What is the Lake of Fire in the Bible? Is it hell? скачать в хорошем качестве

What is the Lake of Fire in the Bible? Is it hell?

(#AmazonAdLink) (https://amzn.to/2H5UWrK) My book, (#AmazonAdLink) What is Hell? (https://amzn.to/2H5UWrK) is now available (#AmazonAdLink) on Amazon (https://amzn.to/2H5UWrK) . I am doing a series of podcast studies that focus on some of the content from the book. The studies look at the eight key terms that are often equated with hell, and about a dozen key passages that are thought to teach about hell. If you want to learn the truth about hell and what the Bible actually teaches about hell, make sure you get a copy of my book, (#AmazonAdLink) What is Hell? (https://amzn.to/2H5UWrK) Also, if you are part of my discipleship group, there will be an online course about hell (https://redeeminggod.com/courses/what...) as well. In previous studies, we have looked at the words sheol (https://redeeminggod.com/sheol-hell/) , gehenna (https://redeeminggod.com/gehenna-hell/) , abyss, tartarus (https://redeeminggod.com/abyss-tartar...) , hades (https://redeeminggod.com/hades-hell/) , and the ‘outer darkness (https://redeeminggod.com/outer-darkne...) .’ In each case, we have seen that none of these words describe a place of everlasting torment for unbelievers in a place of burning fire. But what about the Lake of Fire? Surely this term refers to hell as a place of eternal suffering and torment in flames for unbelievers … doesn’t it? Well … let’s see. What is the Lake of Fire? The image of the Lake of Fire in the book of Revelation has caused much consternation about the living conditions for the unredeemed dead. And while the image is thought to depict the eternal torment of non-Christians in hell, it has also been used to psychologically torment lots of people in this life. The thought of swimming around forever in a molten lake of lava is extremely distressing. So what is the Lake of Fire and how can we understand it? There are a wide variety of views, some more outlandish than others. I read one scholar who argued that the Lake of Fire was the sun at the middle of our solar system. I once talked with a seminary professor who argued that since all humans around the earth talk about “going down” to hell and the Lake of Fire, this means that all their concepts of “down” converge at the magma core of the earth, which is the Lake of Fire. (I am not making this up.) Most concepts of the Lake of Fire, however, teach that it is a place created by God where He sends the unredeemed dead to suffer and burn in torment for all eternity. A somewhat less horrific view is found among some Universalists who argue that the Lake of Fire is a temporary torture chamber where sinners have all their impurities burned out of them before they are allowed entrance into heaven. Another view I have recently encountered argues that the Lake of Fire refers to the temporal destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. But whether we are talking about unending torture or a shorter period of time, many people are (rightly) concerned with the idea of God torturing and burning anyone. Does God want us to torture people? No! We are called to love and serve. So is it okay for God to do what He forbids us from doing? Some think so, but I do not. I believe God’s commands to humanity are based on His own character and nature, and He sets the example for us to follow. But if this is the case, then we must understand what John meant when he wrote about the Lake of Fire in Revelation 20:10, 14-15, and Revelation 21:8. The Symbolism of the Lake of Fire in Revelation Thankfully, when John wrote about the Lake of Fire, he was not thinking about tortured souls screaming in agony from being boiled in lava for all eternity. We know this because of the symbolic nature of the book of Revelation. Very little in the book of Revelation is to be understood “literally.” Yes, the book should be read and studied seriously, giving careful attention to its words, images, and ideas, but we must never forget that nearly every picture and event in the book of Revelation is full of allusions to the Hebrew Scriptures, Christ-centered theology, Roman politics, and ancient Mediterranean culture. When we begin to study the symbolism of Revelation and look for clues in the first century Mediterranean world about what John might have been referring to when he wrote about the Lake of Fire, it does not take long to discover that there was an actual “Lake of Fire” in his day that he was referring to. This lake still exists today and you can go swim in it if you would like. But do not worry, for while you might get a sunburn, the lake itself will not burn you. But more on that in a bit. To help us understand the imagery that John is using, as well as the identity and location of the Lake of Fire, imagine if someone today told you that they were going to live in Salt Lake. Would you think that this person would be floating around all day in the salty water of a Utah lake? No, you would understand th...