What seems to be a strong argument against the doctrine of Universal Reconciliation…isn’t.

The Apostle John is drawing a word picture of a refining event, as depicted by the imagery of fire and brimstone (sulfur – used in the refining process and produces a heavy smoke) and the testing of metals. Please see the post, The Refiners Fire in this blog, for an in-depth look at the Biblical use of this imagery.

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Revelation 14:6-11

The word tormented (v 10) is translated from a word related to the refining process as well. Rendered such from the Greek, basanizo, (a verb), according to the KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon, it means to test (metals) by the touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the [color] of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal.

The second occurrence, torment (v 11), is basanos, (the noun) and is the touchstone itself. Applying an acid to the gold or silver streak will cause a reaction that produces a puff of smoke and is an indicator of how much and what kind of impurities are present in the gold or silver.

The Greek, eis aionas aionon, was translated, “for ever and ever” in many English Bibles and, unfortunately, the KJV, NIV, RSV, and NASB (the most widespread English translations) are among those in which this is the case. The KJV, the most prevalent English version of the Bible, was influenced greatly by the Wycliffe Bible and the Latin Vulgate, both of which treated the Greek aion (the root word of the phrase above), as meaning “forever”.

However, The New Greek / English Interlinear New Testament renders the phrase, eis aionas aionon, “into [the] ages of ages”. Both Young’s Analytical Concordance of the Bible and Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible render aion as “age” or “ages” and Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible renders it “age” or “ages” throughout the New Testament. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words translates aion as an “age”, “a period of time”.

Many works of theological reference as well as authorities on the subject agree that aion should be translated “age” or “ages”. For a more in-depth treatment of the subject, see the blog post entitled, The Mishandling of the Ages.

Looking then at the passage we have been discussing, through lenses free of a predisposition to eternal damnation:

…and he shall be [tested for purity] with fire and [sulfur] in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their [test on the touchstone] ascendeth up [into the age of ages]: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Revelation 14:6-11 (paraphrasing)

It turns out that this passage is a very strong proof text for Universal Reconciliation, and it is genuinely Apostolic.