us the picture of immortality that we have in Christ Jesus.

For Jesus said,
“I am the vine, ye [you-all] are the branches:” (John 15:5).​

 

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VIII. Conditional Immortality Verses on the Destruction of the Wicked:
(Note: The quotes from certain Modern Translations below say the same thing as the KJV):
(Note 2: Please understand that I do believe that the following verses below can in many cases refer to physical death; But I believe that they can have a more complete meaning in that it also applies to eternal death or eventual annihilation in the Lake of Fire, too; For double meanings in Scripture is not uncommon. For Messianic prophecies prove that Scripture can have two meanings):

"Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

“Whose end is destruction,...” (Philippians 3:19).

“and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a proclaimer of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.” (2 Peter 2:5-6 NHEB).

“And repays them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hates him, he will repay him to his face.” (Deuteronomy 7:10).

“Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.” (Job 4:8-9).

“For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” (Psalms 1:6).

“When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” (Ezekiel 3:18-20).

“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3).

“Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:32).

“But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;” (2 Peter 2:12).

“What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.” ‭‭(Romans 6:21).

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 4:1-3).

“When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:” (Psalms 92:7).

"....as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God." (Psalms 68:2).

“There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy:” (James 4:12).

"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 21:8).

“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).​

Note on Matt 10:28: Hell is thrown into the Lake of Fire (whereby hell or its inhabitants will be destroyed) (See: Revelation 20:14).

Note on Revelation 21:8: The Lake of Fire is called the “second death.” This can only make sense to call it the “second death” if it is related to the “first death” (i.e. physical death - whereby the flesh and blood body perishes and or is destroyed).


IX. Conditional Immortality Verses on the Destruction of the Devil & Death:


The Final Fate of the Wicked Also Includes the Annihilation or:


A. Destruction of the Devil:

• Isaiah 14:12, Isaiah 14:19

12 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”
19 “....thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.”​

• Ezekiel 28:12-18

12 “...Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.”​

B. Destruction of the Entity or Power Known As "Death":

• 1 Corinthians 15:26

“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death”​

Now, stop and think for a moment. Again, if the last enemy to be DESTROYED is “death,” then logic dictates that there are other previous enemies of God who will also be destroyed, too. This means that wicked mankind, and the devil and his minions will also be destroyed, as well. For they are also God’s enemies!

 

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X. Conditional Immortality Verses on Receiving Immortality:
Immortality (everlasting life) is not something mankind automatically has. The majority of Greek philosophers were wrong. Immortality can only be had by partaking of the tree of life, or by the gospel (Which are things that give us access to Jesus), and or directly by Jesus Christ Himself.

“...he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever." (Genesis 3:22 HCSB).

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5:12).

Jesus says,
“...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10).

Jesus says,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life:” (John 14:6).

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever" (John 6:51).

“But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” (2 Timothy 1:10).

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:11-13)

“To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:” (Romans 2:7).
​

Note on Romans 2:7: Why should we seek immortality or eternal life if every man and woman is inherently immortal already? It doesn’t make any sense.


Some Conditional Immortality Verses That Sums Up The Truth on Both Life & Death Nicely:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17).​

XI. Real World Example (or Parable) in Defense of Conditional Immortality:

Jesus many times used parables or real world examples to illustrate or parallel spiritual truth. Eternal Torment cannot be made into a real world example so as to defend fair justice. For example: If a family entered a country whereby their child had lied, or stolen some bread, etc. and the authorities caught them and decided to torture their child for the rest of his or her life in a very cruel way over such a crime, we would think that such a punishment would not fit the crime and or be fair. We would think it would be unfair justice if such a thing took place today in our real world. Now, how can God be any less fair and just? God sends rain on the righteous, and the unrighteous. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Can we really say that “God is good” and yet He can also torture a wicked person for all eternity for a finite amount of crimes they committed in their life? Even our own justice system teaches us about fair justice and these principles can be found even in the Old Testament Law of Moses (Which of course is not a binding contract or covenant for the believer today, but certain laws can be good, useful, or beneficial for the believer today who is under the New Covenant, or New Testament).​

 

[Bible Highlighter]

XII. Comparison Chart: Which View Allegorizes Scripture More?

Many people have their own views on the “Lake of Fire”. Many believe it is an eternal punishment. Many believe you will immediately perish. Others believe it is a temporary punishment. Which answer is the right one? Well, I have done an in-depth side by side scriptural analysis on both the "Traditional View" (Eternal Torment) and the "Conditional View" (Annihilation in the Lake of Fire).

Verses That Make Sense
(From Each Perspective Viewpoint):

Notice how the Conditional view appears to make the most sense (according to the chart)?

This is because...

Traditional Viewpoints requires the most spiritualization (or metaphorical interpretation) of scripture, with words such as:

1. perish
2. death
3. die
4. destruction
5. consumed by fire
6. second death
7. carcases

In other words: the above words (within scripture) have to be used metaphorically in order for the verses to fit the traditional viewpoint.

Conditional Viewpoints has the least amount of spiritualization of figurative expressions within scripture, such as:

1. their worm will not die
2. the smoke of their torment will go up forever (Isaiah 34:10 Which also describes a place)
3. unquenchable fire

In other words: the above words (within scripture) have to be used metaphorically in order for the verses to fit the conditional viewpoint.

Also, In Isaiah 66:22-24 the usage of the phrases "the worm will not die" and the "the unquenchable fire" is said to involve the carcases of men being viewed by the saints (or those who have received eternal life). The fact that the saints are viewing the ongoing empty (soulless) remains (or carcases) of dead bodies could very well be a testament to the saints and the eternal life they continue to have.

While ECT does appear to teach Eternal Torment, this in my view is only a surface reading or a reading somebody would receive at first glance.

Hell and the Nature of God:

Notice how the Conditional view appears to make the most sense (according to the chart)?

This is because...

Traditional Viewpoints requires the most spiritualization (or metaphorical interpretation) of scripture, with words such as:

1. perish
2. death
3. die
4. destruction
5. consumed by fire
6. second death
7. carcases

In other words: the above words (within scripture) have to be used metaphorically in order for the verses to fit the traditional viewpoint.

Conditional Viewpoints has the least amount of spiritualization of figurative expressions within scripture, such as:

1. their worm will not die
2. the smoke of their torment will go up forever (Isaiah 34:10 Which also describes a place)
3. unquenchable fire

In other words: the above words (within scripture) have to be used metaphorically in order for the verses to fit the conditional viewpoint.

Also, In Isaiah 66:22-24 the usage of the phrases "the worm will not die" and the "the unquenchable fire" is said to involve the carcases of men being viewed by the saints (or those who have received eternal life). The fact that the saints are viewing the ongoing empty (soulless) remains (or carcases) of dead bodies could very well be a testament to the saints and the eternal life they continue to have.

While ECT does appear to teach Eternal Torment, this in my view is only a surface reading or a reading somebody would receive at first glance.

Hell and the Nature of God:

You will notice in the chart above that God’s very nature seems to favor the Conditional View.

In fact, if we were to examine “Earthbound Examples of Punishment" within the Bible: You would notice that God did not generally drag out the punishment of others here on this Earth before taking their lives. Judgement or punishment was usually very quick (i.e. The Flood, Sodom & Gomorrah, the armies of God wiping out its evil and sinful enemies, etc.). The only exception to this rule is the many plagues the firstborn of Egypt had to endure before their lives were finally taken (in the final plague) as described to us within the book of Exodus. However, in my opinion, this was a special case or circumstance; therefore, the plagues of Egypt did not reflect God’s normal pattern of punishment shown to us within Scripture; Plus, the plagues did not last upon Egyptians their whole lives, either.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Here is a quick helpful video on Conditional Immortality:

 

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Supposed Eternal Torment Verses Explained:

 

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Answering the Popular Objections #1:

The issue comes up by some that Eternal Torment appears to be more of an effective deterrent for the wicked than Conditional Immortality. Some who hold to ECT (Eternal Conscious Torment) will say, “If the Lake of Fire is just temporary suffering, and not eternal, the sinner will not have motivation to turn from their sins.” “Eternal Torment is more effective in getting a person to turn from their sins vs if it was not eternal pain and suffering.”

Is this a good argument?

Well, I think your average good citizen who has a family and is loving and good with his neighbors will naturally be deterred in wanting to be in prison one day or even one hour let alone for eternity. The idea of wanting to be even punished and or humiliated is bad enough. If a good and loving citizen was tortured for just one day, it would be even worse. If someone told this good citizen that if they did a certain crime, and they would be tortured or suffer greatly in extreme pain for say several months or possibly for a year, he/she would never want to even accidentally break a law that would set forth a punishment like that. The same would be true for a person who was inclined to break the laws of the land. If this person found out that they could be tortured for months on end and they truly knew the depths of how bad that torture was, they would be more likely inclined in not committing crimes in their land.

In fact, countries that have super harsh prisons that seem like a place of torture or pain are said to have a lower crime rate. Surely they did not have to live eternally suffering for all eternity in order to deter people from committing crimes. Imagine if their minds were placed into a machine to live on forever and the program made them to be tortured and to feel pain for all eternity for their finite amount of crimes. Does that sound fair? Did they not learn from their punishment? Is that not overkill? Would not such a thing be monstrous? For even our society teaches us that there are degrees of punishment for committing certain laws. Here in the United States, there are misdemeanors, and felonies. A felony is far more serious than a misdemeanor. This is fair justice.

Some do not understand that many who hold to Conditional Immortality view it as a place of suffering the Lake of Fire for a certain amount of time in proportion to their sins. They will be punished for one Sabbath to another and from one new moon to another (See Isaiah 66:22-24 with a special focus on verse 23). This means that they will suffer for months before they are destroyed and viewed as carcases or dead lifeless corpses by the saints on the New Earth. How many months? The Bible does not say. But the point here is that they will suffer according to their sin. Their punishment will be no more than what they deserve, and no less. This is a fair and just punishment.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Answering the Popular Objections #2:

Some who hold to ECT (Eternal Conscious Torment) have argued that seeing God is eternal, we must be punished eternally because we are sinning against a holy and eternal God. So the punishment must be eternal. But this does not compute. We do not have a time machine whereby we can travel eternally with God to sin against Him for all eternity. We are finite beings and have only committed finite crimes (or certain set number of crimes) against God. While God is eternal, our sin is not eternal but finite. So thus, if the sin is finite, the punishment cannot be eternal. The punishment has to fit the crime if it is to be true and fair justice.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Hurdles for Some:

I think some have a hard time accepting Conditional Immortality because they think only Jehovah's Witnesses or a super small number of unrespected believers hold to Conditional Immortality. This is not true. In recent years, due to Edward Fudge and his book, it is reported that many respected Christians have now come to accept Conditional Immortality. While I may not agree with all of what these respected Christians say or do, or believe, they are respected by many in the general biblical Christian community.

You can discover these names towards the bottom of this website here:

Believe What the Jewish Apostles Taught -- Why Conditional Immortality Is True and Biblical

Note: I have not listed these names here because I do not know them personally and or what they believe, but they appear to be respected by other Christians according to the following article link provided. Again, it does not mean I endorse these believers personally. But for many, they are respected Christians.

Side Note:

Please keep in mind that I do not believe in the article's view on hell. I believe hell is real and literal and not a metaphor. But I do agree with the author on the article that the Lake of Fire is a place of eventual destruction or annihilation.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Here is a testimony I discovered that I think helps to illustrate the problems with Eternal Torment:

Dear Brother:

I cannot even begin to describe the catharsis my mind, body and soul went through while reading this book. You may have saved my life and/or my sanity as a result.

You see, i live in San Francisco, and recently renewed my quest for religious truth. Such quest occurred after attending a very blasphemous Easter event hosted by a local organization called the sisters of perpetual indulgence (i purposely did not capitalize their name, because i do not respect or admire their work). These sisters (actually men is elaborate drag) essentially mocked God and the Lord Jesus Christ by encouraging lascivious and offensive behavior, and even had a "sexy Jesus" contest, not at all befitting to the Son of Man.

My quest led me into the darkest spiritual prison imaginable, and consumed my every waking moment. I rapidly descended into a confusing world of evangelical Christianity, which on the one had told me that there is a loving God that wants me to love him with all my heart and mind, but that it's unlikely that all my efforts with result in salvation- and my punishment would be spending eternity burning with billions of others. This warped view created in me a sense of anxiety and paranoia I've never known before. I even had thoughts about leaving my family and moving into the woods so i would get away from all the ungodly people i was around, including family. I had terrible thoughts that my daughter might be better off dead, because God wouldn't allow an innocent child to burn in hell for all of eternity. I thought of departed family members roasting in the lake of fire because they were Catholics, and all Catholics were deceived by false doctrines, and therefore by extension were worthy of eternal torment.

Out of desperation, i tried to correct my sinking ship by doing good works and praying often, which is certainly a good thing and something I'll continue doing for the rest of my life. However, the huge difference is that i was previously doing it not so much out of love (although i told myself this), but out of sheer terror. I was en route to the loony bin, suicide or heart attack if i continued. My family was scared of the monster that i had become- albeit a softly spoken monster, but one nonetheless. I finally decided to search out opposing positions, because i just could not believe that a loving God would allow the majority of those that ever lived to be subjected to an eternity of horrible pain. That's when i found your site and book. My anxiety slowly started to dissipate, i was able to eat again, i no longer scared everyone in my family, and i started to develop a genuine love for our merciful heavenly father.

I'm not sure if the scar of this experience will ever go away, but I'm sure glad to have come out on the other side still intact.

My faith is Jesus Christ has never been stronger, and i look forward to continuing a loving relationship with him.

Thanks for listening and God be with you,

Dennis

San Francisco, CA
​

Source:
Believe What the Jewish Apostles Taught -- Why Conditional Immortality Is True and Biblical
(Again, I do not agree with the website's view on hell being a metaphor; I only agree with their view that the Lake of Fire is a place of annihilation).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE UNREPENTANT WICKED AFTER THE SECOND COMING?
(WHAT UNIVERSALISM WILL NOT TEACH YOU).

Wicked shall be destroyed
Psalms 145:20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him, but all the wicked He shall destroy
Psalms 101:8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord
Pslams 37:9-11 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yes, you shall diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Proverbs 14:11, The house of the wicked shall be destroyed: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
Psalms 37:38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off
Psalms 92:7 When the wicked spring as the grass and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed forever
Psalms 94:23 He has brought back their wickedness upon them And will destroy them in their evil
The Lord our God will destroy them.
Proverbs 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed; but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded
Proverbs 10:29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright, but destruction shall be the workers of iniquity.
Hosea 7:13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me
Philippians 1:28 in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.
Philippians 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things
2 Peter 2:3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
2 Peter 2:12 But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed
2 Peter 3:7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
Jude 1:10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

They shall perish
Psalms 37:20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs. They shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away
Psalms 1:4 The wicked are not so,But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Palms 1:6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.
Proverbs 19:9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish
Luke 13:3 Nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever should believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life
2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received no the love of the truth that they might be saved

The wicked shall burnt up
Matthew 3:12 Whose fan is in His hand, and he will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner. But He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire
Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. And in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn
Hebrews 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Malachi 4:1,3 For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble and th day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts. It shall leave them neither root nor branch...And ye shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works therein shall be burnt up

The wicked will be consumed
Isaiah 1:28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
Psalm 37:20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs. They shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away
Psalms 104:35a Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more

The wicked will be devoured
Psalms 21:9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them.
Revelation 20:9 And they went up on th ebreadth 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.
Hebrews 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indigination, which shall devour the adversaries

The wicked shall be cut off from the earth
Psalms 37:2,9,22,28,34,38 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb...For evildoers shall be cut off, but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth...For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off...For the Lord loveth judgment and forsaketh not his saints; the are preserved for ever. But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off...Wait on the Lord and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it...But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off
Isaiah 33:12 And the people shall be as the burnings of lime. As thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire
Proverbs 2:22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it

The wicked will go into perdition utter ruin
Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul
2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and periditon of ungodly men

The wicked are cmpared to combustible materials
Matthew 3:12. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaffwith unquenchable fire.
Nahum 1:9-10 What do ye imagine against the Lord? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.
Matthew 13:40. "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
John 15:6. "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

The wicked shall die
Ezekiel 18:4-9, 20 [4], Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.
James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
John 8:24 I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 8:13 For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.
Proverbs 15:10 Correction is grievous to him that forsakes the way: and he that hates reproof shall die.
Proverbs 19:16 He that keeps the commandment keeps his own soul; but he that despises his ways shall die.
Ezekiel 3:18-20 When I say to the wicked, You shall surely die; and you give him not warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand. Yet if you warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Again, When a righteous man does turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at your hand.
Ezekiel 18:24 But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.
Ezekiel 18:26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in them; for his iniquity that he has done shall he die.
Ezekiel 18:28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Ezekiel 18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, O house of Israel?
Ezekiel 33:8-9 When I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die; if you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand. Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
Ezekiel 33:11, 13, 14, 15, 18 Say to them, As I live, said the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?

The wicked shall not inherit the kingdom of God
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Revelation 22:14-15 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, jealousies, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Contentions, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous that is, an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death

…………….

What meaning can be attached to the words "burned up" if not utter consumption or destruction? It is almost unbelievable that men can read these statements, that He (God) will make an utter end and they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry," and clear finite usage of terms like 'destruction', 'death', 'destroy', 'cut off', 'burn up' and 'be no more' and still believe in a literal, endless hell or the wicked will still be living being prepared for everlasting life (Universalism). The above is an ongoing and unfinished work some of which has been picked up from other places and added to which is simply all God's Word not mine.

May God bless you all as you seek him through His Word

I agree LGW.

Well said. In defense of the wicked being annihilated in the Lake of Fire:
I hope if you don't mind if I repost the points that I like out of your post within my thread and highlight the words in the verses. I only posted those verses that appear to line up with the KJB (King James Bible).

If it is an issue, let me know.

Blessings be unto you today in the Lord.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

The End of the Wicked is Annihilation:
(Verses are updated with the King James Bible):

Wicked shall be destroyed:

Psalms 145:20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him:
but all the wicked will he destroy.
Psalms 101:8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land;
that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.
Psalms 37:38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together:
the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
Psalms 92:7 When the wicked spring as the grass,
and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish;
it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:
Proverbs 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed:
but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
Proverbs 10:29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright:
but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Hosea 7:13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
Philippians 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
2 Peter 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;​

They shall perish:

Psalms 37:20 But the wicked shall perish,
and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs:
they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
Psalms 1:6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Proverbs 19:9 A false witness shall not be unpunished,
and he that speaketh lies shall perish.
Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.​

The wicked shall be burnt up:

Matthew 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Malachi 4:1-3 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts,​

The wicked will be consumed:

Isaiah 1:28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
Psalms 37:20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.​

The wicked will be devoured:

Psalms 21:9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.
Revelation 20:9 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.
Hebrews 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Nahum 1:9-10 What do ye imagine against the Lord? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.​

The wicked are compared to combustible materials:

Matthew 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Nahum 1:9-10 What do ye imagine against the Lord? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.
Matthew 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.​

The wicked shall die:

James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Revelation 21:8 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.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Proverbs 15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
Proverbs 19:16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.
​

Original Source:
Poster: “LoveGodsWord”
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE UNREPENTANT WICKED AFTER THE 2ND COMING?
Note: This list is updated to show only those verses in the King James Bible and only those verses that would be more convincing for an ECT Proponent; In other words, some of the original poster's verses do not appear in this particular list as shown here.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

The Wicked Shall Be No More:

Psalms 37:9-11 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yes, you shall diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalms 104:35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.​