You should not have a hard time believing that I asked such questions because they are valid!
"Lake of Fire" is a different place from "Hell." Find below proofs!
The fire from the "Lake of Fire" has manifested on earth on several occasions. Examples are:
a. Genesis 19:24
"24Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;"
b. 1 Chronicles 21:26
"And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering."
c. 2 Chronicles 7:1
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
d. 2 Kings 1:10,
"And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty."
e. 2 Kings 1:12
"And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty."
The references above are suffice to establish that fire from "Lake of Fire" has manifested on earth at sundry times.
Now, where is Hell? Some hold that Hell, Hades, Sheol and Grave refer to the same place!
Not to waste time, I will simply quote from Proverbs and Isaiah to show that hell is beneath, the lower part of the earth.
Proverbs 15:24
The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Isaiah 14:9
"Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations."
Conclusion:
Hell is located at the lower part of the earth, while "Lake of Fire" is before the presence of God, Holy angels, and the Lamb!
Then, there is yet a relationship between "Hell" and "Lake of Fire." Please read what the Bible says in Revelation 20: 11-15
From the text above, the Bible says hell gave up the dead in it, and then went further to say that death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. How do you reconcile these two premise if "hell" and "Lake of Fire" are one and the same place?
Before I take on other aspects of my questions, I will let you ponder on the above texts. Please post your thoughts.
I suggest a study bible.
Is hell real? Is hell eternal?
The punishment of the wicked dead in hell is described throughout Scripture as “eternal fire” (
Matthew 25:41), “unquenchable fire” (
Matthew 3:12), “shame and everlasting contempt” (
Daniel 12:2), a place where “the fire is not quenched” (
Mark 9:44-49), a place of “torment” and “fire” (
Luke 16:23-24), “everlasting destruction” (
2 Thessalonians 1:9), a place where “the smoke of torment rises forever and ever” (
Revelation 14:10,
11), and a “lake of burning sulfur” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever” (
Revelation 20:10).
When will the Resurrection take place?
Those whose names are not written in the book of life are cast into the “lake of fire,” which amounts to “the second death” (
Revelation 20:11-15). No indication is given of any who appear at this judgment that their names are found in the book of life.
Here is Matthew Henry's Commentary specifically on Revelation 20:11-15
The utter destruction of the devil’s kingdom very properly leads to an account of the day of judgment, which will determine every man’s everlasting state; and we may be assured there will be a judgment when we see
the prince of this world is judged, Jn. 16:11. This will be a great day,
the great day, when all shall appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. The Lord help us firmly to believe this doctrine of the judgment to come. It is a doctrine that made Felix tremble. Here we have a description of it, where observe,
1. We behold
the throne, and tribunal of judgment,
great and
white, very glorious and perfectly just and righteous.
The throne of iniquity, that establishes wickedness by a law, has no fellowship with this righteous throne and tribunal.
2. The appearance of the Judge, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, who then puts on such majesty and terror that
the earth and the heaven flee from his face, and there is no place found for them; there is a dissolution of the whole frame of nature, 2 Pt. 3:10.
3. The persons to be judged (v. 12):
The dead, small and great; that is, young and old, low and high, poor and rich. None are so mean but they have some talents to account for, and none so great as to avoid the jurisdiction of this court; not only those that are found alive at the coming of Christ, but all who have died before; the grave shall surrender the bodies of men, hell shall surrender the souls of the wicked, the sea shall surrender the many who seemed to have been lost in it.
4. The rule of judgment settled:
The books were opened. What books? The books of God’s omniscience, who is greater than our consciences, and knows all things (there is a book of remembrance with him both for good and bad); and the book of the sinner’s conscience, which, though formerly secret, will now be opened.
And another book shall be
opened—the book of the scriptures, the statute-book of heaven, the rule of life. This book is opened as containing the law, the touchstone by which the hearts and lives of men are to be tried. This book determines matter of right; the other books give evidence of matters of fact. Some, by
the other book, called
the book of life, understand the book of God’s eternal counsels; but that does not seem to belong to the affair of judgment: in eternal election God does not act judicially, but with absolute sovereign freedom.
5. The cause to be tried; and that is,
the works of men, what they have done and whether it be good or evil.
By their works men shall be justified or condemned; for though God knows their state and their principles, and looks chiefly at these, yet, being to approve himself to angels and men as a righteous God, he will try their principles by their practices, and so will
be justified when he speaks and clear when he judges.
6. The issue of the trial and judgment; and this will be according to the evidence of fact, and rule of judgment. All those who have
made a covenant with death, and an
agreement with hell, shall then be condemned with their infernal confederates, cast with them into the lake of fire, as not being entitled to eternal life, according to the rules of life laid down in the scripture; but those whose names are written in that book (that is, those that are justified and acquitted by the gospel) shall then be justified and acquitted by the Judge, and shall enter into eternal life, having nothing more to fear from death, or hell, or wicked men; for these are all destroyed together.
Let it be our great concern to see on what terms we stand with our Bibles, whether they justify us or condemn us now; for the Judge of all will proceed by that rule.
Christ shall judge the secrets of all men according to the gospel. Happy are those who have so ordered and stated their cause according to the gospel as to know beforehand that they shall be justified in the great day of the Lord!
King James Commentary
11. This is the judgment of the wicked dead, distinct from all the previous ones just considered. It is described as
great because it is the most awesome assize ever held. The characterization
white has reference to the purity and holiness with which it will be conducted. The
throne indicates that majestic authority is involved. The One who sits on the throne is the Lord Jesus Christ (cf.
Jn 5:22,
27;
II Tim 4:1). To underscore the gravity of the proceedings, John states that
the earth and the heaven fled away from His presence,
and there was found no place for them. This does not mean the annihilation of the earth and heaven. It is rather that the Great White Throne Judgment will take place between the passing of the Millennial scene and the entrance on the new heaven and earth.
12. Stand before God. Where will the subjects of the judgment stand? They will be upheld by God in space. This is a deeply solemn scene that merges into eternity. The judgment is final and eternal; for all that are circumscribed, that is, earth and heaven, have passed away. The high and low of rank on earth will be there. The sinner is now brought face-to-face with God the Son, from whom he cannot escape. The distinctions of this verse are vital: notice that there are
books … and another book. Could not the latter be included in the former? By no means, because both entities are defined. The book is
the book of life, in which all who have trusted Christ are inscribed. Here it is introduced to show that the subjects of the judgment are unsaved. The books contain the record of their
works (cf. vss.
12-13). Why is there any need to consult their works, if they are lost? It is intended to reveal the number and gravity of their sins to determine degrees of their punishment (cf. carefully
Lk 12:47-48).
13. Even the unsaved who have died on the seas, whose bodies have never been recovered, will not be exempt from this august tribunal (cf.
Jn 5:28, 29).
Death (used here for the grave) gives up the bodies;
hell gives up the souls. No one is said to escape or enter eternal bliss. All the unsaved will suffer their eternal doom (cf.
20:6).
14. Death and hell, brought into existence by man's sin, end where all sinners do, namely,
the lake of fire. This means an actual, eternal separation from God in conscious, unceasing torment.
15. Whosoever. There is no indication that any individual at the Great White Throne ever escapes judgment. The cause of their final doom—not that they did not accumulate sufficient good deeds in the books—is that their names were not found written in the Lamb's
book of life (cf.
3:5;
13:8;
21:27). This is all-inclusive, from Cain to the end of human history.
