SPELLING EDITED Bb-5. Is THE LAKE OF FIRE A REFINING FIRE? Or WHAT DOES REVELATION 20:10 TRULY MEAN? Revelation 20:10. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” First, let me say that the last phrase “for ever and ever” literally means “TO age of ages”. And that means that the TORMENT will END when God creates the NEW heaven and the NEW earth and there will be no more SEA. So I myself along with many other Christians do NOT believe and teach that eternal TORTURE in Hell Orthodox Christian doctrine. I read somewhere a very true statement, Just because it is Orthodox that does not make it be true! And I totally agree with that statement because I have found that there are many things that the Christian “Orthodox” church teaches that clearly CONTRADICT what the Bible ITSELF teaches. I will go more in-depth as to why I have come to believe that the most CORRECT translation of the last phrase in Revelation 20:10 should be “TO age of ages”. Again, meaning that the TORMENT in the lake of fire will END when God creates the NEW heaven and the NEW earth and there will be no more SEA. Now the questions become the following two questions. #1. Will those people along with Satan and the fallen angels be DESTROYED and completely devoured and consumed in the lake of fire to no longer exist. And thus they will not be stored to righteousness and they will NOT inherit IMMORTALITY to enjoy the ages to come that is prepared for those than LOVE God? OR, #2. Will to people along with Satan and the fallen angels be PURIFIED and made righteous in the lake of fire to INHERIT the ages to come? We will answer those questions with SOUND Biblical evidence in this in-depth study in God’s word of TRUTH being rightly divided in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. For you see, ONE of those answers is the FALSE teaching of doctrines of devils. And the other answer is the SOUND Biblical truth that does NOT take verse OUT of their CONTEXT to teach a MEN pleasing false doctrine that TICKLES the ear of the hearers. The actual full phrase “lake of fire” is found three more times in the Bible. So let us read those verses of Scripture as well so we can COMPARE Scripture with Scripture. Revelation 19:20. “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were CAST ALIVE into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” Revelation 20:14. “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15. And whosoever was NOT found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Now, for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear we could end this study in God’s word of TRUTH right now because anyone with any common sense can see that the book of LIFE is a direct OPPOSITE contrast to the SECOND DEATH which is the RESULT or the outcome of what will be to those who are CAST into the lake of fire. But to those who have been DECEIVED to believe that eventually EVERYONE will be saved and RESTORED to righteousness by being REFINED like GOLD and SILVER in the lake of fire we will continue this this and however many sound Biblical studies it takes to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that MANY people will be LOST and they will, without fail, PERISH in the lake of fire. Again, I myself do NOT believe and teach the “heretical” doctrine of ETERNAL TORTURE in flames of fire for all eternity as “Orthodox” Christianity WRONGLY teaches. Let us examine what some Christians call the touchstone THEORY where one of the possible meanings of the Greek word that is translated in almost all Bibles as “TORMENTED” can also mean “TOUCHSTONE” which by the way is NOT used anywhere in the Scriptures as having that meaning. Here is what the Blue Letter Bible Concordance says. Please notice that NEITHER definition “a” or “b” below NOT used anywhere in the Bible. ONLY the LITERAL meaning of TORTURE, TORMENT, and ACUTE PAIN are used in the Bible. STRONGS NT 931: βάσανος βάσανος, -ου, ἡ, [Curtius, p. 439]; a. the touchstone [called also basanite, Latin lapis Lydius], by which gold and other metals are tested. b. the rack or instrument of torture by which one is forced to divulge the truth. c. torture, torment, acute pains: used of the pains of disease, Matthew 4:24; of the torments of the wicked after death, ἐν βασάνοις ὑπάρχειν, Luke 16:23 (Wis. 3:1; 4 Macc. 13:14); hence, ὁ τόπος τῆς βασάνου is used of Gehenna, Luke 16:28 Here is how their THEORY or their INTERPRETATION of the lake of fire goes. They claim that the last of fire is NOT a LITERAL fire or even a literal lake. But rather it is a METAPHOR for a CRUCIBLE that is used to REFINE gold and silver to make it PURE. And thus, to THEM, they sincerely believe that even Satan and the fallen angels along with every human being will be made pure overtime in a non-literal lake of fire. But what does the Bible ITSELF teach us? Let us read 2 Timothy 2:19-21. “Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord KNOWS THEM that are HIS. And, Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20. But in a great house, there are NOT only vessels of GOLD and of SILVER, but ALSO of WOOD and of EARTH; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. 21. If a man, therefore, PURGE HIMSELF from these, (Speaking the gold and silver Christians of HONOR PURGE THEMSELVES away from the vessels of WOOD and EARTH, the vessels of DISHONOR) he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and MEET for the master's USE, and prepared unto every good work.” The clear, plain, and SIMPLE truth is that some people will be SAVED and some people will be LOST. Please read 1 Corinthians 4:1-4. “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2. But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3. But if our gospel is hid, it is hidden to them that are LOST: 4. In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe NOT, LEST (Or for FEAR THAT) the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” The Devil also called Satan DECEIVES as many people as he can because he FEARS his own JUDGMENT in the lake of fire and he is God ENEMY or ADVERSARY. And when an unjust immoral enemy knows he is losing the war then he will do his best to take as many down with him as he possibly can. Satan knows that his time is growing short and the more doctrines of devils that he can DECEIVE Christians with the better the chances he has of deceiving more people. And all I am doing if exposing the ERRORS of interpretation made by those who WRONGLY teach that not one single person will be LOST. Jesus called twelve disciples that he name Apostles and yet one of them was LOST. John 17:12. “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that you gave me I have kept, and none of them is LOST, BUT the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” Jesus also taught that the way that leads to LIFE meaning immortal or ETERNAL life is narrow and that BROAD is the way that leads to DESTRUCTION meaning eternal destruction in a literal lake of fire on the final Day of Judgment at the END of the 1000 year reign of Jesus. Please read Matthew 7:12-19. “Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13 Enter YOU in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to DESTRUCTION, and MANY there be which go in thereat: 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto LIFE, and FEW there be that find it. 15. BEWARE of FALSE prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16. You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? 17. Even so, every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. (Evil in the Bible means ANYTHING that is opposite of what God says. So any teaching that CONTRADICTS what the Bible itself actually teaches is an EVIL FRUIT. It is NOT of the TRUE VINE that produces GRAPES. And the teaching that everyone will eventually be saved is a CORRUPTION of the very word of Almighty God) 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19. EVERY tree that brings NOT forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the FIRE.” Let us read the sound Biblical meaning of the word “DESTRUCTION”. Here is what E-Sword says. G684 ἀπώλεια apōleia ap-o'-li-a From a presumed derivative of G622; ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal): - damnable (-nation), destruction, die, perdition, X perish, pernicious ways, waste. Nothing there about being made PURE! The whole Bible always CONTRAST two OPPOSITE OUTCOMES at the resurrection. One outcome is immortal or ETERNAL life and BLESSINGS of joy peace, rest, no tears no weeping and no PAIN. BUT the OPPOSITE CONTRASTING outcome on the final Day of Judgment for the wicked or for those who are sinners is ETERNAL destruction, death, torment, WEEPING and GNASHING of teeth, SORROW, NO REST, suffering, PAIN, CURSED, CONDEMNATION, and PERISHING. Most Christians BELIEVE the WARNINGS in the Bible to NOT take the Mark of the beast because they know and understand that any Christian who receives the Mark of the Beast will be LOST. Please read Revelation 14:9-11. “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10. The SAME shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11. And the smoke of their TORMENT ascends up for ever and ever: (Or the more Biblical precise translation is “And the smoke of their TORMENT ascend up TO age of ages”) and they have NO REST day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.” So then, REST is a GOOD thing and NO rest is a BAD thing. Those who give in to receive that mark will be TORMENTED in FIRE until the age of ages begins. But that does NOT mean that they will be SAVED in, by or because of the TORMENTS of extreme PAIN that they will experience IN the FIRE of God’s wrath. This is only ONE verse and in order to arrive at the CORRECT SOUND Biblical interpretation of this passage of Scripture, we must compare Scripture with Scripture and keep every verse in its CONTEXT. Please read Revelation 19:19-21 which will take place AT the coming of Jesus to execute the FIRST half of the WRATH of God BEFORE the Millennium upon the wicked and the DISOBEDIENT to the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ. And what I want you to notice is the CONNECT with the WRATH of FIRE in Revelation 14:9-11 that we just read to the LAKE of FIRE in Revelation 19:20. Revelation 19:19-21. “And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. (This is speaking of the WRATH of God that Jesu will execute AT his COMING BEFORE the Millennium) 20. And the beast was taken, AND with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he DECEIVED them that had received the MARK of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a LAKE OF FIRE burning with brimstone. 21. And the remnant (Or more precisely the REMAINING ones) were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his MOUTH (Now, to ME, if so be that EVERYONE is LITERALLY slain to death with a LITERAL sword proceeding out of the MOUTH of Jesus then there would be NO person left alive in their mortal bodies to inhabit the Millennium. SO I believe that the SWORD is the WORD of God that Jesus will SPEAK out of his literal MOUTH that will CONDEMN the remaining ones to SPIRITUAL DEATH. In other words, Jesus will DECLARE the world of God to those who SURVIVE the WRATH of God at his coming that will CONCLUDE them ALL to be UNDER SIN and in need of a Savior): and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” And this last clause is referring back to the Beast and the false prophet of the Beast SYSTEM that will be making war with Israel during the period of GREAT tribulation right before the coming of Jesus. And by the Beast SYSTEM, I am speaking of, is the Muslims of Isam making war against God’s chosen people the Jews and ALSO killing Christians in the name of their god Allah. So the BEAST that will be cast into the lake of fire on the final Day of Judgment is speaking of ALL who take the MARK of the beast system to worship the false god Allah. And the false prophet of the beast system is all the leaders of the religion of Islam all the way from Muhammid to the final leader of Islam in the last days right before Jesus returns. Now, this is only my OPINION which I fully realize SEEMS to contradict the Bible. But in truth, it only opposes the TRANSLATION of this passage of Scripture and the accepted Orthodox INTERPRETATION of this passage of Scripture. What I mean this is that the English verb “WERE” is NOT in the original text. And the Bible itself actually teaches that no one is judged and cast into the lake of fire until AFTER the Millennium has ended. Let us read Revelation 20:10 which is SOME translations the translators were honest enough to place the verb “ARE in italics to let the readers KNOW that the verse “ARE” is NOT in the original text. Revelation 20:10. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where (Which also means whichever SPOT) the beast and the false prophet ARE, (Again, the verb “ARE” is NOT in the original Greek text) and (And the Greek word translated he could have just as easily been translated as ALSO) shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” And the last phrase “for ever and ever” SHOULD have been translated as “TO age of ages” referring TO the time that God will create the new heavens and the new earth to BEGIN the AGE of all ages for those who LOVE God. Let us read my own translation that in my own opinion is the best possible translation that agrees with all the verses in the Bible. Revelation 20:10 from my OWN personal translation. “And the ADVERSARY, the one DECEIVING them was cast into the lake of fire whichever SPOT the beast and false prophet ALSO SHALL be TORMENTED day and night TO AGE of AGES” For you see, the lake of fire was NOT ORIGINALLY made for any of the human race. But rather the lake of fire was prepared for the ADVERSARY and HIS angels who followed him in his rebellion to make WAR will Almighty God BEFORE mankind was ever in God’s PLAN to create. Please read Matthew 25:34. “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, you CURSED, into everlasting fire, PREPARED FOR for the devil and his angels:” Now, if so be that the devil is not real and he is just a metaphore then how does he have angels? I know that all universalist do not believe that Satan is not a real literal being but SOME of them do. Anyway, the Bible says that hell has ENLARGED herself. And that, to me, means that hell was never intended for any of the human race until after SOME humans made the choice to follow the ways of Satan even to worshipping him as their god by worshipping FALSE gods. Please read Isaiah 5:14 “Therefore hell has ENLARGED HERSELF, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoices shall descend into it.” God does not send people to hell. But rather people send THEMSELVES to hell by the WRONG choices that they make. God has set both LIFE and DEATH before man from the time of the first man, Adam in the Garden of Eden, to the Children of Israel under the Old Covenant, and even still yet to us today under the New Covenant. It has ALWAYS been God’s WILL for MAN to CHOOSE. And God desires that we will CHOOSE LIFE so that we can LIVE fro all eternity in righteousness with him. But in the end, it is ALWAYS our CHOICE as to what we choose. Did God force Adam to eat of the ONE forbidden tree when the tree of LIFE was also there to eat that was NOT forbidden to eat? NO! It was God’s ENEMY Satan who enticed Eve to eat first and then Adam ate as well. Did God FORCE the children of Israel to go and serve other gods? NO! It was God’s ADVERSARY who DECEIVED them to disobey God’s commandments. So did God just forsake his chosen people Israel? NO! God ADDED the Law of Moses to KEEP them in his protection by having a way to have their sins covered UNTIL his MESSIAH came. And in this present age does god FORCE people to reject living RIGHTEPOUSLY? NO! People CHOOSE to listen to the WRONG voice to do what pleases their flesh. And it is Satan who TEMPTS them and NOT God who supposedly ORDAINED man to sin. Please read Deuteronomy 30 1-19 which is a hidden prophecy of the ONE future commandment to believe on his Messiah, Jesus to have LIFE. I will only quote verse 19. Deuteronomy 30:19. “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” The reason that I bring up ETERNAL LIFE verses ETERNAL DESTRUCTION in the lake of fire as being our OWN CHOICE as to which we ourself CHOOSE is because I have found that MOST if not all who believe the EVERYONE will eventually be saved have come from CALVINISTIC roots. In other words, the vast majority of Christians who are being DECEIVED by Satan’s doctrine of devils that eventually everyone will be saved were FIRST DECEIVED by Calvinism. They HATE the false doctrine of eternal torment in an eternal fire for all eternity which I agree is a FALSE teaching. And most hate teaching of Calvinism that wrongly teaches that God has PREDESTINED MOST of the human race to hellfire. And again, I agree that Calvinism is in ERROR as well. But universalist Christians desire only to CORRECT those teachings have gone to the OTHER EXTREME of Calvismism to wrongly CLAIM the everyone will eventually be saved. And the reason that they have done this is that they have KEPT the Reformed Theology teaching of PREDESTINATION. They are so BLINDED by the FALSE doctrine that God has ordained EVERYTHING that they have trouble seeing the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. They are so Calvinistic in their thinking that some universalists even believe that Satan and the fallen angels will be RESTORED to righteousness. They have to because Satan is cast into the SAME lake of fire. So how could the humans be PURIFIED in the lake of fire and only the devil and the fallen angels be destroyed? They are so Calvinistic in their theology that if it is God’s WILL then it MUST be DONE of God is a FAILURE in their eyes. Simple solution. Get to the ROOT of the problem and take a CLOSER look at why Calvinism is NOT SOUND Biblical teaching. Please read all the studies under the heading >>>IS CALVINISM BIBLICAL?<<< And if you are not convinced by this one single study that the teaching of everyone eventually being saved is NOT SOUND Biblical teaching then I implore you to read all the studies under the heading >>>WILL EVERYONE BE SAVED?<<< Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God. Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark. RETURN TO HOMEPAGE AT |
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