a few points..
'for ever' is the translation of 'aion', but it really means 'age'. occasionally we see 'aion aion', so it is translated 'for ever and ever' - which is pretty meaningless on its own (i guess the translators didn't really know what else to do with it). but what if it means 'the age of the ages', which also sounds weird, right? but we have 'lord of lords', 'hebrew of the hebrews', 'king of kings', which simply mean the supreme lord, supreme hebrew, and supreme king. so 'age of the ages' could just mean the supreme age. so when is that?, after the millenium when we have the new heaven and the new earth, where there is no more death, no more pain, no more sin, where god 'is all in all'.
now, i don't believe anywhere it says sinners are tormented for ever (or unto the age of the ages), i think only satan and demons get that privilege. but sinners do suffer 'ever lasting' punishment, but i think not by being eternally conscious, but simply that their punishment (ie. death) is permanent. so even satan's punishment has and end, and will be destroyed at that time, before that final, perfect age to come.
hell/gehenna - most of our images of hell comes from very old teaching that has carried right through. if you compare 'hell' in the KJV against a modern version, you will find most are replaced by 'grave' or 'pit'. this really is the correct rendering, 'hell' is very old english which can simply mean the grave. 'gehenna' is referenced a few times in the NT in reference to 'eternal fire'. but peter is correct above, gehenna is a valley immediately south of the jerusalem city, where (apparently) was used as the garbage tip of the day, and fires were kept burning to keep vermin out and to incinerate the waste. when jesus returns there will be many bodies of the dead (judgment of the enemies of israel), so much that i suspect they will be dumped in that valley and burned. so this is all it means. bodies of the dead (not living) will be burned. there will be so many, the smoke will rise for a long time, the worm will consume a long time - but i think this is figurative, not literally for ever.
we often hear that the only way to salvation is 'though jesus', but that doesn't necessarily mean they have to be believers because jesus is also the judge. so for any non-believers granted life (by jesus as the judge) it will still be 'through jesus'. there are a number of references of people being judged by how they lived their life, loving one another, acts of kindness, 'forgive us as we forgive others', etc. And the condemnation of those 'rejecting' jesus, may well be restricted to jews only, not 'anyone' - aside: we really have to be mindful that the bulk of the bible, including the bulk of the NT, is written TO jews, with expected jewish understanding/upbringing in mind. we really don't have the full picture, so we can't be too absolute in our interpretations. and with that, being mindful of how long-suffering and merciful jesus/god has been throughout the OT and NT, i think there is plenty of leverage for non-believers to also be granted life at the judgment. believers are granted life, and partake in the first resurrection. every one else has to wait (in sleep, not in heaven) for the second resurrection and judgment 'some to life', and some to the 'second death'.
believers get a free pass. we are still judged, but only risk our 'reward' - life is guaranteed. for non-believers, who is to say what counts as worthy for life, or is worthy for condemnation. so for your parents, none of us can really say. we all have to trust god/jesus with that task, and know that the judgment will be true. and i'm sure at the time, we will agree.
in all, i think this perpective makes it a lot easier to comprehend/accept the future judgment. the second death is not eternal, conscious torment, but simply death, non-existence - for those that were deemed unworthy for immortality.
hope this helps.
'for ever' is the translation of 'aion', but it really means 'age'. occasionally we see 'aion aion', so it is translated 'for ever and ever' - which is pretty meaningless on its own (i guess the translators didn't really know what else to do with it). but what if it means 'the age of the ages', which also sounds weird, right? but we have 'lord of lords', 'hebrew of the hebrews', 'king of kings', which simply mean the supreme lord, supreme hebrew, and supreme king. so 'age of the ages' could just mean the supreme age. so when is that?, after the millenium when we have the new heaven and the new earth, where there is no more death, no more pain, no more sin, where god 'is all in all'.
now, i don't believe anywhere it says sinners are tormented for ever (or unto the age of the ages), i think only satan and demons get that privilege. but sinners do suffer 'ever lasting' punishment, but i think not by being eternally conscious, but simply that their punishment (ie. death) is permanent. so even satan's punishment has and end, and will be destroyed at that time, before that final, perfect age to come.
hell/gehenna - most of our images of hell comes from very old teaching that has carried right through. if you compare 'hell' in the KJV against a modern version, you will find most are replaced by 'grave' or 'pit'. this really is the correct rendering, 'hell' is very old english which can simply mean the grave. 'gehenna' is referenced a few times in the NT in reference to 'eternal fire'. but peter is correct above, gehenna is a valley immediately south of the jerusalem city, where (apparently) was used as the garbage tip of the day, and fires were kept burning to keep vermin out and to incinerate the waste. when jesus returns there will be many bodies of the dead (judgment of the enemies of israel), so much that i suspect they will be dumped in that valley and burned. so this is all it means. bodies of the dead (not living) will be burned. there will be so many, the smoke will rise for a long time, the worm will consume a long time - but i think this is figurative, not literally for ever.
we often hear that the only way to salvation is 'though jesus', but that doesn't necessarily mean they have to be believers because jesus is also the judge. so for any non-believers granted life (by jesus as the judge) it will still be 'through jesus'. there are a number of references of people being judged by how they lived their life, loving one another, acts of kindness, 'forgive us as we forgive others', etc. And the condemnation of those 'rejecting' jesus, may well be restricted to jews only, not 'anyone' - aside: we really have to be mindful that the bulk of the bible, including the bulk of the NT, is written TO jews, with expected jewish understanding/upbringing in mind. we really don't have the full picture, so we can't be too absolute in our interpretations. and with that, being mindful of how long-suffering and merciful jesus/god has been throughout the OT and NT, i think there is plenty of leverage for non-believers to also be granted life at the judgment. believers are granted life, and partake in the first resurrection. every one else has to wait (in sleep, not in heaven) for the second resurrection and judgment 'some to life', and some to the 'second death'.
believers get a free pass. we are still judged, but only risk our 'reward' - life is guaranteed. for non-believers, who is to say what counts as worthy for life, or is worthy for condemnation. so for your parents, none of us can really say. we all have to trust god/jesus with that task, and know that the judgment will be true. and i'm sure at the time, we will agree.
in all, i think this perpective makes it a lot easier to comprehend/accept the future judgment. the second death is not eternal, conscious torment, but simply death, non-existence - for those that were deemed unworthy for immortality.
hope this helps.
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