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I think I see your point (though I’d still say that it’s incorrect in many parts), but: the idea of eternal hell isn’t exactly a tiny and obscure Scriptural “blip”; it’s rather central to the Gospel message... and anyone who tries to suggest that Hell is NOT eternal has to resort to the most extraordinary mental calisthenics (or else deny the Bible and its contents altogether)! It’s akin to those who try to deny the divinity of Christ; a significant number of people try it (Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other modern subscribers to the Arian heresy), but they have to do violence to the Biblical context (and the Biblical text, sometimes going so far as to “re-translate” the Bible in keeping with their beliefs, as the JW’s do in their “New World” version [I can’t call it a “translation”, as such, since it’s so distorted]).

Simple logic demands that there have to be limits on how far one is allowed to “interpret” the Scriptures; we are not free to go into la-la land and say “Black can really be interpreted to mean white, if only we have the eyes to see it!” Words mean things... and those who try their utmost to “explain away” even the clearest Biblical passages seem to be doing their best to inject their own preferences onto a text which simply doesn’t agree with them.

I see it as eternal in that it is an eternal condition.

I find myself, as we have these discussions, sometimes reflecting on the fate of Han Solo in that Star Wars movie where he is “frozen” in that metal contraption and hung on the wall as art. He had no sense of the passage of time and if he had not been saved, his fate would have gone on for a very, very long time.

I’ve gone into surgery twice and put completely under. What it proved to me is that we are aware of the passage of time when we sleep. It’s because it was different when I was put under. I was told to breathe deeply and, mid breath I found myself groggy and in the recovery room, three hours later.

I’ve used this analogy question: If I say I’m going to paint a fence blue for all eternity, do I mean I’m going to spend eternity painting the fence, or do I mean I’m going to paint it blue and it will STAY blue for all eternity.

I think this is what is meant in the bible when discussing the fate of the dead and why the saved are described as having eternal life. Both conditions will be eternal, but one involves life and the other doesn’t. And one of my biggest proofs is that this fits with the personality of my God which is abundantly exposed in nature, my prayer life, the miracles I’ve experienced and His word. And there is plenty of scripture in His word to back it up.

Interestingly, once I finally bothered to study the subject and come to this conclusion that all sources agree, my life was filled with peace that I never had before. God was way too contradictory before that. Too much just didn’t make any sense. And though His ways are above ours, he also teaches that he is not a God of confusion. I am confused no longer - at least on this subject.