I only pray and hope you are right
You don't have to worry the Scriptures are pretty clear on this issue. The idea that people will suffer for eternity is drawn from a few misunderstood passages.
David,
9 For
evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. (Psa 37:9 KJV)
10
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it
shall not
be. (Psa 37:10 KJV)
20 But
the wicked shall perish, and
the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs:
they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. (Psa 37:20 KJV)
38 But
the transgressors shall be destroyed together:
the end of the wicked shall be cut off. (Psa 37:38 KJV)
Jesus,
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (Joh 3:16 KJV)
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather
fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Mat 10:28 KJV)
Paul,
23 For
the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 6:23 KJV)
Peter,
KJV
2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and
bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2Pe 2:1 KJV)
John,
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
which is the second death. (Rev 21:8 KJV)
You see, over and over it is said that the wicked are destroyed, or they perish, they are no more. That means they don't suffer for eternity. John said the wicked will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Notice he calls it the "Second Death," It's only the second death if they die. If they were in there forever then it wouldn't be death.
One of the reasons this doctrine exists is that some don't consider that the word eternal can be understood in more than one way. Most people think of eternal life as ongoing life, it can mean that, but it can also mean permanent life. Something that is eternal is permanent. Let's look at an example from the scriptures. Peter said that God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast
them down to hell, and delivered
them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth
person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And
turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned
them with an overthrow,
making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; (2Pe 2:4-6 KJV)
Peter said that God turned the cities into aches as an example to those who would life ungodly. Jude also speaks of this event.
6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. {first estate: or, principality}
7
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh,
are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jud 1:6-7 KJV)
Jude said that Sodom and Gomorrah are examples of eternal fire. Peter said they were burned to ashes. We can look in the middle east and see that those two cities are not still burning today. However, their destruction is eternal. To my knowledge no one even knows for sure where exactly these two cities were. Their suffering the vengeance of eternal fire means they were utterly destroyed. That is what is also said of the wicked, they will be destroyed. I hope this helps.
