Eternal or To the End of the Age?
The title says what I intend at the outset: to identify whether there is indeed scriptural basis for the teaching if Eternal Damnation or whether there is an alternative that suggests God will allow mankind to pay for their sins through suffering and then be accepted.
This argument is one of the apparent foundations of the Universalist Church and is creeping it's way into many theologies.
Matthew 25
46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Young’s Literal Translation makes an interesting translation but it applies to both the saved and the lost:
Matthew 25
46 And these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during.’
Here are others:
Daniel 12
2 “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.
Daniel 12
2 ‘And the multitude of those sleeping in the dust of the ground do awake, some to life age-during, and some to reproaches—to abhorrence age-during.
So we see a problem with the translation of “eternal” to being “age-during”. But did you note that the parallels are equal? In each verse the term eternal or everlasting is applied for both groups, the lost and the saved. They are all perfect parallel sentences. With any confusing verses we interpret them with those that are clear, that is a basic principle of understanding scripture.
If we do not get eternal life is this implying eternal death?
Acts 13
46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.”
Apparently so:
1 John 5
11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
The Eternal life is what we get through obedience: but what of disobedience? Eternal life is eternal existence, so then not having His Eternal life will be an end, no? Once again, we must turn to the scriptures…
The eternal life is defined as a dwelling place or existence with God in Psalm 90
Psalm 90
1
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2
Before the mountains were born
Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Can this mean that to not have eternal life is to not dwell with God, but to dwell elsewhere? Can there be another opportunity for mankind to make our way to God?
Deuteronomy 33
27 A habitation [is] the eternal God, And beneath [are] arms age-during. And He casteth out from thy presence the enemy, and saith, ‘Destroy!’
But yet here it is a clear verse showing the previous cannot be so:
”I will seek the *lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the [Is 10:16] fat and the strong I will destroy. I will [Is 49:26] feed them with judgment.
(Whole Chapter: In context: )
The Second Death
Revelation 20
6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Revelation 21
8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Here are some YLT examples of differences between translations of "eternal" as "age-during"
Jude 1
7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in like manner to these, having given themselves to whoredom, and gone after other flesh, have been set before -- an example, of fire age-during, justice suffering.
Matthew 25
46 And these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during.'
Genesis 21
33 and [Abraham] planteth a tamarask in Beer-Sheba, and preacheth there in the name of Jehovah, God age-during;
This indicates that the translation to "eternal" may have been accurate as God is not God for just an age, unless the translators misplaced some commas:
Genesis 21
33 and [Abraham] planteth a tamarask in Beer-Sheba, and preacheth there, in the name of Jehovah God, age-during;
Eternal search in NIV
I found this rather odd example of YLT using both eternal and age-during in the same verse:
Deuteronomy 33
27 A habitation [is] the eternal God, And beneath [are] arms age-during. And He casteth out from thy presence the enemy, and saith, `Destroy!'
Misplaced commas again? Maybe...but in the NASB the verse reads this way and clears up the confusion:
Deuteronomy 33
27
"The eternal God is a dwelling place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
And He drove out the enemy from before you,
And said, 'Destroy!'
This indicates that the literal word in Rev 20:10 may have been the same as used here for everlasting and not eternal.
Revelation 20:10 (American Standard Version)
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Eternal:
06924 qedem {keh'-dem} or qedmah {kayd'-maw} 
from 06923; TWOT - 1988a;
AV - east 32, old 17, eastward 11, ancient 6, east side 5, before 3,
east part 2, ancient time 2, aforetime 1, eternal 1, misc 7; 87
n m
1) east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime
1a) front, from the front or east, in front, mount of the East
1b) ancient time, aforetime, ancient, from of old, earliest time
1c) anciently, of old (adverb)
1d) beginning
1e) east
adv
2) eastward, to or toward the East
Everlasting:
05769 `owlam {o-lawm'} or `olam {o-lawm'} 
from 05956; TWOT - 1631a; n m
AV - ever 272, everlasting 63, old 22, perpetual 22, evermore 15,
never 13, time 6, ancient 5, world 4, always 3, alway 2, long 2,
more 2, never + 0408 2, misc 6; 439
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting,
evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
1a) ancient time, long time (of past)
1b) (of future)
1b1) for ever, always
1b2) continuous existence, perpetual
1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity
Final Mention
My parting shot is this:
In another paper I have shown conclusively there will be no pre-tribulation rapture. This being the case then the timeline runs as follows:
Tribulation; Return of Christ; the Devil and his angels are bound in the pit, The Believers reign with Jesus for 1000 years; Armageddon where the lost who are those who still rejected Jesus and those dead without Christ, who are now raised to the Second Resurrection, and Satan, with his fallen angels, do battle with God and the Saved where they (Satan, et all) lose; The Judgment of the lost and the fiery furnace, or the "Second Death"; All creation is destroyed with fire (Supernova?); A New Heaven and the New Earth are Created and God starts anew with His redeemed Children.
So, my conclusion is that we can know what will happen to the lost - that scripture says in too many places the lost will be punished eternally - without end. I know we can be sure of our own salvation, as we entrust ourselves to Jesus. It is plain we can know for sure whether God will forgive all after a 1000 year punishment - He has made it plain in scripture that He shall not. There shall be eternal damnation for those who reject His Son Jesus as the atonement for their sin. We only need look to the overwhelming number of verses that speak directly of a horrible fate for the lost as being conclusive. I can say from my own understanding of God that He cannot be anything but JUST - and there is ample evidence for the eternal damnation of those who break the Law and remain unrepentant.
I believe the conclusion must be drawn from God's character:
Mercy triumphs over Judgment, and God's Mercy is only realized in Jesus. All others must expect His Wrath, as scripture clearly states. God's love for Justice, Truth and Righteousness cannot be ignored or we make the Standard God holds as the requirement as unecessary.
No. God cannot be any more loving than to surrender His own Son to die that we may live. There will be no escape clause at the end, there will be no way out. Only through Jesus shall we find forgiveness. Reject Yeshua and you embrace eternal punishment.