Ever want to hit your forehead and say dAh!

[marie glen]

This morning I was pondering lake of fire.. lake of fire...

..."such a strange thing" I thought.

Not only what is it.. but where is it..?

I'm sure this has been brought up and posted elsewhere in tentmaker forums, and in articles.. But it finally dawned on me, and two verses came together.. 2 Peter 3:10 - refers to the Day of the LORD which we always (or I always) take to mean the day of judgments on the nations when men's empire(s) fall away, and Jesus returns and ushers in the Kingdom on Earth.

But 2 Peter 3:10 says "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." -- which I think of as the day when the Father becomes all in all. (I almost thought I heard Him say/think toward me, "I sent you tons of clues you dummy.."

I've long believed the fire Jesus returns in is a result of man's splitting of the atom. I see it huge in Bible prophecy (tho we're in 'the pause of it right now while.. well, rev 7:1; see? 13:13; 6:12-17). I've even thought of thermonuclear, etc? as lake of fire.. destroys.

But also thinking now it makes new.. will occur, and is what occurs when Yahweh becomes "all in all" - At end of Judgment 'Day' it's "okay, making everything new now.. here comes the fire.." ...2nd death of the works of this Earth - i hope He makes it new (over/again?) as is.. grand canyon.. the alps.. etc, etc.. 2nd death of any so hard of heard (so self trained into it) that they've not been reconciled yet.. and which hurts not those who have.. (babbling a little here, I know.. no time to edit..)
:Peace2: :gsmile:

[sheila]

the fire that comes down from heaven..in Rev 20;9...is as a wall of fire around the camp of the city He loves..it only destroys the adversaries

that surround it..  the camp of the Holy city is mankind with the free gift of eternal life/promised spirit poured out on all flesh/due to be

raised up in incorruption. to the adversaries it is a lake of fire that burns up and consumes all the evil works of the devil to stop God's and

  Christ's purpose .     no weapon formed against you shall succeed.

[Ross]

2 Peter 3;10 " But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, 
                     in which the heavens will pass away with a rushing noise,
                     the elements will melt I the intense heat,
                     and the earth AND IT'S WORKS  will be exposed.."

2 peter 3;12,13  " Waiting for, and hastening, the coming day of God,
                     because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved,
                     and the elements will melt in the intense heat.
                    But according to His promise we are waiting for NEW heavens and NEW earth,
                     in which righteousness dwells."

Interesting that when smelting away dross from gold there is intense heat which melts the gold and all the rubbish floats to the surface where it is removed. The spiritual life to come is way greater than the power which splits an atom. Ergo, I.M.O the spiritual smelts away the dross of the physical limitations to a much greater way of life than the flesh can conceive/understand/comprehend.
New heaven, new earth- when something is new that something has not been there yet, EVER.
The things to come exceed the present-the spirit exceeds the flesh, the old has literally become new.
Amazing, to me, that all this type of discussion seems to highlight the power of the cross which is stripping away the weakness of the flesh right before our very eyes.
Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
Love literally conquers all. Just like loving a child gives them security in the face of adversity, we are loved beyond the ability of the flesh to fathom.
Definitely good to chat about the future in a positive way.
H.A.N.D

[marie glen]

Amen, fire purifies. But Earth's fires, and fiery judgments, are of course, mere shadows of the ultimate fire which is Him for "our God is a consuming fire". (Though thermonuclear in a way is somewhat like a lake of fire.. or maybe all fire is..? but especially if it should ignite oil in the middle east)

I'm sure many here have realized or thought the "lake of fire" of Revelation 20, is none other than God's Spirit at the "all in all". A consuming fire, the very act of "all in all" (when Yahweh, our Father becomes "all in all") as being the lake of fire.

But for a long while I was focused only upon how death and the grave are thrown to the lake of fire and are completely consumed, for we know they cease to be. "The last enemy destroyed is death." My focus was on how death and the grave will be annihilated, therefor I figured no humans would go to the lake of fire, it being annihilation. Thus none going there, for "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Jesus is Lord".

Then after discussions here, I began to see the possibility that some humans - very hard cases, who will not repent even after experiencing being resurrected.. and witnessing Judgment 'Day' - the Great White Throne Judgment - will still not believe/have their names written in the book of Life.. so would spend some time or experience in the lake of fire..

I still actually waffle back and forth between the two.. that no humans will go to the lake of fire.. only the reprobate angels who were locked into judgement (not able to reverse their course) would be purified via the lake of fire ("age-during").. Or two, that some humans will need to go there.. where? is the LOF, was my pondering.. It's no where.. and every where? :HeartThrob: