“Yet to the cowardly, and unbelieving, and detestable, and murderers, and male prostitutes, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars: their part [is] in the lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Rev. 21:8)
The Lake of Fire referred to in the book of Revelation is typically considered to be the same as ‘hell,’ the place where all unbelievers will be punished for their sins. According to most Christians, they will be punished consciously by torment without end (although the nature of this torment is debated). A minority of Christians, those who subscribe to the ‘annihilationist’ viewpoint, believe instead that the punishment of the Lake of Fire will involve the everlasting destruction of those cast within.
However, regardless of what position one holds on the nature of the punishment, virtually all Christians are agreed that those who are cast into the Lake of Fire will never be saved, and that their punishment (whatever it consists of) will be without end. In other words, they believe that God is either unable to save all people (in the Arminian school of theology) or unwilling to save all people (in the Calvinist/Reformed school of theology). In stark contrast to this position, scripture tells us that God not only wills the salvation of all people (1 Tim. 2:4), but also effected the means to bring this about when Christ died as a “correspondent ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:6), making God “the Savior of all mankind” (1 Tim. 4:10).
Since we know that all mankind will be saved, the punishment of the Lake of Fire - however terrible it may be - cannot be without end. Eventually, all of God’s enemies will be subjected and reconciled to Him, and He will become “all things in all” (1 Cor. 15:27-28 cf. Col. 1:20); the punishment of the Lake of Fire can only last until this time, and no longer. But the question still remains, what exactly is the nature of this punishment? In this post, we will take a look at the scriptural evidence to determine what the nature and purpose of the Lake of Fire is.
“The lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death”
The book of Revelation contains many symbols and signs. For example, in chapter 17, we are told of a beast with seven heads and ten horns (cf. Rev. 13:1-10) upon which sits a prostitute, who also sits upon many waters, all of which symbolize different aspects of the future tribulation. For each of these symbols, John tells us exactly what they represent: “the seven heads are seven mountains” (Rev. 17:9); “the beast... is... an eighth [kingdom]” (Rev. 17:11); “the ten horns... are ten kings” (Rev. 17:12); “the waters... are peoples and crowds and nations and languages” (Rev. 17:15); “the woman... is the great city” (Rev. 17:18).
In the same way, when John tells us that “this, the Lake of Fire, is the second death” (Rev. 20:14 cf. 21:8), we should understand that the Lake of Fire is a symbol which represents the punishment of “the second death.” This shouldn’t be too difficult to understand. Since death is the absence of life and consciousness [1], those who are cast into the Lake of Fire in John’s vision return to the state of unconsciousness which they were in prior to their resurrection to judgment (Rev. 20:5, 13). It is called the second death by virtue of the fact that everyone who enters it has already died once (Heb. 9:27).
In spite of this clear statement that the Lake of Fire symbolizes the actual death of those cast within, most Christians believe that the Lake of Fire will involve conscious torment, and that those who are within it will remain alive (even immortal). However, this reduces “the second death” to something figurative, which would mean that the explanation of the symbol is, itself, a symbol. This is entirely without precedent in scripture; when a symbol is explained, the explanation is, of course, expected to be the actual truth behind the symbol and not further symbolism.
Some who believe that the second death is actually a conscious experience argue that, because it is called the second death and not merely death, it could be figurative for something else [2]. However, as noted above, the reason that it is called the second death is simply because, for those cast within, it will be their second experience of death (see Heb. 9:27). As James Coram noted [3], the word “second” is merely adjectival, and does not change the essence of the noun, “death.” the second death can no more be a period of life than a second illness can be a period of good health.
Another argument for the view that the second death is not a true death is based on Hebrews 9:27, which states that “it is appointed for men to die once, and after this the judgment.” From this, it is argued that a man cannot die twice, seeing as it is only appointed for men to die once. However, this argument is faulty; the word “once” (hapax) does not always refer to something which happens only one time, it can also refer to the first occurrence of an event (for example, see Php. 4:16 and 1 Thess. 2:18 in which Paul speaks of events which occurred “both once and twice”). The fact that it is appointed for men to die once prior to the judgment does not exclude a second death after the judgment.
The fact that the second death constitutes literal death (the absence of life), and not a period of life (whether in torment or otherwise), is confirmed by what we read in Revelation 2:10-11:
“Do not be fearing what you are about to suffer. Lo, the Adversary is about to cast you out into prison, so that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation of ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give to you the crown of life. The [one] having an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the assemblies: ‘The [one] overcoming may in no way be injured by the second death.’”
According to this passage, those who remain “faithful until death” will receive “the crown of life” and thus will not be injured by “the second death.” Now, from what Jesus said in Lk. 20:35-36, we know that the reward obtained by “those deemed worthy to attain to that age” (i.e., by remaining faithful until death) will involve being “unable to die anymore.” From this, we can determine that the crown of life likely refers to the gift of immortality, and so the fact that immortality prevents one from undergoing “the second death” confirms that the second death is actual death.
This argument is rather circuitous, but it is strengthened by what we read in Revelation 20:15 and 22:14-15, in which we read that those who enter the Lake of Fire (i.e., the second death) are not written in the “scroll of life” and are thus unable to have access to the “tree of life.” The fact that the crown of life, scroll of life, and tree of life are inaccessible to those who undergo the second death all points to the fact that the second death is simply the absence of life — that is, literal death.
If this is the case, however, that the Lake of Fire represents literal death, then how is it possible that “Death and the Unseen [4] were cast into it” (Rev. 20:14)? Some have argued that this means that death itself will be destroyed at that time (cf. 1 Cor. 15:26, 55-56); however, this interpretation can be discounted on the grounds that mortality and sin will still exist on the New Earth (Isa. 65:17-20), whereas death is not destroyed until every person is placed beyond its reach. Thus, for death and the Unseen to be cast into the Lake of Fire simply means that, for the duration of the judgment, the state of death will be confined to the symbolic ‘Lake of Fire’ which represents the “second death.” Those who are cast into the Lake, into which death and the Unseen have been cast, will simply be returning to that lifeless state which they were in prior to their resurrection (Rev. 20:5, 13).
Now that we have established that the Lake of Fire represents the literal death of those who, in John’s vision, are cast into it, let us take a look at the exceptions to this rule. There are, in fact, three individuals who do remain living after having been cast into the Lake:
And the beast was captured, and the false prophet with him (the [one] having done the signs before him, by which he led astray the [ones] having taken the mark of the beast and the [ones] worshipping its image); and the two were cast, living, into the Lake of Fire burning with sulfur. (Rev. 19:20)
And the Adversary, the [one] deceiving them, was cast to the Lake of Fire and of sulfur, where also the beast and the false prophet [were], and they will be tormented day and night for the ages of the ages. (Rev. 20:10)
In the first verse, we are told that the beast and false prophet are cast living into the Lake of Fire, in contrast to the fate of the kings and armies alongside them who are “killed by the sword of [Jesus]” (Rev. 19:21), and of the others whose later punishment in the Lake of Fire constitutes the termination of life. Furthermore, just over a thousand years later, the beast and the false prophet are still living in the Lake, and are tormented there alongside the Adversary (Rev. 20:10). We are not told what their “torment” consists of, merely that it occurs while they are still living and conscious [5]. But if the Lake of Fire represents the second death, then how can any being remain alive within it?
When it comes to the Adversary, it is not difficult to see how he would be unaffected by the second death; after all, he is not mortal “flesh and blood,” but is an immortal spirit being (Eph. 6:11-12 cf. 1 Cor. 15:50, Heb. 2:14), and thus unable to die. But what about the beast and false prophet? Although a number of futurists believe that these beings are mortal humans, the scriptural evidence seems to better support the view that they are instead immortal spirit beings (see Rev. 16:13-14). We are told that the beast arises out of “the abyss” (Rev. 11:7, 17:8), which is elsewhere said to be a prison for rebellious spirits (Lk. 8:30-31, Rev. 9:11, 20:1-3 cf. 2 Pet. 2:4, Jude 6). And although the beast represents the final kingdom of Daniel’s prophecy (Rev. 13:2 cf. Dan. 7:1-7), it likely also represents the spiritual “prince” of that kingdom (see Dan. 10:12, 20, 12:1 cf. 1 Cor. 10:20).
Because of this, these three exceptions to the second death present no challenge to the view that the Lake of Fire represents literal death. The beast, false prophet, and Adversary are all immortal spirit beings, and so the second death would be unable to affect them. Instead, they will be incarcerated in the Lake of Fire for “the ages of the ages” and tormented while they are still living.
The annihilation of the wicked
The testimony of John as to the punishment of the wicked is extremely clear; they will be punished by annihilation at the “second death.” But John is certainly not the first author of the Bible to prophecy that the punishment of the wicked will involve literal death. Indeed, this idea appears throughout all of scripture. Consider the following passages from the ‘wisdom literature’ of the Old Testament:
“Do you know this from of old, from the establishment of man on earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless momentary? Though his loftiness reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds, he perishes forever like his refuse; those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’” (Job 20:4-7 NASB)
For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for Yahweh, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there... But the wicked will perish; and the enemies of Yahweh will be like the glory of the pastures, they vanish — like smoke they vanish away. (Ps. 37:9-10, 20)
...when the wicked sprouted up like grass and all who did iniquity flourished, it was only that they might be destroyed for the age of the age. (Ps. 92:7)
Yahweh keeps all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. (Ps. 145:20)
When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation... The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand. (Prov. 10:25, 12:7 NASB)
All of these passages are clear that the wicked will be destroyed, such that they will be absolutely “no more” and nowhere to be found. This cannot be describing any kind of torment or purification, but simple annihilation as retribution for wicked acts. Consider also the following:
The wicked will return to the Unseen, even all the nations who forget God. (Ps. 9:17)
Let me not be put to shame, O Yahweh, for I call upon You; let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in the Unseen. (Ps. 31:17)
For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold of the Unseen. (Prov. 5:3-5)
The path of life leads upward for the wise that he may keep away from the Unseen below. (Prov. 15:24)
Do not hold back discipline from the child, although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod and rescue his soul from the Unseen. (Prov. 23:13-14)
All of these passages seem to state that “the Unseen” (sheol, which refers to the state of the dead, either of nonexistence or the grave; see footnote 4) is the end specifically of the wicked. However, we know from elsewhere in scripture that both the righteous and the wicked go to the Unseen at death (Job 17:13-16, Ecc. 3:19-20, 9:10 cf. Gen. 37:35, Ps. 88:3), for they both return to the dust of the earth (Job. 34:15, Ecc. 12:7). Thus, this must refer to another death specifically for the wicked, following the first death, in which the wicked (and not the righteous) go to the Unseen. It is surely no coincidence that John’s vision shows both death and the Unseen (the state of death) as being cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14).
The depiction of the wicked as dead, and not undergoing torment or purification, continues throughout the Old Testament prophets:
“Do not fear the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them like a garment, and the grub will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will be for the age, and My salvation to all generations.” (Isa. 51:7-8)
“Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.” (Isa. 66:24 NASB)
“Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die... The soul who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.” (Ezek. 18:4, 20 NASB)
“When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die. But when I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, if a wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.” (Ezek. 33:13-15 NASB)
Ezekiel 33:8-19 states that the wicked will die while the righteous live. Clearly, this is not describing the first death, which is common to both the wicked and the righteous. Therefore, it must be describing a second death, much like the one in John’s vision.
“Because just as you drank on My holy mountain, all the nations will drink [of God’s wrath] continually. They will drink and swallow and become as if they had never existed.” (Obad. 16 NASB)
“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 Yahweh of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” (Mal. 4:1)
Based on all of these passages, it is clear that the writers of the Old Testament had the expectation that the wicked would be destroyed. Although traditionally, these passages are understood as describing ‘spiritual death’ [6], referring to separation from God, such an interpretation cannot be sustained in light of the fact that these same writers also say that the wicked will be “no more” (i.e., entirely annihilated) and compare their punishment to the burning up of chaff.
Contrary to popular opinion, the New Testament writers also wrote that the punishment of the wicked would involve annihilation rather than torment and/or purgation. Jesus also used the metaphor of the burning up of chaff to describe the wicked’s punishment (Matt. 3:12, 13:40, Jn. 15:6), which clearly implies the actual death of the wicked. See also all of the following passages:
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate [is] wide and the way [is] broad leading to destruction, and many are the [ones] entering through it.” (Matt. 7:13-14)
The [one] believing in the Son has age-during life, yet the [one] not obeying the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (Jn. 3:36)
“Moses indeed said, ‘The Lord God will raise up to you a prophet like me out of your brethren; you will listen to him’ in all things, as many as he may say to you. Now it will be [that] every soul who may not listen to that prophet shall be utterly destroyed out of the people.” (Acts 3:22-23)
In [the] day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment of God... as many as have sinned without [the] Law will also perish without [the] Law. (Rom. 2:5, 12)
For when you were servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. Therefore, what fruit did you have then, upon [the things] of which you are now ashamed? For the consummation of those things is death... For the reward of sin [is] death, yet the gift of God [is] age-during life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:20-21, 23)
For many are walking (whom I often told you [of], yet now also weeping say) the enemies of the cross of the Christ, whose consummation [is] destruction, whose God [is] the belly, and their glory [is] in their shame, minding the earthly things. (Php. 3:18-19)
Then the coveting, having conceived, begets sin; now the sin, having been completed, gives birth to death. (Jas. 1:15)
My brethren, if anyone among you may be led astray from the truth, and someone may bring him back, let him know that the [one] having brought back a sinner out of [the] error of his way will save his soul out of death and will cover over a plethora of sins. (Jas. 5:19-20)
Yet we are not of [those] drawing back to destruction, but of faith to [the] preserving of [the] soul. (Heb. 10:39)
...and [the] cities of Sodom and Gomorrah having reduced to ashes, He condemned [them] to destruction, having placed an example of [what is] coming upon [the] impious... Yet these, just as irrational animals, having been natural-born for capture and destruction (in what they are ignorant of, blaspheming) also in their destruction will be destroyed. (2 Pet. 2:6, 12)
Yet now the heavens and the earth by the same word exist, having been stored up for fire, being kept to [the] day of judgment and destruction of impious men. (2 Pet. 3:7)
These many passages, along with even a few others, demonstrate virtually beyond a shadow of a doubt that the punishment of the wicked will consist of death and annihilation. In contrast, there are only two passages in the New Testament which are often considered to describe the torment of mortal humans in ‘hell’ [7].
Although not all of these passages refer to the same event in time - for example, 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10 describes the destruction of the wicked at the second coming of Christ, whereas 2 Peter 3:7 describes their destruction at the Great White Throne judgment just over a thousand years later - it is clear that the wicked’s punishment will be their death, and not any kind of torment or purgation. This reinforces the premise argued for earlier in this post, which is that the “second death” involves the literal death of those who, in John’s vision, are cast into the Lake of Fire.
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[1] This fact should be uncontested, as it accords with both personal observation and scriptural revelation. For example, it is explicitly said that the dead do not live in Rev. 20:5 (cf. 2 Kings 20:1), and life is repeatedly contrasted with death throughout the Bible (e.g., Gen. 42:2, Deut. 33:6, Ps. 118:17). However, for a more detailed defense of the position that death is the absence of life and consciousness, see my posts “Defying Death: A Defense of the Doctrine of Soul Sleep” and “Body, Spirit, and Soul.”
[2] Paul’s description of the believer’s conversion as the “death of the old self” (Rom. 6:6) is often appealed to as an example of figurative ‘death.’ However, this death of the old self cannot be understood as the same as the Lake of Fire, since those who undergo the death of the old self are “justified from sin” (Rom. 6:7), whereas those who are cast into the Lake are still seen as sinners (Rev. 21:8, 22:15).
[3] Unsearchable Riches Vol. 84, p. 227
[4] “The Unseen” is usually translated as “Hades,” however, the word hades in Greek literally means “unseen.” This word is used in scripture to describe either the state of nonexistence (see for example Matt. 11:23), which (for humans) is returned to at death, or the grave where the body returns to the dust of the earth (see esp. Job 17:16).
Although some believe that Hades is a place where ‘disembodied souls’ live on after death, the scriptural usage of the word refutes this view. Job (17:16) equates “going down to the Unseen” with “descending to the dust of the earth.” In the Unseen there are said to be gray hairs (Gen. 42:38, 44:29, 31, 1 Kings 2:6, 9), bones (Ps. 141:7, Ezek. 32:27), worms and maggots (Job 17:13-14, 24:19-20, Isa. 14:11), and swords and shields (Ezek. 32:27) - all material objects which exist in the grave, not a realm of ‘disembodied souls.’ The Unseen is said to be a place where bodies decay (Ps. 16:10, 49:14, Hos. 13:14). It is also said to be under the earth, a location which can be descended to alive - synonymous with “the pit” (Num. 16:30-33, Deut. 32:22, Job 11:8, Ps. 30:3, Prov. 1:12, Isa. 14:15, Ezek. 31:16, Amos 9:2).
[5] Some believe that this torment involves literal burning with fire, while others speculate that their torment might simply derive from the fact that their freedom will be severely reduced while they are confined to the Lake of Fire. But until this torment actually occurs, we cannot know for certain.
[6] In most streams of Christianity, separation from God is considered to be ‘spiritual death’ based on the misinterpretation of passages like Genesis 2:17 and Ephesians 2:1-5. However, the context of each of these passages demonstrates that they are not referring to any kind of ‘spiritual death,’ but fall into one of two categories: (1) referring to the wicked as proleptically “dead in their sins,” because their sins result in death (cf. Rom. 6:21, Php. 3:18-19), or (2) using death as a metaphor (e.g., Rev. 3:1-2).
[7] For my interpretation of these passages (which are Luke 16:19-31 and Revelation 14:9-11), see the last section of my older post, “Gehenna and the Lake of Fire (Part 2).”
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