By Michael Webber
“The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” – Revelation 20:10.
Modern bible translations depict the lake of fire as the most terrifying place imaginable. A realm of eternal torture in fire. The problem is the Apostle John is not talking about a lake at all but a tiny pool of molten metal called a crucible.
For most Christians this will be the first time you understand these passages. The actual word picture used in these passages has been completely lost in translation simply because the translators are not metallurgists. Are you curious? Keep reading.
The lake of fire with sulfur is the image of an ancient gold refining process. Literally a crucible of molten gold with sulfur added to eliminate impurities. This understanding is confirmed in Revelation 3:18. “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire.” Christ himself uses the image of gold refined in fire when rebuking the church in Laodicea for being neither hot nor cold.
The lake of fire was never meant to be understood as an actual lake or realm of punishment in literal fire. Rather the lake of fire is merely a picture of the gold refiner’s crucible, the process of purifying gold. Understanding the imagery of the Greek words behind these passages brings the text to life.
The Greek word translated as “lake” literally means a pond, large or small, depending on the context. This is the Greek word limné: “Probably from limen (through the idea of nearness of shore); a pond (large or small) — lake.” (Strong’s Concordance).
Thus the lake of fire is the image of a tiny pond of molten metal as we would see in a refiner’s crucible not a lake filled with fire. Only a psychopath would torture people in literal fire for all eternity. Most certainly God, who is love, would not do such a thing nor would it come to his mind.
Sulfur, also known as brimstone, has been used in the refining of metals since ancient times. Gold refining by sulphurization is even still done by the United States mint. Sulfur is highly reactive and by adding small amounts of sulfur to the crucible unwanted metals are transformed into suphides. This reaction will even flash and smoke. The gold itself is resistant to this reaction and will settle to bottom in a more purified form since the other metals, now trapped as suphides, float to the top. The ancients would not have understand the chemistry behind this process but they most certainly understood the results. Pure gold!
But what about being tormented in fire? The Greek word translated as “torment” is actually the word “touchstone”. This is the Greek word “basanizó”. “Cognate: 931 básanos – originally, a black, silicon-based stone used as “a touchstone” to test the purity of precious metals (like silver and gold).” – (Strong’s Concordance). The Greek word básanos is where we get the word “basalt”, a type of rock that was used for making touchstones in the ancient world.
The use of the word touchstone absolutely confirms the lake of fire is a gold refiner’s crucible. A touchstone was used in ancient times to check the purity of gold and is still used by jewelers today. By the striking a line of gold on the touchstone the color produced reveals the level of purity. That is the meaning of the word “tormented” in modern bibles, a process for testing the purity of gold.
An additional test for assaying the gold can be performed as well. By applying an acid to the line of gold on the touchstone the non-gold elements will react and even smoke. The more impurities on the stone the more it will smoke.
Therefore the lake of fire is not a realm of eternal torture in fire. The lake of fire is a metaphor of gold refining and not an actual place or lake at all. The Apostle John is using the abstract idea of a person being refined, then tested and refined again, with each cycle resulting in higher grades of purity. This is not an endless process.
The Greek words translated as “forever and ever” are more literally translated as “in the ages of ages”. The words used in the passage are plural nouns of the Greek word aión. Short Definition: an age, a cycle of time. (Strong’s Greek: 165).
Modern bible translations have also dropped the preposition “in” and inserted “forever”. The Greek preposition is ““eis,” pronounced “ice”. Strong’s 1519 Definition: into, in, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among. Literally this means “in” or moving into. (Strong’s Greek: 1519).
Therefore if accurately translated we should read, “in the ages of ages.” This applies to all the passages in Revelation translated as “forever and ever.” For example, “They will reign forever and ever” is incorrect. It should read, “They will reign in the ages of ages”.
Getting the preposition correct is critical to understanding these passages. It is the difference between the idea of merely being somewhere and a duration of time. In other words the passage is telling when this will happen not specifically how long it will take. Just like WWII occurred in the 20th century but did not last through it.
Evil doers will be tested and refined by God for as long as it takes, in the ages of ages. This is to return them to the pure state in which they were originally created to be. Early church fathers called this “the apokatastasis”, the restoration of all people and all things.
This passage should be translated:
“The devil who deceived them was thrown into the refiner’s crucible with sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tested for purity day and night in the ages of ages.” – Revelation 20:10.
Therefore they will be tested and refined in the ages of ages and not literally through all eternity. Although not a torture chamber in fire this passage is still a picture of justice. Some have speculated that true justice would be to experience the pain and suffering we caused for others through the eyes of our victims. That if we were careless and selfish and lived without mercy toward others we also will not receive mercy in equal measure. As believers we are taught to be merciful because mercy triumphs over judgment
“So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom. For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” – (James 2:12-13).
So from now on when you read about the “lake of fire” remember the tiny crucible used for refining gold. That is the imagery the Apostle John is actually using, the so-called lake of fire.
– Michael Webber, “What Is The Lake Of Fire?” From http://thetotalvictoryofchrist.atwebpages.com
Alright, now with that information, let’s hear from some early church fathers. Early Christian Universalists, most notably Origen of Alexandria (c. 184 – c. 253), and Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – c. 395), understood the lake of fire as a symbolic purifying fire used to eliminate the dross from the gold, or a “refiner’s crucible”. Origen refers to the “lead of wickedness” that must be refined out of the gold. Origen obtained his Universalist views, known then as apocatastasis, from his mentor Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215), who was a student of Pantaenus (a Greek theologian and a significant figure in the Catechetical School of Alexandria from around AD 180. This school was the earliest catechetical school, and became influential in the development of Christian theology.) Origen explained the refining metaphor in response to a philosopher named Celsus who accused Christians of representing God as a merciless tormentor armed with fire.
In the view of Origen:
Our God is a ‘consuming fire’ in the sense in which we have taken the word; and thus he enters in as a ‘refiner’s fire’ to refine the rational nature, which has been filled with the lead of wickedness, and to free it from the other impure materials which adulterate the natural gold or silver, so to speak, of the soul.
19th-century scholar Charles Bigg summarized Origen’s view as, “Slowly yet certainly the blessed change must come, the purifying fire must eat up the dross and leave the pure gold. One by one we shall enter into rest, never to stray again. Then when death, the last enemy, is destroyed, when the tale of his children is complete, Christ will ‘drink wine in the kingdom of his Father.’ This is the end, when ‘all shall be one, as Christ and the Father are one,’ when ‘God shall be all in all.'”
In the view of Gregory of Nyssa, “when death approaches to life, and darkness to light, and the corruptible to the incorruptible, the inferior is done away with and reduced to non-existence, and the thing purged is benefited, just as the dross is purged from gold by fire.”
Further evidence corroborating their interpretation of the lake of fire as a “refiner’s crucible” is that the Greek word commonly translated as “lake” also refers to something small, like a pond or a “pool”, as translated in the Wycliffe and New American Bible (NABRE).
It’s amazing how the “pool of fire”, or the refiner’s crucible, turned into a lake of fire which then became depicted as a huge vast ocean of fire where billions are tortured unto all eternity. Watch this short video in my comments for more.
– 1 Timothy 2:3-6
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
– 1 Timothy 4:10
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe.
– Romans 5:18-19
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall the many be made righteous.
– Romans 11:32
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
– 1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
– 1 Corinthians 15:28
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
– 2 Corinthians 5:19
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
– Ephesians 1:9-11
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance…
– Philippians 2:10-11
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
– Colossians 1:19-20
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
– John 12:32
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
– Acts 3:21
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
– 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
– Ephesians 1:11
God works all things in conformity to the purpose of his will.
– 1 John 2:2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
– 1 John 4:14
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
– Revelation 5:13
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I singing, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
– Revelation 21:5
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
– Isaiah 25:6-8
And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast… He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces…
– Isaiah 45:22-25
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth… I have sworn by myself… That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear… In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
– Lamentations 3:31-33
For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
– Luke 3:6
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
– Psalm 22:27
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
– Psalm 65:2-3
O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.
– Psalm 86:9
All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.
– James 2:13
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
– Michael Webber, “What Is The Lake Of Fire?” From http://thetotalvictoryofchrist.atwebpages.com