God is the consuming fire (puros), and the aeviternal state of being for the unredeemed is to be in this fire but not in Christ. The fire is the means of God administering mercy.
Are you talking about a
refining fire...now
that would be God administering mercy, as I see it.
What would be the point of this fire?
So the lost still being the presence (enopion) of God and experiencing the flames of the fire (puros) is indeed not only mercy but forgiveness. But there is nowhere external to themselves for the sins to be set apart, as Christ already bore them on the cross in His physical life and death. So it is the flames alone that administer any separation from the effects of their state of being. The torment is living with their sin instead of it all being upon Christ and resting in Him.
I'm sorry if I seem dense, but if the flames are not only mercy but forgiveness, then it's not actually forgiveness in the true sense of the word, is it? So these people who are in this state, why aren't they able to eat of the tree of life in the ages to come?
Revelation 22:1-3
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: