The evidence is overwhelming that those who die the second death will suffer for eternity.
And an important distinction for me: I don’t get doctrine from Revelation. I don’t believe that is that book’s function.
If I find myself constantly going to go to Revelation to get “proofs” for my doctrine - especially critical doctrine, I man need to consider what the rest of the Word says about that doctrine. And, frankly, the rest of the bible, regarding the fate of the lost, more closely matches the personality of the God of the bible.
Now, I think there is a special fate for Satan and his angels, but since none of us are angels, I read of it not trying to interpret the fate of any men. Satan and angels have more complete knowledge of the spiritual world than we do. It’s kinda like man doesn’t hold a child as accountable for a particular crime as it does a 30 year old man.
BTW, yes, I spend a lot of time in both the greek and hebrew Lexicons and compare the source scripture for both the KJV and NIV when those sources are different.
I only believed in eternal suffering when I just believed what I was told. When I studied the word, I changed my position. One reason was that as I matured in Christ it clearly diverged more and more from His personality.
Jesus saves me from death and destruction, not eternal, sadistic torture. My God is not a sadist. I come to the Lord out of appreciation for His gift, not fear that he’s a sadistic old fart that will torture me for all eternity otherwise. The latter does not describe the God of the bible but, sadly, is how a lot of people in the church see Him. It is also a wedge Satan uses to keep people from believing God is really capable of love for us. It is used to mock Christianity, and for good reason. Having studied the subject for a number of years now, I’m ashamed that I ever bought into the notion. I think this guy’s analogy demonstrates it best and shows the core problem of the spiritual cunnundrom it puts on us from here http://jeremyandchristine.com/articles/eternal.php
Suppose for a moment that a wonderful man—Mr. Right, if you will—offers a marriage proposal to the woman he loves. “Marry me,” he says, “and I will give you a life like you’ve never dreamed of before. You will be loved with the greatest commitment and passion that any woman has ever known. I will give you the finest house with all of the wonderful things you’ve ever wanted, and you will be happy for the rest of your days!”
Now suppose the woman is very flattered by the proposal, but is uncertain about whether or not she is ready for such a commitment. Asking for a few more days to think it over, Mr. Right answers, “You are welcome to take more time, but it’s only fair that I warn you what will happen if you decline my generous offer. Your only option, other than spending paradise with me, is to be thrown into my underground dungeon, have your eyes gouged from their sockets, and be subjected to unimaginable pain every hour, on the hour, for the rest of your long, miserable life.”
What do you suppose would be going through the young woman’s mind at a time like this? I imagine that would change the way she feels about the man considerably. She might have previously accepted Mr. Right’s proposal because of her love for him, but is there much chance of that now? Surely not. If she takes him seriously, she’ll undoubtedly marry him, but not as much for love as out of genuine terror at the alternative.
Is this God’s way of doing things? Does God want His people to turn to Him out of fear that they will be tortured otherwise? Where is the love in that? If everyone really believed in this doctrine, wouldn’t that properly tarnish their concept of the Savior? I would imagine some might even have a hard time calling Him “Savior” at all. How merciful can it be to create a never-ending torture pit for everyone and then save only a few from it?
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
You can “think” all you want. You can use all the carnal reasoning you want. God’s word given to the writers by the Holy Spirit shows that what you “think” is irrelevant.
For example, in Matthew 25:46 Jesus states: "And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." The same Greek term, aionion (eternal), is used to describe both punishment and life.
Revelation 14:11 reads in part: "And the smoke from their torture will go up forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have no rest day or night." What troubles me about this verse is the concluding phrase, "those who worship the beast and his image will have no rest day or night." Again, these unfortunate people appear to be enduring eternal, conscious torment.
Finally, in Revelation 20:10 we read: "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever." The beast and false prophet are both human beings. And yet, along with the devil, they will endure eternal punishment. Furthermore, Revelation 19:20 states, "Now the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf--signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur." Please note that this takes place prior to the thousand year reign of Christ (Revelation 20:1-7). And yet, when the thousand years are over, the beast and false prophet are still being tormented in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). This lake of fire is the same place where all unbelievers are thrown in Revelation 20:15.
It's true that this is called the "second death," but does the Bible equate "death" with "annihilation"? How do you read Ephesians 2:1-2? The Ephesians were formerly "dead." But does this mean that they didn't have personal, conscious existence? Wouldn't you agree that the Ephesians were spiritually dead (i.e. separated from the spiritual life of God)? And might this not also be what the Bible means by the "second death" (i.e. unremedied spiritual death results in eternal separation from God)? When the Bible speaks of death it does not mean "annihilation." Rather, it means "separation."
Physical death is the "separation" of the spirit from the body (James 2:26). Spiritual death is the "separation" of a conscious, living person from God (Ephesians 2:1-2). And the second death is the "eternal separation" of an unredeemed person from God (Revelation 20:11-15).