Just as Heaven is a real place, so is hell,
To me, the evidence is pretty overwhelming.
I confess that I started getting into this when I began reading the greek and hebrew lexicons - both the King James and NIV sources.
The first “revelation” was the use of the word “mansions” inthe KJV. It is baloney. Translating the greek to “mansions” is like translating the word for “car” to “limousine”. I’ve found many others.
It’s amazing how we trust the translations of others. Most of the time it’s benign because it’s hard to argue meaning. But this hell thing looks really like a conspiracy to fill church pews with scared people. Just taking it at face value is fine, but if it causes you to believe that our “loving” God’s version of justice is sending a person to eternal torment for a single, slight transgression is absurd. He presents Himself to us in a way we can understand from a human perspective. One reason He came in the flesh is to communicate that He knows intimately what temptations we have to deal with. It also allows us to understand the importance of His forgiveness and the value of His sacrifice.
Proverbs says, twice, that there is a way that seems right to man, but it’s end is death. I believe that. And it is “death”, not eternal torment. It is plain. It was meant to be.
Just as Scripture does not support universal salvation, it also doesn't support annihilationism. You have the freedom to believe what you want on this doctrine, but you cannot prove unquestionably that you are correct. The idea of an eternal punishment IS something Jesus made clear such as in Luke 12:4,5 "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell." Fear is a healthy emotion when it is a legitimate and Biblically sound reaction. Jesus is not playing games or just trying to scare people with his words.