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It is written:
Revelation 19:20-Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Again:
Revelation 20:10-The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Again:
Revelation 20:14-Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Again:
Revelation 20:15-And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
One of the challenges that we face when trying to interpret the Bible comes from the difficulties of context. Today, we are nearly two thousand years removed from the first century setting world of the original recipients of the Bible. There may be cultural, geographical, political, religious, and other factors that were present in that day and age and which were commonly known and recognized, which we may not be familiar with. This does not mean that we cannot understand and properly interpret the Bible: it just means that we have to be diligent students as we wade into God’s Word.
An example of this comes from the Bible teaching regarding the “lake of fire” which is referenced throughout the end of the Book of Revelation. Years ago, I had learned that the imagery associated with this lake was that of purification.
“Let’s take a closer look at Revelation 20: 10. In this passage it is speaking of the fate of the beast and the false prophet, but if you compare it to Revelation 14: 11, it uses similar language to describe the fate of anyone who “takes the mark of the beast.” “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire (pur) and brimstone (theion) where the beast and the false prophet are also. And they will be tormented (basanizo) day and night forever and ever (literally, ‘into the ages of the ages’).” As mentioned, pur is the Greek word for fire (Strong’s #4442). Throughout the Bible it conveys burning away impurities and once again, it’s the word from which all forms of the English word “pure” and “purify” originate. According to Strong’s Concordance #2303, theion, the Greek word for brimstone is defined as, “divine incense, because burning brimstone was regarded as having power to purify, and to ward off disease.” Notice that brimstone (theion) shares the same root word as “God” (Theos). Next, the Greek word for torment in the verse above is basanizo. According to Strong’s #928, the primary meaning of basanizo is “to test (metals) by the touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the color of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal.” Basanizo comes from the root word, “basanos,” which is defined by Strong’s #931 as: “A touchstone. Originally, a black, silicon-based stone used as ‘a touchstone’ to test the purity of precious metals (like silver and gold). See 928 (basanízō). In the papyri,* basanos also means, ‘touchstone,’ ‘test’ (so P Oxy I. 58.25, ad 288). #931 (basanos) was originally (from oriental origin) a touchstone; a ‘Lydian stone’ used for testing gold because pure gold rubbed on it left a peculiar mark. Then [basanos] was used for examination by torture. Sickness was often regarded as ‘torture’ (WP, 1, 37).” 23 ____________________________ [* The papyri are ancient Greek Koine texts discovered around the turn of the 20th century, and were records used in matters of everyday business. These texts were critical in understanding the use and definition of certain Greek words that had been little understood, guessed at, and mistranslated in Scriptural context for many centuries.] So what exactly is a “touchstone”? Webster defines it as: “A stone by which metals are examined; a black, smooth, glossy stone; any test or criterion by which the qualities of a thing are tried; as money, the touchstone of common honesty.” If you go to strongsnumbers.com/ greek/ 931. htm, you find all the information above about the touchstone, testing purity, and the papyri, and sickness being regarded as torture (perhaps a better word is “testing”)—and that’s it—but then toward the bottom, you find the final, authoritative, “conclusive definition” by the Strong’s people: “A touchstone (a dark stone used in testing metals), hence examination by torture; torture.” Certainly we see a bit of spin being added into the mix, if you ask me. And if we put all three of those more literal meanings together (and throw out the dubious insertion of torture), we begin to get a distinctly different feel than endless torture taking place in Revelation. Can you see how things get misconstrued and distorted to the untrained eye? The Greek word that was translated as “tormented,” not only has nothing to do with eternal conscious torment like we think of torment today (burning to a crisp in hell for all eternity), but it is actually a process that tests purity. It seems clear to me that verses like Revelation 20: 10 suggest more of a refining and purifying process going on in people’s lives.” (Julie Ferwerda, Raising Hell: Christianity’s Most Controversial Doctrine Put Under Fire, 64-66 (Kindle Edition): Lander, WY: Vagabond Group)
Interestingly enough, I recently learned that the phrase “lake of fire” was a common expression used in the first century world to refer to the Dead Sea!
Please consider the following information.
“During the First-Temple period, what we now know as ‘the Dead Sea’ or ‘the Sea of Salt’ was sometimes called the Lake of Fire, 193 or the Fiery Lake. 194 This historical context is vital for understanding the symbolic meanings behind Revelation’s “lake of fire and sulfur” imagery. For thousands of years, up to the first century, the Dead Sea was known for its regular eruptions that discharged tar, pitch, bitumen, asphaltites, smoke, sulfur, and flames. Consequently, the Greeks named it “Lake Asphaltites” due to these fiery, asphalt-spewing occurrences. 195 Philo said that the valley of the Dead Sea was filled with fires, which were very difficult to extinguish, and that many of these fires had been smoking and burning for a very long time. 196 The first-century geographer Strabo named the valley “a land of fires” because there were frequent boiling outbursts of fire in the region, and the entire area smelled of sulfur and brimstone. 197 It is common to witness individuals from all over the world, afflicted with various skin conditions, flocking to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth’s surface. They are attracted by its waters, rich in minerals such as sulfur and renowned for their healing and purifying qualities. Submerging in the Dead Sea’s waters may feel like dipping in fire, as it can often be intensely painful, especially if the water enters your eyes or if you have a skin condition or even a tiny cut. However, it also has remarkable healing properties that are worth the pain. 198 In Judaism, the lake was traditionally viewed as a place where sinful objects could be cast away. According to the Talmud, “Any vessels that had on them the image of the sun, or of the moon, or of a dragon, ‘let them cast them into the salt sea.’” 199 Similar to Christianity, Judaism associates baptism in the Mikvah (pool of water) with the purification from sin. It is believed that a Jew “… immerse in the Mikvah…[ it] helps him to do Teshuva and purify himself from his sins.” 200 In Jewish thought, water is often associated with purification. The ritual bath of Mikvah is a prime example of how immersion in water symbolizes spiritual cleansing in Judaism. Connecting the dots, we can argue that since the Dead Sea is a pool of salty water, it can serve as a metaphor for purification by painful baptism, where sin and impurity are left behind in the symbolic “dead” waters…. The Greek term “limné,” translated as “lake,” can refer to a pond of any size, suggesting a small pool of molten metal akin to what one would find in a refiner’s crucible rather than an expansive lake of lava. Undoubtedly, for a Jew, the mention of fire and sulfur evokes the biblical imagery of Sodom and Gomorrah: “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.” (Genesis 19:24). However, consider the future hope presented in Ezekiel in light of the events of Genesis 19: When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back the captives of your captivity among them. Ezekiel 16:53-55 Evidently, Ezekiel perceived the final outcomes of God’s judgment on Sodom in a very positive light. In ancient times, fire and sulfur symbolized the gold refining process, essentially a crucible of molten gold with sulfur added to remove impurities. Sulfur, or brimstone, has been used in metal refining since ancient times.201 One significant use of sulfur in ancient metal refining involved its ability to convert unwanted metals into sulfides. These sulfides would then react and smoke, allowing the purer metals, such as gold, to settle at the bottom of the crucible. This method was effective in removing impurities from the metal, enhancing its purity and value.202 This fact is also evident in biblical texts such as Revelation 3:18, where Christ advises, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire,” using the imagery of gold refined in fire while admonishing the church in Laodicea. In modern times, sulfur’s role in industrial processes remains vital. For instance, sulfur is a key component in the production of sulfuric acid, which is crucial for numerous industrial applications, including fertilizer production, petroleum refining, and chemical manufacturing. The United States Mint and other modern facilities continue to utilize sulfur in these processes to ensure the purity of metals used in coin production and other applications. Sulfer also has other uses, including medical treatment for certain skin diseases (a popular method for treating infections up until the 1940s), insecticides and fungicides, glass production, and other kinds of refinements.203 In ancient perceptions, fire and sulfur, though painful, were considered positive and beneficial elements, rather than the Middle Ages’ view of them as symbols of sadistic punishment and eternal tomentous abuse. The word “torment” in scriptures is translated from the Greek basanizó, which originally referred to a touchstone—a black, silicon-based stone used to test the purity of precious metals. Thus, the term should be understood not as torture but as a (perhaps very unpleasant) process of testing purity and refinement. Further, the Greek words translated as “forever and ever” are sometimes also translated—and perhaps better rendered as—“in the ages of ages,” indicating a future period of time, not the modern philosophical concept of “eternity,” one which is absent from the Bible, as we previously established.” (Eitan Bar, HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine, 387-391 (Kindle Edition): Shamus Magnificent Books)
From this, we see yet another indicator from Scripture that Hell was designed-not to be a Divine torture-chamber-but a place where God desires even the most wicked to be purified and redeemed of their evil (cf. Mark 9:49). People may still be in this torment yet still refuse to repent, as prefigured in the rich man being in Hades (Luke 16:19-31). How wise we would be to turn to the Lord now.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.