Matthew 25:46
“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
Everlasting death is an everlasting punishment and is opposite of everlasting life.
Revelation 20:10-15
Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Final Judgment
And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 14:9-12
Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.
Revelations is not to be a taken literally in some cases. In the Old testament, sodom and gomorrah are said to be burning "forever and forever," yet are not, and shows that it's symbolism.
If you set this evidence up to the numerous verses that outright say that hell destroys the soul, ect, they don't hold much weight in eternal suffering interpretations.
It never once says that humans will endure everlasting torment.
When Jesus mentions that parable you speak of, he points out that it is hades, the abode of the dead, not gehenna fire. The Jews believed in Abrahams bossom if you were of God, is where you awaited judgment, which was in hades (sheol). Now, I've always been looking, but I remember a verse refering to Jesus opening the gates of hades (interpreted as hell), or something of the sort, which makes sense if he is speaking of the 'abode of the dead' where people stayed before the judgment of the dead.
"and death and hades will be thrown into the lake of fire" "this is the second death"
A fire destroys, and that is the purpose of the lake of fire in this case.
If one remains undestroyed, it can be seen as them still having life, or living, even though it would be living in hell, it is still living.
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned;
he has crossed over from death to life."
John 5:24
Anyways, this is a bit off topic, but I'm just demonstrating that it is hard to turn from something you've always believed in and what everyone else believes in as well, but there are leaders that have done this and have shown us greater truths, such as Martin Luther, Wesley, Moody, Finney, ect, so it can happen.
. I still hold the same view on baptism, just no longer believe you're going to hell if you disagree with me!
