I would argue that no one can comprehend or prove that God is sadistic (assuming that He is), thus maybe God sends no one to Hell.
You make an interesting point about the fallen angels. The United Church of God (of which I am NOT a member) posits that only the fallen angels are sent to hell. In fact, they make a pretty good argument that we don’t have immortal souls to begin with. The same word “nephesh” is used in the OT to denote life, spirit, and soul, and it is translated according to the context. Of course, the NT (Greek being somewhat more precise than Hebrew) distinct words are used for each of these. The same is true of “sheol” and “hades.” The OT uses “sheol” 65 times. It is translated as grave 31 times, hell 31 times, and pit 3 times. The NT uses hades 11 times, translating it as hell 10 times and as grave once. So, in a sense, translation makes all the difference in reading the scriptures.
But I’m getting off the point: The UCoG says that Revelation 20:10 indicates that hell is the destination for the devil and his cohorts, where they will be tormented forever, but that Malachi 4:1-3 and Mark 9:47-48 indicate that any human beings cast into the lake of fire will be destroyed. So, in a sense a human’s punishment WILL be eternal, in that being destroyed is a forever thing, but humans will not be tormented eternally. They make a pretty good argument. I could send you a pamphlet they put out on it if you’d like.
Where lies the truth? To be honest, friend, I don’t know, and I’m content with that. I’m not sure that it’s possible for a human to understand all of the mysteries of God. Whoever God is, He is so much beyond what we are that we can’t comprehend Him in totality. It would be like asking a chimpanzee to understand Shakespeare. Fortunately, we are not asked to; we are asked only to have faith, and that, of course, is a gift from God, free for the asking.
Thank you for the offer of the pamphlet, but I am going to decline. To me Jesus says numerous times that the pain never ends. I think you are trying to be a bit too clever by suggesting that punishment can continue while the person can be destroyed forever.
I have been concentrating on some moments in my life in God may have spoken to me. Not that this is clear, but maybe He gave me help in a few areas of my life. The thing that is so confusing is often I think the ideas were mine alone and other times I think someone gave them to me.
Actually it is more than just guidance, I often get the sense that my life means something, and the guidance is just helping me fulfill the meaning in my life.
If I am created for a meaningful purpose, and if someone (other than myself) is internally guiding me to the right purpose, than this person must be God, and this guidance must be His will. Sometimes this guidance seems loving, sometimes is seems downright cruel, and sometimes I am not sure that anyone is guiding me at all.
This is sort of an existential proof of God that I came up with the last few days. Not sure if it works.