can people in hell repent and turn to God

Then I'm grateful to God for your understaning. It is very sad when people have an incorrect view of our Lord's character and ways.

I mean it would be nice. Especially if you or say you had a loved one or someone who dies lost. You wouldn't have to worry about eternal punishment. But I have difficulty seeing how annihilation would be that much of a punishment. I mean wouldn't most atheists think oh well, I'm just going to burn up and die...who cares.

They already think they are just going to die and that will be that, so what would burning up and dying really matter.

There are too many places in scripture that talk about eternal punishment to just diminish it to annihilation.

The punishment isn't only annihilation. Before the unsaved are annihilated, they will kneel before the judgement seat of Christ, where they will suffer torment over having all their sins exposed,

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. Jn.3:20

because fear hath torment. 1Jn.4:18

There won't be any place to hide, but

he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: Rev.4:10

Along with this, the unrepentant will see the true glory of life which they will have mo part of, adding to their agony. Anyone who claimes these thing won't matter to them is deceived.

It is amazing how many refuse to accept the second final death as punishment. As if death were not punishment? Gee, maybe we should inform our courts in that case, and let them know they have it all wrong, since they generally agree and believe death to be the ultimate punishment. And so does God. It is what He promised Adam and Eve if they disobeyed, and is reiterated again and again throughout Scripture: the unrepentant shall perish.

It would matter to me, but really how do you see this mattering to an atheist. They have already made it up in their minds that they don't care or want to believe in or to see God. They are happy with the thought of just dying. Also there are some who do believe in God, but they pretty much throw up the middle finger to him...They know they are sinning but they don't care and don't care who knows it. So how could exposing their sin bring punishment for them. I just don't see it.

To clarify, I don't want to see anyone punished forever in hell, but there are just too many scriptures that seem to say that is what is going to happen. Too many warnings given throughout scripture so it can't be take lightly, in my opinion.

Yes. I see criminals sentenced to death fighting to serve life imprisonment instead.

Just my thoughts, but could it be because they don't want to accept Jesus and they might be afraid of dying and waking up in hell?

You're not seeing it because you're not considering that the atheist doesn't want the life he's now enjoying, the life God gave him, to end. I see atheists doing what they need to prolong his life. I don't see unbelievers not caring whether they die.

For some it might, but when you get right to the heart of the matter, it's because people don't want their lives to end.

I agree with you Magenta. Atheists who smell the flowers, or see the colors, or enjoy any other wonderous thing God made are in no hurry to jump off a cliff. And if they claim otherwise theyre lying.

Scripture also identifies fear of death as the root cause of bondage to sin.

This does cause me to wonder about the choice Adam and Eve made...

I mean, the Tree of Life was right there in their midst.

But they chose death, instead.

Though Eve was deceived by the serpent's lie.

And that lie is being told to this day.

I'm thinking if people are already in hell (hypothetically speaking), then they have already been judged and repentance is a thing they ignored in life... or God probably wouldn't have put them there. However, based on scripture, it seems that "hell" is likely not deemed until judgment day. Hence, the term "judgment day." Until then, I believe the spirits sleep awaiting judgment. It seems to me, that it is in this life that we are granted the ability to reform. If one waited until judgment, well it kind of defeats the purpose. Then it's like someone says, " oh poop, i'm in hell, so let me fix it." But God gives us a whole life to fix our troubles, you see. So we mustn't waste this life. And why should a human waste their whole life earning hell, only to then, be regretful? What did that person do so often that led them there? And why not repent among humans... the humans they cared not about... until death? It's as if to say, heh, I can hurt anyone I want in life, not give a poop, then land in hell, and say... ick this sucks, let me fix it. But why did they not want to stop wreaking the havoc that led them there in the first place? What made them keep hurting others? ... until that day? It's a circular discussion, but all seems to come back to... why did they hurt so many to land in a bad place? Which leads one back to... do good in "this life" so as not to end up in a "bad place."

It could be that the tree of life as it appeared in the garden did not look appealing to them, as in Isa.53:2

Here's the thing though. If we are Christians to die is gain, but to live is Christ.

Please don't take me wrong here...I'm not suicidal or anything, but sometimes I look at dying as being a gift. It only means I will not have to live any longer in this evil world and will be able to go and be with the Lord. It think the fear of death is really just the fear of the unknown. I can't see how anyone could be afraid of just not existing anymore. But to think for one second that you would go to hell and not be with God and tortured forever...now that is a very scary thought. Much more to fear than just ceasing to exist.

Magenta, it is because you don't understand the scriptures definition of death. And it has nothing to do with non-existence or annihilation.

If people who are thrown into the lake of fire just became non-existent, then what kind of punishment would it be for those who committed suicide, with death being their goal in the first place? God would be giving them exactly what they want.

Life = Eternal, conscious existence in the joy of the Lord in the kingdom of God.

Death (for the unsaved) = Eternal, conscious existence in separation from God in the Lake of fire.

There is going to be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust, which means that both groups will receive resurrected bodies.

The saved will be resurrected in immortal and glorified bodies, while the unsaved will be resurrected in eternal indestructible bodies mete for the lake of fire. I've shown you this example before and here it is again:

"And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

The same word 'aionios' is used referring to both the wicked and the righteous. Therefore, if you interpret eternal to be temporary for the wicked, then it has to retain the same meaning for the righteous. Since we know that aionios/eternal for the righteous means never ending life in the kingdom of God, then aionios/eternal must mean never ending punishment for the wicked.

Everyone who comes into the world will exist forever in either the kingdom of God or the lake of fire. No one will cease to exist.

Doesn’t look like it..

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