I was thinking of the scripture in Col. that says everything that God created will be reconciled (visible and invisible). One interpretation of this is the universalist interpretation. But there’s another view. The philosopher C. Stephen Evans argues a reasonable case for a mild view of hell for those that experience hell. He doesn’t speak of the reconciliation part but some of his ideas I have put together with other ideas. Because the hearts of those in hell are separated from redeeming grace it hardens. They therefore don’t WANT to enter heaven. Their hearts are hardened. It follows logically that the longer your heart is separated from God’s redeeming mercy the harder it will become and the more corrupt you get. Because their hearts will continually harden they will also become accustomed to their environment in hell. They WANT to be there. They have no desire for Heaven and therefore don’t want freedom. They fear freedom. If they don’t want to enter heaven they don’t have to. But God is never obligated to show redeeming mercy to those that hate Him and don’t want to have anything to do with Him.
God does have mercy on all. His severe mercy restrains those in hell from committing horrendous evil against each other. The Bible teaches that love and justice protect from evil. God is love and just. Therefore, we see His paradoxical love in hell. He restrains those in hell with torment. It’s different for everybody but over time they become accustomed to their living conditions in the Lake of Fire. For them, it’s not so horrible. It would be more horrible in their minds to enter into the gates of the city. Nonetheless, God restrains them from doing evil. It’s in this sense that all are reconciled to God. Everything He created (visible and invisible.). He causes everything to coexist in harmony. In the end everybody gets what they most want. The saints don’t delight in the torment but in seeing the glories of God’s justice and love.
This is just one way one looking at it. There are others but this makes sense to me. So, does the Universalist interpretation though.
