Wednesday, December 30, 2015

A visit to the Lake of Fire


After years of study on final punishment and so-called hell, my biblical journey brought me to the shores of the lake of fire. So this was it. Final punishment - the end of the line for a variety of people and spiritual beings, not to mention the end of a spiritual 'place' and a 'state of being'. You may recognize the last two references as descriptions of Hades and death which are thrown into the lake of fire:
"Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:14)

Maybe you are like me. I had read that verse many times and then one time it really hit me - death? Hades? How can the lake of fire be a literal place if inanimate concepts are 'thrown' there? Obviously, we are not being taught about a physical place.

The book of Revelation in the Bible is allegorical and very symbolic. Many times the various symbols are explained in other places in Scripture. For example, in Revelation chapter 1 we hear about seven stars and seven golden lampstands and then are told later in the chapter: "the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” So, some mysteries and symbols become very clear.

Continuing in Rev. 20 we read: "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” So, this is an undesirable 'place' where God throws not only death and Hades but the unredeemed (those who will not attain eternal life). Later we will see that the beast, the false prophet and the devil (and his angels) are also thrown there. It seems to include all of God's enemies.

But for now, here is my next question concerning Rev. 20:14: What happens to death and Hades when they are thrown into the lake of fire? It seems quite clear that they are destroyed - gone forever from existence. Also, the lake of fire is called the second death, so it is surely pointing in that direction. Since we don't want to assume anything, let's look to Scripture to see if it backs up that conclusion.

We discover the fate of death in 1 Corinthians 15 where it mentions Christ's coming, "… then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death." (1 Cor. 15:24-26) So, we see that, yes, death is rendered idle and is put to an end - it ceases to exist. This corresponds perfectly with Revelation 21:4 which states, "there will no longer be any death". So goodbye forever to death.

Hades will be a very interesting study in itself. Hades is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word Sheol (See Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:27 in the NKJV or NASB to see this connection plainly). A complete understanding of Hades is perhaps less attainable.

We do know some things about Hades. It is temporary. At some point, the dead will be taken out of Hades: "…and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them…” (Rev. 20:13) Whenever we see Hades in Revelation, it is always accompanied by its sidekick, death (Rev. 1:18, 6:8, 20:13, 14). These mysterious and morbid partners are both quite unwanted to the human soul.
"What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?" (Psalm 89:48)

So, if the lake of fire causes powerful enemies such as Hades and death to cease to exist, to be done away with, to be abolished - then what will become of people that are thrown there? And why is it defined as the 'second death'? Is it called the second death because God will actually keep people alive there to torment them for eternity? Or is it the second death because death is the wages of sin? (Rom. 6:21,23)

Malachi 4:1 states it like this: For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.”

There are many verses contrasting life with death – and we are called to make a choice (Deut. 30:19, Prov. 10:16, John 5:24, 11:26, Rom. 6:23).

Consider what 2 Thess. 2:8 describes as the end of the beast (anti-christ/government): "Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming…” and Daniel 7:11: "…I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire." We know that the beast and false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20), so the conclusion is that this slaying and destruction will occur in the lake of fire. The duration is unknown, but they along with the devil will undergo torment (Rev. 20:10). Whether this beast is a system (government) like the Great Harlot, or an actual person or both, it appears their fate is the same - destruction.

The devil (Satan) also seems to have an end. The lake of fire was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41) and they will undergo punishment. We also read that Satan will be crushed - a term of destruction (Gen. 3:15, Rom. 16:20) Remember 1 Cor. 15:24-26 where Jesus will abolish 'all rule and all authority and power" - it is also written in this way: "…He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet." Indeed, there is "a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries." (Is. 26:11, Heb. 10:27) For God is a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24, Heb. 12:29).

"So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age… and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matt. 13:40) See Matthew 3:12 where it is explained, "He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." (Luke 15:6, John 15:6)
"Indeed, fire will devour Your enemies." (Is. 26:11)

So, we find ourselves back on the shore of the lake of fire. May this be the closest we ever get to the thing - this instrument of judgment that will burn up and destroy all God's enemies and all evil and sin. The second death is the final end and the results are eternal.


Please leave a comment. I value any feedback - critical, supportive, or interrogative (questions)!

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

My dentist tortures me

Every time I visit the dentist, even for just a cleaning, I think about hell. I'm not even joking. It may seem silly to some, but having work done on my teeth is just a bit torturous (and I have good teeth!). So, as I lay there in the dentist's chair... I think about "hell".

What if hell for me is having my teeth worked on and I constantly feel like I'm choking and my jaw aches and my teeth are so sensitive to cold as they spray the water and suction it out with that little shop vac device? I imagine that it never ends, I can't get up and my new existence is suffering in this tiny, torturous state of mouth violation. I know – weird, right?

It is the same when I stare at the hot coals of our wood stove - or any glowing fire - I think of hell as it is taught in tradition and try to imagine. I. am. there.

It boils down to this: Torture. Forever. Torment. Conscious suffering. Forever and ever and ever. Can any human really fathom that? Believe me, I've tried. It will actually make you insane if you try for too long. When men and women teach eternal conscious torment, I wonder if they have really pondered the implications of what they are saying?

As sinful mortals we should tremble at the thought of eternal torture. We should rethink this horrid doctrine. Study it thoroughly. Give some thought to it. Maybe the next time you are at the dentist you can think it over – there's not much else to do. Ask yourself: Will this Jesus ("the Savior of the world"), who died a horrible death in our place ("while we were yet sinners"), really choose to torment millions of His creations throughout eternity?

I wonder what my dentist would think if he found out I consider him a tormentor?


I wonder what God thinks when we call Him the same?