The Lake of Fire

The Lake of Fire

The Bible speaks of the “Lake of Fire” which it calls “the second death”. The Bible says that this lake of fire was prepared initially for the devil and his angels who rebelled against God and is to serve as a place of punishment for them to be tormented for their actions forever.

Since the devil and his angels are spiritual beings and not physical beings it’s obvious that the fire spoken of is not literal fire as we know it and the Bible doesn’t explain just how this fire could torment spiritual beings forever, so we can only accept that it will just as the scriptures say it will.

Even though this Lake of Fire is spoken of as being the Second Death, it’s obvious that it will not be literally the second death for the devil and his angels since because of being spiritual beings they are not subject to a first death as are physical human beings. The first death that all human beings face is the physical death that our bodies are subject to, but the second death for humans is a spiritual death that they are subject to in the event we fail to inherit the eternal life promised by God for those who failed Him in life.

We have all heard preaching about Hell and Hell Fire and these places are spoken of in the Bible. The way they are described signify that Hell and Hell Fire are really two different places.

As we continue, reference can be made to the diagram posted at the bottom of this article.

Hell is the place where all the souls of the dead go. When death occurs, the body goes to a place called the “Grave” where it returns to the dirt from which it came. Hell then is the place called “sheowl” in the Old Testament and “Haides” in the New Testament. Those souls then are separated into two sections in hell according to being pre judged because of how they have lived their lives. Those who have lived less than righteous lives are put in “geenna” in the Greek New Testament where they are held until the final judgment. This place called geena is referred to as the place of hell fire, but it is not the Lake of Fire. Those who have lived righteous lives are placed in “Paradise” also known as the third heaven.

The first beings that were cast into this Lake of Fire are identified in the Book of Revelations as being the Beast and the False Prophet. According to the nineteenth chapter of Revelations, this occurs at the start of the Millennium, just after the Body of Christ is raptured to meet the Lord.

After the Millennium is over and before the Great White Throne Judgment occurs, the devil is also cast into the Lake of Fire where the beast and false prophet already are.

At the Great White Throne Judgment, where the final judgment of all things occur. It is at this time when death and hell are cast into the Lake of Fire along with all the people whose name are not written in the Book of Life. The significance of death and hell being abolished is that no physical humans are left alive at this time to die and death and hell is no longer needed. Only spiritual beings continue to exist, some to experience eternal life and some to experience the second death in the Lake of Fire.

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