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)!
