Lake of Fire is often misinterpreted as Hades or Bottomless Pit because they are translated in English Bibles similarly to hell. But these three mean differently. (LINK LINK LINK). This post concentrates on Lake of Fire.
γέεννα, ης, ἡ (geenna) 1067
Geenna: Original Word: γέεννα, ης, ἡ (1067 in Strong’s Concordance)
Gehenna, is a valley in West and South of Jerusalem. (1) It is of Hebrew origin (gay’ and Hinnom); valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom) (2)
It is also a symbolic name for the final place of punishment of the ungodly. (1) Used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment — hell. (2)
🗞 Is hell the same with lake of fire? No. Hell will be thrown out to the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:14
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
🗞 Lake of fire is the second death
Revelation 20:14
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 21:8
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
🗞 Who goes to hell
Lake of Fire is a place for:
1. whosoever shall say, Thou fool
Matthew 5:22
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
2. Those who are u careful with words coming out from their tongue
James 3:6
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
3. serpents, the generation of vipers
Matthew 23:33
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
4. Those who are claiming to teach about laws of God but actually converts its listeners to other beliefs
Matthew 23:1515 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.( proselyte– a person who has converted from one opinion, religion, or party to another – Definitions from Oxford Languages).
5. Those who are sinful
Revelation 21:8
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
6. Those people who lived like the people in Sodom and Gomorrah
Jude 1:7
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.
7. those who received the mark of the beast, and worshipped the image of the beast and the false prophet
Revelation 19:20
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 worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
8. Those who are not found in the book of life
Revelation 20:15
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
9. Devil and his angels
Matthew 25:41
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
10. The beast and false prophet mentioned in Revelation
Revelation 20:10
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.
🗞 Only Christ and God the Father has the power to cast any being into hell.
Luke 12:4-5
4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
John 15:6
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Malachi 4:1
4 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
🗞 How does Lake of Fire Looks Like: Description
1. It is a lake with fire and brimstone: a furnace of fire
Revelation 21:8
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Matthew 13:42
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:50
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
2. A place where fire shall never be quenched
Mark 9:43
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
3. In hell there are worms that dieth not
Mark 9:43-44
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Isaiah 66:24
24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
4. A place of torment, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:42
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:50
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:30
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 8:8-12, LBP
₈ The centurion then answered and said, My Lord, I am not good enough that you should enter under the shadow of my roof; but just say a word, and my boy will be healed.
₉ For I am also a man in government service, and there are soldiers under my command; and I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to the other, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.
₁₂ But the sons of the kingdom will be put out in the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Centurion – a soldier that serves the Roman kingdom and leads a hundred soldiers
2. A place that is located in the outer darkness.
Matthew 25:30
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 8:8-12, LBP
₈ The centurion then answered and said, My Lord, I am not good enough that you should enter under the shadow of my roof; but just say a word, and my boy will be healed.
₉ For I am also a man in government service, and there are soldiers under my command; and I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to the other, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.
₁₀ When Jesus heard it, he was amazed, and he said to those who accompanied him, Truly I say to you, that not even in Israel have I found such faith as this.
₁₁ And I say to you, that a great many will come from the east and from the west, and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
₁₂ But the sons of the kingdom will be put out in the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Centurion – an officer in the army of ancient Rome who was responsible for 100 soldiers (Cambridge Dictionary)
🗞 What will happen to those who were thrown out to the Lake of Fire/ Hell – Gehenna) ?
1. A place of everlasting punishment, torment and destruction with no rest day and night
Revelation 20:10
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
Revelation 14:9-11
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Matthew 25:46
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 (did not use any word hell)
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2. Body and soul will be destroyed in hell-Gehenna
Matthew 10:28
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Notice that when God is furious due to evil doings, the punishment involves fire. This is states in Jeremiah 21:12
Jeremiah 21:12
12 O house of David, thus saith the Lord; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
There is a gate to Hell and it is wide. The road going there is also broad
Matthew 7:13
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Matthew 16:18
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Reasons why many will go to Hell particularly the Lake of Fire
What you see, do and go could lead to Lake of Fire
1. What you see
Matthew 18:9
9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
Matthew 5:29
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mark 9:47
47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
2. Where you go to
Mark 9:45
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
3. What you do
Mark 9:43
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Matthew 5:30
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
🗞 Will there be anyone who will be exempted from going to Hell (lake of Fire)
Revelation 20:6
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Jude 1: 21-23
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
References:
All of the verses are in English Standard Version (ESV) Bible translation unless stated otherwise.
- (1) Strong’s Concordance
- (2) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
Everlasting 