CHAPTER 12
THE LAKE OF FIRE JUDGEMENT AGE – PART 1
THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT
Psalm 103:8-11
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.
Psalm 136:1
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
The doctrine of hell completely conflicts with and negates the merciful nature of God. If Christians really believed their Bibles, they would not feel comfortable in their spirits that merciful Father God would torture people, whom He created in His own image, in hell forever.
Do not misunderstand, God is not soft on sin, and He never condones it. Yes, sin brings God’s judgement for His Holy purpose, which we shall fully discuss in this chapter. However, God’s mercy prevails and endures forever. God’s mercy does not suddenly disappear after a person dies as God’s nature is the same yesterday, today and forever.
In this important chapter, we shall show you from the Bible, the true meaning of the Lake of Fire and the Second Death to be experienced by all unbelievers at the Great White Throne Judgement. The purpose of God’s Lake of Fire is to instil godly fear, and to soften and humble the fallen hardened hearts of unbelievers. It will prepare unbelievers to freely and thankfully accept the gift of God’s salvation through repentance and God given faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Ultimately, in God’s time and His order, everyone without exception will believe and be reconciled to God because Jesus Christ died to forgive the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2, Luke 23:34) Everyone will enter the Eternal Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth where there will be no more death, no more pain and no more sorrow.
The Lake of Fire Judgement Age is the Sixth Age in God’s Plan for All, which He is working out in seven biblical ages. This Sixth Age will be ushered in immediately at the end of the thousand-year Millennial Kingdom of God. The whole population of the Millennial World, billions of people who will be alive at the end of the glorious thousand-year Millennial Kingdom of God, will be prepared and looking forward expectantly to God ushering in the Lake of Fire Judgement Age as prophesied in the Bible.
There are two important events, which will take place simultaneously at the end of the thousand-year Millennial Kingdom, before the Lake of Fire Judgement Age can begin. These events are the Second Resurrection and the release of Satan from his prison.
The Second Resurrection
Revelation 20:4-5
4...And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.
The Second Resurrection will occur at the end of the thousand-year Millennial Kingdom of God, when the rest of the dead who are ‘sleeping’ will live again. The Second Resurrection will consist of two very large groups of people, whose number will be like ‘the stars of the heavens’ and ‘the sand of the sea’.
The First Group will consist of billions of believers who will have lived in their physical bodies during Christ’s glorious Millennial Age, and who will rise in their immortal saved bodies at the Second Resurrection. These resurrected believers, whose names are written in the Book of Life, will join the Bride of Christ, God’s Elect from the First Resurrection.
The Second Group will also consist of many billions of people, all unbelievers who have ever lived and died throughout the ages from Adam and Eve until the end of the Millennial Age. These unbelievers will rise in their immortal yet still unsaved bodies at the Second Resurrection to face God’s Great White Throne Judgement.
What about the multiple millions of unborn babies, who die every year by either abortion or miscarriage? Life begins at conception. We can be sure that all unborn babies will also rise at the Second Resurrection in their new immortal, yet still unsaved adult bodies.
The Release of Satan from his Prison
The second important event, which will occur simultaneously with the Second Resurrection, is the release of Satan from his prison.
Revelation 20:7-9
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
The important question we need to ask is who are the nations of Gog and Magog, which Satan will so easily deceive after he is released from his prison? Satan could not possibly go out to deceive Christ’s millennial people alive in their fleshly bodies at the end of the thousand-year Millennial Age, as mistakenly believed by many Christians. It does not make any sense whatsoever for Satan to be able to undo Christ’s one thousand-year glorious work. How could Satan possibly ever deceive Christ’s millennial people to whom Christ had given a new heart and a new Spirit, in the environment where the whole earth is transformed to be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea? In any case, when Satan is released, there will not be any people left in their fleshly mortal bodies on this earth to deceive, as the Second Resurrection occurs exactly at the same time as the release of Satan from his prison. So who then are the nations that Satan will so easily deceive to cause a rebellion?
Gog and Magog are the vast armies of Gentile unbelieving nations who, under the deception of Satan will invade the land of Israel, just prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This is the prophesied battle of Armageddon when Jesus Christ destroys the whole army of Gog with its allies. (Ezekiel 38, Revelation 16:13-16)
It is clear that the nations, which Satan will so easily deceive to lead a rebellion against Christ and His Saints at the end of the Millennial Kingdom of God, can only be the same Gentile unbelievers referred to as Gog and Magog. The vast army of Gog and its allies under the deception of Satan, will once again attempt to war against God’s people, but this time they will be in their resurrected immortal unsaved bodies. They were Satan’s children as unbelievers before they died at Armageddon, and they will be resurrected as unbelievers, still open to Satan’s deception. God’s devouring fire coming out of heaven will easily crush this rebellion led by Satan.
Revelation 20:9-10
9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 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 (aion) and ever (aion).
The Greek word aion means an age and not forever. Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire where he will be ‘tormented’ for an age of the ages, meaning for this Sixth Age, which is the Lake of Fire Judgement Age. Full details of God’s judgement of all fallen angels are given in the next chapter.
The Great White Throne Judgement
Revelation 20:11-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things, which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
These verses describe God’s awesome judgement of both believers (from Christ’s Millennial Kingdom) and unbelievers (from throughout the ages) when they will be resurrected at the Second Resurrection. At the time of the Great White Throne Judgement, the earth with its heaven (earth’s atmosphere) as we know it will no longer exist (fled away), as the whole earth and its atmosphere will become a ball of fire.
Please understand that Jesus Christ paid the price on the cross for the resurrection of everybody, believers and unbelievers. Resurrection, whether it is the First or the Second Resurrection, is in itself a victory over physical death. Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:13, “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen”. Jesus Christ has risen, and the risen Christ will make sure that Adam and Eve and all of their descendants will be resurrected, in either the First or the Second Resurrection.
Just imagine the picture of a vast sea of humanity, multiple billions of human beings standing before God on the Great White Throne Judgement Day.
God flooded and destroyed the whole of Noah’s world and millions upon millions of men, women and children were drowned. They will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgement. The majority of Israelites from God’s chosen nation have died as unbelievers; they will be resurrected and stand before God too, including the millions of Jews who were tortured and killed in Hitler’s concentration camps. Most of the world’s population in China, Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and other nations who died without ever hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgement. Those people, who claim to be Christians but are Christians in name only, will also be in the Second Resurrection. The overwhelming majority of the world’s population die as unbelievers.
Can you imagine this amazing picture of old men and young men, old women and young women, teenagers, children and babies, including all unborn babies who died either by abortion or miscarriage? Multiple billions of people, a vast sea of humanity, from different races and cultures will be standing before God at the Great White Throne Judgement. We believe that all these people will be resurrected in their new immortal youthful adult bodies, as Adam was created in his youthful adult body. Scripture indicates that our youth will be renewed as we rise up like the eagles. (Psalm 103:5)
Let us now understand God’s awesome Great White Throne Judgement of believers and unbelievers who rise in the Second Resurrection.
Revelation 20:14-15
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
In the Second Resurrection, all believers who lived during Christ’s Millennial Age will be standing before God’s Great White Throne to be judged, alongside all unbelievers who ever lived. As the believers’ names are written in the Book of Life, they will ascend to join the Bride of Christ, God’s Elect who rose in the First Resurrection. However, all unbelievers will be cast into the Lake of Fire to experience the Second Death. Therefore, the important questions facing us are, 'What is the Lake of Fire?' and 'What is the Second Death?’
Abraham asked, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" The answer is of course, yes, the Judge of all the earth will do right because He is the Saviour of the world.
The Lake of Fire
On the Day of Judgement, the earth with its heaven, the earth’s atmosphere, will become a ball of fire. The whole earth will become the Lake of Fire as the elements melt with fervent heat, and the earth’s atmosphere will become full of intensely hot, white flames, arising from the molten surface of the earth, resembling the burning sun.
2 Peter 3:7
But the heavens (ouranos) and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Please note, in the verse above, that the Greek word ouranos is incorrectly translated by NKJV translators into its plural form ‘heavens’ instead of its singular form ‘heaven’. Plural ‘heavens’, in the Bible refers to the whole universe, but singular ‘heaven’, depending on the context, refers to either the earth’s atmosphere or God’s current dwelling place, located somewhere in the universe. On the Day of Judgement, only the earth with its atmosphere will be on fire and not the whole universe.
2 Peter 3:10-13
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens (singular heaven) will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens (singular heaven) will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens (singular heaven) and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
For unbelievers, the Day of the Lord, which is the Day of Judgement, will come like a thief in the night when they are suddenly ‘woken up’ out of their ‘sleep’ at the Second Resurrection to face God’s Great White Throne Judgement. Please note that Peter again confirms in these verses that the elements will melt meaning the whole earth will become a ball of fire resembling the burning sun. The earth’s surface will become a Lake of Fire, as molten lava, and the earth’s atmosphere will be full of flames rising up from this Lake of Fire. All unbelievers, in their resurrected immortal yet still unsaved bodies will be confined to the Lake of Fire, and it is there that they will be judged and refined by God’s Consuming Fire to be prepared to receive God’s salvation through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 12:29
For our God is a consuming fire.
As our God is Consuming Fire, then what does He consume? In the Lake of Fire into which all unbelievers will be cast, God’s fire does not consume unbelievers to total destruction so that they cease to exist. This is because a resurrected body is an immortal body, which is not affected by physical fire. The only thing that God consumes is their wickedness and unbelief.
It is clear that the Lake of Fire represents both God’s physical and spiritual cleansing on the Great White Throne Judgement Day. God’s consuming fire will cleanse the earth physically by melting the elements, and spiritually by consuming the dross, scum and filth of wickedness and unbelief from the hearts of the resurrected unbelievers.
The Bible explicitly says that God’s refining fire results in His Righteousness.
Malachi 3:2-3
2 But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire, And like launderers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.
This prophecy speaks about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ given to God’s rebellious people, the Jews. Please note that God is like a Refiner’s Fire. His refining, consuming, spiritual fire will cause Jews to understand and accept God’s Righteousness in the Millennial Kingdom.
We know that God’s character never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His Fire is always a consuming, refining and purifying corrective judgement. It always ultimately leads to acceptance of God’s Righteousness.
Mark 9:49
For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.
Jesus Christ spoke these words in the context of the future fiery judgement of unbelievers. In the Lake of Fire judgement, every unbeliever will be seasoned with Fire and Salt. Fire purifies and salt preserves. God is a Consuming Fire, which consumes away man's self-righteousness and pride, and the Word of God preserves us from falsehood. This means that every unbeliever will come to know the truth of Christ. They will repent by God given faith and come to accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The Bible says that the Day of Judgement will test everyone’s work by fire.
1 Corinthians 3:11-14
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work, which he has built on, it endures, he will receive a reward.
On the Day of Judgement, everyone’s work will be tested. Believers’ works of gold, silver and precious stones will stand the test of God’s Fire and they will receive a reward, whereas unbelievers’ works of hay, wood and straw will be burnt up and they will suffer loss.
Unbelievers’ works cannot stand the test of God’s consuming fire because their works are based on human efforts and self-righteousness. However, believers’ works will stand the test of God’s consuming fire because their works are based on God’s Righteousness through God given faith, and built on Jesus Christ as their foundation, the Rock of their salvation.
1 Corinthians 3:15
If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Let us believe and accept this very important truth given in verse 15 above. Although unbelievers’ works will be burnt up, they themselves will be saved but through fire, in God’s Lake of Fire. Of course, God’s fire does not save a person, but it provides the means through which an unbeliever is humbled and made ready to receive the free gift of God’s salvation through repentance and God given faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. God’s Lake of Fire is definitely not a hell of eternal punishment.
The Age-lasting Refining Lake of Fire
Christians have wrongly associated God’s age-lasting, refining Lake of Fire with eternal hell because of the unfortunate mistranslations of certain Greek words as demonstrated by the scripture below.
Revelation 20:10
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (theion) where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented (basanizo) day and night forever (aion) and ever (aion).
In this verse, the NKJV mistranslates the Greek word aion to mean forever, whilst Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) below correctly translates it to mean an age or ages. We cover the mistranslation of aion in detail in Chapter 17.
Revelation 20:10 (YLT)
and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (theion), where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented (basanizo) day and night -- to the age(s) (aion) of the ages (aion).
We see from this scripture that the beast and the false prophet are already in the Lake of Fire when Satan is cast into it. Currently, there is a lake of molten lava between the inner core of the earth and the earth's crust. The beast and the false prophet, whom we believe are demonic beings, will be cast alive into this lake of fire, before the Millennial Age begins, as confirmed in Revelation 19:20. After the Millennial Age, the whole of the earth’s crust will melt and it will be engulfed into the molten lake of fire. The whole of the earth’s surface will become the Lake of Fire described in 2 Peter 3:10-12. This is where all resurrected unbelievers and all fallen angels will be judged before they are reconciled to God through the work of the cross.
The Lake of Fire judgement of Satan and his fallen angels, together with the beast and the false prophet, will last for an age of the ages and not for forever and ever. This is a serious mistranslation of aion in the NKJV and in other popular versions of the Bible. Such mistranslations negate the truth of the Gospel that Jesus Christ will reconcile to Father God absolutely everything in heaven and on earth, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (1 Colossians 19-20)
Please note in the verse above, that the Greek word for brimstone is theion. According to Strong's number G2303, the meaning of theion is “divine incense, because burning brimstone was regarded as having power to purify, and to ward off disease”.
Also, the Greek word for torment in the verse above is basanizo. According to Strong’s number G928, 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 colour of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal”.
All of these three Greek words:
aion for an age with a definite duration having a beginning and an end,
theion for brimstone indicating divine refining power,
basanizo for its characteristic of testing purity,
clearly prove that the purpose of the Lake of Fire is to refine all unbelievers and all fallen angels to make them ready for salvation and reconciliation rather than to endlessly torture them.
Let us now clearly understand the true biblical meaning of the Second Death, and why all resurrected unbelievers must die a Second Death before their names get registered in the Book of Life in order for them to enter the Eternal Kingdom of God.
The Second Death
Revelation 20:14-15
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
The amazing truth of the Bible is that the Second Death in the Lake of Fire represents the born again experience for all resurrected unbelievers. Everybody has to be born again before he is ready to enter the Kingdom of God. This important subject of what it means to be born again is explained in detail in Chapter 8, The true Gospel of Jesus Christ, under the section, ‘The Faith to be Born Again’. We advise our readers to refer to this section to refresh their memories.
We must all go through two deaths and two births before we can literally enter the Kingdom of God. We are all familiar with physical birth and physical death, but few people understand that there is also spiritual death and spiritual birth.
The Second Death, in the Lake of Fire, awaiting all unbelievers when they face the Great White Throne Judgement is the spiritual death of their ‘old man’. All resurrected unbelievers in their immortal yet still unsaved bodies will have to experience the Second Death in God’s consuming, refining and merciful Lake of Fire judgement. All unbelievers must die the Second Death in order to be born again with new Life in Christ to enter the Eternal Kingdom of God.
Corinthians 15:26
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
Let us believe the Bible that death will be destroyed, whether it is the First Death or the Second Death. The Bible says that there will be no more death in the New Heaven and the New Earth, and that death will be swallowed up in victory, and that death and Hades will be cast into the lake of Fire. (Revelation 21:4, 1 Corinthians 15:54-56, and Revelation 20:14)
The wages of sin is death, but Jesus Christ conquered death on the cross for all when He died for the sins of the whole world. Jesus conquered both deaths for all people, physical death and spiritual death. The physical death will be destroyed when all people will be resurrected, whether it is in the First Resurrection for God’s Elect Bride or in the Second Resurrection for the rest of humanity. Spiritual death, which is spiritual separation from God, will be destroyed when ultimately all people will come to believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ through God given saving faith in God’s time and His order.
In the Lake of Fire, through God’s refining yet merciful judgement, all unbelievers will identify themselves with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who died to take away the sins of the whole world. For the first time, they will truly understand the full and pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, all will come to know their Lord and Saviour and be reconciled to God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ in fulfilment of the scripture Colossians 1:19-20.
The term Second Death is applicable to unbelievers only because their physical death (first death) comes before the spiritual death of their sinful ‘old man’ (second death), in the Lake of Fire. However, all true believers who accept Jesus Christ during this life will ‘not be hurt by the second death’. (Revelation 2:11) This is because before their physical death, true believers acknowledge the spiritual death of their sinful ‘old man’. They believe and understand that everybody’s sinful ‘old man’, including their own, was crucified with Christ when He died on the cross to take away the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2, John 1:29)
God will destroy the last enemy of mankind, which is death. Yes, all death will be destroyed, both physical death and spiritual death. Truly, death will be swallowed up in the victory of the cross.
1 Corinthians 15:54-55
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 O Death, where is your sting? O Hades (grave), where is your victory?
When a seed is planted in the ground, it must first die before it produces life. Similarly, when death is destroyed, the only thing that must burst forth is life, the glorious, resurrected, immortal, forgiven, sinless, righteous life in Christ Jesus for ALL of humanity, for Adam and Eve and every one of their descendants past, present and future without any exceptions.
If there were to be even one single person who could not be saved and reconciled through the shed blood of Christ, it would mean that God had failed and the Word of God, which says that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world, would be a lie. Let us believe the truth of the Bible that God is indeed the Saviour of the world and He is not a torturer or an annihilator of anyone, no, not even one single person.
The Fear of God
Let us consider further how the Second Death, which is the death of the ‘old man’, is achieved in the Lake of Fire. Remember that we must acknowledge that our ‘old Adamic man’ has spiritually been crucified to death with Christ on the cross, before the life of the 'new Jesus man’ can be spiritually born in us.
An unbelieving proud person with a hardened heart does not fear God, and therefore God must soften and humble his heart before he is able to hear God. The judgement of God in the Lake of Fire is designed to do exactly that - to put godly fear into the hearts of unbelieving people, to soften the hardened heart of the ‘old man’ so that they are willing to listen to and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 12:28-29
…we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
God’s Lake of Fire judgement will instil the fear of God into the hearts of unbelievers leading them to godly repentance. The Bible says that the natural heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, and man does not know this unless God reveals it to him.
Jeremiah 17:9-10
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind…”
It is only through God’s testing and refining judgement and revelation by the Holy Spirit that a person comes to understand the true state of his or her heart. We are all born with a sinful nature, which the Bible calls the ‘old man’ or the ‘old nature’.
God detests the ‘old Adamic man’, which is proud, self-righteous, rebellious, sinful and unbelieving. God absolutely hates the sinful, self-righteous old Adamic man, and He will take severe measures to deal with it. Why? - Because our sinful self-righteousness stops us from repenting and accepting the true righteousness of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The ‘old Adamic man’ is self-righteous, but the ‘new Jesus man’ that God wants us to have is God Righteous.
So what is God’s solution to deal with the ‘old man’? God does not re-educate the ‘old man’, He does not transform him, He does not ask the ‘old man’ to repent, nor does God try to change his nature. God has only one solution for the ‘old man’ and that is to crucify him, to put him to death. Yes, He kills and destroys the ‘old man’. Now the wonderful truth of the Bible is that each and every person’s ‘old man’ was crucified with Jesus Christ on the cross.
Romans 6:5-6
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
Yes, all unbelievers in the Lake of Fire will come to understand and acknowledge for the first time that their old rebellious sinful Adamic man was already crucified with Jesus Christ on the cross. This is their Second Death. At the same time, they will also understand that when Jesus Christ was resurrected after three days and three nights, their new forgiven sinless righteous ‘Jesus man’ was resurrected with Him. All resurrected unbelievers will become born again believers in God’s consuming Lake of Fire and they will be truly baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire as prophesied by John the Baptist. (Luke 3:16)
Let us now understand why Jesus says that He will destroy both soul and body of an unrepentant person in gehenna, meaning in the Lake of Fire.
Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy (appollymi) both soul and body in hell (gehenna).
Christ says that we must not fear men who at worst can only kill us physically, but they cannot take away the resurrected life, which God will give to all people. However, we need to fear God because if we do not fear Him in this life before we die, then there is judgement awaiting us in gehenna, meaning in the Lake of Fire, on the Great White Throne Judgement Day. The destruction of both soul and body refers to the destruction of the ‘old man', which is the Second Death as explained.
Also, please understand that there will be various levels or degrees of judgement in the Lake of Fire. As Christ says, it will be more tolerable in the Day of Judgement for some, more than others, and that harlots and publicans will enter the Kingdom of God before the Pharisees. Christian churches have many ‘self-righteous Pharisees’ who think that they will be first in line to enter the Kingdom of God. However, on the Day of Judgement, they will be shocked to find out that many sinners, whom they condemned to a hell of eternal torture, will enter the Kingdom of God before them. (Matthew 21:31, Luke 13:30)
When the last rebellious unbeliever has repented and accepted Jesus Christ, the scripture ‘For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive: But each one in his own order’ will then be totally and completely fulfilled.
The Holy City, New Jerusalem
The important question we need to ask ourselves is ‘Are there any clear scriptures which show that unbelievers, who will be judged in the Lake of Fire, will receive salvation and ultimately enter the Holy City, New Jerusalem, and hence the Kingdom of God of the New Heaven and the New Earth?’
Our answer is a definite yes. The last two chapters of the Bible, Revelation Chapters 21 and 22, and Psalms 86 and 87, provide biblical proof to show that ultimately all nations will become believers and enter into the Holy City of God, New Jerusalem.
Revelation 21:1-2
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Please note that the Holy City, which is also called New Jerusalem, is the Bride of Christ, the Lamb’s Wife, who will descend onto the New Heaven and the New Earth. It is called the New Heaven and the New Earth because God’s Consuming Fire will cleanse, refine and transform this present earth and its heaven (earth’s atmosphere) both spiritually and physically by the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 21:9-10
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.
These verses make it clear that the Bride of Christ, the Lamb’s Wife, is the Great City, the Holy Jerusalem, which is the same as the Holy City, New Jerusalem referred to in Revelation 21:2. Please note that the Holy City will descend out of heaven and, as we have seen in Revelation 21:2, it will descend onto the New Heaven and the New Earth.
The construction of the Holy City is described in Revelation 21:11-24. It is made of gold and other precious stones, with twelve gates, and twelve foundations, and written on them are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Lamb. It is a huge city, a perfect cube in the dimension of approximately 1,400 miles. There will be no temple in the Holy City because God the Father and Jesus Christ are the temple. The City has no need for the sun or moon to shine because the glory of God will illuminate it. Please bear in mind that this physical description of the Holy City portrays the spiritual Bride, the Lamb’s Wife as confirmed in the scripture above.
In the Bible, the Holy City is portrayed as a ‘satellite city’ during the Lake of Fire Judgement Age. It will be located above the earth’s surface but within the earth’s heaven (earth’s atmosphere). It is evident that the Holy City (the Lamb’s Wife) will ascend to heaven (the sky, earth’s atmosphere), immediately following the Millennial Kingdom, at the start of the Lake of Fire Judgement Age.
We shall soon see that the Bible gives a beautiful picture of the Lamb’s Wife, the Holy City, evangelising and helping fellowmen, who are being judged down below in the Lake of Fire. Jesus Christ working together with His Wife will bring unbelievers in the Lake of Fire to repentance and belief in the work of the cross through God given faith. Hence, they will be able to ascend from the Lake of Fire to enter the Holy City and join the Lamb’s Wife.
We now come to a wonderful scripture in Revelation describing the nations entering the Holy City before it descends onto the New Earth with its New Heaven.
Revelation 21:24-26
24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its (the Holy City’s) light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
Please note that the nations are saved and walk in the light of the Holy City. Who are these nations? These nations are none other than those who have undergone the Second Death through the Lake of Fire judgement. The gates of the Holy City are never closed, which means that the offer of salvation remains open. The kings of the earth bring their glory into the Holy City, New Jerusalem, as they become birthed in the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife. The only way the kings of the earth can bring their glory into the Holy City is for them to become Righteous with God’s Righteousness through repentance and God given faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to glorify God the Father.
This is a wonderful and glorious picture of a continuous flow of people ascending from the Lake of Fire to enter through the gates of the Holy City to be born into the Bride of Christ, the Lamb’s Wife, as they repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. They leave behind them the Lake of Fire where the wicked are still being judged until they too come to repentance and enter the gates of Righteousness to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
The Lamb’s Wife will be evangelising and helping fellow human beings, including loved ones who died as unbelievers, to leave the Lake of Fire and rise up to enter God’s Holy City. Jesus Christ working together with His Wife, who together are the Firstfruits, will give birth to abundantly more fruits of the Great Harvest. These will be the billions of all unbelievers who have ever lived, who become born again spiritual children of God as they enter the Holy City through the gates of righteousness.
The Lamb’s Book of Life is not a closed book, such that new names cannot be added to it. God will continue to register new names in it as unbelievers repent and accept Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world.
Revelation 22:1-2 (NIV)
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
This is a continuation of John’s vision of the Holy City, New Jerusalem, the Lamb’s Wife. The River of Life and the Tree of Life are none other than Jesus Christ Himself with His finished work of salvation on the cross. The leaves of the Tree are for the healing of the nations. Note that the nations still need to be healed spiritually, and that the offer of salvation remains open to the nations who are being judged in the Lake of Fire, outside the walls of the Holy City.
Revelation 22:14 (NIV)
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
This is a glorious picture of unbelievers entering the gates of the Holy City after having their filthy rags of self-righteousness washed in the blood of the Lamb, through repentance and God given faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. These unbelievers are none other than those who have been judged in God’s Lake of Fire. Once they have washed their filthy robes they become clean and blessed with the robes of God’s Righteousness so that they can enter the gates of the Holy City to have the right to the Tree of Life.
Revelation 22:17 (NIV)
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
The Spirit and the Bride are urging people to come and enter into them, the Holy City, and take the free gift of the Water of Life. The gates of the Holy City, New Jerusalem, remain open and all people will come in and they will freely drink of the water of life, the living waters, and they will never thirst again. This is an exciting prophecy of the Bride of Christ, the Lamb’s Wife evangelisng nations during the Lake of Fire Judgement Age.
As we have already established, the judgement of God flows out of His love, which leads to God’s Righteousness and Salvation. The end purpose of God’s judgement is always reconciliation and salvation.
Surely, the greatest evangelising work is yet to come, in the Millennial Age, and following it, in the Lake of Fire Judgement Age. This will be a tremendously exciting and thrilling work for all those who are the Bride of Christ, who have the Spirit of reconciliation, and the Spirit of forgiveness; yes the very same Spirit of forgiveness that Jesus had when he forgave those who crucified Him. (Luke 23:34)
The spiritual union of Jesus Christ and His Wife will bear the fruit of billions of spiritual children of the Great Harvest. There is nothing more blessed and wonderful than to believe now in the full work of the cross, before we die, so that we have a special salvation in the First Resurrection and have a glorious part in this great evangelising work for the salvation of all people.
The Wonderful Prophetic Psalm 87 speaks about the Holy City
Psalm 87 is a wonderful, glorious prophetic Psalm clearly prophesying that ultimately every unbeliever will become a born-again believer as they enter through the gates into the Holy City of God.
Psalm 87:1-7 (NIV)
1 He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; 2 the LORD loves the gates of Zion (Jerusalem) more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: Selah
4 “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me — Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush — and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,” This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.” 6 The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.” Selah.
7 As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.”
Zion means Jerusalem and in these verses it is clearly referring to New Jerusalem, and also the City of God clearly refers to the Holy City. As we have already established, the Holy City, New Jerusalem is the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife.
In this exciting prophecy, God specifically names peoples from several pagan unbelieving Gentile nations who will be born in Zion, the City of God. Rahab, Babylon, Phillistia, Tyre, Cush and Ethiopia are all destined to be born again in the City of God, with their names registered in the Lamb’s Book of Life, as confirmed by the scripture above.
Please note that God loves the gates of Zion, which are the gates of Righteousness of the Holy City through which all nations will enter and worship the Lord and glorify His name as Psalm 86 below confirms.
Psalm 86:9
All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name.
Do we believe the Word of God? All nations will come and worship before God and they will glorify His name. At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God.
The Holy City, New Jerusalem will descend down onto the New Earth with its New Heaven after this present earth and its heaven (earth’s atmosphere) is cleansed and renewed by God’s refining fire and all unbelievers and all fallen angels are reconciled to God through the blood of the cross.
In this chapter, we have dealt with God’s fiery judgement of all unbelieving humanity during the Lake of Fire Judgement Age. However, we must not forget that the fallen angels also undergo God’s fiery judgement in the Lake of Fire.
The next chapter, Chapter 13, The Lake of Fire Judgement Age - Part 2, deals with God’s final judgement of all fallen angels.
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