Hell and the Lake of Eternal Fire
Revelation 20:9.10. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Psalm 11:6. Upon the wicked he will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.
2 Peter 3:10. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
What shall we do with the sentence, “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever?”
It sounds like the eternal burning hell doctrine, from what the Roman Catholic and Pentecostal church teach and believe.
Words from the Bible like “everlasting” or “eternal” have three different meanings. Fx:
John 3:16. In this verse the word eternal, has a start, but no ending. The believer starts his belief, and it continues for eternity.
Jude verse 7. Sodom and Gomorrah have experienced eternal fire. This eternal fire has a start, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah lasts for about 14 days. Then they were reduced to ashes. This eternal fire has a start and an ending. 2 Peter 2:6. Says that Sodom and Gomorrah were reduced to ashes. The word eternal in this context means total destruction.
Psalm 90:2. Even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. This word everlasting means there is no beginning and no ending.
So the word eternal related to eternal fire, is the number 2 definition we are interested in. Some examples of eternal fire from God in the Bible:
Leviticus 10:1.2.9. Fire came from God and killed Aarons two sons because they drank alcohol while serving in the tabernacle. This eternal fire from God lasted only a few seconds.’
1 Kings 18:20-24. 30-38. This Bible text tells of the story of Elijah and the competition between his God and the god of the Baal prophets. Elijah had water poured all over the altar and then fire fell from God in the heavens and consumed the altar. This eternal fire last only a few seconds.
Revelation 14:10.11. 20:7-10. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. This eternal fire falls down from God upon all the wicked after the one-thousand-year millennium and destroys them in a short time. 2 Thessalonians 1:9
Eternal fire from God lasts a short time and means total destruction in these texts.
What does Malachi 4:1 say about the wicked and total destruction?
For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day, which is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts.
What does Isaiah 47:10.14. say about the wicked and total destruction?
For you have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, `No one sees me`; your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; and you have said in your heart, `I am, and there is no one else besides me. `
Behold, they shall be as stubble, the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame; it shall not be a coal to be warmed by, nor a fire to sit before!
There is a problem text and that is Luke 16:19-31.
This is a parable which Jesus used to teach the Pharisees that being rich, is not a sign of God´s blessing or guarantees a place in heaven. Jesus further explains this to the Pharisees in the parable of the unjust steward in Luke 16:1-13.
What did the Pharisees love?
Luke 16:14. Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money.
Christ is explaining in the parable Luke 16:19-31 that richness does not guarantee a place in heaven. Furthermore, a parable cannot determine a doctrine from the Bible about eternal hell. You have to have more than six to ten texts from the Bible to determine a doctrine like the Second Coming of Christ etc.
Conclusion
Whenever fire or eternal fire comes from God in the Bible it always has a short duration and never a long period of time. Eternal fire from God has one purpose and that is to totally destroy the object or person guided by sin.
Therefore, the fire from God in Rev 20:9.10.14. 19:20. 14:10.11. involves total destruction for a short period of time for the wicked, and never eternal fire that burns for eternity in a place called hell.
Revelation 20:10. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The fire that came down from God, devoured all the wicked, demon angels and Lucifer or Satan. The fire also envelopes the whole of the earth and destroys everything related to sin. Sin is eradicated and will never arise again in the universe. All things will be made new. Rev 21:1.
The beast which is a symbol of the papacy in the Roman Catholic Church system will be thrown into the eternal fire.
The false prophet which is a symbol of all false protestant churches worldwide, will be thrown into the lake of fire.
All false religions will be thrown into the lake of fire because they did not obey the Ten Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 20:11.12. Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
This judgment scene is going back to before the wicked and Satan are thrown into the lake of fire. The book of Revelation often explains in a chapter what is happening and then explains in more detail’s certain points of the chapter. So this judgment scene goes back to before the fire is sent down from God to devour the wicked. This scene would take place in Rev 20:9. When Satan and all the wicked inhabitants of the earth surround the Holy City the New Jerusalem ready to attack it. Then suddenly a white throne appears above the city and all the wicked gaze upon God seated on the throne.
They stop what they are doing and gaze upon God, and a panoramic film movie is shown to all the wicked inhabitants of the earth, showing the history of the plan of salvation. They see how Satan and his demon angels where amongst the priests and Pharisees condemning and crucifying Jesus Christ to the cross.
All the wicked are convinced by the film movie that God´s judgment was correct and that they all had been deceived by Satan and his demon angels. They are all convinced that they have sinned and rebelled against God and deserve eternal death.
The one sitting on the throne is Jesus Christ. After his coronation he pronounces judgment on all the wicked.
Romans 14:10. For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
It says in the text Rev 20:12 that the books were opened. Which books?
Revelation 20:12 mentions the Book of Life. This book has all the names written on it who will inherit eternal life. They have given their hearts to Jesus Christ by believing in Christ. John 3:16. They have repented of their sins. Acts 3:19. They have confessed their sins to God. 1 John 1:9. They have experienced the new birth in Christ Jesus. John 3: 5. They have experienced that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1.
Malachi 3:16. Mentions the Book of Remembrance. This book of remembrance was written before him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on his name. They are like jewels who belong to the Lord. The book reveals those who are righteous and those who are not; those who serve the Lord and those who do not.
Psalm 139:13-16. Mentions a book for individual persons. For you formed my inward parts – I will praise you for I am wonderfully made – My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret – Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed – And in your book they all were written, the days fashioned (planned) for me, when as yet there were none of them. Proverbs 16:9. (NLT) We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Psalm 32:8. (NLT) The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.” Psalm 31:14. (NLT) You are my God! My future is in your hands. Psalm 39:4. (Hebrew) Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know the transient of my life. Psalm 87:4.6. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know me: Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: “This one was born there.” The Lord will record when he registers the peoples: “This one was born there.”
Revelation 20:13. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.
This is not talking about the literal sea, but the symbolic sea as mentioned in Isaiah 57:20.21. The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
What is the Biblical meaning of the words Death and Hades combined together? (Or Death and Hell).
Hades or Hell in the Greek is γεεννα (in English ge-ena) and refers to the valley of Hinnom outside the city of Jerusalem. This is where they burnt the city´s refuse and rubbish and the fires here continued day and night. This fire became a symbol of eternal fire that will totally destroy the wicked and cleanse the earth when God sends fire down from heaven. Rev 20:9.
Matthew 25:41. Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew 13:40-42. Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Therefore, Death representing the second death and Hades representing the punishment of the wicked in eternal fire, will be cast into the lake of fire and totally destroyed.
Revelation 20:14. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
This second death involved the death of all the wicked non-believers.
Revelation 6:8. So I looked and behold a pale horse. And the name who sat on it was Death and Hades followed him.
Revelation 1:18. I am he who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Conclusion
The Death that is mentioned in these texts is the second death for all wicked non-believers.
Hades refers to the fire for burning refuse and rubbish outside the city of Jerusalem in biblical times. This fire became a symbol of eternal fire which will destroy the wicked non-believers after the one thousand years.
Death and Hades will both be destroyed and thrown into the lake of fire surrounding the earth. They will never again occur in the universe.
Revelation 20:15. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.