Sulfur and Lake of Fire

[thatkidakayoungguy]

Is the lake of fire literally a place of sulfur? I think so but there seems to be more to it that just a lake of burning sulfur and brimstone. For one it's a spiritual place, so I wouldn't think it's your run of the mill sulfur.
PS since it's called a lake and places we'd call lakes today like Lake Huron they'd call a sea, so does this mean hell is small? If yea then how can it fit so many entities? What do you think?

[Hortator]

Ugh, just made me realize hell is both hot AND smelly. Like being in an armpit for all eternity.

[JButler]

I don't know if this is accurate but I remember being told that "brimstone" was sulfur. I know my lungs don't even like safe levels of sulfur vapor. Found this out walking on the "safe" path in the volcano field in Hawaii.

[thatkidakayoungguy]

I don't know if this is accurate but I remember being told that "brimstone" was sulfur. I know my lungs don't even like safe levels of sulfur vapor. Found this out walking on the "safe" path in the volcano field in Hawaii.

Yes, I heard that too. Also Sulfur burns at high temperatures, like 3000 degrees F hot. I think hell's probably hotter, but to the ancients it was good imagery to describe it.

[neo-x]

As C.S. Lewis put it,

"We must picture hell as a state where everyone is perpetually concerned about his own dignity and advancement, where everyone has a grievance, and where everyone lives with the deadly serious passions of envy, self-importance, and resentment."

[Kurieuo]

Hard to argue against this description in Baker's Dictionary:

• Lake of Fire
  God's final retributive punishment. After Armageddon the beast and false prophet will be tossed into this "lake of burning sulfur, " joined by Satan at the millennium's end, and "tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev 19:20; 20:10). After the final judgment, Hades (the personification of God's adversaries) and the wicked are cast here (Rev 20:14-15). Jesus calls this "fiery furnace" gehenna [gevenna] or hell (Matt 13:42; 18:8-9; 25:41).
  
  The Old Testament explicitly portrays God's fiery judgment at history's consummation, but not hell (Isaiah 66:15-16; Isaiah 66:24; Ezek 38:22). This concept is developed during the intertestamental period (1 Enoch 90:24-6; 103:8; 4 Macc 12:12; 4 Edras 7:38). Jesus extensively uses the imagery of "hell-fire" (Matt 5:22; 7:19; Matthew 13:40-42; Matthew 13:50; 18:8-9; 25:41; Mark 9:43; Mark 9:48-49; Luke 16:24; John 15:6), derived from the Old Testament descriptions of God's retributive judgment, particularly Sodom's ruin (Gen 19:24; Lev 10:2; Num 16:35; Isa 34:10; Luke 17:29; Jude 7).
  
  This lake of fire and associated imagery convey three important ideas. First, thrown into this lake, the wicked are permanently separated from God's love and good creation, and thus experience the "second death" (Rev 20:14; 21:8). Second, fire denotes God's searing holiness exacting retribution for evil deeds (Heb 10:30; Rev 14:9-11). Third, this "unquenchable fire" portrays hell as everlasting (Mark 9:43; Mark 9:48; Rev 20:10).Timothy R. Phillips

[thatkidakayoungguy]

Hard to argue against this description in Baker's Dictionary:

• Lake of Fire
  God's final retributive punishment. After Armageddon the beast and false prophet will be tossed into this "lake of burning sulfur, " joined by Satan at the millennium's end, and "tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev 19:20; 20:10). After the final judgment, Hades (the personification of God's adversaries) and the wicked are cast here (Rev 20:14-15). Jesus calls this "fiery furnace" gehenna [gevenna] or hell (Matt 13:42; 18:8-9; 25:41).
  
  The Old Testament explicitly portrays God's fiery judgment at history's consummation, but not hell (Isaiah 66:15-16; Isaiah 66:24; Ezek 38:22). This concept is developed during the intertestamental period (1 Enoch 90:24-6; 103:8; 4 Macc 12:12; 4 Edras 7:38). Jesus extensively uses the imagery of "hell-fire" (Matt 5:22; 7:19; Matthew 13:40-42; Matthew 13:50; 18:8-9; 25:41; Mark 9:43; Mark 9:48-49; Luke 16:24; John 15:6), derived from the Old Testament descriptions of God's retributive judgment, particularly Sodom's ruin (Gen 19:24; Lev 10:2; Num 16:35; Isa 34:10; Luke 17:29; Jude 7).
  
  This lake of fire and associated imagery convey three important ideas. First, thrown into this lake, the wicked are permanently separated from God's love and good creation, and thus experience the "second death" (Rev 20:14; 21:8). Second, fire denotes God's searing holiness exacting retribution for evil deeds (Heb 10:30; Rev 14:9-11). Third, this "unquenchable fire" portrays hell as everlasting (Mark 9:43; Mark 9:48; Rev 20:10).Timothy R. Phillips

I don't want anyone to go there! Yet so many won't change, do u think Satan figured this would happen when he rebelled?

[Kurieuo]

Satan would be stupid if he didn't figure that there would be natural repercussions in turning against God, deceiving, accusing, destroying, setting himself against all that God purposed Himself to do.

[thatkidakayoungguy]

Don't want to go where? Satan would be stupid if he didn't figure that there would be natural repercussions in turning against God, deceiving, accusing, destroying, setting himself against all that God purposed Himself to do.

If Satan is so smart, after all he is a mastermind at deception, then he is stupid at rebelling.
I meant by the lake of fire.

[Kurieuo]

Don't want to go where? Satan would be stupid if he didn't figure that there would be natural repercussions in turning against God, deceiving, accusing, destroying, setting himself against all that God purposed Himself to do.

If Satan is so smart, after all he is a mastermind at deception, then he is stupid at rebelling.
I meant by the lake of fire.

Stupid at rebelling, but then it'd run deeper than any rebellious action. Rather, it is the rebellious spirit, what lays beneath any rebellious actions against God, that is, what lays at the heart level which is the root from which any rebellion extends out from. The rebellion, then, is something that just bubbles out of who Satan is as a person. To theologically navigate a potential dilemma, while we believe God created Satan, who Satan is and became was something that was freely self-defined by Satan himself.

[thatkidakayoungguy]

Don't want to go where? Satan would be stupid if he didn't figure that there would be natural repercussions in turning against God, deceiving, accusing, destroying, setting himself against all that God purposed Himself to do.

If Satan is so smart, after all he is a mastermind at deception, then he is stupid at rebelling.
I meant by the lake of fire.

Stupid at rebelling, but then it'd run deeper than any rebellious action. Rather, it is the rebellious spirit, what lays beneath any rebellious actions against God, that is, what lays at the heart level which is the root from which any rebellion extends out from. The rebellion, then, is something that just bubbles out of who Satan is as a person. To theologically navigate a potential dilemma, while we believe God created Satan, who Satan is and became was something that was freely self-defined by Satan himself.

Is that why Satan is doomed? He took a perfectly good spirit and corrupted it to become what he is. He is the first source of evil, before that nothing was good or bad, just neutral.

[Kurieuo]

I'm not sure about your language, or that we understand spirit in the same manner here.

The source of Satan's rebellion, like ours, is due to who we are. As free beings, God has given us each the ability to define who we are. We are built and given bodily existence, it provides us with a framework, certain boundaries and the like -- God is our material cause. From there however, we have our own thoughts, our own desires, our heart. It just so happened Satan's was set against God. Satan didn't take a perfectly good spirit and corrupt it, rather Satan's desires were corrupt and his will set against God.

Consider if someone has a murderous spirit, then given opportunity they will murder, rape or what-have-you. It's not like they became corrupted at the moment they mudered, perhaps they don't even understand why they are that way. Nonetheless, such are corrupt in their heart and desires that murdering or raping appeals to them.

The fact that they do end up murdering is just something that bubbles out of their corrupt murderous spirit. It is important here to note that while God made us, in that God is the material cause of our bodies, what we make of ourselves is the gift God has given to all beings who can freely express themselves and shape their own character in life. This is what I believe, and I believe it happens almost daily, with every choice and action we make - we define ourselves, who we are and are going to be. Yet, I shouldn't ignore that for us as Christians, we look to Christ for forgiveness of our wrongs that can never be undone, for strength to be better, move on and become more like Him.

[Philip]

K: It is important here to note that while God made us, in that God is the material cause of our bodies, what we make of ourselves is the gift God has given to all beings who can freely express themselves and shape their own character in life.

And I believe it is this shaping that incrementally and eventually produces one of two kinds of people - those who have a sense of their need for God, and those who become certain that they don't need him. I think that choices presented these two different developing types amplifies and accelerates which type they will become - all the while, they freely choose and move more in one way or the other. Of course, some seem destined to choose only their own narcissistic desires, but God intervenes to a point that begins to change their hearts and minds. Of course, for all believers, He does this. But some require far more intensive lessons and circumstances. For some, God would have to force within them a desire they will refuse to develop (to seek Him).

As for Satan, there is a level of narcissism so powerful that it deludes common sense - especially in those who have much power, beauty, money or whatever already available to them - combine these things with his extreme narcissism, and Satan began to believe his own desires (to replace God, be worshiped) were possible and desirable. His own evil narcissism blinded him to the fact that A) He could not win, and B) That there would be terrible eternal consequences for he and his followers. We've all seen people so full of themselves they think they are invincible, smarter, more powerful, better than, and more entitled than everyone else. Give such a person the abilities God gave Satan - it's not really too much of a stretch to see how such a beautiful, brilliant creature could want to be over God - convinced that he deserved God's throne more - to the point that he hated God and desires all things rightfully the Lord's.