Eternal torment VS Annihilation
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Not that I have an anvil in this debate, but we need to understand this "for ever and ever" motif in the book of revelation in regards to how it was used in the OT in regards to Idumea:
(Isa 34:10 It shall not be quenched night or day; Its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it forever and ever )
(Rev 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” )
(Isa 34:10 It shall not be quenched night or day; Its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it forever and ever )
(Rev 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” )
U
Okay so I did some research....
The conditional immortality people believe.....
When a person dies he or she returns to the dust and the spirit (or breath of life) returns to God (Psalm 104:29).
The Bible often uses the imagery of death as “sleep”, a sleep that only God can awake us from (e.g. Job 3:13; 14:12, Psalm 13:3; 22:29, Daniel 12:2, 1 Cor 15:20).
Source
So if the spirit returns to God and dust goes to dust what is there to destroy....still makes no sense?
The conditional immortality people believe.....
When a person dies he or she returns to the dust and the spirit (or breath of life) returns to God (Psalm 104:29).
The Bible often uses the imagery of death as “sleep”, a sleep that only God can awake us from (e.g. Job 3:13; 14:12, Psalm 13:3; 22:29, Daniel 12:2, 1 Cor 15:20).
Source
So if the spirit returns to God and dust goes to dust what is there to destroy....still makes no sense?
I agree, a lot of different views... I think I understand that articles argument; “after what you described there is the resurrection. All will be raised (John 5:28) and two outcomes: 1) immortality or eternal life 2) second death [punishment]”
“Conditional immortality presents these two fates literally. One is life and the other is death. The second death equals destruction (Matt 7:13; 10:28, Phil 3:19, 2 Thess 1:9, 2:3), or perishing (Luke 13:3,5; John 3:16; Rom 2:12; 2 Peter 3:9) but not eternal torment. This is not to say that the punishment is not eternal (since eternal destruction is indeed eternal), only that it is not eternal torture.”
“Conditional immortality presents these two fates literally. One is life and the other is death. The second death equals destruction (Matt 7:13; 10:28, Phil 3:19, 2 Thess 1:9, 2:3), or perishing (Luke 13:3,5; John 3:16; Rom 2:12; 2 Peter 3:9) but not eternal torment. This is not to say that the punishment is not eternal (since eternal destruction is indeed eternal), only that it is not eternal torture.”
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If people were going to be tormented forever they would not die. Isaiah 66:24 says we will see dead bodies or carcasses in the lake of Fire. It doesn't use the term Lake of Fire, but the description is the same. Also the term unquenchable fire, used for the fire in the Lake of Fire, is also used in Jeremiah 17:27 to describe the fire that will burn the gates of Jerusalem if the residents bring a load through the gates on the Sabbath. It is also used in Ezekiel 20:47-48 to describe a fire that will consume a forest. These fires didn't last forever and I get the impression that the Lake of Fire will only last as long as it takes for the bodies to be consumed, but that will be a long time, considering the millions or billions of bodies that will go there. The Hebrew word for unquenchable fire is the same in all three instances, also.
I suspect that the interpretations of a fire that burns forever are interpreted by people who believe that they will last forever. From what I have read of the greek words that are interpreted as such they can also mean an age or a certain length of time. The idea that Satan, the false prophet, the beast and those who take the mark of the beast will be burned day and night forever and forever could only mean that they will suffer torment day and night for a time and the others may only be tormented for a part of one day.
Only God and Jesus are immortal. [1 Timothy 6:14-16 (14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.)] [From the New International Version (NIV) bible] If God and Jesus are the only ones that are truly immortal then I suspect that God can remove the immortality from Satan as easily as he gives it to us and Satan can be destroyed by the fire like anyone else.
How to describe the resurrection? Do you believe that God is incapable of resurrecting the dead? Are we told how He will do it? No, only that He will. Do you think Jesus was just blowing hot air to warn people to fear Him Who could destroy both body and soul in hell? Makes one wonder, really! Your questions are illogical. If someone else was asking them, I could perhaps accept that they were made in good faith. But instead you say illogical things such as, utterly destroy dos not really mean, to destroy utterly. And then you wonder about the logic of others? Kind of peculiar, really 
How does it make ANY sense that a good, loving, just and merciful God will torture and cause conscious ongoing, unending torment forever after to those who refuse Him? Considering the dead know nothing... according to Scripture. How illogical it is that some say, asleep means awake and aware, and dead means alive, and good means cruel beyond belief? Then pretend it is illogical to believe only those who eat of the True Vine attain to life ever after? And further reject the very logical conclusion that the second death is ever after? As if death were not a punishment which God promised from the first chapters of Genesis, affirmed over and over and over and over and over and over again throughout the whole of Scripture, by multiple different writers. Truly, need I wonder what blinds people that they promote the lie of Satan at the heart of the fall of man and the corruption of all creation? I think not.
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U
The story of Lazarus and the rich man refutes completely "physical ism" (no soul that continues) whether considered a story or a past reality, the over arching message is about two people who have died and are in separate places, if this was not true why would Jesus use it as an example.
Now there are other applications within the story, however, it cannot be denied that Jesus has made clear two separate places that exist for people after death.
Now there are other applications within the story, however, it cannot be denied that Jesus has made clear two separate places that exist for people after death.
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And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers Deut 31:16a
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers 2 Sam 7:12a
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his
fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. 1 Kings 1:21
And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away
my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt
seek me in the morning, but I shall not be. Job 7:21
So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more,
they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. Job 14:12
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some
to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2
He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead,
but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. Matt 9:24
Just as they scorned the words of Jesus, who likened death to sleep...
And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this
ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. Mark 5:39
Again Jesus likens death to sleep.
And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. Luke 8:52
Again Jesus likens death to sleep. I very much doubt she heard any of what was being said while she was dead.
These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus
sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. John 11:11
Jesus again likens death to sleep.
For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell
on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: Acts 13:36
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Thess 4:14
The saints are SLEEPING in Jesus. This is not talking about the dust in the ground that was their bodies.
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers 2 Sam 7:12a
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his
fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. 1 Kings 1:21
And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away
my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt
seek me in the morning, but I shall not be. Job 7:21
So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more,
they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. Job 14:12
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some
to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2
He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead,
but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. Matt 9:24
Just as they scorned the words of Jesus, who likened death to sleep...
And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this
ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. Mark 5:39
Again Jesus likens death to sleep.
And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. Luke 8:52
Again Jesus likens death to sleep. I very much doubt she heard any of what was being said while she was dead.
These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus
sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. John 11:11
Jesus again likens death to sleep.
For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell
on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: Acts 13:36
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Thess 4:14
The saints are SLEEPING in Jesus. This is not talking about the dust in the ground that was their bodies.
Yes, death is viewed as sleep, a state in which people are not conscious and aware. Hmmm. I back my views with Scripture only to have mere opinion oppose them. And you know what's even odder? The people who claim I do not believe the Bible even after all the Scriptures I post which support my position. What they insist I must believe is not even in the Bible. LOL