The phrase “forever and ever” occurs 20 times in the New Testament. In each verse, it speaks of something that will never end. But, annihilationists deny that people will suffer forever and ever in the Final Judgment, so in three important verses, they interpret them to mean that the continued suffering will end or will never occur (Rev. 14:11; 19:3; 20:10). Below is a table listing every occurrence of the phrase. Please check the contexts and draw your own conclusions.
Summary of the meaning of the New Testament phrase ‘forever and ever’ in all verses where it occurs in the New Testament.
- Disputed texts by annihilationists, Rev. 14:11; 19:3; 20:10
- Dominion of God, 1 Pet. 5:11
- Glory of God, Eph. 3:21; Phil. 4:20; 1 Tim. 1:17; 2 Tim. 4:18; Heb. 13:21; 1 Pet. 4:11; Rev.1:6; 5:13; 7:12
- God lives, Rev.4:9, 10; 10:6; 11:15; 15:7
- Reign of Saints, Rev. 22:5
- Smoke ascends, Rev. 19:3
- The smoke of their torment ascends, Rev. 14:11
- Throne of God, Heb. 1:8
- The torment of the devil, beast, and false prophet, Rev. 10:10
| All occurrences of the phrase “forever and ever” in the New Testament | |||
| Address | Verse | Meaning | Subject |
| Eph. 3:21 | “to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever Amen.” | Will Never End |
Glory of God |
| Phil. 4:20 | “Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” | Will Never End |
Glory of God |
| 1 Tim. 1:17 | “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever Amen.” | Will Never End |
Glory of God |
| 2 Tim. 4:18 | “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever Amen.” | Will Never End |
Glory of God |
| Heb. 1:8 | “But of the Son, He says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.” | Will Never End |
Throne of God |
| Heb. 13:21 | “equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever Amen.” | Will Never End |
Glory of God |
| 1 Pet. 4:11 | “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever Amen.” | Will Never End |
Glory of God |
| 1 Pet. 5:11 | “To Him be dominion forever and ever Amen.” | Will Never End |
Dominion of God |
| Rev. 1:6 | “and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever Amen.” | Will Never End |
Glory of God |
| Rev. 4:9 | “And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,” | Will Never End |
God |
| Rev. 4:10 | “the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,” | Will Never End |
God |
| Rev. 5:13 | “And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” | Will Never End |
Glory of God |
| Rev. 7:12 | “saying, ‘Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever Amen.'” | Will Never End |
Glory of God |
| Rev. 10:6 | “and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be delay no longer,” | Will Never End |
God |
| Rev. 11:15 | “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.'” | Will Never End |
God |
| Rev. 14:11 | “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” | DISPUTED | Smoke of their torment ascends |
| Rev. 15:7 | “Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.” | Will Never End |
God |
| Rev. 19:3 | “And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP forever and ever.”” | DISPUTED | Smoke ascends |
| Rev. 20:10 | “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever“ | DISPUTED | Torment of the devil, beast, and false prophet |
| Rev. 22:5 | “And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever“ | Will Never End |
Reign of Saints |
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