Chapter Forty/Crushing the Serpent's Head - Tormented Day and Night Forever

 Referring to the Devil as well as the wild beast and the false prophet, John now tells us: "And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
 (Revelation 20:10b) What could this mean? As mentioned already, it is not logical to say that symbols, such as the wild beast and the false prophet, as well as death and Hades, could suffer torture in a literal way. Hence, we have no reason to believe that Satan will be suffering for all eternity. He is to be annihilated. 

The Greek word used here for "torment," ba-sa-ni'zo  means primarily "to test (metals) by the touchtone." To question by applying torture" is a second meaning. (The New Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament) In the context, the use of this Greek word indicates that what happens to Satan will serve, for all eternity, as touchtone on the issue of rightness and righteousness of Jehovah's rule. That issue of Sovereign rulership will have been settled once and for all time. Never again will a challenge to Jehovah's sovereignty need to be tested over an extended period of time in order to be proved wrong. - Compare PSALM 92:1, 15. 

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