What a subject.
The purpose of this study is to understand God who is eternal. We shall be considering eternal life and eternal death (the lake of fire) Many Christians seem to believe in eternal life but not in Hells eternal place. So let's look at what the word of God says on the matter.
The writer of the song "how great thou art" knew something of the greatness of God I am sure. The song seems to have captured some of that greatness too, as every time I sing that song I am overwhelmed and gripped by the greatness of God. I don't want to get slushy or communicate that we as Christians are to live from some emotional feeling that we have to whip up and obtain in order to prove that God exists.
When we try and understand God who is eternal where do you start ? Only to say God is and always will be.
When a person believes in Jesus the promise that that person will receive everlasting life is a fact. But the eternal gift can only come from an eternal source.
When God sent Moses to deliver the children of Israel from captivity Moses needed to know how he could explain who had sent him. God said "I Am that I Am" (Exodus 3:11-14) Jesus also said "Before Abraham was Iam"
The most difficult thing to tell someone when they ask "where did God come from" is that He, God, always was and always will be He is eternal. If God is not eternal then he is not god. Man wants to make God in his image and likeness and so in the unbelievers thinking God has to be finite and limited.
Genesis 1:1 says "In the beginning God". We do not have to read anything into that. If God is not eternal He would not be God would He? But man tries to make Him in our image and make big G a small g.
Ps 90: 2 says Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
In God's eternity He has already judge mankind. Everyone is in God's eternity God doesn't make things up as He goes along.
Even more amazing we read in Rev 13:8 John said that "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, (the Beast) whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world". Do we not here see that it was always in God's eternity to provide the Lamb (Jesus) who would take away the sin of the world? Yes we do.
There is also the Book of Life in which names have been written from the foundation of the world and those who's name are not in it will worship the beast. This is also in God's eternity.
Dan 12:1-2 says "And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book".
So be assured there are 2 outcomes of eternity, the eternity of Life in Christ and with Christ in the kingdom of God or eternity of death that never ends in the everlasting lake of fire.
Now let us look at the word of God and see this eternity with regard to salvation.
When was Jesus slain? In History and in time on the cross around AD 32. But in eternity from the foundation of the world.
In the same verse we read of the "Book of Life" when was that written? Rev 17:8 says again from the foundation of the world.
What about the love of God for His son Jesus John 17:24 says “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. This is God's eternal love to His eternal Son.
Eternal Death (the never dying state)
Why title it this way? Is there such a thing? Well some people including Christians don't believe there is. They say God is love and He would never do such a thing.
Hebrews 9:27 tells us there is a judgment after death.
If there is nothing to fear after death why does it matter if God has to judge someone after they die?
Jesus speaking about destruction in Matt 7:13-14 & fearing Him who can kill the soul Matt 10:8-31,
Luke 12:3-5
What does the word destruction mean?
At first we might think this be straight forward and take the word destruction to mean annihilation or extinction but the word apoleia comes from the word apollumi to perish but not extinction. See below.
Strongs G684 ἀπώλεια apoleia (ap-o'-lei-a) n.
1. destruction, ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal)
[from a presumed derivative of G622]
KJV: damnable(-nation), destruction, die, perdition, X perish, pernicious ways, waste
[ A-1,Verb,G622, apollumi ]
a strengthened form of ollumi, signifies to destroy utterly;" in Middle Voice, "to perish." The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being. This is clear from its use, as, e.g., of the marring of wine skins, Luke 5:37; of lost sheep, i.e., lost to the shepherd, metaphorical of spiritual destitution, Luke 15:4,6, etc.; the lost son, Luke 15:24; of the perishing of food, John 6:27; of gold, 1Pet 1:7. So of persons, Matt 2:13, "destroy;" Matt 8:25, "perish;" Matt 22:7; Matt 27:20; of the loss of well-being in the case of the unsaved hereafter, Matt 10:28; Luke 13:3,5; John 3:16 (John 3:15 in some mss.); John 10:28; John 17:12; Rom 2:12; 1Cor 15:18; 2Cor 2:15, "are perishing;" 2Cor 4:3; 2Thess 2:10; Jas 4:12; 2Pet 3:9. Cp. B, II, No. 1. See DIE, LOSE, MARRED, PERISH.
1. destruction, ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal)
[from a presumed derivative of G622]
KJV: damnable(-nation), destruction, die, perdition, X perish, pernicious ways, waste
[ A-1,Verb,G622, apollumi ]
a strengthened form of ollumi, signifies to destroy utterly;" in Middle Voice, "to perish." The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being. This is clear from its use, as, e.g., of the marring of wine skins, Luke 5:37; of lost sheep, i.e., lost to the shepherd, metaphorical of spiritual destitution, Luke 15:4,6, etc.; the lost son, Luke 15:24; of the perishing of food, John 6:27; of gold, 1Pet 1:7. So of persons, Matt 2:13, "destroy;" Matt 8:25, "perish;" Matt 22:7; Matt 27:20; of the loss of well-being in the case of the unsaved hereafter, Matt 10:28; Luke 13:3,5; John 3:16 (John 3:15 in some mss.); John 10:28; John 17:12; Rom 2:12; 1Cor 15:18; 2Cor 2:15, "are perishing;" 2Cor 4:3; 2Thess 2:10; Jas 4:12; 2Pet 3:9. Cp. B, II, No. 1. See DIE, LOSE, MARRED, PERISH.
[ B-4,Noun,G3639, olethros ]
"ruin, destruction," akin to A, No. 6, always translated "destruction," is used in 1Cor 5:5, of the effect upon the physical condition of an erring believer for the purpose of his spiritual profit; in 1Thess 5:3; 2Thess 1:9, of the effect of the Divine judgments upon men at the ushering in of the Day of the Lord and the revelation of the Lord Jesus; in 1Tim 6:9, of the consequences of the indulgence of the flesh, referring to physical "ruin" and possibly that of the whole being, the following word apoleia (See No. 1) stressing the final, eternal and irrevocable character of the "ruin."
"ruin, destruction," akin to A, No. 6, always translated "destruction," is used in 1Cor 5:5, of the effect upon the physical condition of an erring believer for the purpose of his spiritual profit; in 1Thess 5:3; 2Thess 1:9, of the effect of the Divine judgments upon men at the ushering in of the Day of the Lord and the revelation of the Lord Jesus; in 1Tim 6:9, of the consequences of the indulgence of the flesh, referring to physical "ruin" and possibly that of the whole being, the following word apoleia (See No. 1) stressing the final, eternal and irrevocable character of the "ruin."
Taking Lukes 5:37 as the best example we read “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.
The wine skin is ruined meaning it's not fit for purpose as it has perished it will remain like that. It cant go back it can't go forward.
Here is a brief breakdown of what happens when the saved and unsaved die.
The common Biblical view of life after death
1. The body of flesh and blood created by God from the elements of the Earth will decay following death and return to the elements of the Earth.
2. The Spirit return to God who gave it. Ecc 12:6-7, Psalms 31:5, Luke 23:46, Acts 7:59
3. Old covenant - The Soul, (generally considered man's inner being), goes to the abode of the unseen referred to as Hades. Hades has at least 2 compartment For the OT saints/believers they went to the Paradise side, also known as Abrahams bosom. The other compartment is a place of torment for those who are not in Christ. The 2 compartments are separated by a great gulf. Luke 16:19-31 describes this. Please note the passage in Luke is not a parable it is a literal description of Hades. We know this because literal names are being used and parables do not contain literal names.
4. New covenant - the souls of the saints who dies goes to be with Christ the Lord. 2Cor 5:6-8
5. At the second coming of Christ the body of the dead & alive saints are changed to put on the imperishable. The changed body and the soul are united with the spirit. This is the resurrection and rapture (gathering together of saints) 1Cor 15, 1Thess 4:13-18 ,5:1-11, Matt 24, 2Thess2:1) At this time both dead and living saints will become one transformed glorious bride. We shall be like Christ (1John3:2)
6. The unsaved, unredeemed will not be raised from the dead until the white throne judgment takes place.
Those not in Christ will be cast into Gehenna (the lake of fire) with the Devil and his angles, the beast and the false prophet. ( Rev 20:7-15, Matthew 25:41)
Note there are some passages that seem to suggest that the judgment and the sentencing of the unsaved happens when Jesus returns for example Dan 12:1-2, 2 Tim 4:1, John 5:28-29.
In Daniel we read that "At that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt."
But the passage gives us the suggestion of resurrection, and 2 everlasting descriptions one being life the other contempt. But we have no description of destinations or chronology, although the passage gives the impression the resurrection of both happens at the same time, we need to look at other verses that speak of the same event and ask if we can see both groups being resurrected at the same time.
In the 2 Tim 4:1 description we read "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:"
Again it seems to read as though it is one event that happens when Jesus returns. But this time it does not mention an awakening (resurrection)
John 5:28-29 likewise tells us that when Christ returns 2 groups will be resurrected to 2 different destinies. But it doesn't mean there may not be a time between the resurrections of the 2 groups.
For example if I say I arrived back home the other night and put my children to bed and one went to the upstairs room and the other to the downstairs room. You may think I put them to bed at the same time but the information I have given does not tell you when I put them to bed. But it does tell you that they were put to bed when I got home and that it was at night time. But there could have been a 6 hour time difference between them going to bed. Hope you are following this?
1Corinthians 15:20-23 Speaks however of an order of resurrection.
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.
And Revelation 20:7-15 tell us there is a 1000 year gap between the resurrection of the saved and the unsaved dead.
Verse 7 sets the time, then verse 11 then the white throne judgment verse 12 who is being judged.
So I conclude.
Unless a person has put their faith in Jesus Christ they will not be saved and their name would not have been in the book of life from the foundation of the world. They are going to be cast into the lake of fire where their body and soul will suffer, forever.