What Is The Lake of Fire?

Do visions of persons existing in a fiery place of torment come to mind when you think about The Lake of Fire? Is it a real place? What really is The Lake of Fire, according to the Scriptures?

In the preceding paragraph, I was careful to state according to the Scriptures because the explanation of the Lake of Fire also come from sources other than Scripture.

What Is The Lake of Fire?

The expression Lake of Fire is found only in The Book of Revelation. For example, at Revelation 20:14 we are told of it:

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

After a close examination of Revelation 20:14, several things should become glaringly clear: (1) That The Lake of Fire is not the same thing as hell. Why is that? Because this Scripture shows that hell is thrown into the Lake of Fire. (2) That the Lake of Fire is The Second Death. What is the Second Death?

Once the reader understands what the Second Death is, it should become clear what the Lake of Fire is.

The expression, The Second Death, implies something. What? A First Death. A First Death implies something as well. What? A First Life or First Birth.

All humans have a birth. We are born from human parents, a mother, and a father. We grow old, get sick, and die. This preceding statement tells us that we all had a First Birth and will have a First Death. This is a fact of life. We were all born and we all die.

Therefore, in order to qualify for a Second Death, one must first have the Second Birth. In answer to a question the Pharisee Nicodemus had concerning this Second Birth, Jesus answered at John 3:3-4:

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

Notice Jesus’ mention of born again. What was Jesus talking about here? The promised resurrection.

Notice what Jesus said about that future great day at John 5:28-29:

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Notice who Jesus said would be resurrected from their graves: ALL PERSONS.

If ALL persons are in their graves, then ALL persons would have already died. ALL persons would have already had a First Birth and a First Death. Their resurrection from the dead back to life again is The Second Birth or what many today call being “Born Again.” What many church systems of the world teach about being born again or being a born-again Christian is in error. Like Nicodemus, the church systems did not get it; they did not and today still do not understand that Jesus was referring to the resurrection.

This resurrection will be a resurrection from the First Death to a Second Life or Second Birth. Make no mistake about it, all of us must literally die before we can have a Second Birth (Born Again). This is what Jesus meant when he said: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus was telling Nicodemus that it would be impossible for any person to see God’s Kingdom unless he first dies and then resurrected back to life again. That is, being Born Again.

Why would it be impossible to see God’s Kingdom unless one is Born Again? The answer is very simple and can be found within the words of Romans 6:7, which reads:

Anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Romans 6:7 is telling us that anyone who has died (First Death), has had their sin removed from them. In other words, one’s death is full payment for ones sin. This is exactly what Romans 6:23 says:

For the wages of sin is death.

So when a person is resurrected from the dead, they are resurrected with no sin bound or attached to them. Those sins were removed from the person when they died. In fact, these were the sins Jesus sacrificed his life for.

Therefore, any person who has died and yet to die (First Time Literally Dying), is resurrected to back to life again (Second Life or Born Again) will have no sin on him, then he is in the proper condition to be able to see God’s Kingdom.

Let’s review before continuing.

  1. Each of us had and have a fleshly mother and father. Therefore, we all had a First Birth.

  2. All of us will grow old and die. Therefore, we all will die. This is our First Death.

  3. According to Jesus at John 5:28-29, ALL persons will have a resurrection from the dead. Therefore, ALL persons will have a Second Birth.

Now, we can put all of this together to understand what The Lake of Fire is.

Since Revelation 20:14 says that The Lake of Fire is the Second Death, we can now use the Scriptures to identify exactly what it is.

Notice that Revelation 20:14 says that both Death and Hell are to be cast into The Lake of Fire. Can death be literally burned? Can hell be literally burned?

Please turn your attention to Revelation 21:4 and notice what it says about death:

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Did you see that? It says that THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH.

If Revelation 20:14 previously stated that DEATH was thrown into The Lake of Fire, what does that mean? It means that The Lake of Fire is a symbol of BEING NO MORE or NONEXISTENCE or ETERNALLY GONE.

And, since hell is also cast into the Lake of Fire, then it too, will BE NO MORE or one day NONEXISTENT.

Notice that death and hell are mentioned together at Revelation 20:14. There is a good reason for this. Because they complement each other. When any person dies, that person enters into hell – THE GRAVE.

If DEATH WILL BE NO MORE, then there will be no need for graves. So, GRAVES or HELL WILL BE NO MORE as well.

It is unfortunate that the church-systems teach The Lake of Fire as a place of eternal torment. it is equally unfortunate that it also teaches that hell is a place of eternal torment and they often obscure The Lake of Fire and make it their fiery hell.

They do not consider what Revelation 20:14 says about hell itself: that it is cast into the Lake of Fire. If The Lake of Fire represents nonexistence, then this means that their fiery hell is not eternal; it will become nonexistent just as death will.

Anyone and anything cast into the Lake of Fire will simply no longer exist. Persons who experience the First Death (all of us) still exist in God’s mind as even as dead persons. Scripture teaches us that Death, Hell, the future Beast, the future False Prophet, anyone not found in the Book of Life, cowards, those without faith, murderers, fornicators, liars, idolaters, and the Devil will one day go into nonexistence; The Lake of Fire. This becomes their Second Death.

There is no Third Birth after entering into nonexistence. Such things as lying, murdering, fornication, faithlessness, idolaters; and such entities as the False Prophet, the Beast and the devil will BE NO MORE. They will never ever be seen again.

This could be confusing to some because they might reason, “If at death one’s sins are removed from them, how can they sin in order to enter into nonexistence or The Lake of Fire?” The reason is that Scripture never says that those resurrected are unable to sin or rebel against God. In fact, Scripture says that many of them will – in fact – sin against God. But we must carefully consider – from Scripture – when they rebel and sin against God.

We must carefully consider the TIME PERIOD in which the lying, murdering, fornication, faithlessness, rebellion against God and so forth will occur. It is not at present, but in the future after the 1000 years have ended when Satan is released from his prison.

No person up to today has done anything that God will not forgive. Jesus showed this when he asked his heavenly Father to forgive those who persecuted him and put him to death.

Since all persons are resurrected from the dead (John 5:28-29) and are resurrected with no sin bound to them, they will enter into a time period lasting 1000 years. During this time period, Satan is abyssed. Why?

So that he will not be able to interfere with the restoration process we all will undergo during that 1000 years. Entry into that 1000 year period is what Jesus promised a condemned man who also died on the same day as Jesus.

That we are Born-Again from the dead (Second Birth) with no sin on us, we will not grow old, get sick and die during that 1000 years on the earth. With Satan out of the way for that 1000 years, he will not be able to influence us to do bad. This future 1000 years will be a wonderful time for all of the human family. But evil will ascend out of the abyss at the end of the 1000 years.

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

For 1000 years, the human family will have learned to be sinless, clean, and righteous before their Creator. Now Satan is re-introduced back onto the earthly scene after the 1000 years.

At present – in our First Births – we will not be judged based on anything we do in our First Births.

In the future, after we are resurrected (Second Birth), we will not be judged on anything we do during that 1000 years.

During our present existence (First Birth) and future Second Birth (Born Again from the dead), we cannot commit what is called the Unforgivable Sin.

It will be different when Satan is released from his prison after the 1000 years.

When Satan is unabyssed, and goes out to deceive the nations of people who are existing in their Second Births (been resurrected), we enter into a time period the Scriptures call the Last Days. The Last Days is an unspecified – but short – time period spanning from the time Satan is released from his prison to his destruction. 

It is within this Last Day period that one can not commit the unforgivable sin. It is at this time that one can enter into the Second Death – a condition from which there is no return.

Individuals existing at that time in their Second Births (Life) will be tempted by Satan to do bad. Unfortunate for them, Scripture teaches that many will willingly and knowingly join Satan in a spiritual battle to oppose the coming of God’s Kingdom to the earth from heaven. (Revelation 20:7-10)

Please do not confuse seeing God’s Kingdom with the coming of God’s Kingdom.

Jesus had told Nicodemus that “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Our resurrection from the dead will only allow us to see or discern God’s Kingdom coming in the future, not yet entering into it.  It’s coming does not occur until after the 1000 years have ended and the Satan his rebellion and those who joined him are destroyed. Revelation Chapter 21.

This Last Day time period – which begins with Satan’s being released and ending with his destruction – is also called Judgment Day. Why? Because the basis of our judgment of God will be under conditions where were are sinless and perfect, just as Adam was. Today, we are not sinless and perfect. So, within that short period of time – in the future – from the time Satan is released until he is about to be destroyed, we will be judged based on what we do within this time period. This is the Judgment Day or Judgment Time Period.

It is only within this time period that we can commit a sin – make a decision – that will land us into a death that one cannot be resurrected from The Lake of Fire, The Second Death, Non-Existence. That sin is what is called the Unforgivable Sin.

Having already been resurrected, having already lived for 1000 years and restored to the condition Adam was in, we will know what God’s requirements are before Satan is released. We will have no excuse for becoming unfaithful to God and rebelling against Him at that future time and the decisions we make to disobedience to God, we make knowingly and willingly. We cannot say at that time, “The Devil made me do it.”

So The Lake of Fire is not a literal place. It is a symbol of nonexistence. 

Gehenna in Scripture (Valley of Hinnom) was a literal garbage dump. It existed outside the city walls of Jerusalem and the fires were kept burning day and night. So at any time, a person could throw their refuse over the wall and the fire would consume it and that refuse was gone – nonexistent.

Scripture nowhere teaches Eternal Torment or Eternal Punishment for the wicked as the church systems teach. Rather, the Scriptures teach Eternal Destruction. Notice how 2 Thessalonians 1:9 reads:

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Notice that the punishment is Everlasting Destruction – not being punished everlastingly.

The period in which wickedness will be assessed and judgment made to Everlasting Destruction (Nonexistence) will be after the 1000 years ends and Satan is released until his destruction.

Not one person today has been condemned to a fiery hell or to The Lake of Fire – The Second Death.

This judgment can only be made based on the behaviors and actions of persons within a future time period after the 1000 years.

At present, we are all flawed – by inherited sin – and God does not judge or condemn any of us under this condition. Jesus never condemned the sinner in his day. He forgave them.

The church systems are actually apostate in that they have departed from Jesus example of showing unlimited forgiveness to the transgressor. Instead, the church systems have created places of eternal torment punishment and they condemn the sinner to them. What made those sinners Jesus did not condemn and those sinners Jesus forgave different from any sinner today? Nothing. So why do the church systems teach hellfire and eternal torment if one does not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior? Not once did Jesus tell those he did not condemn or forgave that they were to follow him. That was never a condition he placed upon them.

Within our current First Birth states, none of us are to judge another. We are to do just as Jesus did, forgive and not condemn.

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R. Jerome Harris

No one of importance. A disciple (student) of Christ apart from the established religious systems who reasons, thinks and concludes matters for myself. Something is not right with the state of religion in the world. The real dichotomy is that we live in a world so full of religion, yet is an evil, immoral, and dangerous place to live. A mental and spiritual separation from this world that Jesus said his kingdom is no part of is the first step to a "break-through" to freedom and entry into a much larger spiritual world where God and Christ resides and the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God can be accessed.

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  1. I found some more interesting verses:

    Revelation 20:10

    And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

    Revelation 20:15

    Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

    If the people whose name are not in the book of life are thrown into the lake of fire wouldn't it make sense for them to be subject to eternal torment?

    1. The torment mentioned at Revelation 20:10 is not a torment as to a person being tormented forever or even tormented at all. This is speaking of the PROSPECT of ceasing to EXIST at all. How long is FOREVER? There is no end. So to be “tormented day and night for ever and ever” is another way of saying one will “no longer exist.”

      Oen MUST look at WHAT THE LAKE OF FIRE IS and then make a reasonable conclusion. At Revelation 20:14 we are told that “death and Hades” are thrown into the Lake of Fire. “Death and Hades ARE NOT persons so why would something that is NOT a person need to be be TORMENTED FOR EVER AND EVER?

      Revelation 21:4 gives us a clue as to WHAT the Lake of Fire is. Notice that it says “and death will be no more.” WHY? Because we were told in the verse PREVIOUS (at Rev 20:14) that death was thrown into the Lake of Fire.

      This tells us EXACTLY what the Lake of Fire is. It is the state of being “no more.” In other words “nonexistence.”

      Anything thrown into the Lake of Fire simply goes out of existence, not a literal torment. If paper or wood is thrown into a literal fire, it is not literally tormented, it burns up and ceases to be wood and paper. They are gone for ever and ever never to return again.

      A Scripture that helps cement this is found at 2 Thessalonians 1:9. This Scripture shows that the PUNISHMENT for sin (unforgivable sin) is NOT eternal torment, but EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION (nonexistence). Notice how it reads (NIV):

      “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”

      The “shutting out” from the presence of the Lord is saying that if one is out of God’s sight, they are out of His memory (Book of Life); if out of God’s memory they no longer exist – not even as a dead person.

      The religious system called by men, Christianity, is responsible for poisoning the minds fo so many people with the idea that sinners will be tormented forever in a hellfire. Christ never taught that, men do.

      It makes no sense: Jesus PROMISED a condemned man (a sinner) paradise at Luke 23:43. Yet, the religious system called by men teaches something different from what Jesus said and practiced. The adulterous woman that the Scribes and Pharisees condemned to death by stoning, Jesus did not condemn. (John 8:1-11)

      The crowd that persecuted Jesus and had him put to death (certainly great sins here), Jesus asked that they be forgiven, NOT tormented forever!

      Plus, Hades (Hell) itself is thrown INTO the Lake of Fire. So hell is NOT eternal.

      So this idea of tormenting people forever was not even conceived of by God. God (not me) says this at Jeremiah 7:31. He says:

      “And they have built the high places of To′pheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, in order to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart.”

      Now-a-days, who REALLY listens to God. They listen to men instead.

  2. Both Revelation 20:10 and Revelation 20:15 seem to refer as persons to me. Death and hades aren't though you are right. However, Revelation 20:14 doesn’t say Hell and Hades suffers and that is likely because they are not persons as you said. However, since Hades in the bible basically translate to graves or a place for the dead that could actually mean that the place itself and the dead inside of it will be put into the Lake of Fire as it were. That makes a lot of sence to me and it seems fairly clear.

    Also Eternal Destruction in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 was translated into English from the greek words "Olethron Aionion" Olethron being destruction. Olethron points to an unchangeable, irremediable, and endless condition or to put even simpler a perpetual state of ruination. Even in the English language destruction does not mean the absolute end of something but would support more of a process or an amount of time to be destroyed. Also in the latter part of verse 9 it states:

    …away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

    Which I would imagine would be the worst kind of suffering imaginable.

    Also I think it is fairly clear that Jeremiah 7:31 has no does not support your argument either. The verse speaks of the sin of man and the separation from God. Also the valley of Hinnon has been referred to as a place of suffering. With that in mind, that is how it relates to the lake of fire: it is used as a reference for a place of suffering and death and I don’t think is even actually references the lake of fire at all (I would have to look more into that tho).

    1. The Devil at Rev 20:10 obviously is a person. The mention of the False Prophet (already in the Lake of Fire before Satan is cast into it) is not neccessarily single person but a collective of persons that champion the creation and support of the Beast. It too, goes into the Lake of Fire before the Devil does. Rev 20:10 mentions a Beast. Well this is NOT a person. This can be seen from reading the description of it at Rev 13:1-3. It is a government because we are told at Rev 13:2 that the Dragon gives it his “power, THRONE, and authority.

      Coupled with the Scripture at Rev 20:14 that shows that Death (not a person) AND (and I repeat AND) Hell (Hades) are also thrown in the Lake of Fire – also to mention Rev 21:4 that mentions “Death will be no more,” it is not unreasonable to believe that the Lake of Fire is a symbol or state of nonexistence.

      Rev 20:15 when it says “whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire” is telling us that whoever is not etched in God’s memory ceased to exist.

      Is it reasonable to believe that God wants death to be around forever? For graves to be around forever? The Devil to be around forever? Or is it more reasonable that would want them gone and forgotten, out of existence.

      Jer 7:31 is a glimpse into how God thinks as opposed to how man thinks. You simply made a statement about Jer 7:31 “of the sin of man and the separation from God. Also the valley of Hinnon has been referred to as a place of suffering.” 

      That statement does not address what God said. I must listen to God. If God says, “And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hin′nom, in order to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, A THING THAT I HAD NOT COMMANDED and that HAD NOT COME UP INTO MY HEART” then I believe God.

      The idea of burning people – as a punishment – is what man would do to each other, but not something God has envisioned as a punishment for sinful man. Jer 7:31 is clear and needs no explanation.

      You did the same thing to 2 Thess 1:9, you did not let the Scripture speak for itself, you want to change it to fit a popular teaching. All popular and non-popular translations render 2 Thess 1:9 the same way. The Greek Lexicon even shows that the “punishment” for sin is not eternal torment, but a “shutting out” from the presence of the Lord. What does “shutting out” mean to you?

      If one is shut out from the Lords presence, then he does not see you. You do not exist as far as he is concerned.

      You say that “However, since Hades in the bible basically translate to graves or a place for the dead that could actually mean that the place itself and the dead inside of it will be put into the Lake of Fire as it were. That makes a lot of sence to me and it seems fairly clear.”

      I refer to you something the Master said, actually a promise found at John 5:28-29:

      “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.”

      If ALL will hear his voice and come out of the graves then ALL the graves will be empty. So the idea of throwing the graves WITH the dead people inside of them into the Lake Fire makes no sense, does it?

      Also keep in mind that the Lake of Fire is called something else. Revelation 20:14 says:

      “And death and Hades were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire.”

      The Lake of Fire MEANS the Second Death. A First Death we all are promised a resurrection from the dead. A Second Death implies a Second Birth (resurrection from the dead).  The Second Death, unlike a First Death, there is no possibility of another resurrection because the person is eternally dead in God’s mind. There is nothing in God’s mind to remember of the person, he is out of God’s mind, out of existence. That is what the Lake of Fire means.

      Why are death and hades almost always mentioned together. Notice that next time you read out of Revelation. If Rev 21:4 says death will be no more (gone) what about hades?

  3. That is too much of your own reasoning. I believe I made clear points. You take your verses from a bible you won't hold to and also take them completely out of context. Until your pride no longer blinds you, you will never accept the truth.

    I encourage prayer. Many things can only happen through prayer. Mark 9:25

    1. Very little reasoning. The Scriptures presented are clear. Points verses what the Scriptures say? The Scriptures speak for themselves. They do not need my help.

      I own no verses.

      Here we go again, the “Red Herring.” 

      If I had a dollar for every person who is challenged and disagreed and with who I do not align myself with and AGREE with them (accept what they say is truth) and who use the line “you take Scripture COMPLETELY out of context” I would be a millionaire.

      The reality is that there are many of you who simply seek to maintain a false foundation and do not want to be questioned, examined or challenged. You simply want “blind” acceptance to what you say.

      Any presenting a viewpoint different from yours, you (1) make the person questioning and challenging you the TOPIC, thus relieving yourselves of having to deal with the actual topic under discussion or the very powerful Scriptural points made and (2) you place a “foul stench” upon the persons who question, challenge and put you to the test. It is your hope that others will take the bait and find such persons repugnant. In other words, rather than deal with the discussion, you get “off topic” and go on the “personal attack.” (LOL)

      Your comment “Until your pride no longer blinds you, you will never accept the truth. I encourage prayer.” What does that mean other than, “If I do not accept what you say, I will be blind and never accept YOUR truth.”

      If anyone who reads from e-Prophetic knows that I view Christ, my Master, as “The Truth” and it is what “he says” that I accept and cling to. It would be unwise for me or anyone else to listen to and accept “voices” from other sources than Christ himself.

      You also use the “pride” line. I smile about that because it is another way of saying, “If you do not agree with us, then you are being too prideful.”

      If one who claims to be a follower of Christ has to migrate to “the personal” because one does not view matters as they do, then they are following Christs example of love and forgiveness towards others.

      The world today consists of over 7 billion people. Disciples of Christ are obligated to treat each and all with love and compassion – even if they do not believe as we do. YOU can encounter hundreds, thousands, and millions of persons who might disagree with you, question you, and put what you believe to the test (1 John 4:1).

      I certainly hope you do not take that same mentality with them as you have with me. Why?

      Because you wil give them excuse to say, “If that is how disciples of Christ behave and react, then I do not want to be one of them.”

      As I stated before, it shows immaturity as a disciple of Christ as it shows that his teachings have not seeped deeply into ones marrow. (They are only on the surface).

      I find so many obsessed with winning arguments or wanting to maintain a particular religious organization’s teachings. I could care less about petty things like that.

      I will continue to write and speak to others as I have been until the Most High God stops it. (5:38-40)

      I knew when I write my first word on this blog that it would rub and agitate people the wrong way. It was not intentional. That is the effect Christs teachings would have in “THIS WORLD.”

      I cannot tell anyone to leave the “personal attack” stuff on the table. I allow them to be posted on this blog.

      Yet, Christs followers are on constant display before the whole world, and opposers to his teachings see what comes out of a person and say,

      “God and Christ needs no enemies with friends like these.”

      🙂

  4. interesting perspective, but a couple of questions… ref the lake of fire as non-existence, Rev 14:9-11 says those that worship the beast and receive his mark will be tormented with fire and brimstone for ever… how do you intrepret these verses?

    Also, Rev 20: 4-6 clearly states not all will be resurrected at the beginning of the 1,000 years, just those martyred during the Tribulation period… your commentary implies all will be resurrected and enter the 1,000 years?

    thanks!

     

    1. The reference to “fire and brimestone” (sulphur) is the same as The Lake of Fire (The Second Death)

      It must be understood in the future time period of fulfullment of the events of Revelation (After Christs 1000 year kingdom will have ended), ALL existing in those days will know right from wrong and have full knowledge about God. In fact, mankind in those future days will not have Christ as a mediator anymore; they will be as Adam was in his relationship with his Creator: One-to-one.

      So any worshiping the beast and its image in those future days, do so “knowingly” and “willingly.” Any sin against God done with full knowledge in those days, is a sin that cannot be forgiven and punishment for such sins is non-existence or The Lake of Fire.

      (No one living today can commit the sin that cannot be forgiven because we do not know what we do).

      The clue that there is no literal tormenting going on can be seen in Revelation 14:11:

      “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever …”

      Notice that the smoke of their torment is “forever and ever.” This “smoke” is symbolic of “eternal destruction” (non-existence) not eternal torment.

      If death and hell are to go into the same place, how can these be “literally” burned? (Rev 20:14)

      An interesting scripture that shows the PUNISHMENT for sin is not “eternal torment, but “eternal destruction” can be found at 2 Thess 1:9:

      “These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength.”

      Notice what the PUNISHMENT is: Everlasting destruction. That is, being destroyed “forever and forever” NEVER to be seen again.

      The smoke is a symbolic reminder of that “eternal” destruction.

      Revelation 21:4 tells us that “death will be no more.” Why is that? Because we are told in a previous verse at Rev 20:14 that death (along with hell) are thrown into the Lake of Fire. 

      If death will be “no more” and it ends up in The Lake of Fire, what does that tell you what The Lake of Fire is? A symbol of “being no more” or “non-existence!

      With reference to the resurrection, I have always maintained that there will be two resurrections of the dead. I have never implied that ALL of mankind will be resurrected at the SAME TIME.

      I have stated that ALL of mankind WILL BE resurrected. Any implication that all of mankind will be resurrected at the same time is yours.

      That ALL of mankind will be resurrected is what Jesus promised at John 5:28-29.

      The beginning of the resurrection of ALL of mankind BEGINS at the beginning of Christs 1000 year kingdom. Those of the First Resurrection and then some time afterwards those of the Second Resuurection. We do not know how long after the first resurrection that those of the Second Resurrection will be resurrected. Please do not confuse what I am saying.

      ALL will enter into Christs 1000 kingdom as that is what he promised. This he promised to a condemned man who was not his follower at Luke 23:43.

      I know as a former JW, that they like to spin the idea that all will not enter into Christs 1000 year kingdom because they want to sell the idea that only 144000 who belong to the Watch Tower have a special privilege of being kings within that kingdom and that only those who are associated with the Watch Tower organization will enter into that 1000 year kingdom. This is false because Christ did not teach that.

      Revelation 20:4-6 DOES NOT “clearly” say “just” those martyred during the “tribulation” will be resurrected at the beginning of the 1000 years.

      Revelation 20:4-6 is not being looked at correctly and is often looked at in a manner that fits a particular religious organizations teaching.

      Here is the truth:

      Revelation 20:4-6 mentions three groups of people:

      1. The persons who will sit on the thrones.

      2. The souls of those executed with the axe for the witness they bore to Jesus and speaking about God.

      3. Those who did not worship the beast or its image and received its mark.

      At Rev 20:4 where it says, “And they came to life and ruled as kings with Christ for 1000 years” who is this scripture referring to? 

      It is referring to the persons who will sit on the thrones mentioned at Rev 20:4. They are the first to come to life (The First Resurrection). There is no martydom associated with them.

      The rest of the dead (those who were dead and resurrected and NOT sitting on thrones), will come to life. This is not a reference to coming to life in a literal sense.

      Those who are a part of the First Resurrection (those who will sit on thrones for 1000 years) have no fear of the Second Death (Lake of Fire). They will be  as Christ is: immortal. They will be alive in the sense that they will already have their crowns of eternal life given to them at their resurrections.

      The rest of resurrected mankind – even though resurrected and alive – are considered “dead” in the sense that they will not have a crown of eternal life and ARE subjected to the Second Death (Lake of Fire). It will not be until the 1000 year kingdom of Christ have ended and these persons prove themseleves faithful through the tribulation (which comes when Satan is released after the 1000 years) and they faithfully endure through that time period after the 1000 years, that they “come to life” in that they will not be subject to the second death; they will have everlasting life. In other words, they will not receive a everlasting life until after they have faithfully endured the time period after the 1000 years.

      Note: One cannot faithfully endure if they are literally dead. So the refererence to “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended” must mean something else. These persons are alive but dead in the sense that they have not earned their crown of eternal life as they have yet to be tested.

       

      Jesus states this at Matthew 10:22:

      “And YOU will be objects of hatred by all people on account of my name; but he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.” Saved for eternal life rather than the opposite, eternal destruction.

      Jesus was referring to those who are are a part of the Second Resurrection. They are alive but viewed as “dead” until they have faithfully endured the testing until the end.

      Those of the First Resurrection are not subjected to such testing. They will have already proven themselves faithful to God and Christ. God and Christ knows who those persons are. When THEY are resurrected, they are alive in the fullest sense and will not be tested or judged.

      For the rest of us (assuming one is not a chosen one), we will have to faithfully endure a time of testing far after the 1000 years of Christ rule over the earth has ended before we are granted “eternal life” (coming alive).

      Again, many are not seeing what Revelation 20:4-6 is saying. Sadly, religious organization will prevent them from seeing it.

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