But, nonetheless Barb, whether it's our choice or not, God is the one who chose the punishment and since He is omniscient He would be aware that all these souls were in eternal torment. Hard for me to imagine He would want this even for fallen humanity, when He showed how much He loves them by giving His only begotten Son that they might have eternal life.

I don't pretend to have all the answers, or even all the questions and I sure ask a zillion of them...this is simply a doctrine or belief I have never run across before.

So, having said that folks, please excuse my ignorance in asking this, but is not this theory nothing more than another view of the purgatory teaching of the Catholic system...in hell for a time?!

I know, TB...it is hard for me, too, yet I believe that God has given humanity every opportunity to get it right, don't you?!

And didn't He say that the day would come that He would laugh at our calamity?!

It is clear, and Scripture bears it out, that because judgment hasn't fallen immediately, sinful man thinks they are getting by...I don't know, sir...as I said, I don't have the answers. :nah

Laughing at their calamity happens as a result of what is happening in this life, not the next.

How do you answer "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matt. 10:28)?

Or, "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:4)?

Just wondering!

Oops...:sshhh didn't know that...

Answering the second part, I always thought that was a spiritual death...the soul that sins shall have no part in the blessings and favor of the Lord. To be cut off from His presence would be spiritual death, IMO...

Revelation 21:8
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 20:14
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

I thought of those Scriptures as I was posting. It does say that the lake of fire is the second death, but it doesn't say in these verses that they will spend eternity there.

The rich man and Lazarus story seems to teach that the torment in hell was ongoing though. Matter of fact it was the compelling reason for the rich man wanting his brothers warned so they wouldn't end up there.

I don’t know if this is proper or if this is just what I have come up with myself, but when I find scriptures like this, I look to find the way they fit.

For me, when I put these puzzle pieces together, it only fits if Hell is the second death. Not that one goes to hell then is destroyed.

However, I’m just a simple country boy that moved to the big city so; I really don’t qualify as a sophisticate theologian like some around here.

Yes, sir it does...good point and good discussion...