Gehenna and the Lake of Fire (part 2 of 2)

Part 1: https://universalistheretic.blogspot.com/2022/03/gehenna-and-lake-of-fire-part-1.html

    In the previous post of this series, I dealt with the nature of punishment in Gehenna, where it was seen that the place which Jesus called “Gehenna” refers not to any ethereal realm of torment, but rather to the literal Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where the bodies of dead unbelievers and those who transgress against YHWH will be cast and burned during the Messianic age. However, there is still another place of punishment spoken of in scripture, called the “Lake of Fire” - this is the ‘hell’ of infernalism where most Christians believe that all unbelievers will be tormented everlastingly. In this post, I will explain what I believe the Lake of Fire to be, and why I think that it cannot be either a place of torment (contra infernalism) or a place of purification (contra the beliefs of many universalists), but must be a place of age-during annihilation and destruction of those cast within.

     The Lake of Fire: a second death

Although much emphasis is placed on the Lake of Fire in infernalism, as the supposed place where all unbelievers are tormented for eternity, this place is actually only mentioned four times in scripture, and only ever in the book of Revelation. The passages describing Gehenna, “outer darkness”, and the “furnace of fire” (including Matt. 25:31-46) from the synoptic gospels are actually referring to punishments that will take place during the thousand-year Messianic age, which comes before the Great White Throne and the Lake of Fire. With this in mind, here are all of the scriptural mentions of the Lake of Fire:

and the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who did the signs before him, in which he led astray those who did receive the mark of the beast, and those who did bow before his image; living they were cast — the two — to the lake of the fire, that is burning with brimstone (Rev. 19:20)

and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night — to the ages of the ages. And I saw a great white throne, and Him who is sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven did flee away, and place was not found for them; and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and scrolls were opened, and another scroll was opened, which is that of the life, and the dead were judged out of the things written in the scrolls — according to their works; and the sea did give up those dead in it, and the death and the hades did give up the dead in them, and they were judged, each one according to their works; and the death and the hades were cast to the lake of the fire — this [is] the second death; and if any one was not found written in the scroll of the life, he was cast to the lake of the fire. (Rev. 20:10-15)

“and to fearful, and unstedfast, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the liars, their part [is] in the lake that is burning with fire and brimstone, which is a second death.” (Rev. 21:8)

Now, the Lake of Fire is twice called “the second death” or “a second death”, which should demonstrate conclusively that this punishment is marked by annihilation rather than torment. However, virtually all infernalists (and even most universalists) believe that this is neither a true lake of fire, nor truly death, arguing that it is meant to be understood as a metaphor for either eternal separation from God or purification. This completely ignores the purpose of metaphor, which requires that at least one of the things be true. The Lake of Fire must be either a real lake of real fire, or a literal second death marked by annihilation, or both. It simply cannot be neither of these things, and to suggest otherwise is to eisegete one’s own opinions into the text.

    Furthermore, some universalists suggest that the “fire and brimstone” of the Lake of Fire is figurative and allegorical, and represents the purification of those who are cast within. Although I agree that fire is often used figuratively in scripture, we must remember to always interpret scripture with scripture in its proper context, rather than applying our own interpretations to the text. As Peter says,

no prophecy of the scripture doth come of private exposition, for not by will of man did ever prophecy come, but by the Holy Spirit borne on holy men of God spake. (2 Pet. 1:20-21)

Therefore, our hermeneutic should be to always interpret scripture in its own context, and literally when possible. For example, I believe that when Jesus spoke of “age-during fire” (Matt. 25:41) and “the furnace of fire” (Matt. 13:42, 50), He was referring to the non-lethal punishment by which unbelievers will be cast alive out of the kingdom in the Messianic age. However, this is only because elsewhere, this same judgment is described as “outer darkness” and said to be the means by which unbelievers will be cast alive out of the kingdom, not because I simply choose to believe that the fire is figurative.

    In contrast, when John speaks of the “lake that is burning with fire and brimstone”, there is no evidence in the immediate context which shows him to be speaking of a figurative, purifying fire. In fact, as he immediately goes on to say, “[this] is a second death”, which seems to have been written specifically to show that the fire is not figurative, but is real and lethal and will annihilate those who enter it; since all those who enter it will have already died once (Heb. 9:27), it will quite literally be the second death.

    There are a few scriptural objections to this view of the Lake of Fire, and I will deal with each in turn. First, because the “beast” and the “false prophet” were thrown into the Lake of Fire at the beginning of the Messianic age (Rev. 19:20), and they are still there over a thousand years later (Rev. 20:10), it cannot be a literal second death (at least for these two individuals). This is true, but it ignores the fact that the “beast” and “false prophet” are likely spiritual beings (and thereby immortal), so the way in which they experience the Lake of Fire will necessarily be different from the way in which mortal humans experience it. The same goes for the devil: he will be tormented by the Lake of Fire, alongside these two, to the ages of the ages (that is, until the end of the ages when even he will be reconciled to God).

    Another objection is that because “death and Hades were cast to the Lake of Fire” (Rev. 20:14), it is impossible that anyone could die after this. This is not the case. We know from elsewhere in scripture that there will still be mortality and death on the New Earth, and that unbelievers will be resurrected as mortals at the Great White Throne judgment (they will not receive immortality until the final resurrection), which means that (at the very least) death is still possible after it is cast to the Lake of Fire. Instead of seeing this as the final abolition of death, we should understand it as saying that the Lake of Fire will be the only place where death and Hades still have influence, because death and Hades personified will be in the Lake of Fire.

    The final (and weakest) argument for a purifying rather than annihilating Lake of Fire is the mention of “brimstone” or sulfur (θειον) in this lake. Some universalists argue that, because sulfur was often used to purify metals (and in some pagan rituals, people as well), John meant to say that the Lake would be a place of purification of unbelievers. However, in scripture, “fire and brimstone” is always associated with destruction and death. Here are all of the places in the Bible where “fire and brimstone” are mentioned, in case anyone wants to see for themself: Gen. 19:24; Ps. 11:6; Ezek. 38:22; Lk. 17:29; Rev. 9:17-18; and Rev. 14:10.

    Destruction of the wicked throughout scripture

Having looked at specific passages regarding the punishment of the wicked in Gehenna and the Lake of Fire, we must now look at scripture as a whole and see whether it suggests unbelievers will be tormented or simply destroyed. In fact, we are told repeatedly throughout the Bible that the wicked will be destroyed, not punished with torment:

That the singing of the wicked [is] short, And the joy of the profane for a moment, Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike — As his own dung for the age he doth perish, His beholders say: “Where [is] he?” (Job 20:5-7) 

For evil doers are cut off, As to those waiting on Jehovah, they possess the land. And yet a little, and the wicked is not, And thou hast considered his place, and it is not... But the wicked perish, and the enemies of YHWH, As the preciousness of lambs, Have been consumed, In smoke they have been consumed. (Ps. 37:9-10, 20)

When the wicked flourish as a herb, And blossom do all workers of iniquity — For their being destroyed for the age of the age! (Ps. 92:7)

YHWH preserveth all those loving Him, And all the wicked He destroyeth. (Ps. 145:20)

Lo, all the souls are Mine, As the soul of the father, So also the soul of the son — they are Mine, The soul that is sinning — it doth die... The soul that doth sin — it doth die. A son doth not bear of the iniquity of the father, And a father doth not bear of the iniquity of the son, The righteousness of the righteous is on him, And the wickedness of the wicked is on him. (Ezek. 18:4, 20)

In My saying of the righteous: He surely liveth, And — he hath trusted on his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, All his righteous acts are not remembered, And for his perversity that he hath done, For it he doth die. And in My saying to the wicked: Thou surely diest, And — he hath turned back from his sin, And hath done judgment and righteousness, (The pledge the wicked restoreth, plunder he repayeth,) In the statutes of life he hath walked, So as not to do perversity, He surely liveth — he doth not die. (Ezek. 33:13-15)

Notice that the death spoken of by Ezekiel here cannot be referring to the first death, because the first death is common to all people, both righteous and wicked. Rather, he must be talking about a second death unique to the wicked.

“For, lo, the day hath come, burning as a furnace, And all the proud, and every wicked doer, have been stubble, And burnt them hath the day that came”, Said YHWH of Hosts, “That there is not left to them root or branch” (Mal. 4:1)

“Go ye in through the strait gate, because wide [is] the gate, and broad the way that is leading to the destruction, and many are those going in through it” (Matt. 7:13)

“For Moses, indeed, unto the fathers said — A prophet to you shall the Lord your God raise up out of your brethren, like to me; him shall ye hear in all things, as many as he may speak unto you; and it shall be, every soul that may not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed out of the people” (Acts 3:22-23)

for as many as without law did sin, without law also shall perish, and as many as did sin in law, through law shall be judged (Rom. 2:12) 

This verse comes directly after a description of the Great White Throne judgment (vv. 6 - 10), so it almost certainly refers to the Lake of Fire when saying that the wicked “shall perish”.

for the wages of the sin [is] death, and the gift of God [is] life age-during in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)

because he who is sowing to his own flesh, of the flesh shall reap corruption; and he who is sowing to the Spirit, of the Spirit shall reap life age-during (Gal. 6:8)

Notice that in Rom. 6:23 and Gal. 6:8, the death or corruption of the wicked is contrasted with age-during life, demonstrating that the death of the wicked lasts for the Ages of the Ages (the same period in which the righteous will experience age-during life). 

for many walk of whom many times I told you — and now also weeping tell — the enemies of the cross of the Christ! whose end [is] destruction, whose god [is] the belly, and whose glory [is] in their shame, who the things on earth are minding. (Php. 3:18-19)

since [it is] a righteous thing with God to give back to those troubling you — trouble, and to you who are troubled — rest with us in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with messengers of his power, in flaming fire, giving vengeance to those not knowing God, and to those not obeying the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall suffer justice — destruction age-during — from the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his strength (2 Thess. 1:6-9)

and we are not of those drawing back to destruction, but of those believing to a preserving of soul. (Heb. 10:39)

whose voice the earth shook then, and now hath he promised, saying, “Yet once — I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven;” and this — “Yet once” — doth make evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things not shaken may remain; wherefore, a kingdom that cannot be shaken receiving, may we have grace, through which we may serve God well-pleasingly, with reverence and religious fear; for also our God [is] a consuming fire. (Heb. 12:26-29)

and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah having turned to ashes, with an overthrow did condemn, an example to those about to be impious having set [them]... The Lord hath known to rescue pious ones out of temptation, and unrighteous ones to a day of judgment, being punished, to keep... and these, as irrational natural beasts, made to be caught and destroyed — in what things they are ignorant of, speaking evil — in their destruction shall be destroyed (2 Pet. 2:6, 12)

The “day of judgment” spoken of here is almost certainly the same “day of God’s wrath and righteous judgment” spoken of by Paul in Romans 2:5, that is, the Great White Throne judgment. Therefore, it is in the Lake of Fire that the wicked “in their destruction shall be destroyed”.

and the present heavens and the earth, by the same word are treasured, for fire being kept to a day of judgment and destruction of the impious men. (2 Pet. 3:7)

Again, this “day of judgment” is said to be when the present heavens and earth will pass away, which is the time of the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11). This is the same time when we will see the “destruction of the impious men”, which must be in the Lake of Fire.

    Thus, we see in many passages of scripture that the wicked will be destroyed, not tormented or purified, and this is repeatedly connected with the Great White Throne judgment (and so the Lake of Fire as well). This demonstrates conclusively that the Lake of Fire is not meant to be a place of torment (and certainly not a place of purification), but instead a literal second death in which all evildoers will be annihilated until the end of the ages.

    Torment of the wicked?

Despite the clear testimony of scripture that the wicked will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire, there are two passages that are used by infernalists to support the idea that this lake will instead be a place of torment. The first of these passages is Luke 16:19-31, the “parable of the rich man and Lazarus”:

“And — a certain man was rich, and was clothed in purple and fine linen, making merry sumptuously every day, and there was a certain poor man, by name Lazarus, who was laid at his porch, full of sores, and desiring to be filled from the crumbs that are falling from the table of the rich man; yea, also the dogs, coming, were licking his sores. And it came to pass, that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the messengers to the bosom of Abraham — and the rich man also died, and was buried; and in the hades having lifted up his eyes, being in torments, he doth see Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, and having cried, he said, Father Abraham, deal kindly with me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and may cool my tongue, because I am distressed in this flame. And Abraham said, Child, remember that thou did receive — thou — thy good things in thy life, and Lazarus in like manner the evil things, and now he is comforted, and thou art distressed; and besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that they who are willing to go over from hence unto you are not able, nor do they from thence to us pass through. And he said, I pray thee, then, father, that thou mayest send him to the house of my father, for I have five brothers, so that he may thoroughly testify to them, that they also may not come to this place of torment. Abraham saith to him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them; and he said, No, father Abraham, but if any one from the dead may go unto them, they will reform. And he said to him, If Moses and the prophets they do not hear, neither if one may rise out of the dead will they be persuaded.”

Infernalists interpret this parable extremely literally, and assume that it is an accurate description of Hades. However, we must remember that this is a parable, not an actual story involving real people; in fact, it is the last of five parables condemning the Pharisees and Jewish leaders (Lk. 15:4-16:31). Although I won’t get into what I think this parable is actually talking about, here are a list of things that we would have to believe if this parable is to be understood literally:

    1. That angels (“messengers”) physically carry the disembodied souls of dead people to paradise.

    2. That some people’s souls will enter Abraham’s chest cavity after death (“the bosom of Abraham”).

    3. That whether you go to torment or bliss after death is decided by whether you received good or bad things in life.

    4. That those who are in ‘heaven’ are able to see those in Hades being tormented.

The vast majority of infernalists would disagree with all four of these things, and so it is very telling that they choose to believe that the aspect of torment in Hades is literal while all other aspects of this parable are figurative. Instead, it should be recognized that all parts of this parable - including the conscious torment in Hades - are figurative, just as with Jesus’ many other parables.

    The second passage used to support the idea of conscious torment in the Lake of Fire is Revelation 14:9-11:

And a third messenger did follow them, saying in a great voice, “If any one the beast doth bow before, and his image, and doth receive a mark upon his forehead, or upon his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, that hath been mingled unmixed in the cup of His anger, and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy messengers, and before the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment doth go up to ages of ages; and they have no rest day and night, who are bowing before the beast and his image, also if any doth receive the mark of his name.” (Rev. 14:9-11)

This passage seems to state that the Lake of Fire will consist of conscious torment for those who receive the mark of the beast, and that their torment in the lake of fire and brimstone will last for the entire Ages of the Ages, or until the end of the ages. The word translated here as “torment”, βασανιζω, only ever refers to conscious torment and never to death. Does this not refute the view that the Lake of Fire will consist of annihilation for all mortal human beings that enter it?

    As a matter of fact, it does not. It is important to note the distinction between actual torment lasting to the Ages of the Ages, and “the smoke of their torment” lasting to the Ages of the Ages. This same phrase, “smoke... goes up to the ages of the ages”, is used of the city of Babylon elsewhere in the book of Revelation:

And after these things I heard a great voice of a great multitude in the heaven, saying, “Alleluia! the salvation, and the glory, and the honour, and the power, [is] to the Lord our God; because true and righteous [are] His judgments, because He did judge the great whore [of Babylon] who did corrupt the earth in her whoredom, and He did avenge the blood of His servants at her hand;” and a second time they said, “Alleluia; and her smoke doth come up — to the ages of the ages!” (Rev. 19:1-3)

However, rather than the destruction of Babylon actually lasting for the entire Ages of the Ages, it is elsewhere said to only last for “a day” (Rev. 18:8) and even “an hour” (Rev. 18:10, 16, 19). This destruction will be an earthly and temporal punishment, and so there is no reason to interpret the exact same phrase in Rev. 14:11 any differently. The torment of those who take the mark of the beast “in fire and brimstone” must similarly be an earthly and temporal punishment.

    With this in mind, the correct interpretation of this torment is to be found in the immediate context in Rev. 16:1-11, where we are told that those who take the mark will be afflicted for the last 3.5 years of the tribulation with painful sores, burned with scorching heat and fire from the sun, and tormented by agonizing darkness. These punishments, like the torment described in Rev. 14:9-11, are said to only affect those who take the mark of the beast and will be earthly and temporal. Therefore, rather than referring to torment in the Lake of Fire, this passage almost certainly instead refers to the torment which those who take the mark of the beast will experience at the end of the tribulation.

    Conclusion

Rather than being a place of torment, or even a place of purification, the clear testimony of scripture is that the Lake of Fire will annihilate all those who enter it. Unbelievers will be resurrected as mortals at the Great White Throne, judged on their good and evil works, and the evildoers will be cast into the Lake and be annihilated until the end of the ages. This does not refute universal salvation, because all people will still be resurrected to immortality at the end of the ages and reconciled to God (1 Cor. 15:20-28).

    Contrary to what some infernalists might say, I don’t believe this simply out of a sense of pity for those who will enter the Lake of Fire. In fact, since only those who do evil in this life will enter the Lake, torment seems more just than annihilation to me. Rather, I believe this because it is the clear testimony of scripture, and God’s justice is far higher than my own limited, human sense of justice - so even if His judgments seem to me too lenient to the wicked, my feelings don’t change the clear scriptural truth that the Lake of Fire will be a second death for those who enter it.

    As for the Lake of Fire being a place of purification, as many universalists believe, it is also highly important to recognize that this is false, because no punishment can purify what Christ has already purified. We are told in Romans 5:18 and 2 Corinthians 5:14, 19 that all people are justified not by any correctional punishment that they undergo, but through Christ’s righteous act by which God no longer reckons our trespasses. All reconciliation to God will occur at the end of the ages, when all unbelievers are made alive in Christ and subjected to Him (1 Cor. 15:20-28), and so any necessary repentance will happen at this time, not before this in torments. Thus, the Lake of Fire cannot consist of torment and/or purification for the wicked, but must instead be a literal second death for those who are cast within.