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Ee-22. Does Revelation 20:10 TEACH ETERNAL TORMENT?
The DOCTRINE of HELL EXPLAINED!
Revelation chapter 20 and verse 10 is a passage of Scripture that some Christians use as a proof text to teach the DOCTRINE of ETERNAL TORMENT in HELLFIRE for all eternity. And in just reading this verse ALONE and APART from the WHOLE word of God then it does sound as if that one verse is teaching eternal torture in an eternal fire for the wicked of mankind.
Please read Revelation 20:10 before we dive deeper into the word of God to explain other very possible interpretations of the verse that agree much better with the rest of God's word. For you see, when I read the rest of God’s word the doctrine of eternal torment contradicts so many other verses of Scripture that do not need any interpretation. I will explain what I mean by this as we continue in this study of God's word. Let us begin this study in God's word by reading Revelation 20:10 with EMPHASIS placed on the phrase “TORMENTED day and night forever and ever”.
Revelation 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.”
Now those that teach the doctrine of ETERNAL TORMENT in the unquenchable HELL use this particular verse found in Revelation 20:10 as one of their MAIN passages of Scripture in order to try and PROVE that ALL the WICKED will be FOREVER TORTURED and TORMENTED in FLAMES of FIRE for ALL ETERNITY with no rest, no mercy, no comfort, not even one brief moment of relief. And when one focuses only on that one verse then it does seem like the wicked will be tortured forever in the lake of fire.
But as I have said many times in many of my studies throughout the years that ANY verse, when taken out of context and viewed ALONE and APART from the WHOLE word of God, may SEEM to be saying something that it is NOT truly saying. In other words, you the reader and seeker of the truth must NOT have tunnel vision so to speak. What I mean by this is that when studying the word of God, we should never focus on one verse and interpret the rest of the Bible by what you interpret that ONE verse to mean. For you see, when all you can think about and process in your mind is this ONE verse in the entire word of God then you do not truly consider the REST of God's word.
Let me explain what I mean by this. For those of you who have read the study that I wrote “IS THE DOCTRINE OF HELL BIBLICAL?”, then you have clearly seen that IF Revelation 20:10 is to be INTERPRETED in the way that those who teach this DOCTRINE of ETERNAL TORMENT have interpreted it, then you have seen that their interpretation CONTRADICTS the REST of God's word. For you see, there are many OTHER verses of Scripture that clearly and plainly teach us that ALL the WICKED will be DESTROYED at the end of the millennial reign of Jesus in the lake of fire. Yes, the wicked will indeed suffer torment in flames of fire but they will be completely consumed by that fire. And thus, their torment is NOT for all eternity.
So then, IF you INTERPRET Revelation 20:10 to mean ETERNAL torment then you must go back and change a huge vast amount of passages of Scripture to fit your interpretation of eternal TORMENT and TORTURE in Hell. OR you can dig deeper in the word of God in order to find another interpretation of this ONE passage of Scripture that AGREES with the rest of God's word that clearly teaches us that the wicked are DESTROYED at the end of the age.
For ME, it is the LATER choice, that I myself have decided to choose and do in this study of God's word. In other words, I have chosen to go deeper in the word of God and take a closer look at this verse in Revelation 20:10 in its original language to see if these Greek words could be translated in another way to AGREE with the REST of God's word. And that agreeing with the rest of God’s word to me is that the wicked will be DESTROYED, CONSUMED, DEVOURED and turned to ASHES at the end of the Millennium in the lake of fire.
I have heard many arguments given by some Christians saying that destroyed does NOT mean destroyed. But these arguments do not stand up against the clear meaning of the text and the very meanings of the word destroy. Keep in mind that all the other words that must be CHANGED to say that they do NOT mean CONSUMED, that devoured does not mean DEVOURED, and turned to ASHES does not mean turned to ashes in order to try and prove their eternal torment doctrine that the early church never taught, until pagan doctrines like purgatory and limbo came to be added as church doctrines along with the eternal inferno of hell doctrine.
With this in mind let us examine some different points to look into what will give you the reader and seeker of the truth some alternative ways to view and understand Revelation 20:10 that will AGREE with the rest of God's word rather than CONTRADICT all the other verses of perishing, destroyed, devoured, and turned into ashes as the ETERNAL TORMENT DOCTRINE does.
Point number 1.
First of all, we need to ask ourselves the question as to WHO are we SPECIFICALLY, point blank, without a doubt, told will be the ONES who are TORMENTED day and night for ever and ever in Revelation 20:10?
Revelation 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.”
So then, it appears that there are only THREE beings that are SPECIFICALLY NAMED in this verse of Scripture WHO will be the ones that will be TORMENTED day and night forever and ever. And the NAMES of these THREE beings are the DEVIL, the BEAST, and the FALSE PROPHET. Now we all know for a certainty that the DEVIL is NOT a HUMAN BEING and of the species known as MANKIND, but what about the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET? Are these other two beings in the classification of HUMAN beings, OR are the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET EVIL SPIRITS and of the same nature as the DEVIL? And if so, then WHY does this even matter?
Now, to me, it does not matter because I myself see this verse saying that it is ONLY the DEVIL that will be tormented day and night forever and NOT all THREE beings who will be cast into the lake of fire.
But to other Christians, it does matter because not all Christians INTERPRET this verse the same way. Some Christians say ALL THREE beings will be tormented day and night forever and ever. And they also INTERPRET that ONLY the devil is not a human being. And thus, to THEM, two of those beings, the beast, and the false prophet, are human beings.
So then, since this verse does not specifically say the evil spirit of the beast and the evil spirit of the false prophet, it can also be interpreted that the beast and false prophet are human beings. Thus it matters to some Christians because we are also human beings. Their line of reasoning is that it would not be fair for God to torment just those TWO human beings and DESTROY the rest of the wicked in the lake of fire.
Here is what we have thus far. There are THREE beings that we are told point blank with no interpretation needed that will be cast into the lake of fire. In other words, AT the coming of Jesus before the 1000 year reign of Jesus, the beast and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire because Revelation 20:10 says that they will be there already when the devil is cast into the lake of fire at the END of the thousand year reign of Jesus.
Now, IF all three beings are evil spirits, then Revelation 20:10 does NOT prove that the wicked human will be tormented day and night forever and ever for all eternity with no rest.
And IF the beast and the false prophet are human beings that are not possessed of the devil, then for sure at least TWO wicked human beings will indeed be cast into the lake of fire BEFORE the Millennium.
So then, one possible interpretation of Revelation 20:10 is that the beast and the false prophet are indeed human beings and that they will be cast into the lake of fire before the 1000 year reign of Jesus to be DESTROYED. And then at the end of the Millennium, the devil will be the only being that will be tormented day and night forever and ever. And the rest of the wicked human beings will be cast into the lake of fire to be DESTROYED.
Another possible interpretation of Revelation 20: 10 is that the phrase, “day and night forever and ever”, does NOT mean for all eternity. What I mean by this is that the Greek word that is translated as forever and ever also means for an AGE and for a time. And the phrase “day and night” can be referring to several days and several nights DURING the time of judgment. What I mean by this is that the Day of Judgment may take many 24 hour days to go through the books that are written to judge each and every wicked person according to their works.
So then, another reason that it matters is because of other places in the Bible where there seems to be DIFFERENT DEGREES of punishment on the Day of Judgment. Remember the words of Jesus, when he said that it will be MORE TOLERABLE for them on the Day of Judgment than for you. So then, HOW can it be MORE TOLERABLE for different people IF SO BE that ALL the wicked are tormented in the SAME Lake of Fire for the SAME amount of time which is INTERPRETED to be for all eternity? Please read Matthew 10:15, 11:22,24, Mark 6:11, Luke 10:12,14. I will just quote Mark 6:11,12 which teaches us that it will be MORE TOLERABLE on the Day of Judgment for the wicked that perished in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah than for those who REJECT the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Mark 6:11,12.
“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when you depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be MORE TOLERABLE for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
12. And they went out, and preached that men should repent.”
So then, does this mean that some are going to only be tormented just a little, as in, a MILDER way in the SAME lake of fire for all eternity, while others are going to be TORMENTED and TORTURER more severely in the SAME lake of fire? OR does this mean that some are tormented in the flames of fire only for a short TIME before they are consumed to ashes, while others will be TORMENTED for a longer duration of time before they are consumed to ashes as well? HOW does the term MORE TOLERABLE fit into the equation of ETERNAL TORMENT in flames of fire? HOW is it possible for everyone to be TORMENTED for ALL ETERNITY in the SAME flames of fire and never be consumed and it will be MORE TOLERABLE for some than it is for others? These are all valid questions that need to be answered if so be that this doctrine of eternal torment is kept in the understanding and continued to be dogmatically taught by some Christians.
It seems pretty clear from some passages of Scripture that there is going to be different degrees of punishment on the Day of Judgment. So what about these DIFFERENT TYPES of punishment that the Bible teaches us will be poured out WITHOUT MIXTURE? Let me explain what I mean by this. You see in Revelation chapter 14 there is a verse that leads me to believe that the DEVIL and the FALLEN angels or EVIL SPIRITS will be punished DIFFERENTLY than the WICKED HUMAN BEINGS who have been DECEIVED by Satan and these EVIL SPIRITS.
This brings us to the WHY it is important to know WHO are the ones that we are SPECIFICALLY told or NAMED as the ones WHO will be TORMENTED day and night forever and ever? This brings us to point number two.
Point number 2.
In point number 1, we established that THREE SPECIFIC beings were NAMED as the ONES who are to be tormented day and night forever and ever. So here in point number two, we will see from Revelation 14:9-11 that there seems to be a DIFFERENT punishment for that Old Dragon called the DEVIL and SATAN and his FALLEN angels or the EVIL SPIRITS compared to the punishment of the wicked of MANKIND. In other words, Almighty God is not going to MIX the punishment of mankind together with the punishment of Satan and the evil spirits by inflicting the same degree of punishment upon mankind as he does upon the DEVIL and the fallen ANGELS. Please notice as you read the following passage of Scripture that the pronouns refer back to two different subjects. I highlighted them in different colors so that they will stand out more.
Revelation 14:9-11.
“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; (Speaking of the wrath and indignation of Almighty God the Father) and he (Referring back to the BEAST and the image of the BEAST) 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 ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.”
First of all, I want you to notice that there are TWO classes of beings being spoken of in this passage of Scripture. We have human beings or men and women who have taken the mark of the BEAST and have worshiped the BEAST. Then we have the BEAST, who is again the one being that is specifically named that will be TORMENTED with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Secondly, I want you to notice that those who have been DECEIVED into worshiping the BEAST do, in fact, suffer the WRATH of Almighty God. But please notice that God's WRATH is poured out upon THEM WITHOUT MIXTURE. In other words, there seems to be a DIFFERENT type of punishment for MANKIND than there does for the DEVIL, the BEAST, and the FALSE PROPHET.
So then, are the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET in the class of beings as EVIL SPIRITS? Again, we know without a doubt that the DEVIL is of this class of beings known as evil spirits and fallen angels? In order to answer this question, please read Revelation 16:12-14, which CLEARLY and PLAINLY teaches us that these THREE are UNCLEAN EVIL SPIRITS of DEVILS which tells me that they are NOT of the same class of beings as MANKIND. But rather that they are of the SAME class of being as the DEVIL.
Revelation 16:12-14.
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13. And I saw THREE UNCLEAN SPIRITS like frogs come out of the mouth of the DRAGON (And we know from Revelation 12:9 that the Old red dragon is called the DEVIL and SATAN), and out of the mouth of the BEAST, and out of the mouth of the FALSE PROPHET.
14. For THEY ARE the SPIRITS of DEVILS, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
Now some Christians, who desperately want to cling to the doctrine of eternal torture in flames of fire for all eternity, may argue that these could be MEN who have been POSSESSED with EVIL SPIRITS of DEVILS. If this is you, then I want you to please read Revelation 11:7, which teaches us that the BEAST ascended OUT of the BOTTOMLESS PIT.
Revelation 11:7.
“And when they shall have finished their testimony, the BEAST that ASCENDS out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.”
Nowhere in the Bible do I find that any HUMAN being ascends out of the bottomless pit. Now, I do agree that it is the SPIRIT of Satan that indwells or possesses a human being that becomes known as this BEAST and also possesses another person that becomes known as this FALSE PROPHET. And then, these two possessed beings will DECEIVE many of mankind to take the mark of the beast. In other words, the beast and the false prophet will DECEIVE many of mankind to worship the beast. And then those DECEIVED men and women who have been DECEIVE by the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET make up a system or kingdom of the beast, which is ALSO called the BEAST.
In other words, there is a specific single being that is called the beast, which I believe is an evil spirit because he ascends out of the bottomless pit in Revelation 11:7. And then there is also many MEN and WOMEN who have been DECEIVED into following this being called the BEAST. And, therefore, in some passages of Scripture where the BEAST is referred to, it is actually speaking of the DECEIVED of MANKIND who have taken the mark of the beast to be identified with him. And in other passages of Scripture the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit appears to be a SINGLE being that is NOT a human being. Yes, it can be a little confusing at first, but as you continue this study it will all become clear to you.
So then, to ME, I still see that Revelation 20:10 is SPECIFICALLY NAMING these THREE UNCLEAN SPIRITS as the ones WHO will be TORMENTED day and night, forever and ever. But again, the phrase day and noght forever and ever does NOT mean for all eternity in the original Greek. So to me, the evil spirits will suffer for a LONGER period of time. Before we leave point number two, I would like you to read Revelation 14:9-11, again keeping in mind these TWO different types or degrees of punishment that are NOT MIXED and also please notice that it is ONLY the SMOKE of the torment of the wicked of mankind that ascends FOREVER and EVER and NOT that the cries of weeping and gnashing of teeth of those being kept alive to be TORMENTED and TORTURED in flames of fire for all ETERNITY that ascends up forever and ever. Please understand that the phrase forever and ever is a TRANSLATION that can also mean for an AGE.
Revelation 14:9-11.
“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 ascends up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.”
Again, please notice that the WRATH of God is poured out WITHOUT having any MIXTURE in it. And to me, this means that the BEAST receives a DIFFERENT type or a different degree of punishment than the people that he DECEIVED into following him. In other words, it is the BEAST, as in, the one being who is called the BEAST, that is TORMENTED forever and ever and NOT that ALL the wicked of mankind are tormented forever and ever.
Also, please notice that this verse specifically states that it is ONLY the SMOKE of the torment that ascends up forever and ever of those who are deceived to worship the beast. Please notice that this passage of Scripture does NOT say that their cries of being tormented in flames of fire that ascend up forever and ever. In other words, the wicked of mankind will be DESTROYED in the lake of fire and the SMOKE of their destruction of being devoured and consumed to ashes ascends up forever and ever.
Another thing that I want to point out again is that this phrase “forever and ever” does not always mean ETERNITY in Scripture. Many Bible scholars will agree that this phrase means that this SMOKE of their torment will ascend up until the END of the AGE. In other words, the Greek words that are TRANSLATED as “forever and ever” can ALSO be translated as “TO the AGE of the AGES”, or “to the AGE of ALL AGES” meaning the AGE that is to come where the WICKED are NO MORE. And the phrase “and they have NO REST neither day nor night” can mean that once judgment has been SET then there is NO CHANCE of having it overturned or lifted. In other words, the judgment is ETERNAL and, therefore, once the WICKED are DESTROYED in the lake of FIRE, then that will be the END of the WICKED for ALL ETERNITY. And thus there can NEVER EVER be ANY REST for them day or night.
Another meaning for this phrase “day and night” is that it will take some TIME to JUDGE and EXECUTE all the wicked and DURING this span of TIME there will be NO REST for the wicked neither during the DAY nor during the NIGHT. Now some may argue that this verse says the WRATH of God will be poured out without mixture and not the lake of fire. To properly understand that the WRATH of God IS part of God's JUDGMENT please read the study “IS THE DOCTRINE OF HELL BIBLICAL?” Also, know and understand that the wrath of God is divided into two halves. The first half hour of God’s wrath will be before the Millennium and the last half hour of God’s wrath will be poured out after the 1000 year reign of Jesus has ended.
Point number 3.
Here in point number three; I would like to bring to your attention that the reward of ETERNAL LIFE is given ONLY to the RIGHTEOUS. And the Bible clearly teaches us that the wages or the PUNISHMENT for those who have chosen to live in SIN is DEATH. In other words, the ONLY way that the WICKED could be KEPT ALIVE in the lake of FIRE for all ETERNITY is to give them ETERNAL LIFE. And again, eternal life is promised ONLY to the RIGHTEOUS. So to ME, this doctrine of ETERNAL TORMENT and TORTURE in flames of FIRE has a major problem that CONTRADICTS what the rest of the Bible teaches. And just one of those contradictions is that ONLY the RIGHTEOUS inherit ETERNAL LIFE in the world to come.
Some hellfire and brimstone preachers will argue and say that only the physical body of man dies and that the spirit and soul of man is immortal and never dies. For you see, they CLAIM that the Bible teaches that the spirit and soul of man were CREATED as an IMMORTAL being. But NOWHERE in the word of Almighty God do I find that mankind was created as an IMMORTAL being. In fact, I find just the OPPOSITE. And that is that the word of TRUTH clearly teaches us that man was created as a MORTAL being. Then there are other Christians who KNOW this TRUTH in God's word that man was created as a MORTAL being, but they will argue that ALL of mankind will be RESURRECTED. And they INTERPRET the resurrection of ALL of mankind to mean that BOTH the RIGHTEOUS and the WICKED will come back to LIFE and THEN at that time the WICKED, as well as the righteous, will possess ETERNAL LIFE and can never die again.
Now, I am not going to quote all the verses of Scripture on this point or argument in this particular study of God's word on Revelation 20:10, because I already cover that CLAIM in great detail in the study called “IS THE SOUL OF MAN IMMORTAL?” For you see, the word of TRUTH, the Holy Bible, CLEARLY and PLAINLY teaches us that it is ONLY the RIGHTEOUS who will RECEIVE the reward of ETERNAL LIFE. Let us move on to the next point that I want you to see.
Point number 4.
Here in point #4, I will be addressing those Christians who still INSIST and DOGMATICALLY DEMAND that the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET are MEN. And, therefore, they conclude that all the wicked will without fail be TORMENTED and TORTURED in flames of fire for ALL ETERNITY.
Now, I want to point out in conjunction with point number three that man is NOT an ETERNAL being. And, therefore, MUST be GIVEN eternal life in order to never be able to die again. For you see, WITHOUT being an ETERNAL being that can NOT ever die is the ONLY way that a human being can be kept alive to be tormented in the lake of fire for all eternity. And again, it is ONLY the RIGHTEOUS who will be GIVEN ETERNAL LIFE.
So then, this point made in number three that man was not created as an eternal being and, therefore, must be GIVEN eternal life combined with the fact that the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET are the ONLY TWO among ALL the WICKED that is said to already be IN the lake of fire WHEN the devil is cast into the lake of fire does NOT prove that ALL of mankind will be tormented forever and ever. And again, Revelation 20:10 does NOT say that the beast and the false prophet are still ALIVE in the lake of fire. The phrase “where the beast and the false prophet ARE” simply means that they ARE already have been cast into the lake of fire. But my point right now is the following question which is, does this not seem strange that ONLY these TWO, the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET, are foretold to be cast ALIVE into the lake of fire? Does this not raise in your mind the question WHY? Let us read Revelation 19:19-21 to refresh your memory.
Revelation 19:19-21.
“And I saw the BEAST, AND the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
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.
21. AND the REMNANT were SLAIN with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
So then, in this passage of Scripture, we see that not only the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET, but we also see all the ARMIES of MANKIND that were DECEIVED into following the BEAST to make WAR against Jesus. And YET, Jesus chooses ONLY to cast ALIVE into the lake of fire these TWO individual beings that are specifically named as the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET. And then we are told that Jesus SLAYS all the rest of the wicked who are fighting against him. I want you to THINK about this for a moment. ONLY TWO beings out of ALL those who will be fighting against Jesus at his second coming will be cast ALIVE into the lake of fire. WHY?
Could it be that these TWO beings are NOT HUMAN beings, but rather that the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET are EVIL SPIRIT BEINGS? Please keep this thought or theory in mind as we go right into the next chapter in the book of Revelation. For you see, in the next chapter, we will see ANOTHER EVIL SPIRIT called the DEVIL that is taken and BOUND in the bottomless pit. And from other verses, we know that Satan will be KEPT ALIVE in the bottomless pit for 1000 years, rather than being cast into the lake of fire at this point in time along WITH the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET.
Please read Revelation 20:1-3 and keep in mind that in the original text there is no separation into different chapters and verses. In other words, immediately after the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET are cast alive into the lake of fire then the DEVIL, whom we KNOW without a doubt is an EVIL SPIRIT, will be taken and BOUND in the bottomless pit to be KEPT ALIVE for 1000 years, rather than cast alive into the lake of fire with the other TWO beings who are identified as the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET.
Revelation 20:1-3.
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2. And he laid hold on the DRAGON, that old serpent, which is the DEVIL, and SATAN, and BOUND him a thousand years,
3. And CAST HIM, (Speaking of the devil called Satan) into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should DECEIVE the nations no more, TILL the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”
So then, immediately following the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET being cast ALIVE into the lake of FIRE, we right away see in the next chapter that an angel BINDS Satan, who again we KNOW is an EVIL SPIRIT and cast him ALIVE into the BOTTOMLESS PIT. Then in Revelation chapter 11, we see the BEAST will ascend OUT OF the bottomless pit. And that is why I myself see TWO being who are both called the BEAST. Now, we learn later on in this same chapter of Revelation 20 that the REASON WHY Satan will be turned LOOSE out of the bottomless pit at the end of the 1000 year reign of Jesus, is to TEMPT and DECEIVE the nations to make war against God's people one final time. To me, this is the nail is Satan’s coffin so to speak before he TOO will be taken and cast into the lake of FIRE where the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET had been thrown 1000 years prior. Again, Revelation 20:10 does NOT state that the beast and the false prophet are STILL ALIVE in the lake of fire.
Let us go through what we have so far one more time so that you can see that these THREE, the BEAST, the FALSE PROPHET, and the DEVIL are ALL THREE EVIL SPIRITS. So then, once again, the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET are CAST ALIVE into the lake of fire at the second coming of Jesus, BUT, that DRAGON called the DEVIL and SATAN was bound in chains and CAST into the BOTTOMLESS PIT to be KEPT ALIVE for 1000 years so that he could NO longer DECEIVE mankind DURING the 1000 year reign of Jesus. Then, the Bible goes on to say that Satan will be LOOSED at the END of the1000 years. And the PURPOSE of Satan being let loose is to see if Satan will return to tempting and DECEIVING the nations one last time before he ALSO will be cast into the lake of fire where the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET had already been cast 1000 years earlier.
So then, in Revelation 20:7-10 we learn that at the END of this 1000 year reign of Jesus that Satan or the DEVIL will be let loose so that he can once again tempt and DECEIVE the nations of mankind one final time. We see that he succeeds and does, in fact, DECEIVE some of mankind from the nations once again to make war with God's people. Then we see the FIRE of God come down from heaven and DEVOUR those that are fighting against God's people. Then we are told that the DEVIL is CAST into the lake of FIRE to JOIN the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET after the 1000 years has ended. Now, for most Christians who think things through it is quite simple and logical for us to draw the same conclusion that since the beast and the false prophet were cast into this same lake of fire ALIVE that the DEVIL will also be cast in ALIVE into the lake of fire as well and that ALL THREE are EVIL SPIRITS.
Please read Revelation 20:7-10.
“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8. And shall go out to DECEIVE the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9. And they went upon the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and FIRE came down from God out of heaven, and DEVOURED them.
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 (THEY all, speaking of the DEVIL and both the beast and the false prophet) shall be TORMENTED day and night forever and ever.”
Now the word ARE in not in the original Greek text. So to me, the devil will be bound in the bottomless pit for 1000 years while the beast and the false prophet will be in the GRAVE unto th final resurrection at the end of the 1000 years. And THEN they will be cast into the lake of fire. In other words. the added word ARE means that their final destiny is aready determined. So, at this point in time, all we see that have been PRE-JUDGED so to speak by PROPHECY to be cast into the lake of fire are ONLY these THREE beings, which are specifically named as being that Old Serpent the DRAGON called the DEVIL and Satan, the BEAST that we are told ascended out of the bottomless pit in Revelation 11, where also Satan was bound for 1000 years, and the FALSE PROPHET, who we know spoke as a DRAGON and was given power from the DRAGON. And we also know that all THREE were called UNCLEAN and EVIL SPIRITS of DEVILS. So then, HOW can anyone still believe that TWO of these THREE, who are tormented day and night forever and ever still dogmatically teach that they are WICKED MEN seeing ALSO that man is NOT an IMMORTAL being. In other words, if the beast and false prophet are indeed human beings then they MUST, without fail, be GIVEN eternal life. And again, it is ONLY the RIGHTEOUS that are promised the REWARD of ETERNAL LIFE.
Also, I want to again point out that the Greek words translated as forever and ever do NOT have to be TRANSLATED as forever and ever. The LITERAL translation reads “INTO the eons of the eons” which can also read as UNTO the ages of ages”. In other words, the WICKED will be cast alive into the lake of fire to be DEVOURED, CONSUMED to ashes to be DESTROYED unto the time that the ages to come are to begin. And the ages to come will begin after God creates the New Heaven and the New Earth.
For those of you who want to argue and dogmatically insist that the beast and the false prophet are MEN then my question is this. WHEN and WHERE are we told in God's word that the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET are GIVEN ETERNAL LIFE in order to REMAIN ALIVE in this lake of FIRE that would immediately CONSUME and DESTROY mere MORTAL men in a very short span of time, let alone being still ALIVE during the 1000 years, while Satan was being bound during the reign of Jesus, IF SO BE that they ARE still ALIVE?
Also, I want to point out the word “ARE” that so many who teach the doctrine of eternal TORMENT love to EMPHASIZE to try and prove that the beast and the false prophet are STILL ALIVE being TORMENTED in this lake of fire is NOT in the original text. But rather the English word “ARE” was ADDED by the translators. I will go into more detail about this in my next point.
Point number 5.
If you are still NOT convinced by all the evidence of Scripture that I have given thus far that the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET are NOT men, but rather that they are EVIL SPIRITS, then keep reading. And if you still insist that even though man is NOT an IMMORTAL being but that somehow God will have KEPT these TWO alive to suffer not only the lake of fire DURING the1000 year reign of Jesus but they will to continue on suffering along with the DEVIL, who will join them at the end of the 1000 years for all eternity, then I want to draw your attention to the VERB usage in Revelation 20:10.
Revelation 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 forever and ever.”
First of all, I want to point out that the PRESENT tense verb “ARE” is NOT found in the original text, but rather this present tense verb was added by the translators. Also, it should be pointed out that in the CONTEXT as to how the verb is being used for the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET in the PAST tense and NOT present tense, as in, they BOTH “WERE CAST” alive into the lake of fire. And, therefore, to CORRECTLY add the present tense verb “ARE” then it must be in agreement. In other words, this verse should have been translated as “...where the beast and the false prophet WERE CAST...”
Secondly, IF this verse was translated correctly as WERE CAST, then one could conclude that it is ONLY the Old Dragon called the DEVIL and Satan who is the ONE who will be TORMENTED day and night forever and ever, because the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET would have already been destroyed by the fire IF indeed they were MEN.
In other words, ANOTHER POSSIBLE interpretation of Revelation 20:10 could be that ALL the WICKED of MANKIND who are cast into the lake of fire shall be DEVOURED, CONSUMED, and, therefore, DESTROYED for all eternity and it is ONLY the DEVIL and the fallen angels, who shall remain alive in the lake of fire to be TORMENTED day and night forever and ever.
So either way, I myself do NOT see ANY of mankind being TORMENTED for ALL ETERNITY as many of us have been taught. In fact, I personally do not believe that the DEVIL and the fallen ANGELS will be KEPT ALIVE in the lake of FIRE to be TORMENTED and TORTURED for ALL ETERNITY either. I will explain why I believe this a little further on in this study.
Now, if you are one that wants to continue to believe in this man-made DOCTRINE of ETERNAL TORMENT in HELL FIRE that did not come into existence until DANTE put forth his teaching about the different levels of torture in hell, then that is your right. As I have said before, this study is directed to those who are STRUGGLING with the seemly contradictions between verses like Revelation 20:10 and the many Scriptures, that to them and myself clearly show that the wicked will be DESTROYED at the end of the age rather than tortured for all eternity as Revelation 20:10 SEEMS to be saying. And again, in no way do I diminish the WARNING of God's JUDGMENT and being cast into the lake of fire.
Point number 6.
Another point to consider is that there are some passages of Scripture that show us that evil spirits and even Satan himself will be DESTROYED as well at the end of the age. Please read Mark 1:23-27, where an unclean spirit asks Jesus if he is here to DESTROY him?
Mark 1:23-27.
“And there was in their synagogue a man with an UNCLEAN SPIRIT; and he cried out,
24. Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with you, you Jesus of Nazareth? Are you come to DESTROY US? I know you who you are, the Holy One of God.
25. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold your peace, and come out of him.
26. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
27. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority commands he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”
Also, please read this same account from Luke 4:33-36 which calls this unclean spirit a spirit of an unclean DEVIL. I point this out because some will try and argue that unclean spirits are not the same beings as DEVILS.
Luke 4:33-36.
“And in the synagogue, there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean DEVIL, and cried out with a loud voice,
34. Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with you, you Jesus of Nazareth? Are you come to DESTROY US? I know you who you are; the Holy One of God.
35. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold your peace, and come out of him. And when the DEVIL had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.
36. And they were all amazed, and spoke among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Now let us compare this account with a similar account found in Mark 5:1- 18 and Matthew 8:28-34 where Jesus cast out some spirits of DEVILS from a man, but before Jesus cast them out they cry out and rebuked or adjured Jesus basically saying that Jesus had no right to TORMENT them BEFORE their TIME.
Mark 5:1-17.
“And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
2. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3. Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
4. Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
5. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
6. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped him,
7. And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the most high God? I adjure you (Or I command you) by God, that thou TORMENT ME not.
8. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.
9. And he asked him, What is your name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
10. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
12. And all the DEVILS besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
13. And forth with Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. (Now, since there were around two thousand pigs that were possessed to drown themselves then the man was possessed with around two thousand devils)
14. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.
15. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the DEVIL, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
16. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the DEVIL, and also concerning the swine.
17. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.”
Matthew 8:28-34.
“And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with DEVILS, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. (Here in this account we see two men that are both possessed with devils)
29. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Son of God? Are you come hither to TORMENT US before the time?
30. And there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine feeding.
31. So the DEVILS besought him, saying, If you cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
32. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
33. And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the DEVILS.
34. And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.”
So then, in a couple of passages of Scripture, the DEVILS ask Jesus if he was come to DESTROY them and in another couple passages of Scripture, the DEVILS ask Jesus if he has come to TORMENT them before their TIME. Please notice that the DEVILS knew that there is coming a TIME when they will be JUDGED. Now whether this judgment will be that they are DESTROYED or whether they will be TORMENTED for ALL ETERNITY is yet to be learned as we continue weighing ALL the evidence from God's word.
Some Christians who teach the doctrine of eternal torment can become very SARCASTIC in their arguments. In other words, their arguments against those that teach the destruction or the annihilation of the wicked may sound a bit intimidating or belittling to those Christians who do not agree with the eternal torture doctrine. For example, I have heard some eternal torture believing Christians say things like, “Well if God is such a LOVING God, as to NOT torment his CREATION called MANKIND, then WHY does this LOVING God TORMENT his CREATION Satan and the fallen angels for all eternity?”
To this argument, I respond. First of all, IF it is true that Satan and the fallen angels are, in fact, TORTURED and TORMENTED for all ETERNITY, then I want to point out that there is a VAST difference between the CREATION of mankind and our fall into disobedience to God's command by being DECEIVED into DISOBEYING God's commands from the CREATION to that of the ANGELS of God. For you see, the angels REBELLED and went to WAR against Almighty God to literally try to TAKE OVER the throne of Almighty God.
Secondly, I want to point out that Almighty God sent his only begotten Son to suffer and die for MANKIND, whereas for Satan, it appears from what I have found in Scripture, that he ACCUSED God for CREATING him evil. And, therefore, Lucifer argues that it is NOT his fault that he rebelled and tried to take over God's throne to become the Almighty God himself. In other words, it appears to me that Lucifer was given the chance to repent, but instead, he put all the BLAME on God and basically chose to fight to the end against God. Please read the study called “UNDERSTANDING WHY?” to better understand WHY God ALLOWS Satan to remain alive to spread his rebellion against God when God, who is Almighty, could wipe evil out at any time. But for now, please read Ezekiel 28:12-19, which clearly and plainly teaches us that Lucifer, who is now known as Satan, God's adversary, will, in fact, one day be DESTROYED and turned to ASHES and shall be NO MORE.
Ezekiel 28:12-19.
“Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus says the Lord GOD; You seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13. You hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of your tabrets and of your pipes was prepared in you in the day that you were created.
14. You are the anointed cherub that covers; and I have set you so: you were upon the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you.
16. By the multitude of your merchandise they have filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I will cast you as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will DESTROY YOU, O COVERING CHERUB, from the midst of the stones of fire. (Please notice that this verse does NOT say that God will torture and torment Lucifer for all eternity. But rather this verse teaches us that Satan called the Devil will be DESTROYED. I myself have not found that any human being is ever called a COVERING CHERUB. So to ME, God is NOT talking to a human being in this passage of Scripture.)
17. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I will cast you to the ground, I will lay you before kings, that they may behold you.
18. You have defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your traffic; therefore will I bring forth a FIRE from the midst of you, it shall DEVOUR you, and I will bring you to ASHES upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold you. (Again, these are NOT words that sound like Satan will be kept ALIVE forever and ever to be tormented in the lake of FIRE. To ME, being DEVOURED and turn to ASHED sounds like being totally CONSUMED to be NO MORE)
19. All they that know you among the people shall be astonished at you: you shall be a terror, and NEVER shall you be ANY MORE.”
This passage of Scripture makes it blatantly clear to us that Lucifer, the covering cherub, which is an ANGEL who REBELLED against God to exalt his throne ABOVE that of God's throne will be DESTROYED, DEVOURED, turned to ASHES to be NO MORE. Most of you know the story of how Satan convince one-third of the angels to join with him to try and take over God's throne so I will not go into any detail in this study. If you want to know more on how Lucifer became God's enemy, then please read the study called “WHO IS LUCIFER---IS SATAN LUCIFER?” and the study entitled “UNDERSTANDING WHY?”, but for now, let us continue viewing the evidence from God's word that to ME, clearly teaches us that Satan and the fallen angels will all be DESTROYED at the end of the Millennial age.
Please read Hebrews 2:14.
“For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might DESTROY HIM that had the power of death, that is, the DEVIL;”
Now I am NOT saying that Satan or the DEVIL and the fallen angels will in no way be TORMENTED, but rather I am saying that in LIGHT of the WHOLE word of God, that they will NOT be TORMENTED for ALL ETERNITY. In other words, their torment will last for a time while they are being CONSUMED, DEVOURED and turned into ASHES as the rest of God's word teaches us. I will explain this further in a moment, but first, let us look at a few more verses that teach us of the DESTRUCTION of the BEAST, Satan the Devil, and of the fallen angels. Please read 2 Thessalonians 2:8,9 where we see that WICKED one, the antichrist, or the BEAST being CONSUMED and DESTROYED at the time of the second coming of Jesus.
2 Thessalonians 2:8,9.
“And then shall that WICKED be revealed (Speaking of the antichrist who is given his power by Satan and may well be even possessed by Satan himself), WHOM the Lord shall CONSUME with the spirit of his mouth, and shall DESTROY with the brightness of his coming:
9. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”
So while this verse is not referring specifically to Satan himself, we know that it is speaking of the antichrist or the BEAST whom Satan has empowered. Please remember that the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET will be cast ALIVE into the lake of FIRE at the second coming of Jesus, as in, that is their prophesied judgment. Then at the end of the 1000 years after Satan will be loosed to deceive the nations one final time to make WAR with God's people the DEVIL also is cast into the lake of FIRE. And thus THEY were TORMENTED day and night forever and ever. In other words, there will be a day and night of judgment BEFORE the 1000 years. And then AFTER the 1000 years, there will be ANOTHER day and night of judgment. Let me say this another way. There is a prophetic pre-judgment for the beast and the false prophet will be be carried out at the End of the 1000 years.
So again, my point is this, HOW can they be BOTH kept ALIVE for all eternity to be TORMENTED in the lake of FIRE, AND be CONSUMED and DESTROYED in the lake of FIRE as well? To ME, the obvious answer in the the phrase day and noght forever and every is not an accurate translation. Please read Jude 5-8, which teaches us EVEN AS or in the SAME MANNER as Sodom and Gomorrah were DESTROYED, so shall ALSO the fallen angels be DESTROYED by FIRE.
Jude 1:5-7.
“I will, therefore, put you in remembrance, though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward DESTROYED them that believed not.
6. And the ANGELS which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7. EVEN AS Sodom and Gomorrah, 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.”
In other words, just as the Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities who in the same manner committed these homosexual sins of going after strange flesh were DESTROYED by FIRE. Then so ALSO shall these wicked men along with the ANGELS that rebelled against God suffer the vengeance of the ETERNAL FIRE to be DESTROYED. Now, we know that the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah is not still burning. So then, it is the destruction itself that will be eternal. In other words, the fire will NOT be quenched. There will be NO changing of God’s mind concerning the destruction of the wicked. The JUDGEMENT to destroy the wicked in the lake of fire is ETERNAL. Keep in mind that this JUDGMENT of the lake of FIRE is called the SECOND DEATH.
The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 9:27 that it is APPOINTED or ordained by God for mankind to DIE only ONE TIME and then every man and woman would appear before God in the JUDGMENT. In other words, MANKIND is NOT an ETERNAL being and Almighty God has APPOINTED that each and every human being is to DIE and then AFTER they die, then they are to be JUDGED according to his or her WORKS which they did while they were LIVING. But there is more to this verse if you think about it for a while. This verse also teaches us that it is God's WILL that a man dies ONLY ONCE. In other words, God’s WILL is that no man should PERISH, but rather that ALL men should come to the knowledge of the truth and be SAVED.
What I am trying to get you to see my dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ is that Almighty God does NOT desire any of mankind to suffer the vengeance or judgment of the ETERNAL FIRE or the lake of FIRE, which is the judgment of the SECOND DEATH. God does NOT desire that any man PERISH in this ETERNAL FIRE that Matthew 25: 41 CLEARLY teaches us was prepared for Satan, the DEVIL, and the fallen angels and was NOT prepared for any of mankind. Remember when God destroyed the wicked with a flood and saved only Noah and his family and how it REPENTED God that he even made mankind? Well, this is a CLUE teaching us that one of the reasons mankind may have been created was to PROVE to Satan and the fallen angels that they were in fact created PERFECT in all their ways. In other words, Satan and the fallen angels are on TRIAL and God created a species of beings called mankind that were INFERIOR or LOWER than the ANGELS in order to PROVE to them that they could live without SIN. Please read the study “UNDERSTANDING WHY” which explains this in greater detail from the Scriptures, but for now let us look at Matthew 25:41.
Matthew 25:41.
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into EVERLASTING FIRE (Or the ETERNAL FIRE), prepared for the DEVIL and his angels:”
Now for me, I do not have any problem with the INTERPRETATION of an ETERNAL FIRE. And I do not have any problem with the SMOKE of the torment of the WICKED being DESTROYED in this EVERLASTING FIRE that is never extinguished. Now, do I have a problem with the interpretation of the eternal fire remaining to burn for all eternity as a reminder of what will become of those who one day in the future may fall prey to the idea of rebelling against God?
However, I and many others like me, do indeed have trouble with the FALSE teaching of a LOVING God forever keeping ALIVE the wicked so that they can be TORMENTED and TORTURED for ALL ETERNITY. I have trouble with the APPARENT CONTRADICTION in God's word when Revelation 20:10 is INTERPRETED as Almighty God TORMENTING the wicked for ALL ETERNITY especially WHEN there is ALSO a vast amount of Scripture that CLEARLY and PLAINLY teaches us that the wicked shall be DESTROYED at the end of the Millennial age.
We know that God's word does NOT CONTRADICT itself. So then, it must be that it is the INTERPRETATION of either Revelation 20:10 and a few other passages of Scripture that SEEM to teach eternal TORMENT, OR it is the INTERPRETATION of the vast number of passages of Scriptures, which to ME and many other Christians, clearly and plainly teach us that all the wicked shall be DESTROYED by FIRE and CONSUMED into ASHES and be NO MORE for all eternity.
Now, as I said before we can harmonize the Scriptures and teach that there will indeed be TORMENT and SUFFERING to the wicked in this lake of FIRE while they are being CONSUMED, DEVOURED, and turned into ASHES whereby the wicked are ultimately DESTROYED for ALL ETERNITY and never shall be again. But in order to do this we need to take a closer look at the MEANING of the phrase “forever and ever” as it has been TRANSLATED as thus in Revelation 20:10.
Revelation 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 FOREVER AND EVER.”
What many Christians fail to realize is that in the ENGLISH TRANSLATION of the Bible there are in fact some ERRORS that have been made by the translators. We have all been taught that the Bible is WITHOUT any ERROR and many Christians take this to mean that the ENGLISH translation of the Bible is without any error. But this is not what is meant by the teaching that the Bible is without any errors and does not contradict itself. For you see, all one needs to do is COMPARE the many different translations with each other and they will find many contradictions between the different TRANSLATIONS. This should be more than enough proof for anyone to clearly see that any TRANSLATOR can and has made some ERRORS in TRANSLATING the word of God from its ORIGINAL text. With this in mind let us now take a look at ANOTHER way that this phrase “forever and ever” can and I believe SHOULD have been TRANSLATED in order to bring perfect harmony with the WHOLE word of God.
The phrase “forever and ever” is translated from the Greek phrase “eis tous aeonas ton aionon”, which means “TO THE AGES OF THE AGES” or one could say, “TO THE AGE OF ALL AGES”. In other words, Revelation 20:10 could have and again I believe should have been translated as follows.
Revelation 20:10 in a paraphrased alternative version.
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet WERE CAST, and shall be tormented day and night TO the AGE of ALL AGES.”
There is still yet one more point that I would like to present to you, which will bring everything together.
Point number 7.
On this point, I want to draw your attention to a couple of things. This first thing that I want to point out to you is the word that has been TRANSLATED as TORMENTED in order to show you that there are OTHER meanings to this word as well in the original text. And then we will take a closer look at the phrase “day and night” to see another possibility that I personally believe was meant by the writers in the original text.
The Greek word that is TRANSLATED as “TORMENTED” here in Revelation 20:10 is “BASANIZO”, which has changed in its meaning over time. What I mean by this is that this Greek word “BASANIZO” began to be used as a word or a name of a black rock that was used by an assayer to TEST as to whether or not gold and silver coins were truly made from pure gold and silver. You see, the assayer would rub the “BASANIZO” or the black rock on the coin and then check the color of the strip or mark that it left in order to TEST and see if the coin was VALUABLE or GENUINE. This Greek word then found its way into the language related to all sorts of transactions as having the base meaning of CORRECTNESS. It is believed that through time this word became associated with TESTING people by means of TORTURE and thus came to be one of the meanings of this word today as TORMENT.
In other words, ANOTHER way to translate this Greek word “BASANIZO” is that those who will be thrown in this lake of fire will be TESTED, TRIED, or JUDGED “day and night” in order to see if there is any PURITY in them to keep them from being destroyed in the lake of fire. But IF they FAILED the TESTING “day and night” throughout their life then they will be JUDGED as being wicked and they will be cast into the lake of fire to be DESTROYED.
There are several places in the Bible where we see mankind being TRIED or TESTED in the FIRE like silver is tried in the furnace of fire. 1 Corinthians 3:11-14 comes to mind where we as believers along with our WORKS will be TRIED by FIRE.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15.
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13. Every man's WORK shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it (Every man's WORK) shall be revealed by FIRE (A TESTING or TRIAL); and the FIRE shall TRY every man's WORK of what sort it is.
14. If any man's work abide which he has built there upon, he shall receive a reward.
15. If any man's work shall be BURNED, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by FIRE (Or yet so by TESTING).”
Now, what the entire context of this passage of Scripture in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 is teaching us is that some of us plant or witness to others about Jesus and some others of us water or witness some more to these people about Jesus and God's word to try and get these new believers rooted and grounded in the truth of God's word so that they will REMAIN faithful to follow the teachings of God unto the end, in order to receive eternal life in the world to come. This passage of Scripture then goes on to teach us that those in which we have preached the gospel to are called our WORK. And thus, it will be those who we lead to Jesus that shall be TRIED or TESTED to see if they truly believe and will remain faithful unto the end. Then we are told that when these believers, who are WORK, are TRIED by FIRE, which in this instance can possibly be a figurative FIRE of a TRIAL or TEST of their faith, in that, IF they BURN or in other words if they FAIL their trial by NOT remaining faithful to God unto the end, then THEY themselves will be LOST and be cast into the lake of FIRE on the Day of Judgment. But we who have remained faithful unto the end shall be saved. In other words, we will be tested unto the end of our lives. That is what yet so as by FIRE means. We will continue to be tested by trials that we must OVERCOME and remain faithful unto the END.
So then, in a like manner is the JUDGMENT and the LAKE of FIRE. Let me explain what I mean by this. When Revelation 20:10 is KEPT in its CONTEXT, then one can see that after the REST of the DEAD are RESURRECTED at the END of the 1000 year reign of Jesus there will be another Day of Judgment. In other words, the REST of the dead will be resurrected in order to stand before the JUDGMENT seat of God that it is going to take an amount of TIME for each and every individual to be TRIED. The books shall be open and examined “DAY AND NIGHT” for a period of TIME. And as each person is judged guilty “DAY AND NIGHT” they will be cast into the lake of fire to be DESTROYED every DAY AND every NIGHT until the last wicked person is judged to be worthy of DESTUCTION in the lake of fire.
So then, to my final point, here is ANOTHER way to view this phrase “day and night” found in Revelation 20:10.
Revelation 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 (Or TRIED, as in found guilty and convicted to suffer the punishment) day and night TO the AGE of ALL AGES.”
In other words, after the REST of the dead are resurrected at the end of the 1000 year reign of Jesus they stand before God to be JUDGED. Now, a great majority of those raised from the dead, at this time, will be of the number called the WICKED. But there will also be many RIGHTEOUS who died during the 1000 year reign of Jesus that will also be raised from the dead and must stand before God until their name is called from the book of life. What some of us have failed to realize is that this JUDGING of the resurrected dead will go on DAY and NIGHT until ALL the REST of the dead that will be resurrected have been JUDGED according to what has been recorded in the books that will be opened and read DAY AND NIGHT.
So then, let us just assume that one by one everyone is judged in no particular order or perhaps alphabetically. After each and every person is JUDGED according to their works, then AFTER they are JUDGE, they are either found to be WORTHY and therefore are rewarded ETERNAL LIFE, or they are not found to be WORTHY to receive ETERNAL LIFE. And, therefore, they are cast into the lake of FIRE to be CONSUMED, DEVOURED, and turned into ASHES to be DESTROYED to be NO MORE for all eternity. Therefore, they shall be TORMENTED or TESTED DAY AND NIGHT or until the AGE of ALL AGES that is to COME. For you see, this word TORMENTED means BOTH being tried DAY and NIGHT as well as meaning that the wicked are also TORMENTED in the lake of FIRE as they are being CONSUMED, DEVOURED, and turned into ASHES and DESTROYED by the FIRE of JUDGMENT DAY AND NIGHT until the final judgment is over. And thus, they will never be able to enter into God's REST day or night, because once they are JUDGED, then the judgment stands for all eternity. In other words, the TORMENT described in Revelation 20:10 last ONLY until ALL the WICKED have been JUDGED one by one to the AGE of ALL AGES, and then begins the AGE of ALL AGES only AFTER all the WICKED have been DESTROYED in the lake of FIRE.
For further study on this subject regarding the doctrine of eternal torment in Hell as to whether it is Biblical or not please read the studies “IS THE SOUL OF MAN IMMORTAL?” and “IS THE DOCTRINE OF HELL BIBLICAL?”
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.
More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.
If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.
For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1, In the BEGINNING!
And also read the study called D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!
At the top of my homepage, there are subjects or categories which contain compiled lists of ** ALL Studies! ** I have written on that particular subject. So, if a link within a study is broken, then click on ** ALL Studies! ** to find the suggested study.
Or you can scroll down to the MORE dropdown menu list to find those studies as well.
Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **
And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading ** C-0 The TRUE FOUNDATION of the Church! **
This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.
So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
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Always be faithful to share, to preach, and to teach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ!
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