Anyone ever read about Lazarus and the rich man? Luke 16:20-24 KJV
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Hell is literal, and real, or else Jesus would not have referred to it, in this parable. However, hell is NOT eternal. A simple look in the dictionary for the definition of "forever" does not read that it is for eternity. Forever and ever, refers to a space of time, and as we all know or should know, eternity does not deal with time. God is an eternal being, and chose to come to the earth, in Christ to reconcile the believers back to himself. It was not water, that brought this about. It was blood, and without that blood, there is no sacrifice. To say that hell, is eternal is saying that there are two forms of eternal life. And the Bible, God's word, does not speak of there being two forms of eternal life, but one.
Don
The worst troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every morning