In the debate over the nature of hell, those who believe the Bible teaches eternal torment for the unsaved often point to Revelation 20:10 as one of the key supporting verses for their view. But I'm convinced Revelation 20 only supports eternal torment when either the context is ignored completely or the passage is interpreted backwards. I explain this in this 20 minute video:
What do you think?
20 minute vid argues that Rev 20 teaches annihilationism!
Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Mark Corbett, Jun 21, 2021.
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I think you should present what you are stating in your video in 4 for 5 sentences.
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1. Revelation mostly consists of an inspired report of a vision that God gave to John and this vision often uses symbols.
2. There is a pattern of interpreting symbols: something John sees in the vision is sometimes interpreted for us (i.e. incense in the prayers of the saints).
3. This same pattern applies in Revelation 20, where we are told that the lake of fire is the second death.
4. The correct way to interpret this is that the lake of fire represents the unsaved dying a second time.
5. The backwards and incorrect way to interpret this is that dying a second time actually means being tormented forever in a lake of fire.
There is a lot more detail and support for this in the video. It is a packed 20 minute video. But the above should be enough to help people get the gist of it if they do not want to watch the video. I suspect, however, that some of the arguments will be things that are addressed already in the video. -
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Revelation 14:,9-11,". . . If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. . . ."
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SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
In Jude 7 we read, "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire". Which was written thousands of years after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha, and yet Jude says, "υπεχουσαι", which is the Greek verb in the present tense, "continue to suffer". These were clealy not "annihilated". Then we have in Revelation 19:20, "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone". This is before the 1000 Year Reign. And, in chapter 20 we read, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (verse 10). Where the use of βασανισθησονται, which is in the plural number, shows that 1000 years later, when the Devil was cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, both the beast and false prophet were still there! Again, "annihilation", cannot be used for this.
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As for the use of the present tense here, I think the explanation may be that this example is set forth in the historical account found in Genesis. The inhabitants suffered the punishment of eternal fire at the same time as the events in the historical account.
The fire is eternal not because what it consumes remains forever (Sodom and Gomorrah did not), but because the source of the fire is God, who is eternal. I explain this in some depth in this blog post:
Eternal Fire, The Sun, and Solar Flares (why eternal fire does not mean eternal torment) -
Gehenna (the valley of burning trash right outside the walls of Jerusalem) … a good visual image for First Century Jews of Eternal Burning Torment in Hell.
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SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
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Heresy and Slander: Immune System Disorders in the Body of Christ
The blog post is summarized in this graphic:
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Mark:
What difference does this idea make? . If you go to hell you will not like it, Either way tormented day and night or annihilation really isn't all that important, because in both cases you will be separated from God. Man would rather be annihilated because this means an end of punishment. There is no end to eternity..
MB -
SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
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Of course I'm a rube of sorts but I read this:
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Rev 20:10
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev 20:15
The devil and beast and false prophet tormented forever in the lake of fire. Joining them are the unbelievers.
A 30 second exposition that seems simple enough. -
SavedByGrace Well-Known Member
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