Revelation 20:13-14
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
If the people are already in hell, what is the purpose of transferring them to the lake of fire? In Luke, we see an example of a man in hell who is apparently tormented already.
Luke 16:23-24
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Also, the story in Luke seems to take place before the resurrection of Jesus (which is alluded to at the end of the story). Hence, I don't see any reason why this man would already be in the lake of fire, according to the chronology of Revelation. Yet he is tormented by flames.
Notably, the lake of fire is used to punish "the beast" and the "false prophet" (which seems to be just another beast), both of whom are thrown alive into the lake.
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.
However, most people seem to acknowledge that these beasts are not people, but rather kingdoms (or conceivably, sets of kingdoms).
Revelation 17:8-12
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Given that the beasts are seemingly not human beings, it is unclear what it even means to throw them into the fire. Also notably, they are thrown "alive," which does seem to indicate some torturous purpose. But for whatever reason, their torture stands in contrast to this passage, where a beast is killed but seemingly not tortured:
Daniel 7:11
I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
Some people argue that throwing death and hell into the lake of fire means that the unsaved people in hell are either annihilated or, conceivably, regenerated via some sort of apocatastasis. The problem with these theories is that they contradict the following passages, which indicate that both the devil and his followers are tormented forever.
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, 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: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
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.
Even taking into account the possibility of mere symbolism, it would make no sense to have one symbolism pointing to eternal torment, while another symbolism supposedly pointed to death itself being annihilated (the opposite of eternal torment). Hence, I am not inclined to accept the idea that death being thrown into the lake of fire means simply that unsaved people are annihilated.
So ultimately, some questions arise:
1) What is the lake of fire? Is it actual torment?
2) Aren't people tormented even prior to the lake of fire?
3) If the answers to both questions are yes, then what is the purpose of the lake of fire?
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
If the people are already in hell, what is the purpose of transferring them to the lake of fire? In Luke, we see an example of a man in hell who is apparently tormented already.
Luke 16:23-24
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Also, the story in Luke seems to take place before the resurrection of Jesus (which is alluded to at the end of the story). Hence, I don't see any reason why this man would already be in the lake of fire, according to the chronology of Revelation. Yet he is tormented by flames.
Notably, the lake of fire is used to punish "the beast" and the "false prophet" (which seems to be just another beast), both of whom are thrown alive into the lake.
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.
However, most people seem to acknowledge that these beasts are not people, but rather kingdoms (or conceivably, sets of kingdoms).
Revelation 17:8-12
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Given that the beasts are seemingly not human beings, it is unclear what it even means to throw them into the fire. Also notably, they are thrown "alive," which does seem to indicate some torturous purpose. But for whatever reason, their torture stands in contrast to this passage, where a beast is killed but seemingly not tortured:
Daniel 7:11
I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
Some people argue that throwing death and hell into the lake of fire means that the unsaved people in hell are either annihilated or, conceivably, regenerated via some sort of apocatastasis. The problem with these theories is that they contradict the following passages, which indicate that both the devil and his followers are tormented forever.
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, 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: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
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.
Even taking into account the possibility of mere symbolism, it would make no sense to have one symbolism pointing to eternal torment, while another symbolism supposedly pointed to death itself being annihilated (the opposite of eternal torment). Hence, I am not inclined to accept the idea that death being thrown into the lake of fire means simply that unsaved people are annihilated.
So ultimately, some questions arise:
1) What is the lake of fire? Is it actual torment?
2) Aren't people tormented even prior to the lake of fire?
3) If the answers to both questions are yes, then what is the purpose of the lake of fire?
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