We have discussed two of the five texts where the term “lake of fire” appears. Both speak of spiritual beings being thrown into the lake of fire. The next three times the term appears are in two consecutive verses at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20
12 And I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
after the thousand years, before the new heaven and earth
The one who sits on the great white throne is the Son (John 5:22). This judgment takes place after the thousand years (Rev. 20:7). These heavens and earth will pass away (2 Peter 3:10), and immediately after the Great White Throne Judgment, there is also talk of a new heaven and earth (Revelation 20:1).
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne…
resurrection of the dead
Revelation 20:5-6 speaks of the first resurrection. The first resurrection is a kind of resurrection, in which people rise from the dead at various times. That is, from among the dead, leaving the other dead behind. The other dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were finished (Revelation 20:5).
The other dead, therefore, are the dead who had not yet been raised and who will rise here to appear before the great white throne.
12…and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged according to their works, out of what was written in the book.
the book of life
In this judgment, books are opened (cf. Daniel 7:10), and the resurrected dead are judged by what is written in the books. One of the books that is opened is the Book of Life. For, as we read in verse 15, anyone who was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each according to their works.
the rest
The rest of the dead have risen here to appear before the Great White Throne, so all who are currently still in death will stand here and be judged according to their works. Many things are read into this passage that are not actually written there. But the description is very simple and factual. The One who sits on the throne judges those who stand before it. We find no rebuttal from those who stand before the Great White Throne.
truth
At the Great White Throne, the truth is revealed. It is a white throne, and white represents purity. The truth comes to light, and nothing remains hidden. Even what is in the heart of man is revealed (1 Cor. 4:5).
14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death: the lake of fire.
Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire. All who were dead are judged here, and those not written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire.
the second death
What the lake of fire is is explained here: it is the second death. We didn’t see this addition in the previous Scriptures we discussed (Rev. 19:20; 20:10), because there it concerns spiritual beings, and they do not die. For them, the lake of fire is therefore not a second death.
For those who belong to the rest of the dead who are judged at the great white throne, being thrown into the lake of fire is a continuation of death. They were dead, are resurrected for the occasion, judged, and then thrown into the lake of fire, where they die a second death.
15 And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
written out
If we look at other Scriptures that speak of the book of life, we can conclude that all are recorded in the book of life, but that one can be blotted out of it (Ps. 69:29; Rev. 3:5). Those who are blotted out are thrown into the lake of fire and die a second time. They did not partake of the aeon of the thousand years, but they will also be in death in the aeon of the new heaven and earth and will not experience this aeon.
Revelation 21
8 But the cowardly, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.