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It's hard not to imagine that being thrown into a lake of fire (LOF) would not be tormenting.

I'm sure it would be agonizing, but unless you are the devil, the beast, or the false prophet, the Bible doesn't say that your agony will go on forever and ever.

The LOF doesn't annihilate Satan (and the deceivers), because they experience continuous ("day and night") and unending ("forever and ever") torment beginning at the point they are cast into the lake and continuing into the endless future ("will be tormented").

The Bible only says that the LOF doesn't annihilate Satan. The verse that talks about the "smoke of their torment" going on forever and no "rest" day and night has already been explained. I understand you don't accept the explanations, but your response hardly convinces me that your context is correct.

There is nothing to suggest that those whose names were not found in the book of life and who were also thrown into the lake of fire, did not experience the same fate as Satan and his followers.

Revelations ends with a very specific warning...

Rev. 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.

So let's not add to what the verse says....

Rev 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 tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The ONLY ones mentioned being tormented for ever and ever is ...
The Devil, The Beast, and the False Prophet.

It's a strain to arrive at annihilation when the straightforward meaning is natural and obvious.

I completely disagree with you there. If it was so straightforward and obvious, there would not be so much discussion and debate on this topic.

You can be a Christian and believe in a tormenting of human souls forever (I was for over 20 years), but that doesn't make it a correct understanding of God's Just punishment. This issue wont be settled here on Earth or FR, but we will find out after we die. I can rest easy and preach God's Justice with more conviction, though, now that I better understand what the Bible actually says and means.

I completely disagree with you there. If it was so straightforward and obvious, there would not be so much discussion and debate on this topic.

Folks are always wanting to bring their preconceptions and misconceptions to the table, rather than letting the text speak for itself.

The Bible doesn't say that those (whose name were not in the book of life) were annihilated either. You are just assuming (adding) that. I, on the other hand, am using the first example as a model for what happens with the second. And since no additional language exists to distinguish it from the former (i.e. "they were annihilated", "they ceased for all time", "they were blotted out from existence", etc.), I take the conservative tac. So, I am not adding anything. Annihilation, on the other hand, is a gross addition, since it has no supporting language.

(btw is it "Revelation", no 's').