Revelation 19:1 - 21

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage (wedding) of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready (prepared). 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed (cast about with a garment) in fine linen (very costly; delicate; soft cloth), clean and white (shining; brilliant; glistering); for the fine linen is the righteousnesses [righteousness] (righteous deeds) of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called (invited; called by name) unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not! I am thy fellow servant (one who serves another), and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

11 And I saw heaven opened, and, behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True (Genuine), and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns (diadems); and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture (outer garment) dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies (bands of soldiers) which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword (javelin), that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls (scavengers; buzzards; ravenous birds of prey) that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together (assemble in one place) unto the supper of the great God, 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and enslaved [bond], both small and great. 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles (signs) before him, with which he deceived (seduced; led astray) them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning (ignited; set on fire) with brimstone (sulphur).

21 And the remnant (rest; remainder) were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth; and all the fowls were filled (gorged) with their flesh.

1 - 4 John the Revelator uses again the phrase "after these things" (meta tauta), to show that these things happened in sequence. John heard a great voice of many people (a great multitude) in heaven, saying, Hallelujah! (The word "Hallelujah" is derived from two Hebrew words - Hallal and Jah). (Allelouia - Praise ye the Lord)! (See the Hallelujah Psalms 146, 147, 148, 149, 150). Salvation, and glory, (and honor - not found in the original), and power, unto the Lord our God; for true and righteous are His judgments, for He has judged the great harlot (Babylon), who corrupted (ephtheiren from phtheiro - defiled; destroyed; led astray) the earth with her fornication, and has avenged (exedikesen from ekdikeo - revenged; rectified) the blood of His servants at her (Babylon's) hand. And again the word, "Hallelujah," was heard. And the smoke rose up forever and ever. The twenty-four elders and the living creatures fell down and worshiped God Who sat on His throne, and they added their Hallelujah! All of heaven join in the Doxology to Jehovah God and the Lamb! The tribulation week has now ended; the Second Coming of our Lord is immanent.

Concerning the judgment upon Babylon, Smith writes, "It is an 'eternal burning;' in other words, the ruin is final. It is not as when the flames of a burnt city at last die down, the men clear away the charred timbers and the blackened stones, preparatory to a rebuilding. It is, rather, as if the flames were never to lack fuel, but forever burn on, making all restoration and rebuilding eternally impossible. So with great Babylon. So with that power which for so long a time corrupted the world with its sorceries, oppressed the church, and wore out the saints of the Most High" (p. 259).

5, 6 A voice (singular) from the throne was heard, "Praise our God, all you his servants, and all that fear Him, both small and great." Then John heard that which sounded like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! (Praise the Lord). For the Lord God omnipotent reigns." Just who uttered this (singular) voice (verses 5, 9, 10) from the throne we do not know. Was it an angel? Was it Peter? Was it Paul? Was it Abraham? Was it Moses? Was it Elijah? It is doubtful that the voice was the Lord's; seldom if ever did He address Jehovah God as our but rather my God. We do know that it was a fellow servant and one of the Christian brethren. He (whoever it was) called upon all of God's servants; all that fear (reverence) Him whether they are small or great. At his command, all of heaven broke loose sounding like the cascading of waters (like a mighty Niagra) and like gigantic peals of thunder; they too, praise the Lord for Jehovah God reigns as King. God is in complete control; no longer will Satan, the Beast and the False Prophet have any sway whatsoever. Psalm 110:1 which reads, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool" is now being fulfilled. As our Lord descends from heaven the living saints will be caught up to meet Him in the air, thus I Thessalonians 4:16, 17 will be fulfilled which read, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words."

7 - 10 God's mighty messenger speaks further information. He states, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to God; for the marriage (gamos - wedding) of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready (etoimasen from etoimazo - prepared)." To her was granted that she should be arrayed (peribaletai from peri + ballo - cast about with a garment) in fine linen (bussinon from bussos - very costly, delicate and soft cloth), clean and white (lampron from lampros - shining; brilliant; glistering); for the fine linen is the righteousnesses (plural) (righteous deeds) of the saints. Contrary to the gaudy garments, flaunted finery and flashy jewelry of the scarlet woman, the Lord's Bride has her righteousnesses (her righteous deeds). And the messenger said to John, "Blessed are they who are called (keklemenoi from kaleo - invited; called by name) unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. These are the true sayings of God." Then John writes - I fell at the feet of the messenger to worship him, but he said to John, "See you do it not! I am your fellow servant (sundoulos from sun + doulos - one who serves with another), and of your brethren that have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." The Bridegroom is coming from heaven and His Bride has made herself ready and is eager to meet Him in person. The day of the wedding has now arrived. In the parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1 - 13 a picture is given of an Oriental wedding. Note the readiness of the five virgins who had plenty of oil in their lamps, and their lamps were also trimmed and ready when the message went out that the bridegroom was coming. In the parable for the virgins to go and buy more oil was to miss the festivities. At the marriage of the Lamb preparation was made by having on a wedding garment which was portrayed in glistening fine linen. Some of God's children are in the bride of Christ, some are called to the marriage supper who evidently are not in the Bride of Christ. One thing that is known for sure is that those who make up the bride of Christ and those who are invited are all saved by God's grace. Are those called to the marriage supper the Old Testament saints? Are they the saved who have not followed Christ's complete commands, such as following the Lord in baptism and those who have never identified with His church here on earth? "It is quite possible that the guests here are the Old Testament saints and those saints who were saved in the tribulation" (Strauss, p. 321). When John heard the messenger, he was so awe-stricken that he fell at his feet to worship him. He was admonished, however, not to do so for the messenger claimed to be a fellow servant with John and a brother of the witnesses of Jesus.

11 - 16 Then John saw heaven opened again. From heaven came a white horse and its Rider (was) called Faithful (pistos) and True (alethinos - Genuine), and in righteousness he judges and makes war. (The rider of the white horse in Revelation 6 was faithless and untrue; he was a counterfeit). The eyes of the Rider were like a flame of fire; He was crowned with many crowns (diademata from diadema - diadems); He had a name written that no man knew but He Himself. He was clothed with a vesture (himation - outer garment) dipped in blood (see: Isaiah 63:1 - 6); and His name is called "The Word of God (O Logos tou Theou)," the same name that John gave Him in John 1:1, 14; I John 1:1. Armies (strateumata from strateuma - a band of soldiers) that were in heaven followed Him upon white horses; the riders were clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of the mouth of the Rider proceeded a sharp sword (rhomphaia - javelin), that with it He should smite the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. He also had on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (BASILEUS BASILEON KURIOS KURION). This name emphasizes the universal sovereignty of the warrior Christ in his eschatological triumph over all the enemies of Jehovah God (Mounce, p. 347). This white horse rider of Revelation 6 was Satan's counterfeit, but this White Horse Rider is Faithful and True; He is Genuine. The crowns worn by Satan (Revelation 12:3) and the crown worn by the Beast (Revelation 13:1) were mere shams. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the proper One to wear the royal diadems or crowns. The army that followed Jesus could be a host of angels on white horses or the saints. In Paul's letter to Timothy he praised the Lord Jesus Christ in this way, "Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and the Lord of lords;..." (I Timothy 6:15). Of the three names given to our Lord (1) "Faithful and True" describes Him in His relations with His redeemed ones; (2) "The Word of God" as the medium, and, at the same time, the substance, of that revealed truth through which all the aims of this dispensation are achieved; and (3) "King of kings and Lord of lords" as supreme even in the dominion of the world - holding and, in due time, effectually asserting a supremacy which even the proudest and mightiest must acknowledge (Smith).

17 - 19 Then John saw an angel standing in the sun who cried out to the fowls (orneois from orneon - scavengers; buzzards; ravenous birds of prey) of the air to come and gather (sunachthete from sun + ago - assemble; gather in one place) themselves together unto the supper (deipnon - feast) of the great God. In verses 7 - 9 the saved are invited to a joyous wedding feast of the Lamb and His bride. Here, it is ironic that the scavengers and buzzards are invited to a supper or feast of a different kind. The word sarx "flesh" is used five times in verse 18. That they might eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses, the riders of the horses and of all men, both free and enslaved [bond] and free, both small and great. One is reminded of the parallel battle of God and Magog prophesied in Ezekiel 39:1 - 29, although Ezekiel probably prophesied of another battle that may take place later. Jesus said in Matthew 24:28, "For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together." Then John wrote that he saw the Beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse and against His army. Zechariah 14:1 - 21 prophesies and relates in detail some of what will happen at the Lord's return to the earth.

20 John writes of how the Beast, and the False Prophet who had wrought miracles (semeia from semeion - signs) and deceived (eplanesen from planao - seduced; led astray) those who had received the mark of the Beast and them that worshiped his image, were taken, and the both of them (the Beast and False Prophet) were cast alive into the lake of fire burning (kaiomenes from kaio - ignited; set fire to) with brimstone (theio from theion - sulphur). These two counterfeits will no longer lead people astray; they will be cast alive, body and soul, into the lake of fire and brimstone. Physical death they will never know, but grasped by the hand of Omnipotence, seized red-handed in their crimes, they are at once cast into the lake of fire and brimstone - a collection of agonies unutterable. Satan's two emissaries are still found alive in the lake of fire and brimstone at the close of the millennial reign (Revelation 20:10). Judgment is passed upon them; however, Jehovah God is not finished with Satan as yet (Revelation 20:1, 2, 7 - 10). The word "brimstone" is used seven times in the New Testament - Once in Luke (17:29) and six times in Revelation 9:17, 18; 14:10; 20:10; 21:8 and here in 19:20. In Luke 17:29 the gospel writer refers to the account where God rained down from heaven fire and brimstone upon Sodom during Lot's time.

21 The rest (loipoi from loipos - remnant; the remainder), besides the Beast and False Prophet, were slain by the sword of our Lord Who sat upon the white horse. The instrument of destruction was the sword proceeding out of His mouth. All the fowls were filled (echortasthesan from chortazo - gorged) with the flesh of those mentioned in verse 18. Some of the same activity will take place when Ezekiel 39 is fulfilled at Gog and Magog.

Revelation 20:1 - 15

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded (heads cut off with an axe) for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power (authority), but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7 And when the thousand years are ended [expired] (finished), Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters (directions; corners) of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth (width) of the earth, and compassed (encamped; cast) the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented (tortured; vexed with pain) day and night for ever and ever.

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away (escaped), and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hades [hell] (the place of the unseen; the place of departed spirits) delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hades [hell] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

1 - 3 John the Revelator is given further revelations. He saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key (klein from kleis - those keeping the keys have power and authority to open and close) to the bottomless pit (abussou from abussos - a place of unsounded depth) and a great chain (halusin from ha + luo - manacle; bond) in his hand. The angel laid hold on (ekratesen from krateo - laid hands on; controlled) the dragon, that old serpent, the Devil and Satan, and bound him (edesen from deo - tie; fastened with fetters) for a thousand years (chilia ete). The angel cast (ebalen from ballo - threw; hurled) him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up (ekleisen from kleio - fasten; close up) and set a seal on him (esphragisen from sphragizo - a seal to forbid his exit), that he should deceive (planese from planao - seduce) the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled (telesthe from teleo - ended; completed); after that he must be loosed for a little season (mikron chronon - short time). Christ at His Second Coming will come as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will declare war on all that is evil. Satan, the god of this world and the source of all evil, will be dealt with as well as the Beast and False Prophet. The archenemy is given four names - dragon, serpent, devil and Satan. According to Homer the dragon (dragonon - sea serpent - Heb. tannin) was fabulous animal, a great serpent and a hideous beast. The devil has been known as a serpent, snake (ophis) since he led Eve astray in Eden (Genesis 3:1 - 6). The word Devil is (diabolos from dea + ballo - slanderer; bringer of false accusations). The word Satan is (Satanas - Heb. - Hasoton), and he is introduced into biblical history in I Chronicles 21:1 and means hater, adversary, opposing spirit or accuser. He is the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4). For one thousand years (during the millennial kingdom) the children of God and the world will take leave of him. Of course God is not concerned with time except as it refers to His creation; for us the time span is one thousand years. (See introduction for discussion of the millennium). "One thousand years after the second coming Satan will join the Beast and his hellish colleague, the False Prophet in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). The abyss is God's cell block on execution row; the lake of fire is His execution chamber, although it is (that), the executed criminal is never pronounced dead. Satan will make one last attempt to overthrow God, albeit an abortive one (Revelation 20:7 - 9)" (Yeager, p. 402).

4 John saw thrones (plural) and those sitting on the thrones (probably the original Twelve Apostles minus Judas Iscariot - Matthew 19:27, 28; Luke 22:30) were given the privilege of judgment. John saw souls of those that were beheaded (pepelekismenon from pelekizo - to cut with an axe - plekus; martyred) for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God and those who had not worshiped the Beast or received his mark on their foreheads or in their hands. In Revelation 6:9 the word used for killing the martyrs was esphagmenon which means slain like an animal; thus, probably by cutting the throat. Either method is the use of violence. These lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5, 6 The rest of the dead (the unrighteous dead; the unsaved dead) lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection (prote anastasis). Since there is a first resurrection, there must be at least another resurrection. In the first resurrection a select group arise "out from among the dead" (Philippians 3:11). In Luke 14:14 our Lord spoke of certain people for doing a certain thing, "...Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Although Daniel (12:2) does not speak of separate occasions of the resurrections, he does write, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" thus implying separate resurrections. Our Lord speaks again (John 5:28, 29), "Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on those the second death has no power (exousian from exousia - authority), but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. The second death is the death of separation from God eternally.

7 - 9 When the thousand years are ended (telesthe from teleo - expired; finished; brought to the goal or the end), Satan shall be loosed (luthesetai from luo - unloosed) out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters (goniais from gonia - corners; directions) of the earth, Gog and Magog (see Ezekiel 38), to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth (platos - width) of the earth and compassed (perembolen from para + emballo - encamped; cast) the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them (katephagen from katesthio - ate them up). Satan has now been bound in the abyss (verse 3) for one thousand years; on earth the saints of all time have been enjoying peace for one thousand years. Although people have been born throughout this period sin has been suppressed; peace has been the rule of the day. Our Lord has reigned in peace, with a rod of iron, with His saints for the thousand years. Unregenerate man even under ideal social, moral, economic, environmental and political conditions cannot think God's thoughts after Him and is still determined in his rebellious heart to strike God from the skies (Yeager, p. 409). For one thousand years all has been perfect; God's curse upon the earth has been lifted. Animals will no longer devour each other, nor will the animals harm mankind (Isaiah 11:1 - 10); no more pollution will fill the air; the streams will flow with fresh and uncontaminated water. According to Isaiah 2:4, "...They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." The Psalmist (Psalm 72) had much to say about Messiah's glorious kingdom. When Satan is loosed, however, he will gather together evil forces which will be led by Gog, king of Magog, and they will make their final attack upon Jerusalem, King Jesus and His saints. This is Satan's last attempt to dethrone the Creator. Gog seems to be the king (leader) of a northern confederation set on destroying Jerusalem, the Jews and all of God's saints (Ezekiel 38 and 39).

Why is Satan loosed for a season? Many have speculated; Walvoord quotes Govett who suggests four reasons why Satan must be loosed after a thousand years: (1) to demonstrate that man even under the most favorable circumstances will fall into sin if left to his own choice; (2) to demonstrate the foreknowledge of God who foretells the acts of men as well as His own acts; (3) to demonstrate the incurable wickedness of Satan; (4) to justify eternal punishment, that is, to show the unchanged character of wicked people even under divine jurisdiction for a long period of time (p. 303).

10 John also saw the devil that had deceived the unsaved during the tribulation cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where was the beast and the false prophet, and they were tormented (basanisthesontai from basanizo - tortured; vexed with pain) day and night forever and ever (eis aionas ton aionon - age after age adding up to eternity; forevermore). The word of God plainly declares that death is not annihilation and that the wicked exist forever, though in torment. Jehovah God's "anointed cherub" (Ezekiel 28:14) finds his eternal destiny in the lake of fire and brimstone. "Deception, error, heresy, extremism, sanctimony, fanaticism, cant, tartuffery, hypocrisy and unctuous affectation will be forever at an end in the Kingdom of God" (Yeager, p. 415). All the saved of God's human race from Adam to the last person saved by God's grace will now be finished with Satan, the Beast and the False Prophet; in fact, freed from all evil. No more will he lead astray the unsuspecting; no more will he be able to tempt God's creation to do evil.

11, 12 The next thing that John saw was a great white throne and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away (ephugen from pheugo - escaped), and there was found no place for them. And John saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Jehovah God has already given His Son the privilege of being Judge. John 5:22, 23 read, "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father, who hath sent him." When the Apostle Paul preached his sermon on Mars' Hill (Acts 17:30, 31), he said of Jesus, "And the times of this ignorance God overlooked [winked at], but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; concerning which he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." Every man and woman (the unsaved of all ages) will one day face Jesus in the judgment, either at the Judgment Seat of Christ or at the Great White Throne Judgment. All the unsaved of every era, of every creed, of every race will stand in this judgment. The small and the great will stand before God the Son. The books that are opened here are in all probability the books of the Bible. The other book is the book of life; no unsaved person's name will be in the Book of Life, but a search will be diligently made. According to the evil works of the unsaved, they will be judged. Those who have sinned most will experience the most pain and torment in the lake of fire and brimstone. One thousand years will separate the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment.

13 - 15 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hades (hades from a privative + idein - the place of the unseen; the place of departed spirits) [hell] gave up its dead; and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hades [hell] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, which was written before the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8), was cast into the lake of fire. The bodies that have been buried at sea for any reason will be resurrected. Death that has clutched the bodies of all the unsaved and hades [hell] that has held the souls (spirits) of the unsaved will release their hold on all the unsaved. All of God's saints will have been resurrected, transfigured and judged for rewards and rewarded before the millenium; the unsaved will be resurrected and judged on the basis of their works after the millenium. Since death and hades will be no longer needed they are cast into the lake of fire. None of the saved need fear the second death; it is reserved for all the unsaved.

EXCURSUS - F

Perhaps it would be well to identify and explain the words "abyss," "hell," "hades, "sheol" and the "lake that burns with fire and brimstone." The "abyss" is the bottomless pit referred to in Revelation 20:1 and is the place where fallen angels, and where foul and evil spirits are imprisoned by God. This seems to be the place called "the deep" where the demons did not want to go when they were cast out of the demon-possessed man (Luke 8:31); "And (the demons) besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep (abussa)." The same word is found in Romans 10:7 where it is translated "deep;" in Revelation 9:1, 2 the word is translated "bottomless," and in Revelation 9:11; 11:7; 17:8; and 20:1, 3 the word is translated "bottomless pit." The abyss is where Satan is going to be cast, chained, locked and sealed for a thousand years.

The word "Sheol" is used in the Old Testament sixty-five times; thirty-one times it is translated "hell," thirty-one times it is translated "grave" and three times the "pit." The Greek word "hades" which is found ten times in the New Testament is the exact equivalent of "sheol" in the Old Testament. "Sheol" and "hades" mean the place of the departed, it is the unseen world beyond this life.

"Hell" is altogether a different word; in the New Testament it is "Gehenna." "Gehenna" is the "valley of Hinnom," outside of Jerusalem. It was there that the heathen had burned their children to the fiery god Moloch. It was cursed of God, and the place where the Jewish people used to discharge refuse of the city. Garbage, filth and the carcasses of animals were thrown into that valley. The fire never died, nor did the worm (maggot) that ate the putrid mass ever die. It was there that the jackals fought over every carcass and gnashed one another with their teeth as they ate the refuge cast into that horrible place (Matthew 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Mark 9:44, 46, 48; Luke 13:28).

The "lake that burns with fire and brimstone" is the final place where the Beast and the False Prophet were cast; also the ultimate place where the Devil is cast, and it is the eternal abode of the fearful, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murders, the fornicators [whoremongers], the sorcerers, the idolaters and all liars (Revelation 19:20; 20:10, 14, 14, 15; 21:8).