“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. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:10-15
Introduction
Of all the scripture passages used to teach that the lost will suffer eternal conscious torment in hell, Revelation 20:10 is arguably the strongest and most frequently cited. Indeed, taken in isolation, and on the basis of a strictly literal, surface-level reading, it would appear to be a slam-dunk proof-text for that position. I certainly held that opinion myself for a good many years. After all, who can seriously argue with the plain words: “and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever”?
In this article, I’m going to lay out some reasons why Revelation 20:10 is not a slam-dunk proof-text for the doctrine of eternal conscious torment after all. As it happens, there is another way to understand what the text is telling us here: a perfectly valid, scripturally-consistent alternative that is in greater harmony with the overall themes of scripture than the view of eternal conscious torment. In addressing this matter, I ask only that the reader put aside his or her preconceptions and consider the arguments I will be making on their own merits.
Limited Scope
One of the first details we should observe in the text is that eternal torment is referenced only with respect to Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet. No one else is said to face this fate. It may be argued that other passages of scripture imply the eternal torment of all the condemned, but Revelation 20:10 itself does not say this. It says only that the condemned are cast into the lake of fire, which the text calls “the second death.” The text doesn’t elaborate on the exact nature of this penalty or whether it’s the same for all who experience it.
Indeed, I would argue that the fact that the text specifically associates being tormented “day and night, forever and ever” with Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet strongly implies that they suffer a fate that is different than the rest of those who enter the lake. Otherwise, why the distinction? If the author of Revelation meant for us to understand that all who enter the lake will be eternally tormented, he could have placed the statement “and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” at the end of the passage, writing something like: “And all who were cast into the lake of fire will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” As it’s written, however, the passage seems to make a distinction in the fate of Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet.
For another possible substantiation of this, witness the fact that, whereas the dead are judged before the Great White Throne, we never see Satan, the Beast, or the False Prophet stand for judgment. Revelation 19:20-21 tells us that, at the Second Coming of Christ, the Beast and the False Prophet are “seized…and thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone,” whereas those who followed them “were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse” (that is, Christ). In Revelation 20:7-10, following the Kingdom Age, Satan leads a great host against the city of God, with the result that his followers are destroyed and he is cast into the lake of fire. Again, we do not see any kind of intervening judgment here.
The Issue of Symbolism in the Text
I believe it’s crucial to note that Revelation 20:10 is the only text in all of scripture that actually employs phraseology linking torment to an eternal state, whereas many other passages describe the ultimate fate of the condemned in the language of “death” and “destruction”—language that appears to imply the eternal cessation of conscious life, as those who hold to the view of annihilationism—also known as ‘conditionalism’ or ‘conditional immortality’—maintain. On the other hand, those who hold the view of eternal, conscious torment—sometimes also called ‘traditionalism’ or ‘the traditional view’—frequently argue that these terms are metaphorical, and actually describe a state of ‘living death,’ a degraded or sub-human state of being, or a condition of on-going but never fully actualized destruction, as the condemned are eternally separated from the goodness and life-giving presence of God.
A detailed study of these terms and how they’re used in scripture is beyond the scope of this article. I would recommend that interested persons avail themselves of the resources available at the following site for detailed examinations of specific passages and how various terms are used in them. In short, as an adherent of conditional immortality, I believe that terms like “death” and “destruction,” when used in reference to the final fate of the condemned, do in fact mean the actual cessation of conscious existence, making hell a place of execution rather than a torture chamber.
If this is correct, then one of two things must be true about Revelation 20:10:
1. The language of eternal, conscious torment cannot be literal but must be symbolic.
2. As previously suggested, Revelation 20:10 represents an exception of some sort (potentially applying only to Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet).
In regard to the first possibility, traditionalists might balk at the idea that the “plain language” of this verse could actually be symbolic rather than literal, but as I noted previously, traditionalists routinely argue that the language of “death” and “destruction”—which conditionalists believe to be quite plain—is actually symbolic, so they should not be too quick to dismiss the idea outright. Indeed, the book of Revelation falls into the category of apocalyptic literature, and as such is full of symbolism, including where the fate of the condemned is concerned.
In Revelation 20:14, following the final judgment, John sees death and Hades thrown into the lake of fire, and makes this comment: “This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Wherever they fall on the idea of eternal, conscious torment, most Bible commentators acknowledge that “death” and “Hades” must be symbolic references in this passage. In verse 13, they are described as giving up the dead for judgment. We don’t see death and Hades standing for judgment themselves, however; instead, it’s their inhabitants that must stand for judgment, and these inhabitants are removed from death and Hades to the place of judgment for that purpose. Why two empty locations should be uprooted and thrown into a third location is a question the strict literalist must answer here.
Furthermore, why are the dead in two locations to begin with? Most theologians and Bible teachers who advocate a conscious state of the dead and eternal, conscious torment as the ultimate fate of the unrighteous, argue that Hades is the location of disembodied spirits awaiting judgment. If this is the case, then why are both death and Hades giving up the dead “which were in them” in this passage? Indeed, as written, the passage seems to indicate that the dead are actually in three locations, as the sea is said to give up its dead as well, apart from death and Hades. Note that the sea is not cast into the lake of fire along with death and Hades, however, suggesting once again that “death and Hades” are symbolic terms and do not apply to actual, physical locations.
For one last consideration here, reflect that “death” comes riding a horse at the opening of the fourth seal in Revelation 4:7-8, and “Hades” follows with him. These are clearly personifications of death and the grave, a type of anthropomorphic symbolism: “death” kills and “Hades” collects those who are slain by death, which is why Hades is said to be following (or riding behind) death. Imagine, if you will, a warrior riding along cutting people down with his sword, and another rider following him to gather up the bodies of the slain. Traditionalists sometimes argue that “death” takes the body, while “Hades” receives the spirit, and the two give up their individual components to allow a whole resurrected person to stand for judgment, but I see two complications with that view. First, as I will explain shortly, this imagery seems to have more to do with the New Testament’s concept of physical corruption as the evidence of death’s victory over mankind than with the fate of any sort of immaterial aspect of man. Second, once again, the sea is said to give up its own dead apart from death and Hades, so literalists must ask themselves whether the sea somehow entombs both the bodies and spirits of those who die there. Nor does this explain why two empty locations—death and Hades—are thrown into a third location, whereas the sea is exempt.
For these reasons, it is at least plausible to view the lake of fire as symbolic, meaning that the “second death”—whether annihilation or eternal, conscious torment—is the reality behind the symbol.
Many evangelicals resist the idea that the lake of fire is symbolism, arguing: “If the Bible says there’s fire there, then there’s fire there,” and it may well be that fire is involved. On the other hand, scripture often uses fire and burning as representations of final, consuming judgments that are not limited to actual fire. For example, in II Kings 22, King Josiah sends men to inquire of the Lord concerning the fate that lies in store for Judah. The reply they receive reads (in part): “Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath burns against this place and it shall not be quenched” (22:17). In Jeremiah 7:20, God tells the people of Judah that their idolatry and other forms of wickedness have turned him against them: “Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and on beast and on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched.”
Literal fire was indeed a part of the judgments that fell on Israel and Judah. Most famously, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar burned the temple and much of Jerusalem, just as the Romans later did in AD 70. Fire was only part of the equation in these examples, however, and it was mostly directed at the works and buildings in the lands under judgment. The people of Israel and Judah fell to famine, the ordinary physical weapons of the day (most notably “the edge of the sword”), and were carried off into captivity as part of God’s “burning” judgments against them, but we’re not told that the people themselves were actually burned (although it’s almost certain that many of their corpses were burned). See my article on Revelation 14:9-11 for a detailed study of “fire” and “unquenchable fire” in biblical judgment language.
The incident with Sodom, Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain in Genesis 19 is really the only example we have in scripture of judgment purely by fire on a land and its population, and that was a direct judgment of God, coming without the use of any sort of human agency. In the New Testament, Jude tells us that these cities “are exhibited as an example of undergoing the judgment of eternal fire” (Jude 1:7), so it may well be that God’s direct wrath will come in the form of actual flames. Even if this is so, however, note that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are no longer burning, so if they are truly examples of what it means to undergo the judgment of eternal fire, then “eternal fire” must mean a fire that utterly consumes its target but does not go on burning forever. The comparison fails otherwise. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were completely destroyed and have never been rebuilt—hence the “eternal” aspect of the judgment. They were permanently destroyed, and Jude says this is comparable to the fate that awaits the condemned following the Final Judgment. “Eternal” fire produces eternal destruction, not in the sense of ongoing destruction, but in the sense of permanent destruction, with no hope of restoration.
“Death” as an Enemy
We’ve already seen that scripture sometimes personifies death, symbolically treating it as an entity. In Psalm 18:4-5, David writes “The chords of death encompassed me…the snares of death confronted me,” as if death were an enemy lying in wait to capture him. Death is said to have “chambers” in Proverbs 7:27 and “gates” in Job 38:17, and Psalm 9:13; 107:18. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says that “the gates of Hades” will not withstand his church: that is, hold captive those who believe in him. Thus, death is seen as a type of jailer who holds the dead captive in Hades. As we’ve already seen, in Revelation 4:7-8 death comes riding a horse, with Hades following after him. This casts an interesting light on Revelation 9:6, where we’re told that those who fall under the plagues of God “will seek death,” but that “death flees from them.” Death is thus personified as refusing to take these people. The apostle Paul also personifies death in I Corinthians 15:25-26: “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” Here, Paul calls death an “enemy” that will be subdued by Christ when all of creation is reconciled to God (see the entire chapter for the wider context of death and resurrection).
To “trample” someone “underfoot” was common language used in the ancient world to describe total triumph over an enemy,[1] and scripture tells us in a number of places that the wicked will eventually be trampled under the feet of the righteous, taking the form of “ashes”: that is, the remains of a thing that has been burned up. In Psalm 18, David says: “I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and I did not turn back until they were consumed. I shattered them so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.” In Malachi 4:3, the Lord says: “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing.” In Romans 16:20, the apostle Paul writes: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan beneath your feet.” Speaking of God’s works in the ancient world, Peter remarks “He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter” (II Peter 2:6).
The personification of death as an enemy, and as being cast into fire along with Hades at the Final Judgment, is thus seen to be consistent with wider scriptural themes regarding the end of God’s enemies: they are subjugated, burned to ashes, and trampled underfoot. Indeed, the Greek word translated “abolished” in I Corinthians 15:26, where Paul speaks of death being “abolished,” is katargeo, which Vines Expository Dictionary defines as follows: “‘to reduce to inactivity’ (kata, ‘down,’ argos, ‘inactive’)”. Examples of its usage in scripture include “destroy” (I Corinthians 6:13), “use up” (Luke 13:7), and “nullify” (Romans 3:3). In other words, it has to do with rendering a thing powerless: language consistent with subjugating an enemy.
In the Final Judgment, death and Hades surrender the dead like defeated enemies giving up spoils and prisoners of war. The dead are judged, the condemned are cast into the lake of fire—“which is the second death”—and then death and Hades are cast into the lake of fire as well. Death itself is effectively “put to death” in this manner, along with the other enemies of God; and, having being slain, can never again claim another victim. In the same manner, Hades—death’s prison, if you like—will never hold another prisoner. Both the jailer and his prison are destroyed here. Those who are slain in the Final Judgment are not taken away and imprisoned by death again; they are permanently slain by God. Hades being destroyed along with death is yet another means of symbolizing the finality of this judgment. Once the trial is over, and the condemned are sentenced to death, the prison they were held in is no longer needed. This is imagery consistent with capital punishment all throughout history: once the condemned individual has been executed, the prisoner’s body is disposed of, not taken back to his or her cell.
Escape from Death and Corruption
In his famous Pentecost sermon of Acts 2, the apostle Peter indicts the Jews in Jerusalem for killing the Lord Jesus, and then comments: “But God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:24). The Greek word translated “agony” in this passage is odin, which appears three additional times in the New Testament, where it is translated as “travail,” “birth pains,” or “birth pangs.” The word translated “to be held in its power” is krateo, which Strong’s defines as meaning: “to use strength…seize or retain (literally or figuratively) …hold, keep, lay hold on.” The sense of this word is thus to completely overpower and subdue something, and thereby retain one’s grip on it. Per Jesus’ own words in John 10:17-18, his life was not taken from him; he willingly gave it up. Thus, death did not take Christ and make a prisoner of him: he willingly surrendered to it for a time and then took up his life again when the Father resurrected him.
The ultimate proof of death’s power and victory over someone is the process of corruption: that is, the decay of the flesh in the grave. In Acts 2:27, Peter, after having spoken of how it was impossible for death to forcefully hold Christ, applies Psalm 16:10 to him: “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol [Hades]; nor will you allow your Holy One to undergo decay.” This is an aspect of the Hebrew conception of death that makes the resurrection of Lazarus particularly significant, for Christ raised him after he had been dead four days and the process of decay had begun (John 11:39). By raising Lazarus, Jesus reversed the decay process, thereby depriving “death and Hades” of one whom they had completely defeated and imprisoned. Thus, because he willingly laid down his life and never underwent decay, Christ was never totally defeated by “death and Hades” in the same manner as the rest of mankind. Corruption is how death “holds” mankind “in its power.”
In Ephesians 4:8, the apostle Paul tells us that, “when he [Christ] ascended on high, he led captive a host of captives.” This could be more literally rendered “he captured captives” or “led captive captivity.” In other words, Christ overcame death and spoiled him, capturing all of death’s captives. Now, Christ has command over the dead, as he himself says in Revelation 1:18: “I was dead, and, behold, I am alive forevermore; and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” Speaking of the resurrection in I Corinthians 15:52-55, Paul says: “The dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” This is a quotation from Hosea 13:14, which reads: “Where is thy penalty, O death? O Hades, where is thy sting?” (Brenton Septuagint). Death is overcome because the dead are released through resurrection; Hades is overcome because the corruption (decay) by which it held the dead is reversed when “this perishable puts on the imperishable.” In other words, following the resurrection, the righteous will neither die nor decompose anymore.
Death as Pain
Typically, we think of the sufferings of Christ as ending when he died, but as we saw in Acts 2, Peter associated the end of his suffering with his resurrection: “But God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death.” Again, the Greek word rendered “agony” here has to do with birth pains.
Scripture tells us that all who die will ultimately rise again, either “to everlasting life” or “to disgrace and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). For this reason, what we might call “the first death” (as distinguished from “the second death” following Final Judgment) is not an end in and of itself, but is, rather, a temporary state that will lead to some ultimate result. For this reason, the birth metaphor makes sense. Peter’s comparison of death with the birth process also makes sense in light of wider New Testament teaching concerning the resurrection. For example, Paul uses similar language when he compares death and resurrection to the process of planting and harvesting crops in I Corinthians 15:35-42:
“But someone will say, ‘How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?’ You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own…so is also the resurrection of the dead” (verses 35-38, 42).
It may be objected that Paul is speaking only of the resurrection of the righteous in this passage, but I note his comment: “God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.” In other words, there is no standard-issue ‘resurrection body.’ Paul says that the type of seed planted determines what ultimately comes forth. This could easily apply to either the righteous or the wicked. Further, resurrection does not always mean glorification and immortality. For instance, although Christ was resurrected in an immortal body, Lazarus was resurrected in a mortal body. At Christ’s return, the righteous are resurrected to die and decay no more, whereas the unrighteous are resurrected only to be condemned to “the second death.”
Equating the state of death itself with a form of suffering, as Peter does, may seem counterintuitive at first, although dualists could argue that it makes sense if some immaterial aspect of man survives the death of the physical body and goes on to experience a separate conscious existence, as per the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16. If this story is a true depiction of a real afterlife, then the idea of death as pain would make sense in the case of the condemned, but not in the case of the righteous. In the story of Luke 16, Lazarus—who experienced a difficult life—is “comforted,” whereas the rich man—who lived in comfort—is “tormented.” Luke 16 presents the righteous and the wicked as undergoing separate experiences after death, and would thus make a state of torment inapplicable with regard to Christ. Some Christians argue that Christ experienced the torments of the lost as a disembodied spirit while his body lay in the tomb. I reject this idea, but a thorough study of it is beyond the scope of this article. The point I’m making here with respect to dualism is that, if the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is a true depiction of the afterlife, then the evidence suggests that the righteous and the wicked undergo radically different experiences, meaning that the death state itself does not automatically equate with pain or torment.
For this reason, I believe Peter really is (albeit metaphorically) equating the state of death with a form of suffering in light of resurrection. As with Paul’s example of a planted seed, it’s almost as if the body itself, having been planted in death, wants to be reborn and struggles to break through to new life, just as the process of birth is a struggle to bring a sort of “planted seed” into the world. A baby grows in the womb, hidden away just like a seed undergoing transformation in the ground until the time it’s finally born. Remember how David himself says to God in Psalm 139:15: “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.” Here, David refers to his mother’s womb as “the earth,” literally eretz, the same Hebrew word translated “earth” in Psalm 63:9, where David says that those who seek his life “will go into the depths of the earth,” meaning that they will die. The fact that Peter quotes David in Acts 2 with regard to Christ, strongly implies that he’s appealing to David’s death and womb imagery.
In the Old Testament, the earth is said to hold the dead, and we’re even told that it will “give birth” to them. In Isaiah 26, the prophet writes of a song that will be sung in the land of Judah during what theologians usually think of as the Kingdom Age, when God will rescue Israel from its enemies and permanently restore the fortunes of his people. Toward the end of the song, God’s people say this to him:
As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth,
She writhes and cries out in her labor pains,
Thus were we before you, O Lord.
We were pregnant, we writhed in labor,
We gave birth, as it seems, only to the wind.
We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth,
Nor were the inhabitants of the world born.
God then answers his people as follows:
Your dead will live.
Their corpses will rise.
You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy,
For your dew is as the dew of the dawn,
And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
The word translated “birth” and “born” in these two instances is the Hebrew word “nepal,” meaning “to fall” or “fall down.” In ancient times, women often gave birth standing up; so when the baby was born, it would literally fall into the hands of a midwife. Thus, the resurrection of the dead (perhaps also a metaphor for the resurrection of Israel here, as per Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones vision) is spoken of as the earth giving birth to the dead. Note that, without God’s help, Judah was struggling in the birth process but couldn’t bring anything forth. On their own, the people could neither raise the dead nor “resurrect” their nation’s fortunes. They struggled in vain. Interestingly, the same Greek word translated as “tormented” in Revelation 20:10 (basanizo) is used in Mark 6:48, where we’re told that Jesus walked to his disciples across the Sea of Galilee during a storm, and saw them “straining” at the oars with the wind against them. In other words, they were struggling without success against the power of the sea.
If we import this type of imagery into Acts 2 and Revelation 20—which seems perfectly reasonable given that the New Testament authors were building on Old Testament thinking, imagery, and prophecy—a question immediately suggests itself: If death is a struggle to be born (or reborn), then what would that imply if we remove the possibility of resurrection? What do we have if the birth struggle cannot ever actually result in birth? It seems we’re left with an eternal struggle, eternal “birth pains” that can never end, never produce a final result, just as the people of Judah complain to God in the song of Isaiah 26.[2]
Daniel’s “River of Fire” v John’s “Lake of Fire”
Revelation is not alone in describing the fate of the condemned in symbolic language. The Old Testament book of Daniel also does this, but in language that differs a bit. Some have questioned why this is, and a few have even suggested that these differences represent a contradiction; but when we consider that we’re dealing with imagery specifically designed to communicate the language of permanent destruction to a particular audience, the difficulties are easily resolved. In fact, I believe they make perfect sense.
In Daniel 10:9-11, the prophet sees a vision of the “Son of Man” and the Ancient of Days in a future time when judgment is brought against a great composite eschatological beast, which represents world kingdoms under the rule of a “little horn.”
“I kept looking until thrones were set up
And the Ancient of Days took his seat;
His vesture was like white snow
And the hair of his head like pure wool.
His throne was ablaze with flames,
Its wheels were a burning fire,
A river of fire was flowing,
And coming out from before him;
And myriads upon myriads were standing before him;
The court sat,
And the books were opened.
Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire.”
So, why does Daniel describe the fate of the Beast as being slain and cast into a burning “river” of fire, whereas John says that the Beast is cast into a “lake” of fire?
Scripture tells us that the apostle John was a fisherman by trade. Along with his brother James and father Zebedee, John fished the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Lake of Gennesaret and the Lake of Tiberias. The Sea of Galilee is a large, deep body of water for this region. It measures approximately 13 miles long by 8 miles wide. Its average depth is 84 feet, with a maximum depth of 141 feet. In the ancient world, large, deep bodies of water were mysterious and dangerous places, often used in association with death and chaos imagery, as they were unstable and no one knew what lay hidden beneath them. To cast something into the sea was to lose it forever. In Psalm 69:14, David appeals to God for deliverance, “Deliver me from the mire, and do not let me sink; may I be delivered from my foes and the deep waters.” In Proverbs 2:18, Solomon says concerning the adulterous woman, “Her house sinks down to death, and her tracks lead to the dead.” In Micah 7:19, the prophet writes concerning Israel that God will “again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Given that John was familiar with a large, deep body of water like the Sea of Galilee or Lake of Tiberius, where anything thrown or accidentally knocked overboard would be lost forever, it makes perfect sense that God would show him such imagery in association with final judgment. Those cast into the lake of fire will never be recovered, and the fire (whether literal or not) specifically represents being consumed by the judgment of God. Again, permanent death. By contrast, rivers in the land of Judah are not wide, deep bodies of water. The Jordan, with which John was intimately acquainted, can be quite deep in places where it cuts through valleys, but its width and depth are largely dependent on seasonal rains.
Daniel received his vision of final judgment when he was living in Babylon, along the Euphrates River. The Euphrates is the largest waterway in the region and makes the Jordan look like a creek by comparison. Just as John’s imagery of a lake would have been most appropriate for conveying the idea of something lost forever, Daniel’s familiarity with the mighty Euphrates would have conveyed the same imagery in a very effective manner. Thus, the contrasting experiences of these two men who received visions of final judgment adds weight to the argument that we’re dealing with revelatory imagery meant to convey the idea of the condemned being consumed by the judgment of God and lost in it forever. In fact, in the case of river imagery, one could add the idea of being “swept away” in judgment, as rivers carry things along in their currents.
The Devil Went Down to Perdition
As I’ve stated, it’s possible that Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet may experience a different fate than others who are cast into the lake of fire, hence the language in Revelation that sets them apart. It’s also possible, however, that Satan is ultimately destroyed as well, even if he is actively tormented for a longer period of time. To be fair here, we just don’t have much to go on.
There are a few Old Testament scripture passages that are thought to reference Satan at least in part, including Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. Of these two, Ezekiel 28, which is a “lament against the king of Tyre,” seems to most evidently reference a supernatural being in association with a wicked human ruler. Depending on whether you’re reading the Septuagint or the Masoretic Text, the fallen being referenced in Ezekiel 28 (who is either the guardian cherub of Eden or a companion of that being[3]), is cast down for his pride and wicked scheming, with the following result (from Brenton’s Septuagint):
Because of the multitude of thy sins and the iniquities of thy merchandise, I have profaned thy sacred things; and I will bring fire out of the midst of thee, this shall devour thee; and I will make thee to be ashes upon thy land before all that see thee. And all that know thee among the nations shall groan over thee: thou art gone to destruction, and thou shalt not exist anymore. – Ezekiel 28:18-19
If Satan is the being spoken of here, possibly in conjunction with a wicked human ruler, then his end appears to be non-existence as the result of fire that will reduce him to ashes on the earth. The destroying fire is said to be kindled from within him. Given that consuming fire is imagery related to the judgment of God in the Old Testament context, this may mean that God leads Satan to somehow bring about his own ruin. This, in turn, may be related to Paul’s statement in I Corinthians 2:8 concerning the hidden wisdom of God, “which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.” It was the sacrifice of Christ that ensured Satan’s overthrow, and may thus be the fire that God said would ultimately destroy him from within.
Some may protest that Satan is an immortal spirit being and thus cannot be destroyed, but there are a few things to keep in mind here:
First, the word “spirit” in scripture is translated in both Hebrew and Greek from words that can also mean “wind” or “breath.” These are influences that can be discerned but cannot be seen. Scripture may apply this terminology to supernatural beings because, although they are ordinarily hidden from our sight, their presence and influence can be detected just like that of wind and breath. Thus, “spirits” may indeed have some form or substance, even if they weren’t made from the earth as humans were. Just because they are called “spirits” doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t “made” of anything. God is also a spirit, of course, and does not have a physical form, but God is also a unique, self-existent being.
Second, tying in to the first point, only God is self-existent. Although they may be immortal by our standards, Satan and other supernatural entities cannot exist apart from God’s will and cannot grow beyond his power. If God chooses to destroy them, he can do so.
Third, in Psalm 82, God [Elohim] appears in the divine council (or, the council of El), and “among the gods [lesser elohim] he renders judgment,” condemning them because they have failed to uphold justice on the earth. While this is a complex subject, for the moment suffice it to say that I consider this a reference to high-ranking angelic powers who were given rulership over the nations in Deuteronomy 32:7-9, whereas God set aside Israel for himself. In judgment of these rulers, God says: “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High,’ nevertheless you will die like men and fall like any one of the princes” (Psalm 82:6-7). This appears to be a statement that certain supernatural rulers will in fact die like men, and conforms well with what we read in Isaiah 24:21-22, concerning final judgment: “So it will happen in that day that the Lord will punish the host of heaven on high, and the kings of the earth on earth. They will be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon, and will be confined in prison; and after many days they will be punished.”[4]
Thus, it is not at all out of line to suggest that Satan—again, immortal only by our standards—may eventually cease to be altogether, especially if, as these texts suggest, wicked angels and men alike face the same destiny.
“Day and Night, Forever and Ever”
Anyone who has done any in-depth Bible study whatsoever will likely have observed that the authors of scripture sometimes use hyperbole and very general statements that are difficult, if not impossible, to take literally. This is another potential caution for us where the phraseology of Revelation 20:10 is concerned. Yes, John does tell us that the torment of Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet goes on “day and night, forever and ever,” but upon further consideration of phraseology used elsewhere in Revelation (and in the New Testament as a whole, for that matter), this statement may not be as straightforward as it seems after all.
In Revelation 4, John describes a remarkable scene in heaven: a scene immediately reminiscent of Daniel’s vision of the Ancient of Days and his court in Daniel 7. John sees God seated on his throne, and around him are 24 “elders,” each seated on his own throne. Four “living creatures,” which appear to be seraphim, are seen around the throne of God, and they lead in the worship of God:
And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’ And when the living creatures give honor and glory and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast down their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created.’” – Revelation 4:8-11
Notice the text I’ve highlighted here. The way John phrases this passage, the four living creatures praise God day and night, making the same proclamation over and over again; and every time they do this, the 24 elders react by casting their crowns before the throne and adding praises of their own. John writes as if this scene repeats without end, using the same sort of phraseology found in Revelation 20:10: “day and night,” and specifying that “they do not cease.”
But now, note this:
At the opening of chapter 5, God produces a seven-sealed scroll, and an angel calls out, asking who is worthy to open the scroll and look on its contents. John weeps when no one is found to open the scroll, and then this happens: “And one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals’” (Revelation 5:5). The lion, of course, is Christ, who takes the scroll from God, and in response, we read this:
When he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for you were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” – Revelation 5:8-10
First, John tells us that the creatures do not cease to offer the same proclamation of praise to God, and whenever they do this, the elders respond in a particular way; and he writes this in such a way that, taken in isolation, it would seem that this scene repeats again and again, without end: “day and night, they do not cease.” But just a few verses later, we see that the creatures and the elders do stop this particular proclamation of praise in favor of taking up another. Furthermore, one of elders takes time out to speak to John. Following this, an innumerable company of angels joins the creatures and the elders in the praises of God and the Lamb, and they all say something slightly different, with the result that “The four living creatures kept saying ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshipped” (Revelation 5:14). The four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, and the angels of heaven react in different ways as John’s vision progresses; and another elder speaks to John in Revelation 7, concerning the great multitude that has come out of the Great Tribulation. Finally, in Revelation 8:1, we’re told that, when the Lamb opens the seventh seal, there is complete silence in heaven for thirty full minutes.
My point here is that John uses phraseology that obviously cannot be taken in a literal fashion, as this interpretation would set it at odds with other passages, some coming just a few verses later. The same may well be true of the phraseology he employs in Revelation 20:10. At the very least, this is plausible. John’s statement regarding “forever and ever” (in Greek, “unto the ages of the ages”) may simply mean an open-ended period of time: time without any defined parameters, without any set ending. As such, it may be hyperbole, a form of emphasis.
Moreover, I note here that John’s use of the phrase “day and night” in Revelation 4 is a bit odd all by itself, given that day and night are only valid in a solar, terrestrial frame of reference: in other words, from the standpoint of someone on the earth. Few would suppose that day and night exist in heaven as they do on the earth, yet John writes as if heaven is subject to the same cycle of day and night as the earth. Given that this language also appears in Revelation 20:10, should we also suppose that day and night somehow exist in the lake of fire?
As noted, we find this sort of “day and night” phraseology throughout the New Testament. In some cases, it could and probably is meant quite literally (for example: Acts 9:24), but in other cases it would be very awkward to take it literally. The following are some notable examples:
In Luke 2:36-38, Luke describes a prophetess named Anna, who was 84 years old and “never left the temple, serving day and night with fastings and prayers.” Did Anna never sleep? Or is this simply a way of emphasizing that this routine of fasting and prayer characterized her life?
In Acts 20:31, before he departs for Jerusalem, Paul reminds the brethren in Asia that “night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears,” warning them of false teachers who would eventually come after him. Again, is this a form of emphasis, highlighting that such warnings were a major part of Paul’s teachings, or do we imagine that Paul did literally nothing but cry and warn people about false teachers for three full years? After all, Paul says he “did not cease.”
In I Thessalonians 2:9 and 3:10, Paul reminds the church at Thessalonica how he and his companions “worked day and night” to keep from being a burden to them, and even now pray earnestly “day and night” that they might see the Thessalonian believers again. If Paul had really worked “day and night” to keep from being a burden in Thessalonica, when did he find time to teach? And at the time he wrote this letter, was he really doing nothing but praying for the Thessalonian believers every waking minute?
Some traditionalists have objected that the torment of Revelation 20:10 cannot be hyperbole but must literally go on without end because the same phraseology is used of God, who “lives forever and ever,” as per the proclamation of the four living creatures in Revelation 4. Since God is truly, inherently immortal, and really will go on living forever, and since the same kind of language is used with regard to the torment of Revelation 20:10, should we not therefore conclude that the torment of Revelation 20:10 really does go on without end?
In reply, I point out a few things:
First, this objection does not invalidate the examples I’ve given, especially from the book of Revelation itself. John tells us—in what appears to be the clearest possible language—that a certain cycle of praise “does not cease,” and then goes on to indicate that it does in fact cease in order to make room for other events. For this reason, and as I indicated with regard to New Testament usage of the phrase “day and night,” it’s possible for this sort of phraseology to be used both literally and figuratively. Figurative uses of this sort of language usually convey a form of emphasis.
Second, as I demonstrated with regard to how the concepts of death and resurrection are paralleled with labor and birth phraseology, it is perfectly possible for two things to be parallel without being literally parallel; or better yet, equal. With regard to Revelation 20:10, everything hinges on what “death” and “torment” mean in both the immediate context and the wider context of scripture. If torment requires consciousness, then the traditionalist has a case. If, on the other hand, the state of death itself may be considered a form of suffering, as I’ve tried to demonstrate here, then eternal torment may simply mean the eternal denial of resurrection, emphasizing that God’s judgment does not relent but is absolutely final. To phrase it succinctly: God goes on living forever, while the dead go on being dead forever.
Third, it may well be that Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet literally do suffer unending torment, but, again, this fate may be unique to them. Going strictly by the text, there is no reason to assume that anyone else suffers this fate.
Thoughts on Perception and Consciousness
One last consideration I’ll offer here has to do with the nature of perception and its relation to consciousness. As counterintuitive as it may seem, there is actually a way that a person could be subject to “eternal torment” without undergoing actual, unending physical pain. I’m wandering a bit afield of the text of scripture here, but I feel that this is an avenue worth exploring, and it may be of interest to readers who aren’t opposed to thinking outside of the box.
Perception—the ability to sense and to understand experience—is the key component of consciousness. To actually punish or torment someone, they have to be aware of what you’re doing to them, they have to be able to perceive it; and for this to happen, they must be conscious. You can beat an unconscious person all you want, and they’ll never be aware of it. By the same token, if a person dies in pain—say, in a house fire—when that person dies, they lose consciousness, and with it the ability to perceive. In a sense, for that individual, the experience never actually ends because the loss of consciousness robs them of the ability to perceive the end of the experience. Pain is thus their final or permanent condition—one might say, their eternal state. This may be another reason why Peter says that the resurrection put an end to the “birth pangs” associated with Christ’s death, as Christ died in great agony on the cross. If this agony was his final perception prior to losing consciousness in death, resurrection would have brought relief with the restoration of his consciousness.
If those condemned to the lake of fire die in some form of pain—whether due to literal fire or not—then, metaphorically speaking, they really do suffer eternal torment because death renders them unable to perceive the end of their suffering. In this way, God could very well condemn someone to a form of eternal suffering, and yet eradicate them at the same time. In fact, as I’ve explained, this would be the natural outcome for anyone who dies in pain. The only way to alleviate this would be if someone were exposed to suffering for a period of time, and then mercifully put to death after the punishment ended. I remind the reader here that John tells us that the lake of fire is “the second death.” Final death—the deprivation of life without hope of resurrection—is the point of the judgment, not any suffering that may be involved with it. Even today, a convict who faces execution may experience pain in undergoing that penalty—whatever form it takes—but the final aim is to deprive that person of his or her life.
Conclusion
In summary: If, as I’ve argued here, the New Testament authors—including John, the author of Revelation—shared the Old Testament idea of the earth as a sort of womb from which the dead will ultimately be (re)born in resurrection, then to deny the dead resurrection is effectively to leave them in travail, or the pangs of birth. This is highly symbolic language, a bit confusing to modern readers, perhaps, but entirely consistent with the overall witness of scripture and the apocalyptic symbolism of Revelation in particular. Those who would interpret Revelation 20:10 in the most literal way possible, in accordance with modern ways of thinking and writing, have other issues to grapple with in this passage (and in Revelation as a whole) that seem genuinely insurmountable. Unquestionably, there is symbolism in this passage. With this understanding in mind, the reader’s task is to separate the literal from the symbolic and then properly interpret the symbolic.
The fate of Satan, the Beast, and the False Prophet may be distinct from the fate of others who are cast into the lake of fire. At the very least, the text leaves room for this idea, especially given that they are not judged before the Great White Throne, as the great mass of humanity is judged. This suggests that the “second death” may not take the same exact form for all concerned. John may not have elaborated on the exact nature of the second death for this reason, or perhaps, as I’ve suggested, because his emphasis is on the result of Final Judgment: that is, irreversible death, rather than any suffering that may accompany it.
In my experience, when doubt is thrown on this matter of eternal torment, traditionalists often appear offended by the notion of annihilation, arguing that it’s somehow “letting the sinner off the hook,” and nothing less than eternal, conscious torment is adequate for punishing one who has offended God. I tend to think that God’s perception of what constitutes justice for offending him is more important than our perception of it, however. If God determines that annihilation is the most appropriate punishment for sin, then annihilation does in fact satisfy the requirements of divine justice—because God says it does, and he is the highest authority on the matter. Furthermore, to be dead is not “getting by with something”; it’s missing out on everything. Scripture promises eternal blessings to those who are reconciled to God through Christ, and those condemned to the second death will be deprived of all of these things, without hope of reprieve. Christ himself thought this is a significant enough aspect of the penalty of eternal judgment that he expressed it to the Jews this way:
“I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 8:11-12
Weeping is obviously associated with the sorrow of loss here. Traditionalists usually assume that Jesus’ description of “gnashing of teeth” has to do with physical torment, but Jesus’ use of it in Matthew 8 seems to be a direct reference to Psalm 112, where the psalmist writes concerning the blessings of the righteous. Among other things, the psalmist says that the righteous “will be remembered forever” (v 6) and “will be exalted in honor” (v 9). The psalmist then writes that the wicked will see the blessings and exaltation of the righteous and be angered: “The wicked will see it and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and melt away. The desire of the wicked will perish” (v 10).
Thus, I believe the anguish Christ describes in Matthew 8:11-12 stems from irreparable loss rather than physical pain, as the wicked see themselves forever barred from the kingdom of God, which was the enduring hope of the Jews. The apostle Paul refers to this great hope of the Jews in Acts 26:6-8, where he comments: “And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our forefathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God, day and night.” This is also likely what Jesus depicts the rich man as undergoing at the sight of Lazarus being comforted in Abraham’s bosom in Luke 16 (once again, fire being a metaphor for the judgment of God). The rich man is not only cast out himself, losing his own hope, but he is also deprived of the hope that his brothers will avoid the same fate.
Whatever form the punishment of the lake of fire ultimately takes, I think we can all agree with the author of Hebrews, who wrote:
“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
***
Unless otherwise specified, all scriptures used here are taken from the NASB.
[1] See the flag of the state of Virginia, with its motto Sic Semper Tyrannus (“Thus Always to Tyrants”) for an example of this imagery.
[2] Just as we saw previously, the wicked will ultimately be “shattered,” reduced to dust under the feet of God’s people. Interestingly, in Daniel 12:2 an angel informs Daniel that the dead “sleep in the dust of the earth.” The dead are said to sleep because, ultimately, a sleeper will awaken; the dead will ultimately rise to life again. However, for those eventually slain, “crushed,” “tread down,” made “ashes under the soles of the righteous,” in the Final Judgment, there will be no waking, no birth.
[3] For further study, see the author’s article here: The Creation Controversy, Part 11: The Other Realm and the Other Fall.
[4] For more on the divine council worldview, see The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Lost Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael Heiser, or this video by the author: Cosmic Geography, the Divine Council, and Wars of the Gods.
