“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,” (Revelation 20:10).

This is a very significant verse in support of eternal conscious torment. It clearly says at three beings are thrown into the Lake of Fire to be tormented without end.  But, how do the conditionalists respond?  In summary, here are some of the basic issues the annihilationists raise concerning Revelation 20:10. I can’t list every question and objection they’ve raised.  So, I’ve stuck with the main ones and responded to each.

1. The book of Revelation is highly symbolic.  Therefore, how literally are we to take Revelation 20:10?
   1. Response:  Yes, the book of Revelation is highly symbolic. And it is valid to ask how literally we are to take Revelation 20:10. There is no objection here. However, we have to be careful when addressing the issue of literalness because we do not want to read into the text or fail to discover what’s already there. We should let each verse speaks for itself.  Also, if Revelation is so symbolic, then I can ask how is it possible for anyone to understand anything in it at all. Nevertheless, Revelation contains truth and so does this verse. The devil, who was a real being, and who will never die (Luke 20:36), is cast into this Lake of Fire which, at the very least, is a place of torment that will, as the text says, be “day and night forever and ever.”  Furthermore, when we recognize that in Revelation 20:15, those not found in the book of life will also be cast into the Lake of Fire, we have a strong case in support of eternal conscious torment, symbolism, or not.
2. Is the Lake of Fire symbolic or literal? If it is symbolic, then does it also mean that three beings were thrown into it and tormented day and night forever and ever aren’t really there and “forever and ever” really isn’t “forever” because of the potential symbolic nature of the Lake of Fire?
   1. Response: If the Lake of Fire is symbolic, then what does it mean? Obviously, it would have to be something of incredible danger since it is a place of torment that is forever and ever (Rev. 20:10; 14:10-11). But how far we did take the symbolism? Is the devil also symbolic? If we ask only why is the Lake of Fire symbolic and exclude, in the same context, the devil being symbolic, then we are choosing which words to which we want to apply the symbolism. We could also ask if the devil is literal, why isn’t the Lake of Fire also literal? But we could say that if the Lake of Fire is representing something horrible, and the devil is thrown into it, then at the very least, the devil will suffer an eternal fate in his torment. Remember, angels don’t die according to Jesus (Luke 20:36). Furthermore, when we recognize in Revelation 20:15 that all whose names are not found written in the book of life are also thrown into the Lake of Fire, then the implication is that they too will be tormented forever and ever along with the devil.
3. If the devil is a spiritual being, how could a literal Lake of Fire affect him?
   1. Response: This fails to recognize that a human being, a soul which is an immaterial thing housed in a physical body, suffers when the physical body suffers since we experience life in our bodies (Job 3:20; Psalm 6:3; 31:7; 88:3; Jer. 13:17, etc.).  Jesus said in John 12:27, “now my soul has become troubled.”  Obviously, that immaterial part of what we are can experience suffering. So, as we are both spiritual and physical beings, and since we can suffer due to physical as well as emotional difficulties, to say that the devil who was a spiritual being cannot suffer in a literal Lake of Fire needs to be dismissed.
4. Death and Hades are thrown into the Lake of Fire, so the Lake of Fire must be symbolic and not literal.
   1. Response:  It is true that Revelation says that death and Hades are thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14).  In fact, the last enemy to be abolished is death (1 Cor. 15:26).  Jesus has “the keys of death and Hades,” (Rev. 1:18).  The fourth seal brings the ashen horse, and he who sat on it is named death and Hades, (Rev. 6:6).  And, death and Hades gave up the dead which are in them (Rev. 20:13). If the Lake of Fire is not an actual, literal lake of some sort, it is, nevertheless, representative of something of great judgment. Depending on the context, the judgment is revealed. Since death and Hades are thrown into the Lake of Fire, we can conclude that there is a judgment upon both of them in that they lose their place of power in the world. This does not mean that the Lake of Fire isn’t real. At the very least, it is a phrase used to represent a torturous reality.

But, it does say eternal torment

In reading conditionalist literature, I’ve constantly read that the Lake of Fire is symbolic. But, who’s to say it isn’t a literal lake? Now, of course, normally, a lake is usually surrounded by a landmass. But the concept of a large body of fire into which people are thrown would be well described in the phrase “Lake of Fire.” When the conditionalist “says” it isn’t an actual Lake of Fire, what makes them right? Why can’t it be an area where fire is constantly burning? I asked the question because it needs to be asked.

It is in this Lake of Fire into which are thrown the devil, the beast, the false prophet, and all the wicked (Rev. 20:15). Since Revelation 20:10 says there be tormented day and night forever and ever, we have to ask that if the Lake of Fire is not literally, then is their torment also not literal? After all, doesn’t the text says they are tormented? Yes, it does. The Greek word for torment has different forms. I’ve analyzed every single instance in the New Testament.

• The word basanismos, βασανισμός, in all of its 6 occurrences in the New Testament, means some sort of continual suffering that is experienced whether it be by people being tormented for five months (Rev. 9:5) or the smoke of wicked’s torment which ascends forever (Rev. 14:11). However, in the case of the city of Babylon which is set in torment (Rev. 18:7, 10, 15) it appears that it is the governmental system that is tormented.  This must allude to the horrors experienced by the people within that corrupt system.  In no cases is the assault, torture, suffering a state of nonexistence or that leads to nonexistence
• In the single occurrence of the word basanistes, βασανιστής, in the New Testament (Matt. 18:34), it refers to a torturer, one who tortures. It does not mean a state of nonexistence or that leads to nonexistence
• The word basanizo in all of its 12 occurrences in the New Testament means some sort of assault, difficulty, and suffering upon a person or an object such as a boat (Matt. 14:24).  It is something that is experienced by the subject (Matt. 8:6; 2 Pet. 2:8; Rev. 9:5, etc.) or will be experienced by the subject (i.e., demons, Matt. 8:29; Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28).  In no cases is the assault, torture, suffering a state of nonexistence or that leads to nonexistence
• The word basanos, βάσανος, in each of its 3 occurrences in the New Testament means some sort of continual suffering that is experienced by people (Matt. 4:24; Luke 16:23, 28). In no cases is the suffering a state of nonexistence or that leads to nonexistence

In every instance, the torment is occurring over a period of time upon beings whether present, a future threat, or an assault on a boat (Matt. 14:24). In no instance does any form of torment in all of its New Testament usages ever imply nonexistence or anything that leads to nonexistence – unless you are a conditionalist who presupposes such an end and claims that people (and the devil?) will ultimately stop existing.

Conclusion

The fact is, Revelation is a symbolic book. But in admitting that, we must be careful when interpreting it because we can fall victim to seeing what we want to see and ignoring what we want to ignore. At the very least, Revelation 20:10 teaches that the devil, whom we know is a real living being, is cast into the Lake of Fire and is “tormented day and night forever and ever.” Since Jesus said that angels do not die (Luke 20:36), and the devil is an angel, then the devil will live forever in conscious torment in the Lake of Fire. This must mean that the Lake of Fire is a place of torment, and not annihilation – at least for the devil. But, since the beast and the false prophet are also thrown into that Lake of Fire, then they too “will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Additionally, we see that all those people whose names are not found in the Book of Life were also thrown into that same the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:15) that cannot end (due to Satan’s eternal suffering). Therefore, it is easy to conclude that they, like the devil, will be “tormented day and night forever and ever,” just as the text says.