Looking at your argument more closely, it follows then that since unbelievers will be punished in hell for at least some duration (I believe we are in agreement there), then believers cannot be happy for that duration.
Actually if you read the account in Revelation you find that we come to the new creation.. not just some "heaven" that is separate from what is described there. Heaven comes down to earth and they become one.
Also we arrive in this new creation with tears streaming down our faces..
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore,
for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 (ESV)
Why won' there be any more mourning? Or Crying? Or death? Or Pain? FOR the former things have
passed away.
I provided a definition to this Greek word earlier but I will provide it again.
13.93 παράγωc; παρέρχομαιd; ἀπέρχομαιb; ἐξέρχομαιb:
to go out of existence—‘to cease to exist, to pass away, to cease.’
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (158). New York: United Bible Societies.
The pain.. suffering.. mourning.. and ultimately death will be no more because evil will have been completely destroyed, this isn't saying that pain, mourning, crying and death will be no more because the former things were presently being tormented in hell. Quite the opposite.
Also, God's triumph over sin and suffering will not be complete in this way... as we can reason that there would indeed be MORE sin and suffering on that side of eternity than there ever was on earth. God hadn't defeated suffering and sin, just simply contained it to a certain place.
We could say that it will be for only 60s but that is 60s that the believer will not experience joy in heaven.
The events in Revelation 21 come DIRECTLY after the great white throne judgement in Revelation 20 where the former things meet their end in the second death.. the lake of fire. There will be much joy in the new heavens and new earth with no mourning past the initial moments where Jesus will wipe away our tears.
Now we must also consider that it could be a trillion trillion years, which in the light of eternity is literally nothing (eternity minus a trillion trillion is still eternity). So it follows then that at least some believers would not be happy for at least a trillion trillion years. I could go on but I believe the point is made.
It will not be a "trillion years" judgement is ultimately realized in the main punishment rendered which is death, some will receive to say it one way, a more severe form of a death sentence.
So this simply cannot be an argument against eternal punishment in hell.
It's absolutely a valid argument for any rational and emotionally healthy human being!
“That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell” St. Thomas Aquinas
“The blessed in the kingdom of heaven will see the punishments of the damned, in order that their bliss be more delightful for them.” St. Thomas Aquinas
These quotes demonstrate absolutely horrendous conclusions of such a belief, to think that human beings would delight at the thought of billions of other human beings made in the image of God being tortured. The only healthy response to suffering is compassion and sympathy, atheists have good reason to object and say that only sociopaths will be in heaven. For that is what it would take for such a thing to not absolutely crush a person with grief.
