Aurel Gheorghe

Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 details God's act of Creation but is silent about any Lake of Fire being created or planned. However, the lake of fire is being mentioned four times in the book of Revelation in relation to the end of time events (Rev 19:20; 20:10; 20:14; 20:15). 

The NT makes it very clear that the world will be burned up at the end of time (2 Peter 3:10, 12). This is a destruction of earth and heavens (the atmospheric heavens surrounding the earth), by fire and the elements will melt in the heat - Peter describes here the same event as the lake of fire in Revelation 20.

Revelation 19:20 says that the beast and the false prophet will be thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, which is the same thing as the lake of burning sulfur in Revelation 20:10,11, where Satan and sinners will be cast (Rev 20:10,15).

Satan and his followers will receive their punishment. They are to die an eternal death (Rev. 20:9). The very surface of the earth outside the city appears to melt, becoming a vast lake of fire for the judgment the wicked (2 Peter 3:7). The "'day of the Lord's vengeance'" (Isa 34:8), upon which He will perform "his strange act" (Isa. 28:21) of destroying His enemies, has arrived. 

"And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15). How long this lake of fire will burn? Obviously, it cannot last forever, because it happens on the surface of the same earth that God will eventually restore to its initial glory (Rev 20:9; Rev 21:1,2). 

Revelation 21 shows the earth being recreated as the eternal home of the redeemed, so obviously the lake of fire will have to eventually cease to burn. Malachi 4:1,3 appear to support this view.

July 05 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

In His teaching on the judgment of the sheep and the goats at the close of the age in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus spoke in Matthew 25:41 of the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels into which the goats would be cast for eternal punishment, but He did not specify when the preparation of that fire had occurred or would occur.

The devil and his spiritual agents are still active in the world by God's permissive will (even though they were cast out of heaven by God following their rebellion) (Job 1:7; Luke 10:18). In addition, God pronounced His creation good following the completion of it (Genesis 1:31), which indicates to me that Satan's rebellion (as well as measures taken by God for the punishment of it) had not yet occurred at that point.

Therefore, in answer to the question, I would say that the preparation of the Lake of Fire spoken of in Revelation was not something that occurred prior to the creation of the earth.

With regard to Heaven, Genesis 1:1 says that God created the heavens (plural) and the earth. To me, this is consistent with the concept of multiple heavens (Earth's atmosphere, interstellar space, and God's abode) expressed elsewhere in the Bible, and also indicates that Heaven as God's dwelling was created by Him as one of His first creative acts (prior to the creation of the angels or anything else).

July 06 2020 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report