What is destroyed in LOF?

[meefsgirl]

If the Lake of Fire is for purification and cleansing, what is 'it' exactly that is destroyed, or purified and cleansed from mankind in the LOF?

I do know that God is that fire and that it is not a literal lake of literal fire.

Is man resurrected with the flesh nature still intact (if that is what is eventually destroyed by fire)?

[Doug]

If the Lake of Fire is for purification and cleansing, what is 'it' exactly that is destroyed, or purified and cleansed from mankind in the LOF?

I do know that God is that fire and that it is not a literal lake of literal fire.

Is man resurrected with the flesh nature still intact (if that is what is eventually destroyed by fire)?

Daniel foretold the resurrection of the dead at the end of the age. Some are to rise to "shame and everlasting contempt." [Dan. 12:2] What would be the purpose of that, unless it is to convict them of their sins? 

Jesus warned the Jews who failed to respond to his signs and miracles about the future judgment. To be raised from the grave in the judgment will be a very enlightening experience. Jesus said the people of Sodom and Nineveh will rise with Jews who lived centuries later, and wonder why they failed to accept Jesus as their savior. [Mat. 11:20-24; Luke 10:12-15] Jesus said it will be more tolerable for some, than others. [Mat. 11:24]

Jesus spoke of a resurrection of life, and a resurrection of judgment. [John 5:8-9]

Jesus said that his words (the scriptures) will judge those who reject his message. [John 12:48]

The Spirit, Jesus said, will "reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." [John 16:7-12]

In the judgment, the delusions, the "covering cast over all people," that have veiled the minds of people to the truth, are destroyed. [Isa. 25:7-8] Paul said the "god of this world" has blinded the minds of unbelievers. [2 Cor. 4:4]

In the judgment, all violence will end. [Isa. 11:9; Isa. 65:25] People will learn about sin, and about the gospel. They will be enlightened by Christ. [John 1:9, 29] Jesus and his saints are to judge the world. [Acts 17:31; 1 Cor. 6:2]

The apostle Paul said the resurrection of the dead applies to everyone. [Acts 24:14-15] The secrets of men will be judged. [Rom. 2:14-17; 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10]

Peter said judgment is upon the saints now. [1 Pet. 4:17] It is a pattern for the future judgment of the world, when all things will be gathered together in Christ. [Eph. 1:10] Peter said "the day of judgment" is when the unjust will be punished.  [2 Pet. 2:9]

HTH, Doug

[jesushandsarekindhands]

I found this online, it helped me understand a lot about the subject.






The Lake Burning with Fire and Brimstone
Over the last several months I've been researching the doctrine called the "Restoration of All Things" or "Christian Universalism". It is, at its most basic, the belief that because of the sacrifice of Christ, all of humanity is ultimately saved and will ultimately come into relationship and life forever with Him. There are several scriptures that seem to indicate this is true. However, in order to "balance" what I had been studying on this, I decided to research scripture concerning Hell and Judgment. In my research though, I've come across information that is challenging my traditional Evangelical beliefs concerning the essence and purpose of punishment in the afterlife!

According to the doctrine that I have been raised to believe, the traditional Protestant/Evangelical doctrine, Hell is a place of "endless torture" for those who are not saved. However, I've run across information that seems to indicate that the traditional doctrine of Hell is incorrect, that the afterlife does not include a place of "endless torture".

As mentioned in the previous post, Jesus used the word GEHENNA in speaking of punishment in the afterlife. But the Rabbis of Jesus' day taught that GEHENNA was a place of purification of and payment for sin that only lasted as long as was needed for the healing and the reformation of the human soul. After a person was purified in GEHENNA, he was admitted to Paradise; but the English word Hell carries the connotation of "endless torture", so it is not a good interpretation of GEHENNA. Rather, the best interpretation of the word GEHENNA, I believe, is Purgatory.

But of course, GEHENNA is only one word used in scripture which references punishment in the afterlife. In my research of Hell, Judgment, and related words and scriptures, another very interesting bit of information came to my attention. It is the word "Brimstone", THEION in Greek. Notice how similar THEION is to THEIOS (divine). THEION, brimstone, actually means "divine incense, because burning brimstone was regarded as having power to purify and to ward off disease" (Enhanced Strong's Lexicon).

Thayer's Lexicon, Friberg's Analytical Lexicon, and Liddell and Scott Greek-English Lexicon all agree that THEION is related to purification and healing. And Liddell and Scott notes that the verb THEIOO actually means "to hallow, to make divine, or to dedicate to a god." Thus, based upon the actual Greek usage of THEION, brimstone carries the connotation of purification and healing, and even signifies being made holy, set apart, dedicated to God; it does NOT connote "endless torture".

Brimstone - fire from heaven, lightening, volcanic bombs, and other geologic forms of fire give off the smell of burning sulfur. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone, fire from heaven. Geologist Frederick Clapp theorized that Sodom's divine judgmental fire was likely a petroleum-based substance called bitumen, similar to asphalt, that was forced out of the earth through a fault-line, ignited by a spark or surface fire, and then fell to earth as a burning fiery mass bringing the judgment of God.

Furthermore, as noted by Strong's Lexicon, brimstone, sulfur was burnt as incense meant to ward off disease. Even today many medicines are sulfur-based. Thus brimstone is dynamically connected to healing.

Something else that I've never noticed before about the "lake burning with fire and brimstone" is that it is actually in the "presence" of God, not separated from the presence of God. Rev. 14:10 says that those who receive the mark of the beast shall "drink of the wine of the wrath of God" and "shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb."

When I ran across this information about brimstone the first thing that came to mind was when Isaiah stood before the Lord and was overwhelmed by the sin that God's presence revealed in him (Isaiah 6). In the presence of the Lord and His angels, Isaiah cried, "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips!" In response to this confession an angel took a live coal (brimstone?) from the altar, put it to Isaiah's lips and purified him! Could it be that this is a picture of the burning purification of the Lord? I like Peterson's translation of this passage:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Master sitting on a throne—high, exalted!—and the train of his robes filled the Temple. Angel-seraphs hovered above him, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew. And they called back and forth one to the other,
Holy, Holy, Holy is God-of-the-Angel-Armies. His bright glory fills the whole earth.

The foundations trembled at the sound of the angel voices, and then the whole house filled with smoke. I said,
"Doom! It's Doomsday! I'm as good as dead!Every word I've ever spoken is tainted— blasphemous even!And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate.And here I've looked God in the face! The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!"

Then one of the angel-seraphs flew to me. He held a live coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with the coal and said,
Look. This coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out."

Thus considering that 1) brimstone implies purification and healing (not endless torture), 2) the "lake burning with fire and brimstone" is in the presence of God, and 3) God Himself is a Consuming Fire, the "lake burning with fire and brimstone could be, should be interpreted as "the Volcanic Lake of God's Consuming-Purifying-Healing Presence"!

Could it be that the traditional Evangelical doctrine of the afterlife for the wicked being endless fiery torture, unending punishment, Hell, be wrong? Could it be that the fiery punishment of the afterlife spoken of in the Bible is for our healing and purification, even for those with the mark of the beast? Frankly, the more I study what is actually written in scripture, the more I believe the answer to be yes! "Look. This coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out!"

[Tim B]

I'm not so sure there is any after-life LoF. I think the LoF is probably here on this Earth, or is the depiction of those in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

As I posted on another forum:

" I think there could possibly be some sort of after-life correction God has people go through, but I'm beginning to drop that idea too. I think the only punishment we might receive would be to stand before Him and be ashamed of our sins (although I don't know that He Himself will point the finger at anybody). Ever hear of Near Death Experiences? Most of the people, when they go through these, have a life review [a judgement or evaluation, if you will, on their performance whilst on Earth] AND see a being of great light. Most people state that while they felt ashamed of their actions, the being of light never accused them, or put them down, but had complete sympathy and love for them [and also seemed to show them the meaning behind life: LOVE (mainly for others, I believe)]. I think it might be like that after we die."

I mean, when Hitler stood/stands before God, do you really think God is going to need to put Hitler through anymore shame than he'll already receive by seeing his horrendous actions played before him, and his lack of love, all the while being next to a being of ABSOLUTE LOVE? Maybe God's judgement/evaluation is OUR judgement of ourselves (which would be shame for our unloving actions). I mean, would not our own shame be our receiving a just recompense for our unloving choices and behaviors, while we would also receive praise for our loving moments (a just recompense for our loving choices and behaviors)?

Just some of my thoughts anyway.

[lomarah]

Jesushandsarekindhands thank you so much for sharing that, I loved it! Where did you find it?

[Barry DuPont]

If the Lake of Fire is for purification and cleansing, what is 'it' exactly that is destroyed, or purified and cleansed from mankind in the LOF?

I do know that God is that fire and that it is not a literal lake of literal fire.

Is man resurrected with the flesh nature still intact (if that is what is eventually destroyed by fire)?

Without discussing the time frame but only the principle of it:
It is the "idols" that are burnt off.

We are made in God's image, God is sovereign over that image.
Blessings Barry

[shine]

Question on this topic???

Revelation 9:21
Neither repented they of their murders nor their sorceries nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

What ya think HE is gona do with the unrepented?

shine

[sparrow]

non-truth is what is destroyed.

What is truth? Love.

We are in the best hands imaginable.
and there is no fear in perfect love.
Guess whose love is Perfect?
That's right.
Your Father's love. Your Creator's love.
His refining fire is burning away all that is not truth, not love...
This is a good thing.
a very good thing.
We cannot reflect Him and His perfect love if he doesn't get rid of that inside of us which is NOT love, can we?

:HeartThrob:   :HeartThrob:   :HeartThrob:

Just some thoughts. (somewhat vague thoughts, I suppose... but thoughts nonetheless.)  :winkgrin:

[CHB]

Question on this topic???

Revelation 9:21
Neither repented they of their murders nor their sorceries nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

What ya think HE is gona do with the unrepented?

shine

(Phil. 2:10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

No one can confess that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit.

CHB

[lomarah]

non-truth is what is destroyed.

What is truth? Love.

We are in the best hands imaginable.
and there is no fear in perfect love.
Guess whose love is Perfect?
That's right.
Your Father's love. Your Creator's love.
His refining fire is burning away all that is not truth, not love...
This is a good thing.
a very good thing.
We cannot reflect Him and His perfect love if he doesn't get rid of that inside of us which is NOT love, can we?

:HeartThrob:   :HeartThrob:   :HeartThrob:

Just some thoughts. (somewhat vague thoughts, I suppose... but thoughts nonetheless.)  :winkgrin:

:cloud9:   :Urock: sparrow I love reading your posts! I am always blessed by them.  :thanks:  :cloud9:

[willieH]

willieH: Hi Shine!   :cloud9:

Question on this topic???

Revelation 9:21
Neither repented they of their murders nor their sorceries nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

What ya think HE is gona do with the unrepented?

shine

Bring them -- TO REPENTENCE!!!

For it is HIS GOODNESS that does this, and He is NO RESPECTER of PERSONS -- Acts 10:34 -- 2 Sam 14:14 -- Pro 28:21  (and 7 others)

Rom 2:4 -- or depiseth thou the riches of HIS GOODNESS and forebearance, and longsuffering, NOT KNOWING that the GOODNESS of GOD --- leadeth THEE TO -- REPENTENCE?

:Peace:

...willieH  :cloud9:

[peacemaker]

A lack of love is a liability, not an asset.

Goodwill to All.