The lake of fire

Fourteen years ago today hundreds of people perished in agonizing flames because of the evil intents of murderous men devoted to Islam. A lake of fire…I imagine that’s what it felt like. That lake was eventually extinguished and many of those who died in it found themselves on a “sea of glass” before the throne of God and were welcomed into eternal life with him. But those who died creating that temporary fiery lake, shouting praise to their false god, came out of the flames only to go back into an everlasting lake of fire.THE-LAKE-OF-FIRE-2

Whatever the eternal place of the damned is like, being described as a lake of fire makes it clear that it is a place of torment and agony…like the suffering endured by those in the Twin Towers in Manhattan, the hundreds of thousands exterminated by the Nazis at Auschwitz and Treblinka, and the multitudes tortured and killed by ISIS in the Middle East. Perhaps not physical affliction and anguish, but just as horrible and more so because it is unending.

The truth of the immortality of the soul is our only assurance of ultimate justice. And the mercy of God our only hope. “Mercy triumphs over judgment,” but for those who will not believe and repent, mercy is rejected and judgment is all that is left.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.

Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  ~ Revelation 20:11-15