The Lake of fire, which is spoken of in the Revelation, is taught by many religions to be the same as Hell Fire. However, the passage says that what many Bibles call ‘Hell’ will also be thrown into this lake.
So they obviously can’t be the same thing. So what is the lake?
Well, notice the definition of what the lake of fire is according to the King James Bible at Revelation 20:14:
‘And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.’
So, what is the Lake of Fire? As the scripture says, it is ‘the second death.’ And what does that mean?
Death is the end of life, and fire destroys. Therefore, things that are thrown there will be burned up and gone forever, with no hope of returning.
If that is so, then why does Revelation 20:10 say that those who go there are tortured?
The word translated as torture (Greek: βασανίζω) had different connotations in ancient times, because jailers were called torturers. This wasn’t necessarily because they physically tortured people (though they often did), but because being locked away in jails (or dungeons) is itself a form of torture.
Further, symbols like the wild animal, the false prophet, and representations of death and the grave, are all thrown into the Lake of Fire. Therefore, how could their ‘torture’ could mean literal pain if they are merely symbols? How can the grave be tortured? Only if it means that they will be locked away (gone) forever.
This would agree with later on in Revelation, where it says:
‘there won’t be any more death, mourning, wailing, or pain, because all that once was will be gone’ –Revelation 21:4