by Dave Root, VividChristianity.com, last modified on 08/22/2024.

As you read this section, keep in mind that the New Testament is not merely a history book, it's meant to change us to become more and more like Jesus. When we read any passages in the New Testament, our goal should be to discern what God wants us to believe and do so that we can be obedient to Him.


As my article called Understanding Jesus - Part One shows, when the Bible talks about the lake of fire or the fiery lake of burning sulfur, this is the place that we usually refer to as hell. That article also shows that if we choose to receive salvation through proper faith in Jesus during our life on earth (see my article called How to Receive Salvation) then we will go straight to heaven when we die. All unsaved people after the cross, and all unrighteous people before the cross, will end up in hell (the lake of fire).

But will they be there forever?

There are three main views about what will happen to every human in hell:

1. One view is that they will receive eternal punishment by being annihilated rather than receiving eternal punishing. This is often called the Annihilation view.

2. Another view is that they will be punished by being tormented in hell day and night for all eternity. This is often called the Eternal Conscious Torment view, and it seems to be the most commonly held view.

3. A third view is that they will be punished by being tormented in hell day and night for a very long time, but not for all eternity. Hell is for corrective discipline, and no matter how long it takes, every human in hell will eventually choose to bow before Jesus as their King and be reconciled to God. This is often called the Universal Salvation view, the Universal Reconciliation view, or Universalism.

These are my descriptions of the three views, and some people believe variations on these views. After extensively studying these views and some of their variations, I found that they all make arguments that are surprisingly strong on the surface.

Sincere Christians have debated views such as these throughout all of church history, but as we'll see, only the Universalist view is consistent with the full story throughout Scripture. Keep in mind that God is going to do what He has planned to do no matter what we each believe, and our salvation does not depend on holding the right view on this issue (see my article called How to Receive Salvation).

To begin with, here are all of the passages in the Bible that mention the fiery lake (which we refer to as hell as I showed a moment ago):

"But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur." (Revelation 19:20)

"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10)

"Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:14-15)

"But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."" (Revelation 21:8)

These are all of the passages in the entire Bible that mention this fiery lake (other passages talk about fire, but not as a lake), and on the surface it seems clear that unsaved and unrighteous people will be tormented there day and night for all eternity as the Eternal Conscious Torment view says.

However, keep in mind that all Bible translations are the work of a person or group who made interpretations, assumptions, and educated guesses about each verse of Scripture in order to translate it into a modern language such as English, and these people can easily be influenced by misunderstandings, misinterpretations, mistranslations, or biases. (Some of the interesting challenges of translating the Bible are described in my article called The "King James Only" View Is Mistaken.) Therefore, it's helpful to look at passages in different versions of the Bible rather than assuming that one translation is accurate and sufficient.

As we'll see, it turns out that the "lake" of fire, the "torment," the "second death," and "for ever and ever" in the above passages all have shades of meaning in the Greek or elsewhere in the Bible that are not captured in the above passages in most English translations. This has a big impact on which view of hell is the correct one.

Revelation 20:10 (above) says that the devil will be thrown into the lake of fire, and in fact we're told that this fire was prepared specifically for the devil and his demons, some of whom are already being held in chains until Judgment Day:

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels...Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:41-46)

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment...then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment." (2 Peter 2:4-9)

"And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling - these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day." (Jude 1:6)

In John 3:1-18, Jesus said that there are two requirements for fallen (unrighteous) people to be allowed to enter the kingdom of God: They must have a physical birth and then they must have a spiritual birth (that passage is explained in detail in my article called Everything We Need to Know about Water Baptism - Part Three). The devil and his demons are fallen angels, and they will never have a physical birth, so they will never be allowed into the kingdom of God. Jesus did not die for fallen angels, He only died for fallen humans, which means all humans other than Jesus Himself. Therefore, the devil and his demons will remain in the lake of fire for all eternity. (The holy angels do not need a physical birth because they were never fallen.)

But what about all of the unsaved and unrighteous humans who will be thrown into the lake of fire?

We know that God is loving, merciful, kind, compassionate, patient, forgiving, holy, just, etc., and we are told to be the same, to be perfect as He is perfect (e.g., Matthew 5:48, Romans 2:4-8, Ephesians 2:4-7, 4:32, Colossians 3:12-14, 1 Peter 3:8-9, 1 John 4:7-16, Revelation 15:2-4). God's plans for the unsaved and unrighteous will be in alignment with all of His divine attributes.

Concerning the Scripture passages about destruction, punishment, and hell, some people look at those passages from the Annihilation perspective, and they see annihilation in those passages. Other people look at those same passages from the Eternal Conscious Torment perspective, and they see eternal conscious torment in those passages. Still other people look at those same passages from the Universal Salvation perspective, and they see universal salvation in those passages.

Their conclusions are different because even though they're looking at the same Bible passages, they're reading those passages from very different perspectives. Our perspective influences what we see in the Bible, so it's important to determine which perspective agrees with the full story throughout Scripture.

The biblical story has a beginning (the accounts of Creation in Genesis 1 and 2), it has a middle (described throughout the rest of Scripture), and it has an end (the prophecies about the eternal state are described in my article called What Will Happen after the Second Coming?).

Notice that long before there was a physical universe, God had plans and purposes for creating the universe, the earth, and humans:

"But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Psalm 33:11)

"The LORD Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand...For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"" (Isaiah 14:24, 27)

"Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." (Isaiah 46:9-11)

"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began." (1 Corinthians 2:6-7)

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" (Ephesians 1:3-5)

"but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake." (1 Peter 1:19-20)

God had a purpose for creating the universe, the earth, and humans. He had an end result in mind, and the above passages show that He had planned out everything before the world was created. Remember, our perspective influences what we see in the Bible. Therefore, we need to discern which of the following plans and purposes fits the full scriptural story so that we have the proper perspective:

• One possibility is that God specifically planned to bring relatively few people into His family based on their proper faith during their life on earth, and He specifically planned that He would annihilate the vast majority of humans because of their sins. This is essentially what the Annihilation view claims.

• Another possibility is that God specifically planned to bring relatively few people into His family based on their proper faith during their life on earth, and He specifically planned that He would torture the vast majority of humans day and night in the lake of fire for all eternity because of their sins. This is essentially what the Eternal Conscious Torment view claims.

• A third possibility is that God specifically planned to bring all people into His family based on their proper faith during their life on earth or during their time in the lake of fire, no matter how long it takes each person to repent. This is essentially what the Universalist view claims.

Earlier we saw that God knows the end from the beginning, and we saw that He is loving, merciful, kind, compassionate, patient, forgiving, holy, just, and so on. If anyone (or everyone) in the lake of fire will eventually repent and bow before Jesus as their King, then God knew that that would happen even before He created the universe. The only loving, merciful, kind, compassionate, patient, forgiving, holy, and just response that He could make is to accept their repentance (their change of heart toward Jesus) and be reconciled with them.

Based on what we know about God throughout Scripture, is He a God who would plan in advance to annihilate the vast majority of people? Is He a God who would plan in advance to torture the vast majority of people day and night for all eternity? Or is He a God who would plan in advance to refine, purify, redeem, forgive, reconcile, and restore all people?

Which of those is the plan of God that He described all throughout Scripture?

In the dozens of passages below, notice that God planned in advance that He would refine, purify, redeem, forgive, reconcile, and restore even the most sinful people, using the furnace of afflictions as a crucible just as metalsmiths use a crucible to remove the dross and impurities from gold and silver:

"Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer...Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand" (Genesis 40:13-21)

"But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day." (Deuteronomy 4:20 NKJV)

"When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live." (Deuteronomy 30:1-6)

"(for they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, out of the iron furnace)" (1 Kings 8:51 NKJV)

"The LORD had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them. And since the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash." (2 Kings 14:26-27)

"Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin. But if you will seek God earnestly and plead with the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your prosperous state. Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be." (Job 8:3-7)

"Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you." (Job 22:21-25)

"When people are brought low and you say, 'Lift them up!' then he will save the downcast. He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands." (Job 22:29-30)

"They draw near to the pit, and their life to the messengers of death. Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright, and he is gracious to that person and says to God, 'Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them - let their flesh be renewed like a child's; let them be restored as in the days of their youth' - then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God's face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being. And they will go to others and say, 'I have sinned, I have perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved. God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.' God does all these things to a person - twice, even three times - to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them." (Job 33:22-30)

"After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys." (Job 42:10-12)

"Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!" (Psalms 14:7)

"Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!" (Psalms 53:6)

"Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more." (Psalms 71:20-21)

"For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. You, LORD, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger. Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation." (Psalms 85:1-7)

"The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:8-12)

"A song of ascents. When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."" (Psalms 126:1-2)

"The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart." (Proverbs 17:3)

"Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel" (Proverbs 25:4)

"See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her - but now murderers! Your silver has become dross...Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City."" (Isaiah 1:21-26)

"This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things...who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,' of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be rebuilt,' and of their ruins, 'I will restore them'" (Isaiah 44:24-26)

"This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!' They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill."" (Isaiah 49:8-9)

"For this is what the high and exalted One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me - the very people I have created. I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways. I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel's mourners, creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the LORD. "And I will heal them."" (Isaiah 57:15-19)

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion...They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations." (Isaiah 61:1-4)

"Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them."" (Jeremiah 15:19)

"But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors. See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts instead of obeying me. So I will throw you out of this land into a land neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.' "However, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when it will no longer be said, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but it will be said, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors."" (Jeremiah 16:12-15)

"yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the LORD and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: 'They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them,' declares the LORD. 'Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.'" (Jeremiah 27:21-22)

"'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,' says the LORD. These are the words the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah: This is what the LORD says: 'Cries of fear are heard - terror, not peace. Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? How awful that day will be! No other will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it. 'In that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds; no longer will foreigners enslave them. Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. 'So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel,' declares the LORD. 'I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. I am with you and will save you,' declares the LORD. 'Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.'" (Jeremiah 30:3-11)

"This is what the LORD says: 'Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many. Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you. But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.' This is what the LORD says: 'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.'" (Jeremiah 30:12-18)

"See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a driving wind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand this." (Jeremiah 30:23-24)

"This is what the LORD says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. Once more fields will be bought in this land...because I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 32:42-44)

"This is what the LORD says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without people or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness...For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD." (Jeremiah 33:10-11)

"This is what the LORD says: 'If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.'" (Jeremiah 33:25-26)

""Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the LORD. Terror and pit and snare await you, you people of Moab," declares the LORD. "Whoever flees from the terror will fall into a pit, whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare; for I will bring on Moab the year of her punishment," declares the LORD. "In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives stand helpless, for a fire has gone out from Heshbon, a blaze from the midst of Sihon; it burns the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of the noisy boasters. Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh [the supreme deity of Moab] are destroyed; your sons are taken into exile and your daughters into captivity. Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come," declares the LORD. Here ends the judgment on Moab." (Jeremiah 48:42-47)

"Concerning the Ammonites: This is what the LORD says: "...Put on sackcloth and mourn; rush here and there inside the walls, for Molek will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? Unfaithful Daughter Ammon, you trust in your riches and say, 'Who will attack me?' I will bring terror on you from all those around you," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. "Every one of you will be driven away, and no one will gather the fugitives. Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites," declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 49:1-6)

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: "See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might...I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who want to kill them; I will bring disaster on them, even my fierce anger," declares the LORD. "I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them. I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials," declares the LORD. "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come," declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 49:35-39)

"For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone." (Lamentations 3:31-33)

"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done...be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before." (Ezekiel 16:48-55)

"Then the word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the dross of silver. Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem. As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you. I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the LORD have poured out my wrath on you.'"" (Ezekiel 22:17-22)

"And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them. Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name...Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD." (Ezekiel 39:23-29)

"This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules." (Daniel 4:24-26)

"At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever...At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble." (Daniel 4:34-37)

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence." (Hosea 6:1-2)

"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem" (Joel 3:1)

""Surely the eyes of the Sovereign LORD are on the sinful kingdom [Israel]. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob," declares the LORD. "For I will give the command, and I will shake the people of Israel among all the nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, and not a pebble will reach the ground. All the sinners among my people will die by the sword, all those who say, 'Disaster will not overtake or meet us.' In that day I will restore David's fallen shelter - I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins - and will rebuild it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name," declares the LORD, who will do these things." (Amos 9:8-12)

""In that day," declares the LORD, "I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever...the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem."" (Micah 4:6-8)

"Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the LORD will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies. But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, "Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!" But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor." (Micah 4:10-12)

"The LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines." (Nahum 2:2)

"The land by the sea will become pastures having wells for shepherds and pens for flocks...The LORD their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes." (Zephaniah 2:6-7)

""At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the LORD." (Zephaniah 3:19-20)

"Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you." (Zechariah 9:12)

"I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them." (Zechariah 10:6)

""And it shall come to pass in all the land," Says the LORD, "That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"" (Zechariah 13:8-9 NKJV)

"But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years." (Malachi 3:2-4)

"Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things."" (Matthew 17:11)

"Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?" (Mark 9:12)

"and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you - even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets...When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways." (Acts 3:20-26)

"The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: 'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it'" (Acts 15:15-16)

"However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." (Romans 4:5)

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" (Romans 5:6-10)

"Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?" For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:30-36)

"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:19-21)

In the dozens of passages above, and in numerous other places in the Bible, we see prophecy after prophecy after prophecy in which God will punish, destroy, or kill people, or put them through the furnace of afflictions to refine and purify them (removing their dross and impurities), and then, no matter how wicked and evil they were, God says over and over and over that He will restore them.

For example, Ezekiel 16:48-55 (below) says that despite how wicked Sodom and its related towns were, God will one day restore their fortunes. Notice that we're specifically told that Sodom is an example of what it means to suffer the punishment of eternal fire:

"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen...So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before." (Ezekiel 16:48-55)

"...he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly" (2 Peter 2:6)

"In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7)

So the example of Sodom specifically tells us what it means to suffer "the punishment of eternal fire." It's not annihilation. It's not eternal conscious torment. The example of Sodom tells us that the punishment of eternal fire refers to destruction followed by eventual restoration.

For further confirmation, notice that throughout the book of Revelation we see that "the kings of the earth" and "the nations" are consistently described as being wicked and evil:

"Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?"" (Revelation 6:15-17)

"saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come..."" (Revelation 11:17-18)

"A second angel followed and said, "'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,' which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."" (Revelation 14:8)

"Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. "Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed." Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." (Revelation 16:13-16)

"One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."" (Revelation 17:1-2)

"The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." (Revelation 17:12-14)

"With a mighty voice he shouted: "'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!'...For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."" (Revelation 18:2-3)

"When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her." (Revelation 18:9)

"The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray." (Revelation 18:23)

"Coming out of his [Jesus'] mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty." (Revelation 19:15)

"And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small." Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army." (Revelation 19:17-19)

"When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth - Gog and Magog - and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them." (Revelation 20:7-9)

So throughout the book of Revelation the apostle John consistently described "the kings of the earth" and "the nations" as being wicked and evil. Yet he said that those same nations and kings of the earth will ultimately worship the Lord and be allowed into the Holy City, the New Jerusalem:

"Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." (Revelation 15:4)

"And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God...I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it." (Revelation 21:10-26)

If we argue that John was referring to different nations and kings of the earth in the above two passages (in Revelation) than the ones he described in the previous passages that we just looked at (in Revelation), then we're being inconsistent in the way that we're studying the book of Revelation. Therefore, once again we see prophecies of the restoration of even the most wicked people.

There's a huge number of passages all throughout the Bible, including the dozens of passages above, that give us a very clear pattern concerning God's plans. Based on what we see about God in these passages, is He a God who planned in advance to annihilate the vast majority of people? Is He a God who planned in advance to torture the vast majority of people day and night for all eternity? Or is He a God who planned in advance to refine, purify, redeem, forgive, reconcile, and restore all people?

Notice that throughout the Bible we're repeatedly told that God wants all people to be saved, and that Jesus died to atone for the sins of the entire world, and that all people will turn to the Lord and bow down before Him:

"All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him - those who cannot keep themselves alive." (Psalms 22:27-29)

"The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." (Psalms 98:2-3)

"Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 40:4-5)

"Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone are deliverance and strength.' All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame." (Isaiah 45:22-24)

"And now the LORD says..."It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."" (Isaiah 49:5-6)

"The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God...See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted...For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand." (Isaiah 52:10, 13-15)

"And all people will see God's salvation." (Luke 3:6)

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"" (John 1:29)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)

""You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one." (John 11:50-52)

"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." (John 12:32)

"For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" (Acts 13:47)

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

"Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people." (Romans 5:18)

"Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring! I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy...You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either...And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again." (Romans 11:11-23)

"For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister?...It is written: 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.' So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God." (Romans 14:9-12)

"Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand."" (Romans 15:21)

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them..." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

"he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." (Ephesians 1:9-10)

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient...Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:1-5)

"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth...remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility." (Ephesians 2:11-16)

"In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 3:4-6)

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)

"For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together...and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Colossians 1:16-20)

"This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time." (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

"That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe." (1 Timothy 4:10)

"...he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:9)

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2)

"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world." (1 John 4:14)

The pattern in these and other passages is that God wants all people to be saved, and that Jesus died to atone for the sins of the entire world, and that all people will turn to the Lord and bow down before Him.

The Bible makes it clear that during their life on earth, the vast majority of humans will not receive salvation after the cross and the vast majority of humans were not righteous before the cross (see my article called Covenants, Dispensations, and the Ten Commandments - Part One).

Therefore, after Judgment Day (when all unrighteous people throughout history will be thrown into the lake of fire), this is the end result according to the three main views:

• We've seen that God wants all people to be saved, but according to the Annihilation view, the vast majority of people will never be saved, thwarting God's desires. Therefore, sin wins. The devil wins.

• We've seen that God wants all people to be saved, but according to the Eternal Conscious Torment view, the vast majority of people will never be saved, thwarting God's desires. Therefore, sin wins. The devil wins.

• We've seen that God wants all people to be saved, and according to the Universalist view, all people will eventually be saved. Therefore, God wins.

We know that sin and the devil do not win because Jesus defeated them at the cross. All throughout the entire Bible, God is shown to be sovereign. God is always in charge. God is always the winner.

Remember, our perspective influences what we see in the Bible. We've seen that Universalism is the only perspective that's consistent with the full story throughout Scripture, and Universalism is the only perspective that's consistent with everything Scripture tells us about God's character.

So from a Universalist perspective, when we look at passages that talk about destruction, the lake of fire, torment, the second death, and for ever and ever, what do we find?

• We saw that after the people of Moab and Elam are destroyed, they will eventually be restored (Jeremiah 48:42-47, 49:35-39, above). Destruction or being destroyed does not refer to annihilation; it simply refers to the death of people or nations.

• Fire is frequently used in a metaphorical way throughout Scripture. For example, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 says that our righteous acts are like gold, silver, and costly stones, but our unrighteous acts are like wood, hay, or straw which will be burned up when tested by fire. The wood, hay, and straw are metaphorical, so the fire is metaphorical as well. We're also told that God is like a refiner's fire (Malachi 3:2-4, above), which again is metaphorical. We also saw that Egypt is called an iron furnace (Deuteronomy 4:20, 1 Kings 8:51, above), which again is metaphorical. All throughout the book of Revelation we see images taken from the Old Testament, and there's no lake of fire in the Old Testament as we saw earlier. Instead, all throughout the Old Testament we see numerous references to people being refined and purified in the same way that gold and silver are refined and purified in a crucible at high heat (e.g., Proverbs 17:3, Isaiah 1:21-28, Ezekiel 22:17-22, Zechariah 13:8-9, Malachi 3:2-4, above). Notice that a "trial by fire" refers to being tested under extreme pressure (dictionary.com ) and usually does not involve literal fire. Similarly, the "lake of fire" is a metaphorical word picture for a large crucible in high heat. It's not a literal lake and it's not literal fire.

• The Greek word for "tormented" in passages such as Revelation 20:10 (above) comes from a root word that means "an examination by torture, torment," and the word can be "used metaphorically meaning to examine, scrutinize, either by words or physical torment" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, basanizo). From the Universalist perspective, the unsaved and unrighteous will be tortured or tormented in the lake of fire day and night for the purpose of interrogation and examination for as long as it takes (which might be ages and ages) until each person chooses to repent and bow before Jesus as their King.

• Jesus told a Pharisee named Nicodemus that people need to be born twice, first as a physical birth and then as a spiritual birth (John 3:1-18, which is described in detail in my article called Everything We Need to Know about Water Baptism - Part Three). Jesus also defined eternal life as knowing the Father and the Son (John 17:3). Eternal spiritual life does not simply mean eternal existence; it means being connected with God, so spiritual death is not being connected with God. When an unsaved person dies physically, that's their first death. The lake of fire is called the "second death" (Revelation 20:14-15, 21:8, above) because unsaved people are separated from the life of God (e.g., Isaiah 59:2, Ephesians 4:17-18) while they're being interrogated and examined in torment day and night. In other words, they're not yet connected with Him. They have no relationship with Him because they're not yet in His family.

• In English, if we want to clearly and unambiguously express the idea of an infinite amount of time, we might use terms such as forever, for ever and ever, for all eternity, eternally, endlessly, without end, and so on. On the other hand, if we want to express that something took a very long time (but not an infinite amount of time), we might say that it took ages and ages. Similarly, there are various terms in Greek that clearly and unambiguously express the idea of an infinite amount of time, yet those terms are never used in the New Testament when referring to the punishment of the unsaved and unrighteous. In English versions of the Bible, when we see terms such as "for ever and ever" or "eternal" in the context of hell, it's usually a translation of a Greek expression that more literally means "to the ages of the ages." This refers to a very long period of time, but it's not one of the terms in Greek that clearly and unambiguously express the idea of an infinite amount of time. The punishment of the unsaved and unrighteous will last for "ages" or "eons" (which might be a different length of time for each person), not for all eternity.

In the interests of space, a good way to see and evaluate the evidence for the above points is to watch the seven short videos in this YouTube playlist on Universalism . Also see his YouTube channel for more short videos that answer questions about various passages from a Universalist perspective.

My article called What Will Happen after the Second Coming? describes Judgment Day, which is when all of the unsaved and unrighteous humans throughout history will be resurrected, judged, and thrown into the lake of fire. The only exceptions will be the Antichrist and the False Prophet because they will already be in the lake of fire as that article shows.

Here's what will happen on Judgment Day:

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15)

As my article above shows, everyone who goes through Judgment Day (the unbelievers and unrighteous throughout history) will be thrown into the lake of fire. But notice that Jesus said that some people will be beaten with many stripes and some will be beaten with few stripes:

"And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:47-48 NKJV)

So Jesus said that some people will receive a greater punishment and some people will receive a lesser punishment, and my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part Eight shows that these different degrees of punishment will take place after their deaths (starting on Judgment Day). Jesus said essentially the same thing in these passages:

"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town." (Matthew 10:14-15)

"Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."" (Matthew 11:20-24)

"But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.' I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades."" (Luke 10:10-15)

The basis for people's greater or lesser punishment will be the things that the people had done on earth, because all of their deeds are recorded in the books that will be opened up on Judgment Day (Revelation 20:11-15, above). For example, some people will be tortured until their debt is paid, and some people are guilty of greater sins than others, and God will repay people in His wrath according to what they have done:

"In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart." (Matthew 18:34-35)

"Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."" (John 19:11)

"But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will repay each person according to what they have done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." (Romans 2:5-8)

Luke 12:47-48 (above) says that everyone will receive the same punishment (metaphorically referred to as stripes from a whip), but some will receive more of it than others. According to the Eternal Conscious Torment view, everyone in the lake of fire will be tormented day and night for all eternity so they will all receive the metaphorical stripes for the same amount of time, which contradicts the above passages. According to Universalism, each person in the lake of fire will receive the metaphorical stripes for a different amount of time before repenting and being released from hell, which agrees with the above passages (remember, God is omniscient so He already knows how many metaphorical stripes each person will receive). If an Annihilationist believes that each person in the lake of fire will receive the metaphorical stripes for a different amount of time before being annihilated, this would also be consistent with the above passages. However, the Annihilation view contradicts most of the other passages we've seen.

Christians have many different views on most biblical doctrines, and Universalists have different views on those issues as well. Universalism doesn't promote a specific view on most doctrines. It simply says that every unsaved and unrighteous person throughout history will eventually be reconciled to God and be released from hell, no matter how long it takes for each person to choose to bow before Jesus as their King.

Universalism doesn't say that all roads lead to God. It says that the only road that leads to God is proper faith in Jesus (see my article called How to Receive Salvation), and that everyone who ever lived or will ever live will eventually have proper faith in Jesus.

Universalism doesn't minimize the punishment and torment that people will receive in hell, it doesn't say that sin is no big deal, it doesn't say that it makes no difference how we live, it doesn't say that there's no need to do evangelism, and it doesn't ignore the fact that God is holy and just. Universalism says that people's punishment and torment in hell will continue day and night for ages and ages, but not for all eternity. Doing evangelism, teaching people how to live a holy and obedient life, and trying to prevent people from being thrown into hell are very important priorities according to Universalism.

Notice that we are specifically told that God will not always accuse people, nor will He harbor His anger forever, and no one is cast off by the Lord forever:

"The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:8-12)

"For this is what the high and exalted One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me - the very people I have created."" (Isaiah 57:15-16)

"For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone." (Lamentations 3:31-33)

The Hebrew word translated as "forever" in the above passages means "a very long time...[or] time beyond this temporal sphere, especially when used regarding God...[or] the span of time in which God is to be obeyed and praised" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, olam). The Annihilation view and the Eternal Conscious Torment view both contradict the above passages (in fact, they contradict most of the passages that we've looked at). As we've seen, Universalism is the only perspective that's consistent with the full story throughout Scripture, and Universalism is the only perspective that's consistent with everything Scripture tells us about God's character.

The devil and his demons will be tormented day and night in the lake of fire for all eternity. But when unsaved and unrighteous humans are thrown into the lake of fire, it's for corrective discipline, and no matter how long it takes, every human in the lake of fire will eventually choose to bow before Jesus as their King and be reconciled to God. Then they'll be released from hell and be allowed into the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, that we saw in Revelation 21:10-26 (above).