The Evangelical Universalist Forum

God The Consuming Fire And The Lake Of Fire

Do you think that the consuming fire that God is and the Lake of Fire is the Gospel itself? The Gospel like a fire that burns through the old and makes anew for those who are unbelievers that did not repent in this life?

I am persuaded by the sense that the lake of fire is a metaphysical experience which has two functions, judge sin and accomplish a kind of separating phenomenon whereby the evil that may exist in the unregenerate soul might be separated as you would separate dross from silver. Infact it is well known that metallurgists in the old world used sulphur (also called brimstone) as a chemical additive to molten silver and gold in order to separate dross through sulfide bonding.
Likely due to these properties, brimstone was ceremonially symbolic in worship for purification. Interestingly salt was one of the earliest gold parting additives in the smelting process. Salt was also present at the judgement of Sodom which we are told is a warning of the coming judgement. Lots wife was turned to salt as perhaps though she was taken out of Sodom, Sodom had not yet been taken out of her.

1 Like

Although it’s possible, it seems to me that the LOF description in Rev is to broad to be limited to a section of the gospels re repentance and salvation which was addressed by Paul and other NT writers.