Unbelievers Lives And The Lake Of Fire

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Hi L____,
Thank you for your question.
You ask:

The short answer to that question is: yes, you are right, the things the world goes through is going to have a purpose for them at some point, and that ‘point’ is in the “lake of fire”.
The book of Revelation coins the phrase “the lake of fire”, but the concept of the lake of fire appears way back in Isaiah, and is actually found throughout God’s Word. Isaiah knew what it meant to “dwell in fire”, and he knew very well who would be at home in that fire.

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

How many men “walk righteously and speak uprightly”? They are few indeed. The “lake” is a lake because it is the very “few chosen” whose number is so very small when compared to the vastness of the oceans and the seas of humanity. The “fire” of that lake is ‘fire’ because it is the word of God in the mouths of those few chosen, who were participants in the fire we are now living in as we are being judged now.

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

God’s fiery word is working in “the house of God” at this very moment in exactly the same way it will work in all of mankind in that period we know as “the lake of fire”.

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day 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 [ the lake of fire].

That little ‘lake’ will be used by God to purify the waters of every ‘ocean’ and every ‘sea’ on earth.

Rev 19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

The lake of fire is “burning with brimstone.” It is no coincidence that this Greek word comes from a word connected with God. Here is what Strong’s Concordance has to say about this Greek word which is translated ‘brimstone’.

G2303
θειον
theion
thi’- on
Probably neuter of G2304 (in its original sense of flashing); sulphur: – brimstone.
It is the Greek word ‘theion’ and it is derived from the Greek word theios
G2304
θειος
theios
thi’- os
From G2316; godlike (neuter as noun, divinity): – divine, godhead.

The few who comprise the “lake of fire” are the Christ of Christ, the anointed of the Anointed, and in Obadiah they are called “Saviors”.

Oba 1:21  And saviour s shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

“The kingdom shall be the Lord’s”, but it will also be “His Christ’s kingdom”.  “His Christ” is spoken of on several occasions in the New Testament.

Act 4:26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Christ’s Christ, according to Christ, is the same as Christ’s body.

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Col 1:24 Now, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly, (REV)
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.

This “boldness in the day of judgment” is here and now for those who will make up that lake of fire.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy [ are ye]; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or [ as] a thief, or [ as] an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
1Pe 4:16  Yet if [ any man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end [ be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?

There is the answer to your question. God’s judgment doesn’t end with us. We are merely the beginning of this great work of grace. It is through us, the body of Christ, that God will fill up the all in all.

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

“The church which is His body” is the fullness of Christ, who fills His Father, who will become “all in all”.

1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

What an incredible calling! What greater honor can be bestowed on any man?

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

But let us be honest. The fire of 1Pe 4:12 and the judgment of verse 17 is ruthless to our flesh, and will burn up any and everything contrary to the fires of those words. Those fires are so severe that it takes physical death itself to complete and perfect that work. These are our Lord’s own words.

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Some of us think Christ was speaking in hyperbole, but the Truth is that even His flesh and blood was not good enough to inherit the kingdom of God.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

So Christ tells us of himself:

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

So the fire of the lake of fire is the Word of God, and since that Word never changes and never passes away, it will be the very same fire then as it is now, and all men of all time will endure those very same spiritual flames. The scriptures are super clear on this subject. All men have the same common experience. The lessons of the trials of this life simply are not sinking into the hearts and minds of all men at this time in the age of this world.

Isa 42:25  Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.

We all live all of these words, and we are all “set on fire round about, yet not knowing it”, but we do not all realize this truth at the same time. It is few indeed who are given by God’s grace to endure the fiery trials of the last plagues of God and not say “Those are ‘things written therein’ which are not for me. Those are words and things written for a man who is far worse than I am. I have volunteered to be in the fire, and I have chosen to serve God, and therefore I will not endure the wrath of God.” That is what 99 and 44/100  percent of mankind believes about the Words of the book of Revelation. But that does not change the truth of these Words of God.

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

You ask:

The Bible speaks clearly on these topics, and I wrote a couple of papers in 1999 which deal with this subject. Both are in the Essential Reading section in the upper left corner of the home page. The first is The Law of Moses Versus The Law of The Spirit. The other is After The Counsel of His Own Will. Both of those papers deal extensively with the purpose and function of the lake of fire. The Truth is that the lake of fire will be, in the end, the greatest work of God’s grace in all of His dealings with His creatures. God’s elect die in this age of flesh and blood. They die to the flesh first. The lake of fire is called “the second death” for that reason. So in Truth, the lake of fire is the salvation of all who are not part of that “blessed and holy first resurrection”.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

A very dear brother just pointed this verse in Ecclesiastes out to me. This is a verse I will be quoting quite frequently in the future:

Ecc 3:14  I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever [ age abiding]. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.
Ecc 3:15  That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past.

For those who can receive it, God is doing everything, and He is doing it all “after the counsel of His own will”.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

As fantastic as it is for the human mind to comprehend, the Truth nevertheless is that God has had all of the days of our lives “written in His book, long before there were any of of them”, and long before there were any of us.

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.

So then, according to Ecc 3:14, “Whatever God does is age abiding”, and according to Eph 1:11 God is working all things, and according to Psa 139:16, He has had it all planned out and “written in His book” before any of us were ever born. This all accords with all the rest of scripture which teaches that God “called us in Christ before the world began.”

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

I will close with an incredible verse of scripture that tells us that God really is doing what He has always done and is simply in the process of saving all men in the very same fashion and through “one event”. I hope this all helps you to see that God is using the exact same event to save those who will be purified in the lake of fire, as he is using to purify us at this time through the “fiery trials” which “begin at the house of God.” I hope this helps you to see that…

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.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

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