Hello all, I have a question about hell. Revelations can be a difficult book to fully understand for me, but my question stems from what seems to be a difference between hell and the lake of fire. Can a person after they die go to Heaven, yet during the white throne judgement, find their name not in the book of life and still end up in the lake of fire?
You ask some good questions & it can be confusing unless one understands the WHOLE COUNSEL of the Word of God throughout Scripture.
In the OT, originally, both the unrighteous & the righteous went to Sheol, the abode of the dead, of those whose souls & spirits, that departed from their physically dead bodies went to, AFTER they physically died. (James 2:26; Psalm 104:29; 146:4; Luke 8:55; Gen 35:18,19, etc.)
In the NT, the Greek name for Sheol is Hades. They are synonymous & are the TEMPORARY place or abode of departed souls after the person physically dies. Some translations call this place hell but it is the temporary location of the souls of dead people, the 'temporary' or intermediate place of hell.
It is the place of the FIRST DEATH. (Hebrews 9:27)
The permanent or eternal place for the unrighteous & wicked is what most would consider hell. Jesus called it the 'hell of fire' or the 'Gehenna of fire' which is synonymous with the 'Lake of fire' which is also synonymous with the 'Second Death' & with the 'Lake of fire & brimstone.'
There are two resurrections, one of the righteous & one of the unrighteous. (Acts 24:14-16) Blessed are they of the first resurrection, who are the righteous & reign with Christ. The second resurrection is AFTER the millenial reign of Christ, of the unrighteous & the wicked & those rebellious against God the Father & the Messiah, the Lord Jesus.
This is when the great white throne judgment occurs & this is only for the unrighteous. All those do not have their names found in the 'Book of Life,' the 'Lamb's Book of Life' are cast into the eternal 'Gehenna of fire' (Mt 5:22,29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33; Mk 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6), the 'Lake of fire', that place which is also called the 'Second Death' & the 'Furnace of fire' (Mt 13:42) & the place of
'outer darkness' (Mt 8:12; 25:30), etc. In the OT it is also called the 'Topheth of fire' & the 'abyss' or 'bottomless pit (NT).'
Jesus is our example. When Jesus physically died on the cross, He committed His human spirit into the hands of the Father (Luke 23:46; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Acts 7:5). His soul went to Sheol/Hades (Psalm 16:10; 49:15; 86:13; Jonah 2:6; Acts 2:27-31; I Cor 15:42ff; John 13:1), into the compartment or section of it called 'Paradise' (Luke 23:43) or Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:22).
Jesus' lifeless body was on the earth & laid in a tomb/grave for the three days before His human spirit & soul RETURNED to His resurrected physical body. After Christ's ascension, Paradise & those believers in it was taken up into the third heaven, in Christ's presence (2 Cor 12:4; Rev 2:7). Those believing saints dying after this point go directly into Christ's presence in heaven (2 Cor 5:7-9; Prov 14:32; Phil 1:22-25). That was the hope of Job (Job 19:25-28).
Physical death is a separation, of the soul & spirit (immaterial or invisible part of man) from the lifeless physical body. (James 2:26; Psalm 104:29; 146:4; Luke 8:55)
Ps 104:29 You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they die & return to their dust.
Genesis 35:18,19 It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. So Rachel died & was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
Spiritual death is a separation of the person from God, which occurs when a person sins against God. (Isaiah 1:15; 57:17; 59:1-3; Matt 8:22; Luke 9:60; 15:24-32; Eph 2:1-5; John 5:25-27; I Tim 5:6; Micah 3:4; Eph 2:12; Lev 15:31; 20:3; I Sam 3:14; Ezek 5:11; Numbers 5:3)
Luke 9:60 NLT But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go & preach about the Kingdom of God.”
Here are in-depth studies of the temporary & eternal abodes of the dead.
Hell, Sheol, Hades, Paradise, and the Grave
Hades: The conscious realm of the dead!
Can a person after they die go to Heaven, yet during the white throne judgement, find their name not in the book of life and still end up in the lake of fire?
No. The righteous do not take part in the great white throne judgment. That is after the resurrection of the unrighteous & only they end up in the lake of fire. It is only their names that are not in the book of life. Once a righteous person dies, there life on earth is done; they don't return. Jesus has given them His righteousness & forgiveness of sins as a gift & by grace through faith they have been saved. Only the righteous go to heaven, in the presence of Christ.
John 5:24,28,29 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life. Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice
& come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life & those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
John 10:24-30 So the Jews gathered around Him & demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” “I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did NOT believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf.
26But because you are NOT My sheep, you REFUSE to believe. My sheep listen to My voice; I know them & they follow Me.
28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
29My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
30I and the Father are one.
Yes, IMO life is only for those of the Kingdom. None of us can say we are in the book for sure.
We can indeed. Jesus said that concerning the 11 apostles that believed & the additional 70 He also sent out.
Luke 10:17-20 When the seventy disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”
18“Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy & you can walk among snakes & scorpions & crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because YOUR NAMES ARE REGISTERED IN HEAVEN.”
Psalm 69:28 May they be erased from the book of life & not listed WITH THE RIGHTEOUS.
Only the righteous are listed in the Book of Life.
Isaiah 4:3 Whoever remains in Zion & whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy--all in Jerusalem who are recorded among the living--
Daniel 12:1 At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered.
Malachi 3:17 "They will be Mine," says the LORD of Hosts, "on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
Exodus 32:31-34 So Moses returned to the LORD & said, “Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves. But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!”
33But the LORD replied to MOSES, “No, I will erase the name of everyone who has sinned against me. Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Look! My angel will lead the way before you. And when I come to call the people to account, I will certainly hold them responsible for their sins.”
Luke 9:28-36 About 8 days later Jesus took Peter, John & James up on a mountain to pray. And as He was praying, the appearance of His face was transformed & His clothes became dazzling white.
30SUDDENLY, two men, MOSES AND ELIJAH, appeared (made manifest, revealed) & began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see (in glory). And they were speaking ABOUT His exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.
32Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw JESUS' GLORY & the two men standing with Him. As Moses & Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses & one for Elijah.” But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them & terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.
35Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to Him.” When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Philippians 4:3 Yes & I ask you, my true yokefellow, to help these women who have labored with me for the gospel, along with Clement AND the rest of my fellow workers, WHOSE NAMES ARE in the BOOK OF LIFE.
Hebrews 12:23 ...In joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, REGISTERED (enrolled) in heaven. You have come to God the judge of all men, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect...
Rev 3:5 Like them, the one who is victorious will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels.
Rev 13:8 (17:8) And all who dwell on the earth will WORSHIP THE BEAST--all whose names have NOT been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
Rev 21:27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Rom 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood.
John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and NONE OF THEM IS LOST--EXCEPT the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Paul had already been to paradise. He already KNEW where He was going. How did Paul KNOW all his fellow workers & Clement had their names written in the Book of Life, even before they died?
How did Jesus know the 70 disciples He sent out, in addition to the 12 He had sent out previous, ALL had their names written in the Book of Life & this was before they had even physically died? How did Jesus know the other 12 apostles would never be lost (except Judas Iscariot), even before they physically died?
We as disciples & followers of Christ, who by grace through faith have been saved, can be confident that are names are written in the Book of Life, even as Jesus is confident & Paul is confident & even Moses couldn't be blotted out of the Book of Life & on the mount of transfiguration--there Moses appeared--IN GLORY already, with Elijah. That is our hope as well, like a sure anchor of the soul (Heb 6:18-20), the HOPE OF GLORY. (Acts 23:6; Colossians 1:27; Rom 5:5; Psalm 62:5; I Pet 1:3)
