Question for Christians. How many of you believe the lake of fire is eternal?

Question

and how many think it's the second death...end of existence?

I personally think it's the end of all existence. Jesus himself said,
"fear not the one who can destroy the body but
him who can destroy both body and soul"

Answer 1

Yes didn't Jesus say the worm never dies and the fire is not quenched? What do you think he was just kidding? BB

Answer 2

No, It is not eternal. Look up Habakkuk 3:6.
In the KJV and NKJV it says the mountains and hills are everlasting even though they will come to an end. That just doesn't make sense. Other translations say the "age-old" or ancient mountains. That is more like it. This is an example of how the adjective in the ancient Greek "aionion" which means age lasting, has been mistranslated as everlasting or eternal. That is wrong. The Bible does not really teach the The lake of fire is eternal. The reason why the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die is so that they will devour and consume all that is dead until it is gone.The fire of Gods judgment is meant to purge away all that is unclean in a person so they will be made ready to be in the presence of God. (See Malichi 3:2-3)

Those thrown in the lake of fire will not have their existence end, but after they are made clean, touch-stoned in the flames they will enter Gods Kingdom and give praise to God. That is the only way that the promises of Phil 2:10-11 and Rev 5:13 can come true. If anyone suffers in hell forever than that cannot happen. The same goes if they are destroyed and don't exist any longer.

Also it says that Death and Hades are thrown into the second death. If the Lake of fire burns eternally, then those things will always exist as they burn. But we are told Jesus will put an end to death. Death shall be swallowed up in victory. ( see 1 Cor 15:20-28) If death, in its most terrible form, the second death, goes on forever than those promises can not come true. Someday all people will be in Gods Kingdom, even those who must be purged in the Lake of fire.


EDIT: I see I got one person who disagrees. If anyone needs more proof of the misuse of "Aionion" and how it doesnt mean eternal or forever, look up these verses in the KJV or NKJV.

Deut 15:16-17
2 Sam 7:16
1 Kings 9:5
Isa 32: 13-16
Genesis 17:8,13
Exod 27:21
Exod 28:43
I could site more, but as you will see, none of these things are actually eternal. The SAME words are used in the Bible to say that about Hell. That is how we can know it is wrong.

Answer 3

Yes, the lake of fire is eternal.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The lake of fire was created by God for Satan and the rest of the angels who rebelled against Him. God did not offer forgiveness to the angels who rebelled against Him but He does offer forgiveness to mankind thru His Son Jesus Christ.

The passage in Matthew 25:31:46 describes how Jesus will one day come in His glory to judge the nations. He will separate the sheep from the goats (i.e. the righteous from the wicked). He has this to say to the wicked.

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

Again the fire is described as eternal. It was prepared for the devil and the rebellious angels who were not offered redemption. However, the wicked from among mankind will be cast there also.
__________

The second death is not the cessation of existance, it is the lake of fire. Here is what the Bible says about it.

Revelation 20:14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Answer 4

Malachi 4:1 " For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, that will leave them neither root nor branch ."
To those who live in obedience to God, God says: " You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under your feet on that day that I do this. " (V.3)
God speaking through the prophet Malachi, makes clear the ultimate fate of the wicked. They are to be uprooted like a nonproductive tree, leaving not so much as a branch. They will be consumed by the flames of the lake of fire, leaving only the ashes.
The Bible does teach that the wicked will be punished by fire, but it's not eternal suffering for them, they die. End of story. They will not be tortured for eternity. Those who willingly and willfully reject His way of life, characterized by obedience to His law of love will die, not suffer forever. The wicked will never live again. They will be completely destroyed. The fire brings eternal punishment and not a constant unending punishment.
This too would include the beast and the false prophet as they are human beings. ( Revelation 19:20) " Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet, who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone ". " cast alive ".
And we see from Malachi 4:1-3 that any human being thrown into the lake of fire will be destroyed by being burned to ashes. He will perish. His punishment will be eternal. But he will not be tormented for eternity.
In Revelation 20:10 (KJV) the word " are " is italicized. The use of italics indicates that the word was not in the original manuscripts from which the translation was made; it was added by the translators to make the verse more readable because the verb was left unexpressed in the Greek text. The correct verb should be " were cast ", the plural expression of " was cast ". The verse would then properly indicate that the devil is to be cast into the lake of fire that had already consumed and destroyed the beast and the false prophet.
The translators incorrectly inserted the word " are " into the English text because of their preconceived concept of an immortal soul.
Satan, a spirit being, will indeed suffer torment long after the wicked are burned to ashes.
In Matthew 25:46 Jesus spoke in a single sentence of everlasting punishment and of life eternal. Since the righteous will be given eternal life, or everlasting life, many theologians believe the punishment for the wicked must last as long as the life given to the righteous. But this cannot be reconciled with the statement that those cast into the lake of fire perish; they are killed. As we have seen, they suffer death " the second death ". ( Revelation 2:11 ; 20:6,14 and 21:8.

Answer 5

The same Jesus that told the prostitute not to sin anymore, well, that was before the internet.
Ever played hide and go seek?
The big kids get together and agree to prank.
The little kid counts, seeks, but finds no one.
The big kids are watching tv and laughing.
You're the little kid.
How could a human, that's alive, have any clue about a second death, or lake of fire, coins on the eyes...?
What's life like on Pluto? Oh wait, the writers didn't know Pluto was there, or maybe they just ignored it.

Answer 6

Well im answering these two questions backwards. Seems you proposing the JW concept of "soul annihilation" that is you just cease to exist. My question to that is why would our Lord even bother to die for our sins if we cease to exist after we die. No God has his reason for the soul to experience eternal torment for rejecting his offer of salvation.
Our Lord spoke about hell for a reason why would he bother if he knew that ultimately it wouldnt matter if a person choose to reject him?
http://www.bible.ca/su-annihilation-refuted.htm

To say that at some point in the future the lake of fire will cease to exist would cause the two " for ever and ever" passages to contridict Gods word. God doesnt contradict himself our manmade theories do our adding into or taking away from whats in the word will get us in trouble theres warning of that in Revelation also.

Answer 7

Despite rumors to the contrary, hell is still a doctrine in Catholic theology. One who purposely rejects God chooses not to enjoy an eternity of friendship with the Lord. This is the basic notion of hell - cutting oneself off from God.

The existence of hell or separation from God is very real. However, what form hell assumes or in what manner a damned person will suffer, is open to debate. No one has come back to report the temperature in hell. And no human can judge whether another is damned.

Theologians suggest that hell be seen as a state of total rejection of God. Like heaven, it is not a place and is not subject to time.

In grappling with the issue of hell, one needs to remember that it is an issue, which remains in the realm of mystery, a truth not yet entirely revealed.

Peace and every blessing!

Answer 8

The word used in Revelation 20:10 is this:

165 αἰών [aion /ahee·ohn/] n m. From the same as 104; TDNT 1:197; TDNTA 31; GK 172; 128 occurrences; AV translates as “ever” 71 times, “world” 38 times, “never + 3364 + 1519 + 3588” six times, “evermore” four times, “age” twice, “eternal” twice, and translated miscellaneously five times. 1 for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity. 2 the worlds, universe. 3 period of time, age.


I think that it's forever. Never ceasing.

Answer 9

Let me see if I understand this question correctly...(and I promise I believe in the "teachings" of Christ)...
God's only son is the offspring of a fantastigorical, bodiless, cosmic being, who created the universe for us humans to live in, and prosper, only to prove his love for us by also creating a cavernous, very tropical eternal human torture chamber of limitless suffering, a world-sized basement that contains (among other various hideous places of "forever" agony) an actual lake of boiling blood...???!!!???
Did I get that right...?!?
Gee...
God is obviously a really nice guy...
No wonder people worship HIM...
Worship HIM...
OR ELSE...!!!

Answer 10

Yes, it's eternal. It's "everlasting fire" [Matthew 25:41], "shame and everlasting contempt" [Daniel 12:2], "everlasting destruction" [2 Thessalonians 1:9]