The Question of Universalism and Possible Ultimate Release from Hell

[Berserk]

Evangelical apologists tend to play to the choir by debating strawman positions that better informed opponents would view with amused pity. Therefore, apologists should seek out and focus on the best arguments for opposing perspectives to avoid the accusation of a superficial grasp of the decisive issues. I am not a universalist, but I believe the so-called universalist texts raise profound eschatological questions for evangelicals to explore with profit. So this thread will play Devil's Advocate in drawing attention to the interpretive challenges posed by these texts, some of which don't seem to have been considered in other threads on this topic.

One standard anti-universalist argument can be summarily dismissed--the argument that universalism trivializes the urgency of embracing the Gospel. Does the prospect of spending long periods of Hell time in unimaginable conscious torment trivialize the Gospel? Please!

The validity of universalism depends on how we resolve tensions or apparent contradictions between the exclusivist biblical texts familiar to all evangelicals and other texts that seem to imply an all-inclusive cosmic reconciliation, ultimate release from postmortem punishment, and a divine intent to ultimately save everyone. The urgency of the universalist question (and the less inclusive related question of possible release for some from Hell is fueled by these 4 questions about the morality of the Christian God:
(1) If an omnipotent God wants everyone to ultimately be saved, how can that divine desire ever be permanently thwarted?
(2) How can sins committed during a relatively brief lifespan merit not just annihilation, but eternal conscious torment from a just God?
(3) How can God's pure unconditional love eternally abandon any sinner after death?
(4) If sinners in Hell eventually long to benefit from divine grace and live a life pleasing to God, why would it ever be too late for a loving God to respond positively to this longing? As C. S. Lewis put it, "The gates of Hell are locked from the inside."

Discussion of this issue needs to keep 2 facts in mind:
(1) Strictly speaking, the Bible is not a book of systematic theology. Many theological texts presume an unstated set of assumptions that must be identified, but this identification process is often arbitrary and indecisive.

(2) The Bible can never be definitively translated because so often there is no one-to-one correspondence between the Hebrew and Greek word and the English word used to translate it. For example, neither the Hebrew ("olam") nor the Greek ("aionios") word that is routinely translated "eternal" needs to mean that. The primary meaning of "olam" is "for a long time" and "aionios" means "age-long."

I will begin by presenting the case from Revelation and then from 1 Peter, Paul, and Jesus.

 

[Berserk]

I. THE CASE FOR UNIVERSALISM IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION

(1) John reveals a logical eschatological pattern, first death/ 1st resurrection (of Christians---20:5-6)/ 2nd death (20:14; 21:8)/ 2nd resurrection. The 2nd resurrection is not explicitly identified because John does not want his universalism to offend persecuted believers. The 2nd resurrection cannot refer to "the Great White Throne" judgement of those who are and are not "written in the Book of Life (21:11-15)" because (a) they are not "raised up" to this judgment and (b) the wicked being judged then experience the judgment of "the 2nd death" in "the lake of fire." The 2nd resurrection, following the 2nd death, raises up the unsaved who have been thrown into the lake of fire (20:15).

(2) The eternally open gates of the heavenly New Jerusalem, which lacks a literal sun, moon, and Temple, imply traffic coming and going (21:15; cp. 21:22-23). But coming and going for what purpose--on what mission? The answer is determined by who is "outside" the gates: "Outside (the gates) are the dogs, sorcerers, fornicators, murderers, idolaters, and everyone who practices falsehood (22:15)." Being "outside" the gates means that precisely this list of sinners is confined to "the lake of fire (21:8)." Nothing unclean an enter the Holy City. So the damned who are retrieved must "wash their robes" and be spiritually healed by leaves of the Tree of Life: "The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations (22:2, 14)." Thus, the wicked nations are retrieved from the lake of fire where the Devil is confined 'into the ages of the ages (20:10)." Precedent in this period for such soul retrievals from Hell is established by 2 other early Christian apocalypses (Apocalypse of Peter 14; Sibylline Oraces II:331-335). Thus, we can understand why C. S. Lewis says, "The gates of Hell are locked from the inside" and why Christ says, "I have the keys of Death and Hell (Rev. 1:18)."

(3) We would then expect John to describe all humanity, righteous and unrighteous, worshiping God and Christ in Heaven and John does so in Rev. 5:13. Those "under the earth" refer to the unrighteous trapped in Hades. In his Commentary on Revelation (p. 112), Dr. Eugene Boring says this about Rev. 5:13:

"Absolutely no one and nothing is excluded from this picture. Given this mind-expanding picture, it is impossible to see any part of the universe as ultimately rebellious and lost just as it is impossible to see any part of the universe as existing apart from the creative will and activity of the one Creator God. "All", "every" applies in both cases (4:11; 5:13)."

 

[Berserk]

II. SOUL RETRIEVALS FROM HELL IN 1 PETER:

"He [Christ] was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, on which also he went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison...(1 Peter 3:18-19)."

Jesus would hardly preach the Gospel to the wicked dead without giving them a chance for a positive response. So like the Book of Revelation, Peter presumes the possibility of soul retrievals from Hell.
"Prison" is a standard Jewish term for Hades. Peter zeros in on the evil dead from Noah's day simply to set up his use of the Flood as a type of baptism.

In 4:6 the phrase "the Gospel was preached even to the dead" picks up the phrase "made proclamation to "the spirits in prison" and thus makes 2 points clear:
(1) The spirits in prison" are deceased sinners, not evil angels.
(2) As a result of a positive response to Christ's preaching, they are now saved and "live in the spirit as God does:"

"For this is the reason the Gospel was preached even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh, as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does (1 Peter 4:6)."

 

[oikonomia]

I. THE CASE FOR UNIVERSALISM IN THE BOOK OF REVE;ATION

(1) John reveals a logical eschatological pattern, first death/ 1st resurrection (of Christians---20:5-6)/ 2nd death (20:14; 21:8)/ 2nd resurrection. The 2nd resurrection is not explicitly identified because John does not want his universalism to offend persecuted believers.

Rather than John concealing secretively a belief in everyone including Satan being saved, he shows that some hate God more than they love comfort. Their enjoyment of their hatred for God exceeds any other sensation.

And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain And blasphemed the God of heaven for their pains and for their sores; and they did not repent of their works. (Rev. 16:10,11)

Like thier leader Satan their opposition to God is without limit. Though the agony of punishment is excruciating they prefer it
to the prospect of acknowledeging the righteous authority of God. This and a couple other verses are a testimony to a creature of
God in the grip of infinite unreconcilable revolt against God.

If that one awful passage was not enough, the theme is given to us twice more.

And men were burned with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, who has the authority over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory. (v.9)

"They did not repent" basically means they did not have any change of their minds whatsoever.

And great hail, every stone about the weight of a talent, came down out of heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague of it is exceedingly great. (v. 21)

If you compare this with other places where men did have a change of attitude towards God in the face of judgment, it
appears John shows us those for whom there is hope and those for whom there is none.

Revelation 11:13 - And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and seven thousand men were killed in the earthquake, and the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Previously these exchanged gifts in celebration that God's two prophets were killed. And they watched eagerly to be assured
that they would not be raised from the dead.

And those of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations see their corpses for three and a half days, and they do not allow their corpses to be placed in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them and make merry; and they will send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. (Rev. 11:9,10)

Compare the eventual repentance of these ones to the latter for whom absolutely nothing can change their hearts of rebellion.
I think the contrast is purposeful. We have to resign ourselves to the fact that some will not repent but follow Satan thier leader
by choice into eternal punishment.

 

[Aaron112]

I don't think supporting universalism in this section is permitted, yet here the thread is.

I am not a universalist

Of course not. It is a false gospel and no one should accuse you of it.
====================

profound eschatological questions for evangelicals to explore with profit. So this thread will play Devil's Advocate

The Scripture says have nothing to do with anyone who brings a false gospel -
never to talk about it nor even to talk with them nor ever have a meal with them -
they are anathema who bring a false gospel.
-------------------------------------------------------

Discussion of this issue needs to keep 2 facts in mind:

Only one thing is important, as Jesus says, and the whole op paragraph is full of trying to defend falseness and
and continues worse in opposition to all Scripture.

The false issues, or are they better called straw and stubble are listed below, not for argument nor for discussion,
but to reveal the vanity, the utter emptiness of this thread:

(1) If an omnipotent God wants everyone to ultimately be saved, how can that divine desire ever be permanently thwarted?

False assumption, false premise.
=====================================

(2) How can sins committed during a relatively brief lifespan merit not just annihilation, but eternal conscious torment from a just God?

False judgment (man's opinion with fairy tale thinking).
==============================

(3) How can God's pure unconditional love eternally abandon any sinner after death?

False assumptions needed, denying all God's Word and Plan and Purpose in Christ Jesus.
==========================

(4) If sinners in Hell eventually long to benefit from divine grace and live a life pleasing to God, why would it ever be too late for a loving God to respond positively to this longing?

Impossible fairy tale with false assumptions and leading many on a of destruction.

 

[Berserk]

Compare the eventual repentance of these ones to the latter for whom absolutely nothing can change their hearts of rebellion.
I think the contrast is purposeful. We have to resign ourselves to the fact that some will not repent but follow Satan thier leader
by choice into eternal punishment.

Your texts and commentary are irrelevant because they only deal with repentance or refusal to repent in this life and ignore my posted texts about the opportunity for the damned to mature and make righteous choices, once they discover their fate in Hell.

 

[Aaron112]

Ignoring vanity of vanities, lies upon lies, is necessary.

 

[Aaron112]

Eternal Truth in Harmony with all God's Word:
oikonomia said:
"Compare the eventual repentance of these ones to the latter for whom absolutely nothing can change their hearts of rebellion.
I think the contrast is purposeful. We have to resign ourselves to the fact that some will not repent but follow Satan thier leader
by choice into eternal punishment."

 

[oikonomia]

Your texts and commentary are irrelevant because they only deal with repentance or refusal to repent in this life and ignore my posted texts about the opportunity for the damned to mature and make righteous choices, once they discover their fate in Hell.

My post was meant to show what Revelation tells us.
Some will never repent.
So universal salvation is not evident.

But love hopes all things (1 Cor. 13:7). So I do not fault anyone for having a hope that all would be saved.

 

[Berserk]

III. THE CASE FOR UNIVERSALISM IN PAUL: INTRODUCTION

The universalist implications of (1)-(4) below will be expounded in great detail in ensuing exegetical posts. Let's get into the Word.

(1) Paul has 3 beliefs that are compatible with universal salvation without explicitly teaching it:
(a) Pagan salvation is possible apart from formal profession of faith in Christ (Rom. 2:7, 10, 14-15; Acts 17:30).
(b) God is the Savior of all, though He is more immediately the Savior only of believers (1 Tim. 4:10); for God has brought salvation to everyone (Titus 2:11) and wants everyone to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).
(c) All Israel will ultimately be saved (Rom. 11:25-26).

(2) Paul's expectation that all Israel will be saved appears in the same chapter that then teaches that human disobedience is an unavoidable part of God's plan to show grace-based mercy on everyone at the final consummation (Rom. 11:32, 36).

(3) Paul envisages everyone in Hell ultimately being saved through confession of Christ as Lord (Phil. 2:9-11, which is based on Isaiah 45:22-23).

(4) Like John the Seer's eschatology, Paul's eschatology envisages a second resurrection of people that completes or fulfills universal salvation (1 Cor. 15:22-24).

 

[oikonomia]

II. SOUL RETRIEVALS FROM HELL IN 1 PETER:

"He [Christ] was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, on which also he went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison...(1 Peter 3:18-19)."

I believe Christ PROCLAIMED victory over the especially heineous spirits that sought to derange the human race in the time of Noah.
I believe while in Hades Christ went to that particularly most confining section to ANNOUNCE God's victory over their scheme to
derail His purpose. These were the anglic spirits, the sons of God, who sought to marry human women to derange the creation's boundaries. For thier particularly horrible crime they were more severely confined then other evil angels.

Christ . . . , on the one hand being put to death in the flesh, but on the other, made alive in the Spirit;
in which also He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,
Who had formerly disobeyed when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah,
while the ark was being prepared; entering into which, a few, that is, eight souls, were brought safely through by water. (1 Pet. 3:18,19)

This was not that they be saved. There is a class of beings for whom the time of repentance has long been concluded.

In 4:6 the phrase "the Gospel was preached even to the dead" picks up the phrase "made proclamation to "the spirits in prison" and thus makes 2 points clear:
(1) The spirits in prison" are deceased sinners, not evil angels.
(2) As a result of a positive response to Christ's preaching, they are now saved and "live in the spirit as God does:"

"For this is the reason the Gospel was preached even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh, as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does (1 Peter 4:6)."

This pssage I would teach is not a reiteration of 1 Peter 3:18,19.

The gospel was preached to those who nevertheless died.
Some may have wondered what was the use for them to hear the Gospel.

Peter's theme in both First and Second Peter is that all the world - believers, unbelievers, are all under His government.
All are under the discipline of God's governmental dealing to rid the universe of unrighteousness.
Though we be saved, judgment begins with the house of God. (1 Pet. 4:17) His governmental dealing upon EVERYONE
leaves no exceptions. Even those justified for eternal redemption, in Peter's teaching, are under this governmental dealing.

You may compare this with Psalm 90.
So we should not be suprised that some had the Gospel preached to them, yet may have died anyway.
All men, saved and unsaved, in Peter's view, are under this govermental judgment of God to purify totally
the coming world. That is a world in which only righteousness dwells forever positionally and dispositionally.

But according to His promise we are expecting new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. (2 Pet. 2:13)

The RcV renders 1 Peter 4:6 - For unto this end the gospel was announced also to those who are now dead, that they might be judged in the flesh according to men but live in the spirit according to God.

 

[Berserk]

The overview posted on universalist Pauline texts now needs to be followed up by a detailed text by text analysis:
(1a) Pagan salvation is possible apart from formal profession of faith in Christ (Rom. 2:7, 10, 14-15; Acts 17:30).
For pagans "sin is not imputed where there is no law (Rom. 5:13)." So "God has overlooked the times of human ignorance (Acts 17:30)," though now they are expected to repent when they hear the Gospel. Prior pagan ignorance allows good pagans to be saved at the Last Judgment:

"When Gentiles, who do not possess the Law, do instinctively what the Law requires, these...are a Law to themselves. They show that what the Law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts will accuse OR PERHAPS EXCUSE THEM ON THE DAY WHEN GOD, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST WILL JUDGE THE SECRET THINGS OF ALL (Rom. 2:14-15)."
What applies to pre-Christian pagans surely also applies for pagans who have near heard the Gospel: they can receive grace amd be saved simply by "doing good" and "seeking" the following things, despite the fact that we can ordinarily not be saved by works:

"To those who by patiently do good seek for glory and honor and immortality He will give eternal life (2:7)."

 

[Berserk]

Paul's pastoral epistles make 3 points that are very consistent with universalism:

(1) Christ died to save everyone, not just the elect:
"Christ Jesus...gave Himself a ransom of ALL (1 Tim. 2:7)."

(2) Indeed, God brought salvation--not just the message of salvation--to everyone:
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to ALL (Titus 2:11)."
"We have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL people, especially of those who believe (1 Tim. 4:10)."

(3) The fact that God brings salvation to everyone means that He wants everyone to be ultimately saved:
"God our Savior...desires EVERYONE to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:3)."
How can an omnipotent God's will to save everyone be thwarted?
Cannot an omnipotent God create an incentive even in Hell for the damned to recognize that eternal bliss with God is a preferable option to relentless torment?

God's essence is Love; so God never stops loving anyone. What, then does it mean for God to love sinners in Hell?
Surely even denizens of Hell always have the chance to respond to God's love, repent, and be retrieved from Hell. Hence, C. S. Lewis's famous statement, "The gates of Hell are locked from the inside."

My next 3 planned posts will present the best and most explicit Pauline texts for universalism.

 

[bling]

Before addressing the specific questions, we need to understand man’s objective while here on earth, since earth is the only place where this objective can be fulfilled. Everything is driven by the man’s earthly objective. God is actually doing or allowing all He can to help willing individuals fulfill their earthly objective. Included in the “all” are: Christ Going to the cross, satan roaming the earth, tragedies of all kinds, death, judgment, hell, heaven and even sinning. The Universalist and lots of Christians do not understand our “Mission” while on earth, but do you?

how can that divine desire ever be permanently thwarted?

There are just somethings that are impossible to do even for God, example: God cannot make another Christ, since Christ is deity and has always existed. We are to become like Christ, but we cannot start out as a clone of Christ.

The big thing God cannot do for man is this: God cannot make a being with instinctive Godly type Love, like some knee jerk reaction, programmed with Godly Love would be like a robotic type Love which Godly type Love is not. God also cannot force Godly type Love on a person and have them Love with Godly type Love, this would be like a shotgun wedding with God holding the shotgun (the threat of some painful experience) to get you to Love Him. This would not be Loving on God’s part nor would the Love obtained be Godly type Love. This Love from Adam & Eve on has been obtained someway as a result of an autonomous free will choice. It is too great to learn, develop, or pay for, so it is a free undeserving gift given to those who want it. So the problem is not with God’s ability, but with man’s want.

How can sins committed during a relatively brief lifespan merit not just annihilation, but eternal conscious torment from a just God?

I do believe in hell, but the second death seems to be death forever (annihilation).

Sin is made hugely unbelievably significant/costly seen in the disciple and punishment given for sin, which I and others really seem to need, but God does not personally need it to be hugely costly. I and others need God’s help, so God made it hugely costly.

The only way I have seen and found in scripture for initially obtaining Godly type Love is simple: “…he that is forgiven much Loves much…” (Luke 7), so sin creases an unbelievable huge debt, but when I accept God’s forgiveness of my unbelievable huge debt, I automatically am gifted with an unbelievable huge Love (Godly type Love). My free will choice is in humbly accepting God’s forgiveness as pure undeserved charity.

How can God's pure unconditional love eternally abandon any sinner after death?

God Loves everyone unconditionally and does not stop Loving them!! The problem is with man accepting that Love as pure undeserved charity. It appears most people choose to be loved by others for the way they want others to perceive them to be, and not in spite of the way they truly are. We cannot know, but God can know when a person has had all the opportunities, he/she can have to humbly accept God’s Love as pure undeserving charity and will never do that of their own free will. They just do not like Godly type Love nor would they want such a Love for themselves. God Loves them but they would never be happy in heaven where there is only Godly type Love being exchanged. They would not be unhappy not existing and that is the only other option. The fact that other children of God need to realize a huge debt for sin and there are those not going to heaven around who could show a huge debt for sin, as at least some benefit for their existence, results in them spend some time in hell provide encouragement to those still able to accept quickly.

If sinners in Hell eventually long to benefit from divine grace and live a life pleasing to God, why would it ever be too late for a loving God to respond positively to this longing? As C. S. Lewis put it, "The gates of Hell are locked from the inside."

Sinners in hell have repeatedly shown to the point of never liking God’s charity (grace/mercy/love/forgiveness). Again, Godly type Love is not something that can be programmed into a person, learned, developed or forced on the person, so once the person leaves earth, how can they become happy in heaven without Love or obtain this Love with torture/sever discipline.

I am only addressing those who had in their life the opportunity to accept or reject God’s Love. If a person never had the opportunity, they would go on to heaven without fulfilling their earthly objective.

 

[Ivan Hlavanda]

Hell is a place where wrath of God will be poured. Jesus took the wrath of God for every of one the believers, He was judged in their place, so God will not judge the sinners twice. You either your sins have been judged in Christ or you will be judged for your sins.

Matthew 25 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 3 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Daniel 12 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

2 Thes 1 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

Hell is eternal, end of discussion

 

[Berserk]

(
(2) Paul predicts a time when "all (not some) Israel will be saved" when the "hardening" that currently prevents most Jews from converting is somehow removed:

"A hardening has come upon a part of Israel until the full number of the Gentiles come in. AND SO, ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED (Rom. 11:25-26)."

The meaning and timeline for the conversion of "the full number of Gentiles" is unclear. What is relevant for my purpose is Paul's claim of a future total conversion of Israel.

This promise nicely sets up Paul's more breath-taking vision of universal salvation a few verses later:
God has IMPRISONED ALL in disobedient, so that He might have mercy on ALL (11:32)."

This astounding claim implies universal salvation for 4 reasons:
(1) The 2 "alls" are parallel and both universal.
(2) God "imprisons" humanity in disobedience and thus takes responsibility for a divine plan that gives us a disobedient nature that is guaranteed to trap us in sin.
(3) This plan seems morally monstrous until one recognizes its divine purpose--to be merciful to all on the basis of divine grace. God takes responsibility both for trapping us in disobedience and removing the trap through His grace by being merciful to everyone.
(4) My critics might speculate that, although our freedom to prevent God's plan is not under consideration here, rebellious souls might still thwart God's plan. That possibility is ruled out 4 verses later by Paul's declaration that a cosmic reconciliation will ultimately restore all created beings to God:

"For from Him and through and BACK TO HIM ARE ALL THINGS (11:36)."
In other words, God will have mercy on all when "back to Him are all things."

(3) UNIVERSALISM IN THE PHILIPPIAN HYMN (Phil. 2:6-11)
The case for universalism in Phil. 2:9-11 is as strong as the case in Rom. 11:25-26, 32, 26:

"Therefore, God has highly exalted Him (Christ) and given Him a name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE should bow, in heaven and on Earth and UNDER THE EARTH (in Hades), and EVERY TONGUE confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (2:9-11)."

4 reasons support the claim that the Philippian hymn envisages universal salvation:
(1) This hymn anticipates a time when every human in the universe will bow and confess Jesus as their Lord. The expression "under the Earth" refers to Hades (so Josephus, Antiquities 18:14).
(2) The sincere confession "Jesus Christ is Lord" is inspired by the Holy Spirit and makes one a Christian:
"No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," apart from the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3)."
(3) This hymn is paralleled by the universal worship of Jesus pictured in Rev. 5:13, where it serves as part of the case for universalism in Revelation.
(4) The Philippian hymn is inspired by Isaiah 45:22-23, which begins with an invitation to universal salvation:
"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the Earth (45:22)."
It then continues with a prophecy of universal compliance: "To me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear (45:23)."

 

[Diamond72]

(1) If an omnipotent God wants everyone to ultimately be saved, how can that divine desire ever be permanently thwarted?

First of all, God is a God of absolute and perfect Justice. This is why Jesus had to go to Calvary. The answer always remains the same. We have what we call free will and the Bible calls freedom of choice. If we do not have a choice, then we live in a virtual world where the Puppet Master controls everything. They say love is not love unless you have the freedom to choose to love God.

We are told many times in the Bible that God is going to destroy evil. At least 50 or 60 times. This has to do with the lake of fire and the second death. Perhaps death, hell and the grave will all be destroyed in the lake of fire. All unGodlyness will be destroyed and if anything survives it will honor God, as they say, every knee shall bow.

 

[Ivan Hlavanda]

"A hardening has come upon a part of Israel until the full number of the Gentiles come in. AND SO, ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED

This does not mean ethinical Israel, but the spiritual Israel, the seed of Israel accorgind to Abraham's covenant.

Romans 9 6 For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

In another place it is written, that not all Israel that came of ouf Egypt was Israel.

So Paul means that all spiritual Israel will be saved.

The other verses you posted, I don't see where you getting universalism from.

And if I'm wrong...well what does it matter, I'm going to Heaven anyway.
If you say hell is temporary, there is no verse in Bible which supports this, but there is many that say hell is eternal.

There's a reason God calls us to repentence in Christ. God is just so every sin must be punished. For universalism to be true, Christ must have paid for every sin for every human being that ever lived and if that is the case, no one will ever go to hell and no one is there as all the punishment for sin was paid by Christ. But we already know that people are in hell, and many more will go there because wide is the road that leads to destruction. Therefore we know that Christ has not paid for every sin of every single person.

Universalism is a false gospel.

 

[Berserk]

how can that divine desire ever be permanently thwarted?

There are just somethings that are impossible to do even for God, example: God cannot make another Christ, since Christ is deity and has always existed. We are to become like Christ, but we cannot start out as a clone of Christ.

The big thing God cannot do for man is this: God cannot make a being with instinctive Godly type Love, like some knee jerk reaction, programmed with Godly Love would be like a robotic type Love which Godly type Love is not. God also cannot force Godly type Love on a person and have them Love with Godly type Love, this would be like a shotgun wedding with God holding the shotgun (the threat of some painful experience) to get you to Love Him. This would not be Loving on God’s part nor would the Love obtained be Godly type Love. This Love from Adam & Eve on has been obtained someway as a result of an autonomous free will choice. It is too great to learn, develop, or pay for, so it is a free undeserving gift given to those who want it. So the problem is not with God’s ability, but with man’s want.

How can sins committed during a relatively brief lifespan merit not just annihilation, but eternal conscious torment from a just God?

IHow can God's pure unconditional love eternally abandon any sinner after death?

God Loves everyone unconditionally and does not stop Loving them!... they [sinners] would never be happy in heaven where there is only Godly type Love being exchanged.

You don't believe (1) that sinners would be happier in Heaven than in Hell's torments or (2) that sinners in hell might mature and be transformed with the help of an omnipotent God? Just what can God's continuing love for sinners in hell mean, if His justice is retributive rather than reformative?

If sinners in Hell eventually long to benefit from divine grace and live a life pleasing to God, why would it ever be too late for a loving God to respond positively to this longing? As C. S. Lewis put it, "The gates of Hell are locked from the inside."

Sinners in hell have repeatedly shown to the point of never liking God’s charity (grace/mercy/love/forgiveness.

So you've actually gone out of body and interviews "sinners in hell?" The post on 1 Peter 3:19, 4:6 refutes your claim.

 

[Diamond72]

So Paul means that all spiritual Israel will be saved.

One third will be saved:

Zechariah 13: 8 And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it. 9 This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”