OK, now we come to the concept of hell. There are basically three
schools of thought concerning hell. First off, there are three
words that are translated into English for hell. The first is in
the old testament and it is the Hebrew word Sheol which means the
grave or pit. The second is the Koine Greek word hades which means
the obode of the dead. Koine Greek is the common Greek written in the
time of Jesus and has little in common with the modern Greek language.
The third word translated hell is GEHENNA. It is only used as hell
about 11 times in the new testament. This is where the prevailing
belief about hell comes from as a place of fire and brimstone if you
will.

Gehenna is a reference to the valley of Hinnom which was/is a ravine outside
the city of Jerusalem. It was the city dump and was also used to burn the
carcasses of dead animals. The fire was kept burning all the time as more
refuse was brought in. There is reference to it as the place where the worm
never dies. This is a reference to maggots eating upon the soot left behind
and doesn't mean that there were immortal worms. It was also the place where
propitiatory sacrifices were made to Moloch, a false god.

Hell is described as a place of eternal punishment. Those who subscribe
to this hell of everlasting fire and brimstone are describing it as a
place of eternal punishING, not just punishMENT. There is a difference.
Everlasting punishING is used to describe a never ending torment of the
soul in what we would think of as physical torture for all time. Everlasting
PunishMENT would be more indicative of a state of finality. The punishment
is everlasting but the result has an end as far as being consumed as the
"fat of lambs." If you put a blow torch to a piece of fat it is consumed
totally till nothiing is left of it. It does not continue to burn forever.

Another school of thought is that the wicked will suffer a second death after
the "Great white Throne" judgement and will simply cease to exist.

The third school of thought is that the wicked and unbelievers will suffer
everlasting separation from God.

There is scripture that people use to buttress their argument over these
schools of thought in each case.

I don't know the answer anymore than anyone else does on this matter but
my thinking is that it will come down on the side of everlasting
punishMENT, not punishING as Gehenna is used more symbolically and only
mentioned 11 times in all of scripture.

Furthermore, one of the main laws of hermeneutics, or the discipline of
studying scripture, is that when there is a question on a word you compare
scripture to other scriptures and then if there is still a question, you go
to the first usuage of the word.

The first time death is used is in Genesis in the Garden of Eden. That's
Where the tree of life was. When Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden
it was guarded by cheribims so they couldn't re-enter and eat of the tree
of life and live forever. If sinfull man automatically has an "immortal" soul, why
would he have to be kept from the tree of life? It makes no sense.

Add to that the reference in Revelation where in the center of the "New Jerusalem"
there would stand the tree of life.

Like I said earlier, I don't know the real answer and no one else can either this side
of heaven but I personally think that either the unbelievers are annihilated (cease
to exist) or are at least eternally separated from God where God, being a God of love
gives them what they wanted.

Those who accept God's pardon from sin based on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus by faith
will live forever in paradice.

For those who don't, I'll use one final analogy. Suppose a man is in prison. The King
offers him a full pardon for his trangressions (sins). The jailer opens the cell to let him free.
He can accept the pardon and walk out free or choose to stay in his cell and continue to suffer.
The choice is his. He has no excuse if he choses to remain in his punishment.

I'm the only person here who is not unique.