Heb_12:29 For our God is a
consuming fire.
G2654
?ata?a??´s??
katanalisko¯
kat-an-al-is'-ko
From G2596 and G355;
to consume utterly: - consume.
compare that to this:
Mat 10:28 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.
G622
a?p?´???µ?
apollumi
ap-ol'-loo-mee
From G575 and the base of G3639;
to destroy fully (reflexively to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively: - destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.
Both speak about fire which can fully destroy/consume something...the fire of a star is very hot, but that man can recreate the same temperatures in welding makes me think the fire of "hell" is something far stronger/hotter.
Fire represents a destructive force. This lake of fire won't be normal fire as we can create ourselves. I believe it to be God himself since God is a consuming fire. So God can create something, and can uncreate something as well. I believe the lake of fire is simply an uncreating process described in a way simple so people could understand it's basic function- destruction.
There was a time none of us existed. God has decided that the bad, wicked, evil etc etc of us should return to that non-existence. There is a fire which is unlike any fire man knows which will be used to destroy souls which essentially and definitively uncreates them.
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.
There is only one kind of eternal life, and that is with God as overcomers judged to life. Those judged to death on judgment day, which is called the second death, will not have eternal life in hell or torment. Their punishment is death and that punishment will last for all eternity. They shall not live eternally in agony because they shall not have eternal life of any kind.
Rev 20:10 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.
Don't assume “day and night forever and ever” is literal:
Isa 34:8 For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
Isa 34:9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
Isa 34:10
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 uses similar language concerning Edom and Edom is not still burning. This is an intentional exaggeration and should be understood in that way just as Rev 20:10 should be.
Another example:
Exo 21:6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall
serve him for ever.
Not literally forever of course. It simply means "a long time", ie: the rest of his life, an intentional exaggeration.
Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of
eternal fire.
Sodom and Gomorrha are not still burning therefore this eternal fire does not imply the target burns forever but this fire exists eternally whether it has something to burn or not and since God is a consuming fire it makes sense that it is eternal because God is eternal. Remember that this fire isn't actual fire. The word fire is used because it's the closest way for us to have any chance to understand the destructive nature and result of this "fire".
And look at how many scriptures refute the idea of eternal life in hell fire:
"The soul that sinneth,
it shall die." Ezekiel 18:4.
"He that overcometh shall not be hurt of
the second death." Revelation 2:11
"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is
the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:14,15.
"The earth and all the inhabitants thereof
are dissolved." Psalm 75:3.
"Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let
the wicked be no more." Psalm 104:35.
"Consume them in wrath,
consume them, that they may not be." Psalm 59:13.
"The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but
all the wicked will he destroy." Psalm 145:20
"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: Psalm 92:7
"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly,
shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that shall
burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that
it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Malachi 4:1
"And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and
they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed." Isaiah 1:28
"Enter ye in at the straight gate: for wide is the fate, and broad is the way, that
leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat." Matthew 7:13
"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 37:20
Judgment is a decision to reward or punish someone. The judgement/punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23), which is also called the second death (Rev 21:8), and that judgement/punishment is written to be eternal/everlasting (Mark 3:29, Hebrews 6:2). So, eternal punishment is an eternal death.
Two things happen to the wicked. First they will die the second death which means soul and body dies and then their soul and body shall be destroyed.
Matthew 10:28 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.
Here we have death of the soul likened to destruction of the soul. One cannot be destroyed without dying so the two go hand in hand. While the Greek word here can mean several things, we know from other scriptures esp. the OT which has only one meaning for "destruction" being literal destruction, that this word here means:
apollumi
Thayer Definition:
1)
to destroy
1a)
to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to ruin
1)
to destroy
1b)
render useless
1c)
to kill
1d)
to declare that one must be put to death
1e) metaphorically to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell
1f) to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed
2) to destroy
2a) to lose
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G575 and the base of G3639
Citing in TDNT: 1:394, 67
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.
This also relates the death of the wicked to their complete destruction/consumation as well as death.
Psalms 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but
all the wicked will he destroy.
H8045
????
sha^mad
BDB Definition:
1) to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be annihilated, be exterminated
1a2) to be destroyed, be devastated
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to annihilate, exterminate
1b2) to destroy
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 2406
Lets use the same logic some apply. We know that our preservation by the Lord shall be eternal, known as salvation or eternal life then the opposite for the wicked would be eternal death and destruction right? Not to be preserved to suffer eternal torture!
Isaiah 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
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.
Here the same concept. All sinners judged and consumed at the same time which cannot be anything other than the final judgement.
The punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23), which is also called the second death (Rev 20, 21), and that judgement/decision (also called damnation) is written to be eternal/everlasting (Mark 3:29, Hebrews 6:2).
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:
Some teach that God will not do as he says.
Psalms 37:16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
Psalms 37:17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
Psalms 37:18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
Psalms 37:19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
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.
Do they perish, consumed away in smoke or do they live forever in torture?? Scripture is clear!
Psalms 145:20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but
all the wicked will he destroy.
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.
Isaiah 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
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.
Isaiah 1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
Isaiah 1:30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
Isaiah 1:31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and
they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.
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;
Hebrews 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation,
which shall devour the adversaries.
Hebrews 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Hebrews 10:31 It
is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Jeremiah 6:27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
Jeremiah 6:28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.
Jeremiah 6:29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for
the wicked are not plucked away.
Jeremiah 6:30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
Why are they wicked?
Jeremiah 6:27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
Jeremiah 6:28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron;
they are all corrupters.
Jeremiah 6:29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
Jeremiah 6:30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because
the LORD hath rejected them.
They are corrupt and God has rejected them.
Psalms 37:16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
Psalms 37:17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
Psalms 37:18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
Psalms 37:19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
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 righteous ones will be saved but those unrighteous will be consumed away.
2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2 Thessalonians 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
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.
They wouldn't receive the truth to be saved so they shall be destroyed!
2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2 Thessalonians 2:12 That
they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Those that had pleasure in unrighteousness and received not the truth shall perish and be damned.
Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2851&t=KJV
1) correction, punishment, penalty
The lexicon there says the word punishment in this verse means "correction, punishment, penalty" not firery torment. As I have been saying, the kind of "correction, punishment, penalty" inflicted is unnamed in this verse but is given many places elsewhere as both death and destruction.
The righteous are not sinless but they repent and love God and believe upon Christ and that is counted righteous and though all are wicked in some sense, it is only those who love unrighteousness, who do not love God, who don't repent and don't follow Christ that shall be destroyed.
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and
few there be that find it.
The way to destruction is wide and many will be destroyed. FEW will find the way to life. Read it more than once if you don't believe this. Christ said it and it is true.