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And the fate is indeed total destruction, utter death and literally being "no more" for a creature that was meant for the opposite fate. A terrible place indeed.
Yes so annihilation is the only true understanding of the wicked's fate.
And the concept of something created good and made to know, love and serve Good having all Good removed from its presence leaves that thing utterly useless - which would totally destroy any real or potential for a meaningful existence.
Perhaps but that concept is not taught in scripture on this topic. Only death and destruction is awaiting the wicked as opposed to a horrible eternal life.
The wicked do not receive 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
"I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found." Psalm 37:35,36
He isn't found! Not "put into hell to be tormented for eternity". Scripture clearly shows the wicked being destroyed.
So the use of fire consuming a damned person need not be presumed to mean "nothing remains".
Yet that's exactly how scripture uses it.
I would not call the existence I just described as equal to the promise God made to us all before His Ascension.
No one would say equal in quality but it is equal in length one lives.
So claim the orthodox life has the damned getting "eternal life" is not just false, it is absurd.
Wrong. If someone lives forever that is eternal life. Being tortured alive forever is a very negative form of eternal life but it is eternal life no matter how one tries to spin it and eternal life of any kind for the wicked is not scriptural so it is that and only that which is "false and absurd".
Orthodox in this discussion meant an accepted non-heretical view of Hell, but thanks for playing.
Orthodoxy is not always correct nor is it universally agreed upon as to what is and isn't considered Orthodox among the various denominations anyways. Only scripture is the authority on what is true or not, not just what the majority believes is true.
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