1.11. Lake of Fiery Brimstone

Lake of Fiery Brimstone, Commonly Called the Lake of Fire

We find this term only in this apocalyptic writing which has been attributed by many modern writers to John, the apostle. Much has been written about this writing. It was one of the last books to be accepted by the Catholic church as scripture. It is hard for some today to imagine, but large portions of the early church did not consider books such as Hebrews, 2nd and 3rd John, 2nd Peter and others including the book of Revelation as scripture. One of the reasons for the Book of Revelation’s late acceptance as scripture was the poor quality of the Greek. A thorough study of the process of canonization is time well spent. It is a real fire that will test your faith. Fortunately, I have the faith given by Jesus Christ, not my faith in Jesus Christ. There is a world of difference.

Perhaps two of the main reasons this book has attracted so much attention is because of the promise of being blessed to those who read it and to those who hear the words of this prophesy and to those who keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near (Revelation 1:3). This was written 1900 years ago. Other translations say that the "time is at hand." There are generally four different types of interpretations of the book of Revelation: Preterist, Idealist, Historical, and Futurist. There are also four general theological perspectives on the book: Postmillennial, Amillennial, Premillenial, and Apocalyptic. A thorough study of the teachings of each of these eight camps should wean one from holding onto any of their pet eschatological systems too tightly. I am not going to touch any of the above. The subject is much too large. I am going to stick with two points: 1. The nature of our Father and His attributes, and 2. the language of the Greek regarding the subject of the lake of fire. This, apart from theological speculation, should convince anyone with a heart full of the love of our Father, that it never entered His mind to either eternally torment any human being nor to put them to eternal death. When the children of Israel burned their children to death in the worship of Moloch, He said, "such a thing never entered my mind" (Jeremiah 32:35). Let us look at the Greek words in the book of Revelation which will bear this out. We will look at the lake of fiery brimstone. The scriptural references for this lake are only to be found in the apocalyptic book of Revelation: Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 20:14-15; Revelation 21:8. The Bible defines this lake for us as the "second death." We find this term "second death" also only in the book of Revelation in the following places: Revelation 2:11; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 20:14; Revelation 21:8. Perhaps Revelation 20:11-15 gives us the most clear definition: The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

I could write dozens and dozens of pages on this one portion of scripture and not run out of material. I will try to stay focused and limit myself to the point that the "lake of fire" which is the "second death" does not refer to "eternal death" for any human being. I would like to point out at this time that most Christian writings of the first 3 or 4 centuries do not speak of a fire of "eternal torture" or "eternal death." They speak of "refining fire." For an article on the early Christian view of salvation, write for the article or tape The Early Christian View of the Savior. The sea was made up of brimstone, called today sulfur. The word for sulfur in Greek is the word "theion." The words in Greek for God and divine are "theos" and "theios." The Greeks used brimstone for purifying their temples! Although carnal man is usually afraid of fire, fire is a symbol for God. Everyone’s works will be tested by fire. Who do you think that fire is? A lump of coal or a piece of wood or literal sulfur? NO! Our Father Who is an all-consuming fire will test the works. This is a symbol for God just as the Lamb and the Lion are but symbols of Jesus.

What happens to those who go into the lake of divine fire? Well, according to the KJV and the NIV, the devil, along with the beast and false prophet, will be "tormented day and night for ever and ever." Those of you who have received the teaching of "annihilationism" or "conditional mortality" have, I am sure, discovered that the word translated "torment" has a primary meaning quite different from the picture we get from the KJV and NIV. I won’t belabor the point. Just a few brief comments for those who do not know that the primary definition for the Greek words translated "torment" in this passage is "touchstone." Webster’s tells us a touchstone is "a black siliceous stone allied to flint; used to test the purity of gold and silver by the streak left on the stone when rubbed by the metal. Any test or criterion by which to try a thing’s qualities." It was not until religious folks used instruments like racks and other painful devices to "test" the faith of accused heretics that the thought of torment and pain was added to a perfectly good Greek word which again referred to a "divine test." Gold also symbolizes divinity. Gold with impurities (dross) would show up deficient under the test of fire.

Both the KJV and the NIV say that they will be "tormented" day and night for ever and ever. Here again, we will see both translations producing contradictions which would not occur had they translated "aion" correctly. The words "for ever and ever" are in Greek, "aionas ton aionon." The Zondervan Parallel New Testament in Greek and English, which has the KJV, NIV, the Nestle’s Greek text with a literal rendering beneath the Greek, reveals on page 771 that "aionas ton aionon" literally reads "ages of the ages." This makes much more sense since this passage also refers to "day and night." Technically, if "aion" means eternity, then this would be rendered "eternities of eternities" which is "absurdities." A few more things about fiery sulfur. It cannot be put out by water. The benefits of sulfur are too numerous to mention. In its pure state, it is tasteless, odorless, and colored light yellow. It is used in various compounds for fungicides, sulfa drugs, many skin ointments, matches, vulcanization of rubber, dyes, fixatives in photography, special cements for anchoring metals, hardening paper and woods. Sulfuric acid is one of the most important of all industrial chemicals because it is employed not only in the manufacture of sulfur-containing molecules but also in the manufacture of numerous other materials that do not themselves contain sulfur such as phosphoric acid. The acid is used in numerous industries from fertilizer, petroleum, pigments, metals, and making organic products. A little side story here just to stir further research on this subject. Brimstone was first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis where the "circuit" of the five cities was destroyed by fire and brimstone. This region is where we now have what is known as the "Dead Sea." This region has been known to be active off and on with fire for hundreds of years. The "Dead Sea" has brimstone deposits. Gehenna (hell) is a valley which leads to the Dead Sea. Although the subject is too detailed and complicated to get into in this article, there seems to be enough material to indicate that the "Dead Sea" and "Lake of Fiery Brimstone" which is the "second death" have some possible connections which have not been thoroughly evaluated in orthodoxy. Remember, Sodom, will one day be restored to her former estate. Sodom is in the vicinity of the Dead Sea. (Ex. Chapter 16)

Most of you have heard at least one end-time scenario of how the end of this age or world will come about. The book of Revelation is always the center of the story. Without the beasts, false prophets, lake of fire, and plagues, these stories lose their holding power. The charts would not be so graphically gruesome without these images. Perhaps the reader should know, that probably every generation in Christendom has lived through the so-called "end-time." Starting with the Montanists at the end of the second century among whose followers is none other than the church father, Tertullian, who was perhaps one of the leading influences of turning the church toward legalistic death. They prophesied the descent of New Jerusalem to a plain in Phrygia seven years straight, obviously missing it each year. We then come to St. Jerome who predicted the present destruction of Rome would usher in the end of the world. The church then became God on earth under Roman Catholicism so there was no need to declare an end to the earth. The "city of God" had arrived. When the Reformation came on the scene, the end of the world prophets came out in full force. Luther predicted the end of the world in his generation. Zwingli prophesied doom. Many of the leading Protestant Reformers called the Pope of their time anti-Christ which indicates the end of the world. Dozens of minor players predicted the end throughout the 1500’s, 1600’s and 1700’s. In the 1800’s we had the following false prophets: William Miller, Ellen G. White, Charles T. Russell, Joseph Rutherford, Herbert Armstrong, C.I. Scofield, and Clarence Larkin just to name a few. Moving into the 20th century we have H.A. Ironsides, Milton Lindberg, Oswald Smith, Herbert Lockyer, William Orr, Jack Van Impe, John Walvoord, Hal Lindsey, Pat Robertson, and the list goes on into the thousands. Pulpits, T.V. stations, radio stations, newsletters, and books are full of fear-filling prophets and prophetesses. The closer we get to the year 2000 thousand, the crazier it will get. The year 1000 brought similar responses. Fill your heart with fear, or fill your heart with love. You will get hotter or colder as the years roll by. I would like to point out that many who set dates who were in error taught the doctrine of "eternal torment," or the "doctrine of eternal death." I am not aware of any who believed in the salvation of all mankind who have misled people in "judging before the time." The words "destroy," "perish," "destruction," etc., mean that whatever is destroyed is not at the time of destruction useful for what it is intended. Man was created to enjoy a life of commune with his creator. Because of sin, man finds himself estranged from his purpose and as a result is destroyed during the ages. Our Father says He kills and He makes alive, He creates good and He creates evil, He makes vessels, can and does destroy them, and He is able to refashion them for future use. If you are presently a Christian, did you not find your former life, in the words of Paul, "dung"? Christian, is He not refashioning you presently? Are you so vain as to think that He cannot do the same for the lowest of men or the greatest of men? What do you have to offer the Creator that wasn’t given to you? And if received and not earned, why do you boast? Why do you call the Creator a "respecter of people"? If you did not "earn" your estate in Him, be very careful before you exclude one single human being from His goodness and mercy. Do not find yourself complaining to Him if in the last hour He decides to "hire" every person under the sun and give them the same wages you will receive. Do not find yourself calling His goodness "unrighteous" and "unjust." In this present age (aion) we are experiencing sin, sickness, dying, death, judgment -- which are all relative truths, but not one of these will be experienced by anyone after the end of the ages. Let us not confuse the present process of eonian chastening, correction during the ages with the ultimate goal of our Father’s love. After the present experience of separation in our minds from our Creator, we will be able to truly appreciate the glory of being in the will and purpose of our Father. We will never succumb to the temptation of believing any other voice except our Creator’s. Everything He does for His children is for our good, including the painful time of learning what it is like for men to be separated from their Creator in the vanity of their carnal minds. Man has never been separated from Him. Where can man go that the Creator is not? Of Him, for Him and to Him are all things. It is only in the realm of the "lie" in our minds that we believe we are separated. One day, that lie will be completely dispelled. The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, and the remedy for the consequences of the "lie" was also provided for before man was ever created. The scriptures declare that the glory of the latter house will be greater than the former. There will come forth something wonderful from these many ages of pain and suffering. After the present experiences of our Father’s chastening, and our suffering the consequences of not being our brother’s keeper, we will be able to appreciate the glory of our Father’s blessings and universal reconciliation in the future. It is an obvious fact that when we lose something or something we have is destroyed, it becomes more precious to us and a return of something which has been lost brings much joy.

I am reminded of a popular song sung in the 1970’s which contained the line: "Don’t it always seem to go, that we don’t know what we got till it’s gone." It seems deep gratefulness is best ingrained by "losing" it for a season. For Adam (mankind, in Adam all died), his separation from the presence of his creator will be something that laws cannot teach. His experience in darkness, his ignorance of the ways of his Creator will be remembered. The prodigal, while being restored to the kingdom, will never forget his "pigpen" experience. That experience will do something that the prodigal’s brother did not learn. As a result, the prodigal’s brother had a flaw in character. Often we, Christians have that flaw - self-righteousness. We constantly need to search our hearts for that disease. Is there anything in you that might desire to see some people eternally "below" you either as dust and ashes or eternally tormented in flames of fire? Would you like to see yourself in a seat a little closer to Jesus than some others you are familiar with? Search your heart. These kind of attitudes most assuredly will find the flames. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. The lake of fire is the second death. It is the death of death which brings life! The deathly attitude of wanting one’s brother in a lower state will certainly find itself eventually destroyed. It is not in line with the character of the Almighty Who loves all and is willing that all mankind be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He Who is greatest in the kingdom of our Father is servant of all. Have we come to the place of truly desiring to serve? If not, then we have other things in our heart which must be replaced.

We have covered most of the main scriptures and arguments used to teach "eternal death." Those we did not cover, are as easy to deal with as the scriptures we just discussed. Most of the arguments stem from the words we covered in this article. The doctrine of annihilation, when thoroughly analyzed, is not to be found in the languages of the Bible. Unfortunately, most best-selling Bible translations, due to the allegiance by the translators to the traditions of their forefathers, teach all three views: annihilation, eternal torment, and the reconciliation of all mankind. This has caused many people much grief and has perplexed many theologians to make statements like this one from a leading scholar, Dr. C. Rider Smith:

"In the earlier chapter, it has been shown that the New Testament teaches everlasting punishment. On a review of the whole evidence, therefore, it follows that throughout the book there are two doctrines which to the human mind are irreconcilable; the doctrine of Universalism and the doctrine that there are those who will not be saved. It is then to be concluded that on this subject there are two doctrines in the New Testament which cannot be both true, or if the right conclusion, that here there are two doctrines that are both true, though the mind of man cannot reconcile them." (The Bible Doctrine of the Life Hereafter, page 258 by Dr. C. Rider Smith.)

If one stays within the English of the best-selling Catholic and Protestant Bibles and remains objective, one must come to the above conclusion. However, if one digs deeper, through a little search into the meaning of a few key words such as "eternal," "destroy," "lose," "perish," we will discover there is no inconsistency throughout the scriptures regarding the fate of mankind. We can be assured that our Omnipotent, Omniscient, Loving, Just, Wise Father knows exactly what He is doing, and He is doing all His good pleasure.

Man, as a builder, has shown that in the end, apart from the Creator, he is able to produce nothing but "dung," waste. Look at our landfills. Look at the thousands of cities now beneath the sand. Vanity, emptiness, futility . . . these are the products of man. This most certainly speaks of "annihilation." But it is man who is the annihilator, not our Father. He can take our "dung," plant his seeds into it, and produce wonderful everlasting life. He not only can, but He will. He is not the builder who set out to build and could not complete it. He is not the general who went to war too short handed. We, in our short-sighted Christian traditions and creeds have made Him fit this mold. But I assure you, He will break this teaching from the minds of men and bring forth the everlasting truth that His Love for His Creation, of which we are a part, will not end up in a garbage pile of ashes, as the annihilation doctrine teaches, nor will any of His creations experience a "living death" - a torment for eternity as the "eternal torment" doctrine teaches. No, Our Father is not a waster, destroyer. He is a Creator, and the mind of man cannot conceive of the riches of His kingdom.