Chapter Forty/Crushing the Serpent's Head - The Lake of Fire and Sulfur - Conclusion

 All of this reinforces the view that the lake of fire and sulfur is symbolic. Further, the mention of fire and sulfur calls to mind the fate of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah, destroyed by God because of their gross wickedness. When their time came, "Jehovah made it rain sulfur and fire from Jehovah from the heavens, upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah." (Genesis 19:24) What befell the two cities is called the judicial punishment of everlasting fire." (Jude7) Yet, those two cities did not suffer everlasting torment. Rather they were blotted out, obliterated for all time, along with their depraved inhabitants. Those cities do not exist today, and no one can say for sure where they were located. 

In harmony with this, the Bible itself explains the meaning of the lake of fire and sulfur: 'This means the second death, the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:14) It is clearly the same as the Gehenna that Jesus spoke of, a place where the wicked remain destroyed, not tortured forever. (Matthew 10:28) It is complete utter destruction without hope of a resurrection. Thus, while there are keys for death, Hades, and the abyss, this is no mention of a key for opening the lake of fire and sulfur. (Revelation 1:18; 20:1) It will never release its captives. - Compare MARK 9:43-47. 

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

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