Read Revelation 19:17-21.
Our passage today reveals the gathering of forces for a battle to the near finish (I say “near finish” because the final battle will occur in ch. 20.). Christ and his forces versus the Antichrist (i.e. beast) and his forces. You know the outcome.
The beasts of chapter 13 – the beast of the sea and the beast of the land, the Antichrist and his right hand man, respectively – are defeated along with their armies. Their final destiny: the lake of fire. What is this lake of fire? For most of us, we are more familiar with the term “hell”, but the book of Revelation describes it as a fiery lake of burning sulfur. It is a place described in 20:10 as a place of torment “day and night for ever and ever.”
If you are like me, the description of this place grips me. It seems like the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. People who seem so nice to us; people who chose to live a life apart from Christ for a relatively short time in this world will experience such terrible torment for eternity. Does that seem fair to you? This is a question that every honest believer probably faces sometime in their life. It is more than a theological discussion, but one that tears at our hearts and emotions.
That this is a deeply emotional issue means it should affect us deeply. Some are moved with disbelief. They cannot believe such a destiny awaits the lost. Some wish to believe that the lost will merely perish with no life beyond the grave. To be honest, I wish that was my conviction, but I do not see the Scriptures teaching such a view. On the contrary, because I believe in the eternal state of hell, it reveals just how serious a matter sin is. I wonder if my discomfort with nice people going to hell is because I have become too casual with sin. Perhaps I have underestimated the dreadful effects and filthiness of sin. Perhaps I have underestimated the beauty and cost of holiness. Christ’s death was no small matter because sin and eternal damnation is no small matter. Make this your prayer today:
Lord, give me a greater understanding of the seriousness of sin. Help me see sin through Your eyes and live a life of holiness. Lord, help me see the destiny of those without Christ and move me to action. And thank You, Lord, for Your victorious and abundant grace in my life!
-Mike