Hell: Lake of Fire, everlasting fire, second death, burning wasteland

Having now considered the beauty of Heaven, the intimate and joyous fellowship with our loving God, the peace and safety there, the consolation and purpose, we long to be there! But we also notice that all of the pictures of Heaven have an aspect of an inside and an outside. Now we have come to considering that grim outside. Three major pictures are used to describe it: Fire, Gehenna, and Darkness. Let's consider "Fire" first.

Throughout the Bible, God uses fire to describe Himself in His righteous anger (Dt 4:23-24, Is 10:16-18, Heb 12:28-29). The acts of judgment that He executes are also likened to fire, such as the burning of the unfruitful tree or branch (Mt 3:9-12, 5:21-22, 7:15-19, 18:7-10, Lk 3:9-17, Jn 15:1-6), the burning of tares or chaff (Mt 13:36-43), or the refining of silver. Hence we are well prepared to see fire as a picture of God’s eternal judgment.

In Isaiah, God presents us with the negative side of the picture of Heaven as the Promised Land: we see a land cursed on the day of the Lord’s vengeance, in which the stars are dissolved, the heavens rolled together like a scroll, the mountains are melted, and sinful men are slaughtered. This is a land of burning pitch with smoke rising forever, a land inhabited by unclean and wild animals, bringing up thorns, nettles and brambles.

Throughout the New Testament, God presents the reality of a place “out of his kingdom” where the wicked are burned, a place of flame and agony “separated by a gulf” from solace, a place where the “smoke of their torment rises forever,” a lake of fire where Satan and sinners are cast forever.

Contrast these aspects of Hell with “the cool of the day” in Eden, “the water of Life” flowing from God’s throne or the pleasures at God’s right hand.

Continue to next picture of Hell: Gehenna
Return to summary of pictures of Heaven and Hell.
Return to Index of all studies.

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References for the foregoing:

Lake of Fire, everlasting fire, second death, burning wasteland

Fire as a characteristic of God in His righteous anger (Dt 4:23-24, Is 10:16-18, Heb 12:28-29)

Fiery judgment as an act of God: burning of unfruitful tree, branch, or chaff, or refining of silver (Dan 7:9-11, Mal 3:1-3, Mt 3:9-12, 5:21-22, 7:15-19, 13:36-43, 18:7-10, Lk 3:9-17, Jn 15:1-6, 2Th 1:7-9, Heb 10:27, 2Pt 3:7, Jude 1:7, Rev 14:9-10)

Fire as the eternal place for those under God’s judgment:
. The land cursed on “the day of the Lord’s vengeance” (Is 34, esp. 2-4, 8-13)
. -- stars dissolved, heavens rolled together like scroll, mountains melted
. -- slaughter of sinful men
. -- land of burning pitch with smoke rising forever
. -- inhabited by unclean and wild animals; bringing up thorns, nettles and brambles

Place “out of his kingdom” where the wicked are burned (Mt 13:24-30, 36-43, 47-50; 25:41, Mk 9:43-49, 2Ths 1:7-10, Rev 14:9-11, 19:20, 20:6-15, 21:7-8)

Place of flame “separated by a gulf” from solace (Lk 16:19-31)


Contrast with Heaven, where overcomers will eat of the tree of life in Paradise (Rev 2:7), will receive the crown of life, and will not be hurt by the second death (Rev 2:10-11)