M____  wrote:
Mike, Concerning the lake of fire: what is happening in the lake of fire? Is it literal fire, is it scourging (and if it is scourging, do we mean like whips and stuff) and how long is it for (1000 years), and those who are dead; are they in the lake of fire now or in sheol waiting to be sent to the lake of fire. M____

Hi M____,
Thank you for your question.
The word ‘fire’ is just as symbolic in scripture as is the word lamb. Yes, Sodom was burned with physical fire, and yes, ancient Israel sacrificed  physical sheep. But in both cases “these things happened to them and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

How has “the end of the end of the world [ Greek – age] come upon us?” We are even now experiencing judgment day:

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

We are being judged first that we might be used to judge the world and angels later:

1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Those who “judge themselves” are those who will be in the first resurrection, but you have to ‘die’ before you can be judged. How do we die? We “show the Lord’s death… [ by] dying daily.”

1Co 11:23  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [ same] night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24  And when he had given thanks, he brake [ it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25  After the same manner also [ he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [ it], in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

As we “die daily” we “show the Lord’s death.” As we “flee from idolatry… we show the Lords death.” It is a life in which Christ is increasing as Mike Vinson is decreasing. It is not a life of rituals which have nothing to do with the inside, the heart and mind, of a man.
If we are not “dying daily”, then we are not being judged now, and we will be judged later in the lake of fire. Both are judgments of ‘fire.’ But what is that ‘fire?’

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

What is this fire? Here is what ‘fire’ is in scripture:

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

It is through our trials that God’s symbolic ‘fire’ burns the wood, hay and stubble out of our lives. It is through “filling up in our own bodies that which is behind of the sufferings of the Christ,” that we are judged now while yet in this “vessel of clay.” Here it is, in this same chapter:

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

But remember, symbolic ‘death’ must always precede judgment. “Dying daily; filling up what is behind of Christ’s stripes must precede and be part of our judgment:

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Those who are being judged now are “the house of God.” That judgment is a fiery trial. It is “much tribulation” and it is “filling up what is behind of the afflictions of the Christ.” That is our fiery experience now (1 Pet. 4:12) that is our judgment which is now on the house of God so that we will not be condemned to a later, less rewarding “white throne judgment.”

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

When are we judged? Only after death?

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

I hope this all helps you to see what is ‘fire’ in the Word of God. If you need any more proof, got to iswasandwillbe. com, type the words ‘lake of fire’ into the search engine in the upper right corner of the home page and prepare to have your eyes opened as to what is the lake of fire.
No one is in the ‘lake of fire’ at this time. All dead people, just like the Lazarus Christ raised from among the dead, are “asleep” in the dust, awaiting a resurrection to a “spiritual body.”

Joh 11:11  These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Joh 11:12  Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Joh 11:13  Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Joh 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

No one who comes up in the first resurrection “will be hurt of the second death… which is the lake of fire.”

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Of those who will be in “the lake of fire, which is the second death,” some will receive few stripes and others will receive many stripes. Here is the rule which governs all judgments:

Luk 12:47  And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not [ himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [ stripes] .
Luk 12:48  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [ stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Now look at the next verse which concerns the judgment which is now on the house of God:

Luk 12:49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be a lready kindled?

‘Fire’ is the symbol of the trials of overcoming the beast within.  Yes, it is “scourging.” It is real, but it is not literal.

Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

The invisible things are more real and more lasting than are the visible. Never think that God cannot and will not “scourge” the spirit world. He certainly will.

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved , let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

When we receive our spiritual bodies we will be “like Him:”

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

This means that those few who are made “like Him,” who are in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection, will also become “consuming fires.” So now we can know what, or better put, who is the fire of the lake of fire. Here is who comprises and dwells in that “consuming fire,” and it is not who orthodox Christianity tells you:

Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

Those are fair questions which deserve an honest scriptural answer. So what would be an honest scriptural answer?

Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

Be sure to go to the search engine and type in the words ‘lake of fire’ if you want to come to see how the lake of fire will be administered. That revelation is given us in the story of how Joseph treated his brothers who sold him into Egyptian slavery.
Mike