If we look at the Biblical story of creation, fall, redemption, consummation, the last few chapters of the Bible finish the story and although their focus is on the new heavens and the new earth in chapter 20, 21, and 22 of Revelations, there is still hell. In chapter 20 people are judged as always (great white throne) and they're cast into the lake of fire which is the second death. In chapter 21 it's the same thing, the focus is on redeemed, resurrected humanity but there is in the midst of that a verse: "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." 22 continues with the same thing, new heavens and new earth, beautiful imagery, yet in the midst of that we have, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." So clearly, not everyone receives a place in the city of God and despite the final installment of his kingdom, hell doesn't end. For Universalism to be true, you'd need a Revelation 23 and there is no such thing.

People with near death experiences only get to experience a glimpse of hell (or heaven) because their death is not final. As the name implies, a near death experience is but a close encounter with death. A common occurrance in NDEs is that the people who experience them are told "it is not yet their time" (like in one example, someone's name couldn't be found in a book, or an angel guarded the entry path). NDEs where people see hell serve as learning experiences and testimonies to warn others about what lies beyond this world and what can happen to those who reject salvation. Their testimonies often express the finality of hell and the eternal torment those who are condemned face there.

Below is a testimony of a woman who saw hell:

"You could see heaven, the peace, the joy, the love, the wholeness, and you knew you were never going to experience that"... "Time does not exist in eternity, so you know you are there forever, with no relief"... "The burning will never stop, the screaming will never stop, and the only thing you can do is hope that no one else will come where you are".



Another testimony, of a former atheist professor, now reverend:

"We were created by God to be spiritual beings, our purpose is to be with God forever, that's what God created us for and what God wants. So God in his infinite wisdom has given us this experince of the physical world to prepare us to choose what we want to do for eternity"... "God is not in the punishment business, God is in the love business, people choose hell. Millions of people are going to hell because they refuse to love God, they reject God. And that's why I'm here, to tell people to choose God."



It is possible to be saved at the last possible moment. The woman who shot herself in a moment of desperation cried out to God to forgive her as she decided to leave this world, and God heard out her cries. This atheist prayed in the ambulance that was taking him to hospital. He also talks about eternity:



And yet their message is not that we should leave salvation until the last possible moment, but that we should turn to God and ask Jesus to come in our lives, and rather do it now. Their transformation began as soon as they were back into the physical world, they did not put it off for a few weeks or years or until their deathbed or beyond. They use their experience and act if they were on a mission in life which they felt God entrusted them with.

Yes, hell is a scary place and the thought that it must be eternal is certainly disturbing if not terrifying, maybe even difficult to grasp. We tend to see God as someone loving and merciful, and who wouldn't want everybody to be saved... God himself wants everyone to be saved: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) God is loving, kind, and merciful, but he is also holy and righteous; and hence there are limits to his mercy: "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon". (Isaiah 55:6-7). But God has also given us free will and created balance into the world. "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7). He made the tree of good and evil and he knew the stakes. Everything has a term for comparison; we would not understand goodness and kindness the same way if we did not know evil or selfishness, we would not understand love the same way if there were also no hatred. Without darkness we would have no need to find the light.

If life were just that easy and everyone was saved, Jesus's work and sacrifice would have lost its meaning... But if we repent for our sins and place our faith in Jesus, if we ask God for his forgiveness based on Christ's sacrifice, we can be saved through his righteousness. God loves us so much that he provided us with the means for salvation, but it's ultimately up to us to accept or to reject this gift.

Finally, God himself is an eternal and infinite being (Psalm 90:2), so it comes to reason that the consequences of our choices are also eternal. They must be eternal because all that matters to man is the present condition. If heaven or hell did end at some point, the person would be then free of reward or punishment. So in the grand scheme of things it all makes sense, and humanity should, indeed, ponder the prospect of eternal damnation.