It might help in understanding of the term if you consider that death and hell are cast into it Pat. All the things that are cast into it, are gone. When the resurrection is complete, there is no more death that we inherited from Adam thus no more need for hell, correct? Rev 20:13,14; 21:4
That may help you to realize that the lake of fire is symbolic of permanent destruction, hence the reason God chose to define it as meaning the second death sir.
The Lake of Fire is restorative. It changes death into life. It refines evil into good. Those that look to Christ refine themselves and then Jesus changes us the nice and easy way.
1 John 3:3 esv
And everyone who thus hopes in him
purifies himself as he is pure.
2 Corinthians 3:18 esv
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Others will also be refined, but they will have to be refined in the Lake of Fire, for their own good. It's sort of like how we must get our wisdom teeth removed, unpleasant but necessary. If people are eternally punished then all of the verses below are FALSE.
1 John 4:14
14 And we have seen and testify that
the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God
, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
Lamentations 3:31 For the Lord
will not cast off forever.
Romans 5:18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so
one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die,
so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
Romans 11:32 For God has consigned all to disobedience,
that he may have mercy on all.
John 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw
ALL people to myself.”
Revelation 21:5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making
all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
2 Corinthians 5:19 that is, in Christ
God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
John 6:39 And
this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15
and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Colossians 1:20 and through him
to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that
the world might be saved through him.
Luke 3:6
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God
Philippians 2:10-11 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Romans 10:9 because,
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
2 Samuel 14:14 We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast.
Ephesians 1:10 As a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.
John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
