Thats not under dispute, I am trying to understand what the lake of fire means. Bloesch is discussing in his book the meaning of hell. I should maybe have made that clearer - I have edited my OP now to do so.
Ok so -- "lake of fire" is pretty descriptive in its name but its context is even more descriptive --
other writers call it fiery hell - but John calls is "Lake of fire"
It takes place "in the presence" of the Lamb AND of "his holy ones" - the holy angels , the saints who are with the Lamb wherever He goes - etc.
Rev 14:9 “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the
wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the
smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Rev 20:
7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city,
and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the
lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one
of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were
thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And
if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Jude 1
6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7
as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh,
are set forth as an example,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
2 Pet 2:
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast
them down to hell and delivered
them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah,
one of eight
people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and
turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned
them to destruction,
making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly
Matt 25:
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones,
into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
Did medieval artists misrepresent Hell when it depicted the damned being tormented by demons? A question I would ask is how does that sort of hell glorify God?
It would only glorify God if it was deemed rational, appropriate for the deed done, and just -- as opposed to simply monstrous.
degrees of punishment appropriate to knowledge of the person and deeds done.
Luke 12:
45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for
him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint
him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And
that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare
himself or do according to his will,
shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But
he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes,
shall be beaten with few. For
everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
49 “
I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
Matt 10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to
destroy both soul and body in (fiery) hell
