Also called the burning flame, the Lake of Fire is the final abode of every person who rejects the Lord’s salvation. (References: Daniel 7:11; Revelation 20:10–15.)
The Lake of Fire and Hell are used interchangeably by some people, but the two are violently different places. Hell is a temporary holding place of darkness and fiery torment deep beneath earth’s surface, whereas the Lake of Fire, which contains brimstone, is an everlasting furnace. (References: Matthew 13:42; 25:41; Luke 16:19–31; Revelation 20:11–15; 21:8.)
What is the Lake of Fire? It is a lake, which by definition is a large and extensive collection of inland water (or fire) contained in a cavity of the earth. The Lake of Fire contains brimstone, a hard, brittle, inflammable substance, which has no smell, unless heated, and which becomes negatively electric by heat and friction.
Peter, Jude, and John describe several features of the Lake of Fire. Peter speaks of a mist of darkness reserved for the wicked for ever. Jude speaks of the blackness of darkness reserved for the wicked for ever. John speaks of a smoke, which ascends up out of the place of fire for ever. (References: 2 Peter 2:17; Jude 1:13; Revelation 14:11.)
The Lake of fire. A peculiar fire it is, that has no light, but is all dark. A peculiar fire it is in another respect, the apostle calls it a lake of fire, perhaps to note the abundance of torments, that as in rivers and lakes the water is plentiful, so plentiful torments shall be for those in the Lake of Fire.
Jesus and Isaiah speak of each person having a worm in the burning flame. Mark 9:43,44 “… into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Isaiah 66:24 “… their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” If this is a literal worm, then it is that kind which preys upon dead bodies and rotting things. If the worm is metaphoric, then it may signify a continual torment of conscious that shall ever gnaw the dead and never allow them to be at rest.
Some people say that the Lake of Fire is a metaphor. But this does not help anyone because a metaphor is always less in intensity than the real thing. If the Lake of Fire is a metaphor for something else, God only knows how awful the real place is. But it is not a metaphor for something else. The Scriptures make it clear that the Lake of Fire is a physical, tangible, real place.
The Lake of Fire is far worse than Hell. In fact, the latter will someday get thrown into the former. Revelation 20:14,15 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Reference:
Webster, Noah, and Rosalie J. Slater. “Lake, Brimstone.” Noah Webster’s First Edition of an American Dictionary of the English Language, Foundation for American Christian Education, 2009.