What are you thoughts on Annihilation?

You don't seem to get my point at all. The bible says Jesus paid the penalty we deserved with HIS DEATH. Romans says the "Wages of sin is death." Matthew says "....that whosoever believes in Him should not PERISH."

So if you truly believe that Eternal Torment is the punishment and NOT death, then you are denying Christ paid our penalty by His death.

Why is that so hard to understand?

You are conflating the 'judgement' and the 'punishment'.

The two are totally different things.

If a judge declares:

"You have been found guilty; you stand convicted."

Whatever the punishment is for the crime, it is a separate thing than the conviction.

The price Jesus had to pay to redeem us was for the purpose of "overturning" the conviction - and, has nothing whatsoever (directly) to do with the punishment.

We are "hidden in Christ" so that we are not "found guilty" and "stand convicted" - and, it is "paid for" with His blood.

There was no necessity for what Jesus experienced on the cross to reflect precisely the punishment of those who would not accept the free gift made available because of what He accomplished on the cross.

People will be thrown into hell and the lake of fire because they refuse the free gift!

There is no direct correlation between what Jesus suffered on the cross and what those who refuse the free gift made available by His sacrifice will experience as punishment for not accepting the free gift.

If you sin:

~ Without Christ, you are found guilty and stand convicted.

~ With Christ, you are not found guilty by virtue of Christ taking your conviction upon Himself.

Punishment is a separate issue in the "big picture" of God's system of Judgement.

The 'Wrath of God' is a punishment for the wicked - did Christ suffer all of that (specifically) while on the cross?

Of course not.

Again, people go to hell because of their lack of belief, faith, and trust in God/Christ - not because they stole a car.

The notion that Jesus would have to "take the punishment" forever to "pay the penalty" for us - versus - the lost in the lake of fire in torment - is mixing apples and oranges in a fruit basket of error.

When Romans says the wages of sin is death, 'death' is the conviction and not the punishment.

It is referring to a 'spiritual' death and not a 'physical' death.

Likewise are other words like 'perish' in their context referring to the conviction and not the punishment.

In Revelation 14:11, the "smoke of their torment" is a form of glorification of God.

God has made it so that every individual will 'glorify' God forever - whether voluntary or involuntary - and, it is the choice of each individual.

I'm having a hard time comprehending why some Christians believe our Heavenly Father would torture His creation for all eternity. Is it even conceivable to some of you that a benevolent merciful God would do anything that UNmerciful? Think of the never-ending screaming! Is that the kind of thing a parent would do to his child? Not a chance; there’s no way.

You are conflating the 'judgement' and the 'punishment'.

The two are totally different things.

If a judge declares:

"You have been found guilty; you stand convicted."

Whatever the punishment is for the crime, it is a separate thing than the conviction.

The price Jesus had to pay to redeem us was for the purpose of "overturning" the conviction - and, has nothing whatsoever (directly) to do with the punishment.

We are "hidden in Christ" so that we are not "found guilty" and "stand convicted" - and, it is "paid for" with His blood.

There was no necessity for what Jesus experienced on the cross to reflect precisely the punishment of those who would not accept the free gift made available because of what He accomplished on the cross.

People will be thrown into hell and the lake of fire because they refuse the free gift!

There is no direct correlation between what Jesus suffered on the cross and what those who refuse the free gift made available by His sacrifice will experience as punishment for not accepting the free gift.

If you sin:

~ Without Christ, you are found guilty and stand convicted.

~ With Christ, you are not found guilty by virtue of Christ taking your conviction upon Himself.

Punishment is a separate issue in the "big picture" of God's system of Judgement.

The 'Wrath of God' is a punishment for the wicked - did Christ suffer all of that (specifically) while on the cross?

Of course not.

Again, people go to hell because of their lack of belief, faith, and trust in God/Christ - not because they stole a car.

The notion that Jesus would have to "take the punishment" forever to "pay the penalty" for us - versus - the lost in the lake of fire in torment - is mixing apples and oranges in a fruit basket of error.

When Romans says the wages of sin is death, 'death' is the conviction and not the punishment.

It is referring to a 'spiritual' death and not a 'physical' death.

Likewise are other words like 'perish' in their context referring to the conviction and not the punishment.

In Revelation 14:11, the "smoke of their torment" is a form of glorification of God.

God has made it so that every individual will 'glorify' God forever - whether voluntary or involuntary - and, it is the choice of each individual.

In the present day, there are no places with streams of eternal burning pitch, burning brimstone dust, and land made of burning pitch with smoke that rises forever; this means it's not literal.

To me, even this sounds like there are varying degrees (of G928), even during this life on earth.

Many of the posters in this thread seem to be confused about 'physical' death and 'spiritual' death - and, which verses of scripture are referring to which type of death.

First of all, they are not His children.
"Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father aawell as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. - Ezekiel 18:4 (NKJV)

The answer to your first sentence - because He is righteous!
So a righteous God is UNmerciful towards sinners?

And, all of His creation will glorify Him forever - because He is God.
True

It is future - it has not transpired yet.

It will come to pass at/after the Second Coming - extending into - and throughout - the millennium.

In the future it will not last forever either. There will be a New Earth where only righteousness dwells. It's not literal.

Do you believe the bits about the "body and soul" being destroyed in hell, or those who do not believe in Jesus will perish, or the lake of fire being the second death as symbolic or metaphorical? If yes, then why.

I take verses like Matt 10:28, John 3:16, and Revelation 21:8 literally because I find that's more consistent.

Final thoughts:

For those who believe not what God says about the ungodly and wicked and their final punishment you do not well for the rebellious and disobedient ungodly, wicked sinners believe as you do!

Compare the splendors of heaven and the promises attributed to it being our home. Now compare the lake of fire with eternal torment for the wicked and ungodly ,you are not comparing spiritual with spiritual therefore it seems evil to you!

What about the OT when God told them to destroy whole cities,man woman and child and leave nothing standing on its hoof......is that evil?

God is more than a benevolent bobblehead wanting love and peace for all. He gave the most precious being he had to secure than none would receive this final eternal judgment.

He is a jealous God,one of wrath,vengeance and true judgments!
Be ware that you stay grounded in HIS truth!

Final thoughts:

For those who believe not what God says about the ungodly and wicked and their final punishment you do not well for the rebellious and disobedient ungodly, wicked sinners believe as you do!

Compare the splendors of heaven and the promises attributed to it being our home. Now compare the lake of fire with eternal torment for the wicked and ungodly ,you are not comparing spiritual with spiritual therefore it seems evil to you!

What about the OT when God told them to destroy whole cities,man woman and child and leave nothing standing on its hoof......is that evil?

God is more than a benevolent bobblehead wanting love and peace for all. He gave the most precious being he had to secure than none would receive this final eternal judgment.

He is a jealous God,one of wrath,vengeance and true judgments!
Be ware that you stay grounded in HIS truth!

Final thoughts:

For those who believe not what God says about the ungodly and wicked and their final punishment you do not well for the rebellious and disobedient ungodly, wicked sinners believe as you do!

Compare the splendors of heaven and the promises attributed to it being our home. Now compare the lake of fire with eternal torment for the wicked and ungodly ,you are not comparing spiritual with spiritual therefore it seems evil to you!

What about the OT when God told them to destroy whole cities,man woman and child and leave nothing standing on its hoof......is that evil?

God is more than a benevolent bobblehead wanting love and peace for all. He gave the most precious being he had to secure than none would receive this final eternal judgment.

He is a jealous God,one of wrath,vengeance and true judgments!
Be ware that you stay grounded in HIS truth!

The fire is eternal.
If everything including all the wicked the spirits where annihilated at some point, why would the fire be eternal?

Math 25:41
“Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!

Only righteousness dwells because everything unrighteous is shut out of it.
I can't see that there is anything unrighteous about a penalty delivered by the righteous and just judge.

What does "destroyed" mean? How do you measure the soul? The body I can understand, yet the rich man surely suffered physically while Lazarus did just fine. All people will be raised from the dead and have to face God's judgement. If God is going to annihilate everyone but those who are born again, it seems to be a pointless exercise.

Death is most certainly not the end of existence. Adam died the moment that he disobeyed God. Yet he walked, talked, acted, ate and drank as a physical being. Adam was separated from God. The second death makes the first death irrevocable. There is no salvation for those who experience the second death. So no, it is not symbolic or metaphorical. The first death came with the hope of restoration to eternal life. The second death removes that hope forever.