In each blog, I often reference many different topics that I've already covered, and maybe you've missed. Please review my blogs to read more...
CLICK HERE! for an index to previous blogs.
_________________________
My last blog (Milk versus Meat, click here!) was a bit easier (milky) to consume than this series of blogs are going to be.
This series may be tough, and require a bit of chewing... but (if you stick with it) you may just find your mind being blown... like mine was when I first learned some of this!
_________________________
What is the Lake of Fire?
The Lake of Fire is found in the Book of Revelation (The Unveiling of Jesus, the Christ).
If I were to ask my Christian friends what they believed the Lake of Fire to be... how would they answer that question?
I know some of them have answered:
"well that's easy... it's just another term for hell", or...
"that's where God is going to annihilate all those unbelievers in the end", or...
"God will burn and torture our enemies for all of eternity!", etc.
I think you get the picture.
How did you answer that question?
Did you answer that question?
I know that I, personally (for a long time) never gave it much thought. I just accepted, what I had been taught --- that it was just another term for "hell" - a place where sinners are condemned to punishment for all of eternity.
I was taught WRONG!
If that's where you're at right now... you may want to finish reading this blog. My intent is to help you consider a few things, and maybe challenge your beliefs, in this introduction... things that I had to chew on (study) for a quite a while.
I'm willing to bet that many of you have never heard what Scripture is about to challenge you with... I know that I had never heard any of these things (I'm about to share) from a single pulpit my entire life.
It seriously rattled my cage... By the time you get done with this series, I'm hoping you'll also be challenged - as I was.
If not, you'll just pass me off as nuts. No matter... nuts, or not, I'm at peace with this.
We're each called to:
Php 2:12 ...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
If I were not at peace with this, I would not even dare to share this with anyone.
Being challenged is part of this life's learning process, part of "WHY?"... being challenged helps us to move from the milk to the meat!
_______________________
There's not a lot of Scripture that deals specifically with the "Lake of Fire". Revelation does not specify what happens to one that has their part in the Lake of Fire.
Having said that, how then does the Church decide who, what, when, where, why, or for what duration?
My biggest question is: WHY aren't we more curious as to the details?!
_____________________
First, let me give you all of the Scriptures that deal specifically with The Lake of Fire (from the (KJV) King James Version).
Rev 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 worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 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.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
There you go... these will be the foundational Scriptures that the next series of blogs will be based on.
After reading these, you should have a few questions come to mind:
Who is the beast? Who is the false prophet? Who are they who accepted the mark? Who are they that worshiped the image? Why is brimstone associated with this fiery lake? What is brimstone? What does torment mean? For ever and ever? What is the Book of Life?, etc., etc.
What about the first general questions I asked at the beginning of this post?
who, what, when, where, why, or for what duration?
This specific series is going to focus on a few questions, like:
[1] What is the Lake of Fire?
[2] What is Brimstone?
[3] What is the purpose of the Lake of Fire?
[4] Duration.
___________________________
I intentioinally left out a couple of questions... read Rev 20:14 again.
Did you skim over that passage when you read it above the first time, or did you stop and ask yourself, "huh?"
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Death is cast into this fiery lake?
Second death?!
If the Lake of Fire is equivalent to hell... how can hell be cast into itself?
________________________________
We're going to get to ALL of this! There are Scriptural answers!
Some of these excerpts are from my personal notes copied from 30+ years of studying... some of these notes are direct copies of various sources - I do not claim to have authored every word of this... it's just a mass collection I've tucked away over the years for my own personal studies... I didn't consider a bibliography at the time I directly copied small excerpts from various authors. Also, any emphasis (underlines, bold text, all CAPS, etc.) noted above was only meant to capture my personal attention as I studied...
CLICK HERE! for an index to previous blogs.
_________________________
My last blog (Milk versus Meat, click here!) was a bit easier (milky) to consume than this series of blogs are going to be.
This series may be tough, and require a bit of chewing... but (if you stick with it) you may just find your mind being blown... like mine was when I first learned some of this!
_________________________
What is the Lake of Fire?
The Lake of Fire is found in the Book of Revelation (The Unveiling of Jesus, the Christ).
If I were to ask my Christian friends what they believed the Lake of Fire to be... how would they answer that question?
I know some of them have answered:
"well that's easy... it's just another term for hell", or...
"that's where God is going to annihilate all those unbelievers in the end", or...
"God will burn and torture our enemies for all of eternity!", etc.
I think you get the picture.
How did you answer that question?
Did you answer that question?
I know that I, personally (for a long time) never gave it much thought. I just accepted, what I had been taught --- that it was just another term for "hell" - a place where sinners are condemned to punishment for all of eternity.
I was taught WRONG!
If that's where you're at right now... you may want to finish reading this blog. My intent is to help you consider a few things, and maybe challenge your beliefs, in this introduction... things that I had to chew on (study) for a quite a while.
I'm willing to bet that many of you have never heard what Scripture is about to challenge you with... I know that I had never heard any of these things (I'm about to share) from a single pulpit my entire life.
It seriously rattled my cage... By the time you get done with this series, I'm hoping you'll also be challenged - as I was.
If not, you'll just pass me off as nuts. No matter... nuts, or not, I'm at peace with this.
We're each called to:
Php 2:12 ...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
If I were not at peace with this, I would not even dare to share this with anyone.
Being challenged is part of this life's learning process, part of "WHY?"... being challenged helps us to move from the milk to the meat!
_______________________
There's not a lot of Scripture that deals specifically with the "Lake of Fire". Revelation does not specify what happens to one that has their part in the Lake of Fire.
Having said that, how then does the Church decide who, what, when, where, why, or for what duration?
My biggest question is: WHY aren't we more curious as to the details?!
_____________________
First, let me give you all of the Scriptures that deal specifically with The Lake of Fire (from the (KJV) King James Version).
Rev 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 worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 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.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
There you go... these will be the foundational Scriptures that the next series of blogs will be based on.
After reading these, you should have a few questions come to mind:
Who is the beast? Who is the false prophet? Who are they who accepted the mark? Who are they that worshiped the image? Why is brimstone associated with this fiery lake? What is brimstone? What does torment mean? For ever and ever? What is the Book of Life?, etc., etc.
What about the first general questions I asked at the beginning of this post?
who, what, when, where, why, or for what duration?
This specific series is going to focus on a few questions, like:
[1] What is the Lake of Fire?
[2] What is Brimstone?
[3] What is the purpose of the Lake of Fire?
[4] Duration.
___________________________
I intentioinally left out a couple of questions... read Rev 20:14 again.
Did you skim over that passage when you read it above the first time, or did you stop and ask yourself, "huh?"
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Death is cast into this fiery lake?
Second death?!
If the Lake of Fire is equivalent to hell... how can hell be cast into itself?
________________________________
We're going to get to ALL of this! There are Scriptural answers!
Some of these excerpts are from my personal notes copied from 30+ years of studying... some of these notes are direct copies of various sources - I do not claim to have authored every word of this... it's just a mass collection I've tucked away over the years for my own personal studies... I didn't consider a bibliography at the time I directly copied small excerpts from various authors. Also, any emphasis (underlines, bold text, all CAPS, etc.) noted above was only meant to capture my personal attention as I studied...
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