Audio Download

Rev 21:4-8 The Lake of Fire and The Great Innumerable Multitude, Part 2

[Study Aired July 13, 2025]

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

We concluded our last study posing the question: “To just what extent is Christ reconciling the world to Himself?”

These are the last verses we quoted:

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us [aorist tense], to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us [aorist tense] the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation [of the world to Christ].

Let’s look at the previous verse:

2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

What were we just told? If I am not to know you after the flesh, how am I to know you? We are never left to guess about these matters. In words that are clearly understood, we are told how we are now to know each other in Christ.

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him [the angel showing John these things]. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

To make sure we do not miss this great revelation, and to confirm that it will shortly come to pass, this great Truth is repeated in chapter 22:

Rev 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book:  worship God.

So we are now to see each other as angels of God who are sent to show these things to our brothers in Christ. We are to see this primarily as a present reality, as well as being true in John’s day and as being true in the future.

Revelation 22:8-9 is just another way of saying what Paul said in:

Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

“By the church” means by you and by me, and if you think you are too insignificant to have a part in making all men to see the fellowship of the mystery “which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God”, listen to how Paul felt about being given this same gift:

Eph 3:8  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

That angel which showed John “the unsearchable riches of Christ” signifies all who comprise the whole church. It is “by the church”, meaning “every joint” of the church, that “all men” will eventually see “what is the fellowship of this mystery”, and it is “by the church” that all men will be made to “know the manifold wisdom of God.”

Let’s go back one chapter to see just how clearly the holy spirit wants this unity of His body to be made.

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

“The ages to come” is referring to your age and my age as well as all the ages of the lake of fire. It is “by the church”, meaning the whole church, “every joint” supplying a part, that these words have been written, and it is by these written words that we are all brought to this understanding. We are admonished to never “think above that which is written”, but we are also told that every part of His body contributes to “the edifying of itself in love.”

1Co 4:6  Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written, so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other. (ACV)

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

There is an Old Testament story which makes this point very clearly. It is the story of what happened to David and his men during the period when King Saul, signifying Babylon the Great, was seeking to kill David and his men. David and his men had been living with a Philistine king named Achish. Achish had recruited David and his six hundred men to fight with the Philistines against King Saul, but the rest of the princes of the Philistines refused to let David go up to the battle with them fearing that David would turn against them during the battle. David and his company had left their wives and families in a Philistine city under the rule of Achish. The name of that city was Ziglag. When David and his men were sent back to Ziglag they found that the Amalekites, who King Saul claimed he had destroyed, had taken the whole city captive and had burned the city to the ground. David and His people were grief stricken and some of them blamed David for the loss of their families. David inquired of the Lord and the Lord told him to pursue the Amalekites. Two hundred of the six hundred “were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.”

1Sa 30:9  So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
1Sa 30:10  But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
1Sa 30:11  And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;
1Sa 30:12  And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
1Sa 30:13  And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.
1Sa 30:14  We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
1Sa 30:15  And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.
1Sa 30:16  And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
1Sa 30:17  And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
1Sa 30:18  And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
1Sa 30:19  And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
1Sa 30:20  And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.
1Sa 30:21  And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
1Sa 30:22  Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
1Sa 30:23  Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
1Sa 30:24  For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
1Sa 30:25  And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

Christ’s church is also His body, and in His body the little toe of His foot is just as much a part of His body as the arms and legs. It is “by the [whole] church” that the manifold wisdom of God will be made known to “all men”:

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

So God is in the process of “reconciling the [whole] world unto Himself, and He is not imputing their trespasses unto them.” This is being done “by the church”, the whole church, even those who are not up front in the heat of the battle. “They [too] shall take part alike.”

1Sa 30:24  For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.

The Lord wants us all to know that “as He is in this world, so are we”:

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. [Every one of us]

We all struggle just to accept those words. The whole world sees our Savior as a babe in the manger; as a twelve year old child asking and answering the questions of the doctors and lawyers of the law in the temple; as a traveling evangelist, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead; as that man who fed the hungry multitudes, and finally they see Him as our dying Savior on the cross. However, we are no longer to see him that way. The Lord we know is no longer in a body of flesh in any of those capacities. He is now seated at the right hand of His Father with all power in heaven and in earth and we are seated right there with Him at the right hand of His Father.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

It is a rare person who even understands that if “all power” is now in Christ’s hands, why is there still evil in this world? Could it be that Christ is actually actively involved in the process of sending strong delusion via the dragon, the beast and the false prophet? Have we not all been deceived by this trio?

Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

Who was it who had us deceived?

Eze 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Does any of this refer to God’s saints? Yes, it does. The fact is that all of this is written, at this time, only for God’s saints. God’s words are not even designed, at this time to be understood by those who are not given to see and understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God in this present age.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Even the Lord’s elect are by His design first overcome and deceived by the lies of the adversary:

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him [the beast within us] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

It is only by believing and by “living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” that we are prepared by God and are proven and qualified to become the merciful, loving and caring kings and priests we are intended to be.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

It is in this very reassuring spirit that our Lord continues to comfort us with these words:

Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

These words of comfort apply “specially to them that believe”:

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

They are also meant for all men “each in his own order”, who will all come up through great tribulation and will be given “the water of life freely”:

Rev 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Rev 7:11  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 7:12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 7:16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

This is what the scriptures teach?

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

The wages of sin is death, and death is slated to be destroyed by “the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Do the wages of sin come only upon some men? How absurd! The wages of sin come upon all “in Adam.” So we are told:

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

It is “as in Adam [that] all die”, and just as all die in Adam, “even so in Christ, shall all be made alive.” It is through this “lake which burns with fire and brimstone” that all men will be saved.

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day [of judgment] shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Here is what Strong’s Concordance reveals about this word ‘brimstone’.

G2303
θειον
theion
thi’- on
Probably neuter of G2304 (in its original sense of flashing); sulphur: – brimstone.

When we look up this G2304, the Greek root of this word ‘theion‘, this is what we find.

G2304
θειος
theios
thi’- os
From G2316; godlike (neuter as noun, divinity): – divine, godhead.

So “brimstone” or ‘theion‘ is “godlike” and “divine”; and what is God?

Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

The only thing “our God” consumes is all the “wood, hay, and stubble” which signifies all the lying, self-righteous, false doctrines in our lives, and “through [that] fire” we are being “saved” by learning to love God and keep His commandments:

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day [of judgment] shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward [Rule with Christ a thousand years and judge angels in the lake of fire, (Rev 20:1-6)].
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. [‘Fire’ does indeed torment and destroy our old man but it saves our new man]

“Our God is a consuming fire” but that ‘fire’ is His love toward us:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth [with His fiery Word, (Jer 5:14)] every son whom he receiveth.

1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

How long does his mercy last?

Psa 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Is His mercy just for believers?

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

For this present time His mercy is only being shed on those who believe and obey the Lord. After the thousand-year reign of “the Lord and His Christ” there will be what Christ called “the resurrection of judgment”, the resurrection of the great white throne judgment, and through that fiery judgment life will be given to all men.

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [G2920: ‘krisis’, judgment, “according to their works”, (Rev 20:12-13)].

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now we can begin to understand why this second judgment is called a “great white throne judgment.” It is a ‘godlike’ merciful judgment. It is not called ‘a great black throne.’ It is a great white throne.’ Christ died for the ungodly, not just for believers, and He did so while we were yet in our sins.

Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

“This mercy of [ours]” is coming to the very unbelievers ‘through whose unbelief we are given this mercy.’ It will be given to them through the very same “one event”, and the same “goodness of God” experience through which “one event” you and I have been “shown mercy”.

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

This is not contrasting Jews with Gentiles. The contrast here is between “the righteous and the wicked… the good and the sinner”, and we are plainly told “All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked”, and we are “yet sinners” before we become aware of any of this.

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

It is as “the fearful and the unbelievers” that Christ died for us. It is in that state that the apostle Paul poses this question:

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

The answer to this question is a resounding, yes! At first we all despise “the goodness of God which brings us to repentance.” We despise it so much that we are brought “to our wits’ end” by that very “goodness”. Here is that “goodness of God” which Paul speaks of in Romans 2:4.

Psa 107:21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
Psa 107:23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
Psa 107:24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psa 107:25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28 Then [and only then] they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30 Then [and only then] are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness [His chastening grace, (Heb 12:6)], and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

It is with this hope set before us that through all the trials and tribulations which we endure on a daily basis, we can still say with the apostle:

Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

2Th 1:4  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
2Th 1:5. Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will begin to see that it is only “in the spirit” that we are able to see and understand that we are “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.