The sheep go with Jesus and the goats are consigned to the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angles. Everlasting, in this instance is from the Greek aionios. Mat.25:46 Jesus spoke in one sentence of everlasting (aionios) punishment and life eternal (aionios). There are those who assume that since the righteous will be given everlasting life, that sinners will be punished for the same time period. But that assumption cannot be reconciled with the statement that those cast into the lake of fire perish. They suffer death. The second death. Rev.2:11, 20:6&14, and 21:8. It is eternal punishment, not eternal punishing.
Genesis 19:24, Sodom and Gomorrah are utterly destroyed. Consumed by fire. Jude7 describes these cities as " suffering the vengeance of the eternal (aionios) fire." These cities are not burning today. Why? It is not the fire that is eternal, but the effect of the fire.
The eternal aspect of the (aionios) fire is its everlasting effect, NOT how long it burns.
2007-09-19
14:18:14
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26 answers
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asked by
B.Hound
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