Is Ultimate Release from Hell Possible?

Where in the bible does it say explicitly that sins cannot be forgiven in the afterlife?

where did Paul say he wished someone would cease to exist?

it is the prophet's response to what God has told him:

that will raise up a wicked empire to be His instrument.
as the Lord said, Habakkuk is amazed and can scarce believe it:


Habakkuk complains - it is the same shocked awe that any Jew feels to hear the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob say 'blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria Mine handiwork'
the prophet objects, God you are holy, how can you take what is defiled and abominable and make it your instrument?
and God answers His objection:


utterly amazing!

Does the NT allow the possibility of ultimate postmortem release from Hell? I'm raising this issue because of another thread started by someone who finds himself in a battle to retain his faith over the difficulty of believing in eternal damnation. This thread will focus on this issue from the perspective of Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the Book of Revelation in that order.

Knowledge of the original languages is important for understanding Scripture, partly because there is often no one-to-one exact English equivalent for Hebrew and Greek theological terms. Important examples are the Hebrew ("olam") and Greek ("aionios") words often translated "eternal." In fact, both words can mean "for a long time" and "enduring." Thus, in the Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs the death of Isaac can be described as "enduring (aionios) sleep" with the implication of ultimate postmortem survival. Consider these 3 NT examples where "aionios" does not mean "eternal:
(a) " that you should receive him (Onesimus) forever (aionion"--better translated "for good"--Philemon 25)."
(b) the use of aionios" in the plural to mean "long ages" in Romans 16:25 and 1 Timothy 1:9
(C) the frequent use of "aionios" by the Greek Septuagint to translate the Hebrew "olam, which means "for a long time"

(1) JESUS' TEACHING ABOUT GEHENNA:

The ancient Jewish concept of "Gehenna" is inspired by the ancient use of the valley of Hinnom by an idolatrous cult that passed children through fire. Ancient Aramaic theological terms like "Gehenna" derive their meaning from their use in the contemporary Palestinian culture. Jesus’ concept of Gehenna must be viewed against the background of ancient rabbinic perspectives, which are nicely summarized with copious documentation in the excellent Anchor Bible Dictionary article [Vol. 2]: “Most of those [Jews] who enter it [Gehenna] in the intermediate state would be released from it…It was a fiery purgatory for those Jews whose merits and transgressions balanced one another who would afterward be admitted to Paradise. Often the punishment of Gehenna was restricted to 12 months.”

Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant uses a debtor’s prison as an image for the limited duration of punishment in Gehenna: “And in his anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt (Matthew 18:34).” Here the debt’s payment and ultimate release remain a possibility. How the debt might be paid off remains unclear, but expiation and purgation remain possibilities. Remember, “debt” (Aramaic: “chob”) is the Aramaic term for “sin” that inspires this image of Hell as a debtor’s prison.

More controversial is the related possibility that Matthew 5:25-26 refers to Gehenna:

“Make friends quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the Judge, and the Judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you pay the last penny.”

The symbolic interpretation of the prison as Gehenna seems preferable for 4 reasons:
(1) This saying makes little sense if taken literally. Jesus would in effect be saying: “Let me tell you how to beat the rap of criminal charges. Wait till you and your accuser are actually on the road on the way to court and then kiss up to him.”
(2) "Jesus always applies the formula “Truly I say to you” to our relationship with God, never to a purely secular issue like a court proceeding.
(3) In the first 2 centuries this saying is always interpreted symbolically.
(4) In the Lukan context (12:57-59) the saying is located in an eschatological context.
That said, Matthew 18:34 removes the necessity of invoking this saying to establish Jesus’ image of Gehenna as a debtor’s prison.

Jesus’ image of “few stripes” as an image of punishment in Gehenna implies a finite limit and therefore ultimate release: “The slave who did not know and did what deserved a beating will be beaten with few stripes (Luke 12:48).”

As for Jesus’ view that people who don’t follow Him can be saved, Mark 9:40 is certainly relevant: “Whoever is not against us is for us.”

Rejecting him certainly was iniquity.

he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. Lk.10:16

Jesus, dying on the cross did not ask the Father if He was forsaken Him but asked 'why?". If the Father did not forsake His son dying on the cross carrying the sins of the world then that passage would not have been written.

It is not my opinion on whethot the Father had forsaken the Son but rather it is a biblical fact.

What you have written in this post does not refute the scripture about Jesus being forsaken by the Father

It pleased the father to bruise him.
A picture of the father and Son working together in perfect harmony with one another in order to bring the peace of God.

I would suggest the "why" is was while or during the time the father afflicted him. He felt forsaken that led to the crying out and the strengthening to finish the work.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.Isaiah 53:4-5

jesus cried out the Father who was pouring out the cup of wrath suffering unto death. the father heard him and sent anagles to strnth their mutual work of salvation

Luke 22:42-44 King James Version (KJV)Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Yes he did.

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses Mt.8:17

It's plain that Matthew doesn't mean Jesus became sick himself.

eternally grateful: "Lol So you want to teach and tell the world to go on eat drink and be merry, We can get out of hell (lake of fire) after we go there. We do not have to repent and receive the gift of eternal life in this lifetime

Why do Fundamentalist create a crude caricature of opposing positions to avoid the hard work of honest and open critical engagement?
Consignment to Hell is the most tragic fate possible, regardless of whether one's sojourn there is eternal. So to duck the issue and "eat, drink, and be merry" would be the ultimate folly. Please think more deeply and consider the case that will be laid out before you.

eternally grateful: "Yeah go ahead with that. I doubt God will look favorably on you when you try to explain to him why he has to let people out of hell who commited the unpardonable sin. Which jesus said will NEVER be forgiven, in this lifetime or the next."

I of course will consider the meaning of that text in detail when I have finished with the positive texts that support my case.

the fact that God is eternal is irrelevant to the question of whether it is just to punish people whom we'd all agree are good and decent

You have no case. When the punishment of the wicked is described in scripture it is put alongside heaven. They are juxtaposed. Meaning if he'll eventually ends, so does heaven.

Also, the punishment fits the crime. Infinite God, infinite punishment. Very simple. I agree with the others that have posted against you. You do not know the gospel friend. Repent

The key terms for an understanding of 1 Corinthians 3:15 are the Greek verb "zemiousthai" which means "to be punished" and "to suffer loss" and, more importantly, the technical phrase "saved, yet so as by fire." In ancient rabbinic Judaism the expression "saved so as by fire" is applied to the temporary sojourn of Jews with inadequate spirituality in Gehenna for postmortem purification. Catholics understandably cite 3:15 as a prooftext for their doctrine of Purgatory.

You are the poster boy for the fallacy of begging the question.

You miss the point: the works are burnt up because they don't qualify as righteous works. So those without godly works are punished in Gehenna. Thus, God's Word says: "What good is it, brethren, if a man claims to have faith but has no works? Can faith save him (James 2:14)?" These are rhetorical questions that expect the obvious answer: "Of course not!" This brings us to Jesus" agreement with the contemporary rabbinic view of Gehenna as a realm of punishment or purification of limited duration. Have you bothered to read my earlier posts that demonstrate this claim? You duck my point that ancient idioms need to be interpreted in terms of what they meant in the contemporary culture; and as I pointed out, the rabbinic phrase "saved yet so as by fire" designates subjection to temporary purifying fires of Gehenna.