Utopia vs. Dystopia

 

People have yearned for the perfect society—and feared the opposite—for millennia. What does the Bible say about utopia vs. dystopia?

There is an uneasiness in the world today. Everywhere people dread what tomorrow will bring as they watch the very fabric of our civilization changing—and not for the better.

At the same time, some harbor the undying hope that it is not too late for humanity, if we act quickly and prudently. We must act now, they believe, to save the planet and the human race, and come out on the other side with a much better world.

Which vision of the future will prevail? Dystopian fears or the quest for utopia?

What is the difference between utopia and dystopia?

The word utopia dates back to 1516. Sir Thomas More combined the Greek ou, meaning “no” or “not,” and the Greek topos, meaning “place,” for the title of his book, which included the new word utopia.

The word he coined literally means “no place.” He was telling us in his title that the paradise he described did not exist.

Dystopia is another made-up word. The Greek prefix in utopia is replaced with the Latin dys, meaning “bad.” When this word is used to describe a book or movie, it informs us up front that the society portrayed is one that evokes terror.

Both concepts have spawned scores of books and movies laying out what each author proposes to be the basis of a human-built paradise or a hell on earth.

Although Thomas More coined the term utopia, his book was not the first attempt to describe what it would take to create a perfect society. Writers, poets and philosophers have outlined their own ideas for millennia.

Human ideas about utopia

One of the earliest attempts at identifying the basis of an ideal civilization was Plato’s Republic. For Plato, achieving such a goal meant power should reside in the hands of philosopher kings.

The final chapter of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, describes an Eden-like setting.More recently, B.F. Skinner, a psychologist and pioneer of behaviorism, published his novel Walden Two in 1948. In the book’s 1976 preface, he wrote that society should “use our knowledge about human behavior to create a social environment in which we shall live productive and creative lives.”

Other utopian literature has based the ideal civilization on anything from ancient religious traditions (James Hilton’s 1933 novel Lost Horizon) to more recent socialist ideas (Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward: From 2000 to 1887).

These utopian ideals all have one thing in common. They look to human ideas for the solutions to world problems.

Fascinated by dystopia

At the other end of the spectrum are the dystopian works. Considering the number of utopian and dystopian works published in the last century, it seems that dystopian novels and movies have almost entirely displaced utopian ones. And more than half of them in the new millennium have been marketed to young adults.

The Hunger Games, a popular 2008 novel by Suzanne Collins, is a prime example of young adult dystopian fiction. The 2012 movie version became a blockbuster, with sales of more than 50 million tickets in the United States alone.

As in so many dystopian novels, a wealthy and powerful elite oppress the vast majority of the population, who live in poverty. This premise reflects the shattered dreams of many real people throughout history, such as the peasants who rose up against the Russian czar and the German people who fell prey to the Nazis.

Perhaps the most influential of dystopian works to date is 1984 by George Orwell. So much of our dystopian vocabulary, whether we recognize it or not, comes from this ground-breaking novel.

In The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwell’s 1984, author Dorian Lynskey explains: “The phrases and concepts that Orwell minted have become essential fixtures of political language, still potent after decades of use and misuse: Newspeak, Big Brother, the Thought Police, Room 101 . . . 2 + 2 = 5, and the Ministry of Truth” (2019, p. xiv).

(For more about dystopian fiction, see “Post-Apocalyptic Fiction and Fact.”)

Utopia vs. dystopia in the Bible

Although the Bible does not include these relatively new words, the concepts are at the core of Scripture. In fact, the Bible begins and ends with utopia in mind.

After creating human beings, God “planted a garden eastward in Eden” (Genesis 2:8). He gave this idyllic garden to Adam to tend (verse 15). It was a perfect place for the first man and woman to live and thrive.

God pointed out two trees in the midst of the garden. One was the “tree of life,” and the other was the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (verse 9). Adam was free to eat of any tree in the garden, with one exception—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (verses 16-17).

This tree does not represent the acquisition of knowledge, as though knowledge itself is a bad thing. Scripture actually highlights the value of knowledge. The introductory words of Proverbs, for instance, explain that the book’s purpose is to impart wisdom, instruction and understanding (Proverbs 1:1-7).

Instead, taking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents choosing to decide for oneself what is good and what is evil.

The serpent persuaded Eve that by eating the fruit of this tree she could be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:4-5). So when she “saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate” (verse 6). She gave its fruit to Adam, and he, too, ate.

In essence, when Adam and Eve decided to disobey God—eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—they were usurping His authority. They were claiming the right to determine for themselves what is good and what is evil.

Basically, Adam and Eve were choosing for themselves what they thought would make life perfect. It’s the same choice pursued by anyone who has ever attempted to create a utopia. All utopian ideals invoke human ideas.

Yet the reality is that though humans try to redefine evil as good, they can’t change the consequences. There is a way that seems right to humans, but it actually leads to suffering and death (Proverbs 14:12). Disobeying God’s perfect law will never produce the utopia we want.

Dystopia as a choice

Although the word means “bad place,” a dystopia is often a failed or a lost utopia. Books and movies describing dystopias usually provide (or at least hint at) some sort of explanation of how that society came to be.

In many cases, these fictional dystopias emerge as the result of human attempts to solve problems. This merely echoes reality. History is replete with failed attempts to create utopias.

The French Revolution, for instance, was a struggle for “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.” Unfortunately, it brought about the “Reign of Terror,” a period of brutal executions that lasted nearly a year.

When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, they were thrust from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-24). In choosing to decide for themselves, they lost the utopia God had given them, replacing it with their own dystopia.

Racing toward dystopia

No human government has ever been perfect, though some have fared better than others. The most successful societies have often been those that endeavored to respect and apply various biblical principles.

That respect is fast disappearing as Western societies take the lead in redefining marriage and even what makes men, men and women, women. We are following in the footsteps of Adam and Eve, choosing to decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.

We are racing toward the worst possible dystopia, described by Jesus as a period of “great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). Knowing the horrors of modern history, this statement should be sobering to every person who reads it.

God is merciful, however, and will not allow us to destroy ourselves. Jesus promised that “for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (verse 22).

Have we lost utopia forever?

Adam and Eve made a choice to sin and were thrust from paradise. All of us have sinned, and the results of our sins have made this world more dystopian for ourselves and those around us.

The good news is that what has happened to our world—what we have created—is reversible. Early in his ministry, the apostle Peter spoke of our need to repent of sin—to change—so that “times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

He was not the first to hold out hope. The prophet Isaiah told the people of Judah, and specifically Jerusalem, that God would “make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD” (Isaiah 51:3). Ezekiel, another of God’s prophets, held out the same hope for the land to become like the Garden of Eden (Ezekiel 36:33-36).

The final chapter of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, describes an Eden-like setting, though the name Eden is not used. The chapter mentions the tree of life twice (Revelation 22:2, 14). It also mentions the lifting of the curse (verse 3), an allusion to Adam’s punishment for sin (Genesis 3:17-19).

Utopia vs. dystopia—your choice

Prophecy reveals that our world will experience the worst of all dystopian times, and probably not too far into the future. It will be a time that will make even the rich and powerful long for death (Revelation 6:15-16).

Jesus Christ talked about this end-time period of tribulation that would threaten human survival, but He also promised those days would be shortened and humanity would be saved from self-destruction (Matthew 24:21-22).

The prophet Daniel saw a vision of that time when God will crush the kingdoms of this earth, setting up a glorious Kingdom that will never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44). This is the good news of the Kingdom of God. It will be the “times of restoration of all things” the apostle Peter spoke of (Acts 3:21), when the increase of God’s government and peace will have no end. “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7).

God’s version of utopia is coming, and He wants you to enjoy it. But to do so, you must first repent, as Peter explained, so that you can be part of the times of refreshing (Acts 3:19). And you must be committed to obeying God (Revelation 22:14). Obedience to God’s perfect law is the true way to peace and utopia.

What will you do, and what will you choose?

Study more about the real utopia God has planned in our article “What Is the Kingdom of God?”

Post-Apocalyptic Fiction and Fact

 

Today books, movies and games feed our fascination with what might happen after a global cataclysm. But what does God’s prophetic Apocalypse tell us about the real post-apocalyptic world?

I grew up in the shadow of a nuclear apocalypse. If nuclear weapons could obliterate cities and create movie monsters like Godzilla and the 50-Foot Woman, what could our elementary school duck-and-cover drills really do to protect us? Fail Safe seemed frighteningly real to me in seventh grade.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world may have breathed easier for a moment. The age of mutually assured destruction (MAD) seemed over. Yet the nuclear and other threats have only proliferated since.

The dangers we knew were terrifying enough. But they are eclipsed by the untold threats posed by terrorists, totalitarian regimes and new weapons of mass destruction in the hands of unstable leaders.

Escapist entertainment

In the face of these fears, we seek escape through entertainment. But the types of fictional worlds I and many others are drawn to might seem ironic.

In our troubled world with myriad pathways to apocalypse, our popular entertainment continues to be dominated by post-apocalyptic books, movies and games.

What is such dystopian fiction all about? And why do we seek escape from present dangers through fearful futures?

Post-apocalyptic themes

Author Robin Parrish believes he has identified a common element in post-apocalyptic fiction. He writes, “You’ll see a recurring theme in post-apocalyptic fiction: the rise of the worst failings of human beings—cruelty, greed, suffering, a desire for power, self-preservation. Basic animal instincts of survival take over when people are stripped of all pretenses and facades. Writers, it seems, tend to believe that without the strictures of society, Earth’s population will quickly descend into anarchy” (“A Brief History of Post-Apocalyptic Fiction,” Mythbuilders.com).

This broad brush may miss many nuances, but it does give an interesting perspective for viewing the wildly divergent stories in the genre. The nightmarish, dystopian story lines seem endless, starting with a wide array of possible disasters.

Charlie Jane Anders cataloged these 10 types of fictional apocalypses on Gizmodo.com:

1. Plagues.

2. Slow apocalypse (social collapse or slow environmental decline).

3. Certain people die or vanish.

4. Technology fails.

5. Zombies.

6. Robot uprising.

7. Humanity abandons earth.

8. Nuclear holocaust.

9. Natural disasters.

10. Monsters and aliens.

Of course, some of these threats don’t appear on the nightly news, but the ones that do are truly frightening. So why do we want to read and watch these dystopian visions?

Why the interest in post-apocalyptic books, movies and games?

Many ideas have been floated for the popularity of dystopian fiction. Why are we drawn to these stories?

Charlie Jane Anders summed up her list this way: “Pretty much all apocalyptic scenarios are about wish-fulfillment on some level, even as they also explore our deepest fears. We all fantasize about being among the rugged handful of survivors, who immediately become the most special people in the world purely by virtue of still being alive.”

Robin Parrish believes post-apocalyptic stories fascinate us “because the real danger doesn’t come from the end of the world. It comes from the people left behind in it.”

Charley Locke sees the answer in a morbid escapism: “Part of the appeal of these classics [like George Orwell’s 1984], of course, is a morbid strain of escapism: Dystopian fiction enables readers to taste a darker timeline, albeit one that a protagonist invariably triumphs over. The world could be a lot worse, you think while reading” (“The Real Reason Dystopian Fiction Is Roaring Back,” Wired).

Matt Donahue, a popular culture instructor at Bowling Green State University, makes a similar point:

“It’s a way for the public to perhaps escape their everyday world and make them feel good after seeing how [bad] things are in the future. … They walk out of the movie theater and say, the world isn’t as screwed up as it is in The Hunger Games” (quoted by Kirk Baird in “We Hunger for Dystopian Sci-Fi,” The Blade).

Justin Scholes and Jon Ostenson point to the epic quality of the good vs. evil dilemma that calls the heroes to action.

“Whatever the backdrop of the dystopia—a violent society, a tyrannical government, an over-commercialized world—the protagonists come to understand that their society has become inhumane. They are appalled by the attitudes and actions of those within their culture, sickened at the complacency and even the open coldness of others toward situations that are cruel and unjust. As protagonists awaken to the realities around them, they feel an overwhelming sense that life has lost the value that it once had in the world—respect for life has been sacrificed for comfort or security. In YA [young adult] dystopian novels, it is often this inhumanity that pushes the protagonists to action” (“Understanding the Appeal of Dystopian Young Adult Fiction,” The ALAN Review).

Epic stories and fascinating plots have propelled post-apocalyptic fiction to the best-seller lists and to box office success. But even more intriguing is the best seller written thousands of years ago that inspired the name of the genre in the first place.Epic stories and fascinating plots have propelled post-apocalyptic fiction to the best-seller lists and to box office success. But even more intriguing is the best seller written thousands of years ago that inspired the name of the genre in the first place.

Origin of the term post-apocalyptic

According to Merriam-Webster.com, postapocalyptic means “existing or occurring after a catastrophically destructive disaster or apocalypse.”

Interestingly, apocalypse was originally simply about revealing something. The Greek word apokálypsis (Revelation 1:1) meant “uncovering, disclosure, revelation,” and it became the title of the biblical book we now usually call the book of Revelation.

The book begins with the words, “The Revelation [apokálypsis] of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to his servant John” (verse 1).

This last book of the New Testament records prophetic visions God gave to the apostle John at the end of the first century. They were intended to warn the world and to encourage faithful Christians.

In the popular imagination the mysterious symbolism and destructive end-time plagues revealed in Revelation turned the word apocalypse into a synonym for cataclysm and calamity.

But there’s more in the book of Revelation—the Apocalypse—than war and destruction. God also revealed what would happen after the violent and disastrous end times.

What does the Apocalypse really say about the future?

Revelation definitely earns its reputation as apocalyptic literature. Much of the book focuses on the last days of humanity’s sinful rule on the earth. The plagues and cataclysms will be every bit as bad as Hollywood can imagine.

As violence and evil spin out of control and mankind approaches self-destruction, God will intervene.

You can learn about these end-time apocalyptic prophecies in these and related articles:

• What Are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?
• Who Is the Beast?
• What Is the Great Tribulation?
• What Is the Day of the Lord?
• What Are the Seven Last Plagues?
• What Is Armageddon?

Thankfully, God’s intervention will bring mankind from the brink of annihilation to a point where people are finally willing to listen to God.

After the defeat of the evil end-time forces—Satan, a powerful civil leader called the beast, the false prophet who supports the beast, and the armies of the earth—our loving Savior Jesus Christ will rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords over the earth (Revelation 11:15; 19:11-16).

A Millennium of peace

Christ’s righteous rule will expand and bring peace and prosperity to the entire planet. Revelation 20:4 shows that this phase of God’s plan will last 1,000 years. This is often known as the Millennium, from the Latin for thousand years.

Though the book of Revelation doesn’t give many details of this period, the apostles proclaimed the good news of these “times of refreshing” and “restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:19-21).

For example, the prophet Isaiah describes:

• A government of justice and education in peace (Isaiah 2:2-4).
• Unprecedented prosperity (32:15).
• Healing of land and people (35:5-7).

As God said, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).

Read more about this wonderful world in our articles “1,000 Years—the Millennium” and “What Is the Kingdom of God?”

“Books were opened. And … the Book of Life”

Revelation 20:7-10 shows that after that 1,000 years, Satan will be released for a short time. He will again instigate rebellion and bring destruction on the earth. But after that, a much-misunderstood part of God’s merciful plan will be unveiled.

The rest of the dead—the dead from all times in human history who never had the opportunity for salvation—will be raised to be judged by God.

But this judgment will be different from what most imagine. The biblical concept of judgment is much broader than just the pronouncement of sentence. In fact, Peter said the house of God—the Church—is being judged now (1 Peter 4:17). This doesn’t mean Christians are being condemned, but being given their opportunity for salvation and spiritual growth.

Our merciful and fair God desires for all who have ever lived to come to the knowledge of the truth, to repentance and to be saved (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4). This second resurrection to judgment before God, who will sit on a “great white throne,” will provide that opportunity (Revelation 20:11).

“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened”—referring to the understanding of the books of the Bible. “And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life” (verse 12).

Another description of this second resurrection explains that God will make His Holy Spirit available (Ezekiel 37:14). As Paul wrote, “He who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:8). Those who do will be written in the Book of Life. Perhaps billions more people will be added to this book and become children of God (Revelation 21:7).

Learn more about this aspect of God’s plan in our articles “Is God Fair?” and “The Book of Life.”

A new heaven and a new earth

The Apocalypse of the Bible ends with a most incredible description of the post-apocalyptic future in Revelation 21 and 22.The Apocalypse of the Bible ends with a most incredible description of the post-apocalyptic future in Revelation 21 and 22.

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:1-4).

In verse 9 one of the angels that had introduced the seven last plagues came to John. This angel who had brought death now showed him the beauty and glory of the New Jerusalem with its tree of life and water of life (Revelation 21:10-11; 22:14, 17).

This post-apocalyptic world without pain or sorrow, instead filled with beauty and the glory of God, will be a future beyond our wildest dreams. There will be no hidden dangers or deceptions. The dystopias of today will truly be replaced by a utopian system of peace and joy, creativity and accomplishment.

As in the plot of a work of post-apocalyptic fiction, those who resist the evil and stand for good will have the chance to change the world. A better world is coming, and God is offering you a part in it.

At the end of the Apocalypse, Jesus says to us, “Surely I am coming quickly.” We can say, along with John, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

Read more about this mind-boggling future time in our articles “New Heavens and New Earth” and “The Gift of Eternal Life.”

And learn more about what God reveals throughout the Apocalypse by downloading our free booklet The Book of Revelation: The Storm Before the Calm.

What Is the Lake of Fire?

 

Opinions abound on what this rarely used phrase means. What does the Bible say? And how can we avoid the lake of fire?

The phrase lake of fire is found only four times in the Bible, and each occurrence is in the book of Revelation. The first passage tells us that when the kings of the earth come to fight against Christ at His second coming, the beast and false prophet will be “cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20, emphasis added throughout).

The final three occurrences of the phrase appear in the next chapter. Here we find that the devil will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10) and that eventually “Death and Hades” will be cast into this lake (verse 14). And finally, we read, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (verse 15).

Old Testament passages such as Genesis 19:24; Psalm 11:6; and Ezekiel 38:22 speak of God raining brimstone and fire upon the wicked. The references to fire and brimstone in connection with the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20; 20:10) indicate that it is a form of punishment.

The passages in the book of Revelation also make it clear that being thrown into the lake of fire is a punishment or judgment from God. This concept is commonly agreed upon. What isn’t agreed upon is the nature of this punishment for humans.

The traditional explanation

The most common, yet mistaken, explanation of the lake of fire has been that it is a place of perpetual torment for wicked people. One of the commonly cited proofs for this belief is found in Revelation 20:10: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

This passage, as translated in the New King James Version, seems to say that the devil, the beast and the false prophet will be tormented forever in the lake of fire. So how can there be any other explanation? We’ll come back to this verse after considering the alternate explanation that better fits what the Bible teaches.

The better explanation

The popular concept of hell, mistakenly believed by many to be synonymous with the lake of fire and the presumed place of everlasting torment for sinners, simply isn’t taught in the Bible. Neither is the mistaken idea that man has an immortal soul.

Throughout the Bible, “hell” (the English word selected as the translation of several different Hebrew and Greek words) is variously referred to as the grave, a valley near Jerusalem or a condition of restraint for Satan and the demons. It is never used to describe a place of eternal torment for wicked humans.

As for the concept of humans’ having an immortal soul, this false teaching originated with Satan (Genesis 3:4) and was a common teaching in pagan religions. The Bible teaches that a soul is simply a mortal, living creature.

For further explanation, see “What Is Hell?” and “Immortal Soul: What Is a Soul?”

The teaching of the Old Testament and the New

The Old Testament clearly teaches that the punishment of the wicked is simply death—the cessation of life. “The dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). There is no continuing existence after death. God, through the prophet Ezekiel, twice says, “The soul [a mortal living creature] that sins shall die”—not suffer for eternity (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). Death is the penalty for those who sin.

God’s judgment on the wicked is described by the prophet Malachi. Under God’s inspiration he wrote: “‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘that will leave them neither root nor branch. … You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 4:1, 3).

Ashes are all that are left when something is burned up, and this is what will happen to the incorrigibly wicked when they are thrown into the lake of fire. This is what the Old Testament teaches regarding the punishment of the wicked, and this teaching is also upheld by Jesus in the New Testament.

Notice Christ’s words: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Note carefully that Jesus did not speak of eternal torment for disobedience—instead, He spoke of one’s soul (life) and body being destroyed. For further explanation of this verse, see “What Christianity Gets Wrong About Hell.”

Through the years, many have noted the incongruity between the description of God, who loves the world so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins, and a being who would cause sinners to be tormented for eternity.Through the years, many have noted the incongruity between the description of God, who loves the world so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins, and a being who would cause sinners to be tormented for eternity. Some have tried to reason around this inconsistency by saying that God’s greatness demands such punishment for sin. But this reasoning is flawed, for it contradicts the Scriptures.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Here, the opposite of receiving everlasting life is to “perish.” God has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked”—not their ongoing punishment (Ezekiel 33:11). He is not “willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9).

Realizing that the Bible teaches that the wicked will be mercifully destroyed, some churches now refer to this teaching as annihilation. It is clearly a better explanation of what happens to the wicked.

Now let’s return to the verse noted above that seems to imply eternal, ongoing punishment of the wicked.

Understanding Revelation 20:10

Revelation 20:10 states: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

The word are in this verse is in italics in both the New King James Version and the King James Version. This means that this word was inserted by the translators—who apparently believed in eternal punishment of the wicked—to facilitate the reading and meaning of the verse as they understood it. They could just as easily have inserted the words were cast—which, we will see, is the better translation.

What this passage in Revelation 20:10 is conveying is that the devil will be cast into the same lake of fire into which the beast and false prophet had already been thrown (Revelation 19:20). The Good News Translation renders Revelation 20:10 in this way: “Then the Devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown.”

The beast and false prophet, who will be physical, mortal humans, will quickly die when they are thrown into this lake of fire after Christ returns. So, who will be “tormented day and night forever and ever,” as the text states?

The King James Version does not include the pronoun they in its rendering of this verse: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone … and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Satan the devil, a spirit being, is going to receive this punishment. Of course, we should also understand that the lake of fire—also called the everlasting fire—will be “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

Wicked humans who are thrown into the lake of fire will be quickly destroyed. They will not live forever in agonizing pain and suffering. The devil and his angels, however, are spirit beings and thus will not be killed by fire. They are the ones who will “be tormented day and night forever and ever.” They are composed of spirit and therefore are not affected by fire, which is physical. Their torment will be a mental torment of what they have lost. Jude indicates their final punishment will be that of being cast out into outer darkness forever (Jude 1:5-6, 12-13).

For additional study regarding how God will judge people, see “Judgment of God: The Real Story.”

Purposes of the lake of fire

As we’ve already noted, one of the purposes of the lake of fire will be to destroy the humans who will fulfill the roles of the beast and false prophet.

Of course, the beast and false prophet will not be the only humans destroyed in the lake of fire. Malachi 4:1 says that “all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up.”

After the 1,000 years have elapsed, Satan will be released from his prison, and he will deceive the nations and lead them in a battle against Jerusalem (Revelation 20:7-8). God will put down this rebellion by sending fire down from heaven to destroy the humans involved in this uprising and will at this time cast the devil and his demons into the lake of fire (verses 9-10; Jude 1:6-7). So the lake of fire will also be the instrument of torment for Satan and his demons during this period.

The way for us to be saved is clearly explained. In His earthly ministry Jesus repeatedly urged His listeners, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”After the Millennium and the casting of Satan and his demons in the lake of fire, the Bible speaks of another period of judgment for humans characterized by “a great white throne” (Revelation 20:11-12). Those who did not have an opportunity to receive salvation in their first lives will be brought back to life to have this opportunity.

People who choose not to obey Christ during this judgment period along with those who, with knowledge, willfully disobeyed in their first lives will also be destroyed in the lake of fire (verses 13-15). Note that this is called “the second death”—death from which there will be no resurrection. Since God’s plan of salvation for mankind will have now been completed, “Death and Hades [the grave]” are also “cast into the lake of fire.”

Finally, the Bible says that the present earth is going to be burned up in preparation for “a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away” (Revelation 21:1). Speaking of this time, Peter wrote that “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

How to avoid the lake of fire

As we have already noted, God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). Instead, He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

The way for us to be saved is clearly explained. In His earthly ministry Jesus repeatedly urged His listeners, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; also see Mark 1:15). And at times of unexpected tragedy, He cautioned, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).

After Christ’s resurrection, He appeared to His disciples and told them that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations” (Luke 24:47). Days later, after Peter received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, he followed this instruction, urging people to repent of their sins (Acts 2:38).

And why must we repent? As Peter explained, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

Having our sins blotted out—that is, removed—is a wonderful gift from God. As Paul noted, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:7).

To learn more about repentance and how your sins can be forgiven, download our free booklet Change Your Life!