Eternal Fire

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. Revelation 20:10

One of Satan’s most dangerous lies is that hell will burn for all eternity with its inhabitants continually being tortured throughout the ceaseless ages. It is a dangerous lie because it makes God out to be anything but love! John 3:16 tells us the unbeliever will perish, not burn for eternity in hell. Romans 6:23 tells us the wages of sin is death, not eternal torment. Psalm 37:20, Malachi 4:1-3, Ezekiel 28:15-20 and many more verses all tell us Satan and his followers will be destroyed and cease to exist instead of burning through all eternity.

However Revelation 20:10 does say the lake of fire burns forever and ever right? What we need to do is find out how the word forever is used in the Bible. In Exodus 21:6 a slave who decided to stay with his master for life has his ear bored, and then it says he will serve his master forever. How is the word forever used? It means for the rest of his life until he dies. That is how the verse forever is used here in Revelation 20:10. They will be tormented day and night until they die.

Another example is here in Jude 7. “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”  We know that Sodom and Gomorrha are not still burning. The punishment is eternal, the punishing is not. These wicked cities were burned with a fire that burned for the duration, until everyone died.

This idea makes perfect sense as you read Revelation 20. Verse 9 says the wicked are devoured by the fire. That means they are totally consumed to ashes like it mentions in Malachi 4. So when we get to verse 10 and read about the eternal fire we see that just like the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha were destroyed by the eternal fire, but are no longer burning, so the wicked cast into the lake of fire will be destroyed by a fire that burns for the duration until all is destroyed and gone. Then God creates the New Earth!

For more on Hell http://amazingfacts.org/items/Read_Book.asp?SelLang=en&ID=51&x=61&y=4 

You may share your questions or feedback with me at LayPastor@TampaAdventist.net