Is the doctrine of Eternal Conscious Torment, biblical or not?
Can the breath of God be destroyed?
In Genesis, God breathed into the lifeless clay and Man became a living being. The words “breath” and “wind” and “soul” and “spirit” (both man’s spirit and the Holy Spirit) are all related words. Therein lies the source of the concept of the Imageo Dei (Image of God). So we know that the soul (literally “breath”) survives past the death of the body. We know that some “souls” go on to “eternal life” and others to “eternal punishment”. We know that many things, including DEATH and the GRAVE are ultimately destroyed by being cast into a fiery lake at the end of Revelation (it is irrelevant whether this is literal of symbolic - both reflect a SPIRITUAL reality).
So the question becomes, can this God-breathed “soul” be destroyed? Can the breath of God ever be destroyed?
- If YES, then destruction is eternal, but torment may not be.
- If NO, then eternal punishment lasts as long as eternal life and is a soul’s forever state.
It is a question far above my pay grade and one I am content to trust God to make the RIGHT decision (whatever He decides).
Death and the grave are done away with after the final Judgement. "The Lake" is parabolic for a body of people, and the "smoke or fire" is parabolic for Judgement.
Revelation 12:15
Then from his mouth the serpent spewed
water like a
river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.
Sent a column of soldiers, which from above looks like a flowing stream.
Revelation 17:15
Then the angel said to me, “
The waters" you saw, where the prostitute sits,
are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.
This is a short list of the word
FIRE being used to mean
JUDGEMENT.
Psalm 78:21
When the LORD heard them, he was furious; his
fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel,
Psalm 79:5
How long, LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like
fire?
Psalm 89:46
How long, LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like
fire?
Psalm 104:4
He makes [winds / spirits] his messengers, flames of
fire his servants.
Isaiah 4:4
The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of
judgment and a spirit of
fire.
Isaiah 66:15
See, the LORD is coming with
fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of
fire.
Isaiah 66:16
For with
fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment on all people, and many will be those slain by the LORD.
Deuteronomy 32:22. For a
fire has been kindled by my wrath,
one that burns to the realm of sheol below.
Amos 7:4
This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: The Sovereign LORD was calling for
judgment by
fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land.
Hebrews 10:27
but only a fearful expectation of
judgment and of raging
fire that will consume the enemies of God.
2 Peter 3:7
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for
fire, being kept for the day of
judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
The word "fire and lightning" is often used as a parable to mean judgment. In one place the word "coal" means judgment. And where there is smoke there is fire, so the word smoke can also be used as a parable to mean judgment.
KJV
Revelation 14:10
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be
(touch stoned / tormented) with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Since those people are (Touch Stoned,) then they are (Rubbed Out.)
(DEAD)
Revelation 14:11
And the smoke of their
(touch stoned / torment) ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Touch stoned
Revelation 20:10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be
(touch stoned / tormented) day and night for ever and ever.
Touch stoned
Revelation 20:14
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
If Hell is done away with in the second death, then how can there be anyone to torment?
The Hebrew word sheol means grave and nothing else.
When used as a parable "thunder" can mean action, and lightning can mean judgement.
Mark 3:17
James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of
thunder”),
Sons of Action.
Psalm 29:3
The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
Joel 2:11
The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?