Do we hate the Light, who shows up our faults and failures? We like to keep our pride. We fear loss of respect, position and control. What will others think or say? Being honest can be painful! God demands we go through the pain of being honest. First, God’s own truthfulness rejects all lies. Second, God loves us deeply. He knows darkness holds for us far, far greater pain. For all who join the rebels must receive their sentence for treason. Look at Satan’s end:
… and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10).
Now look at the sinner’s end:
…he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name” (Revelation 14:10-11).
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
All humans face the first death – fleshly death. All in Satan’s kingdom then face the “second death” – eternal death. Spiritual beings cannot be buried in soil. If their burial is in fire, it must be eternal fire. Injury by fire is the most painful thing we know. Thus God often pictures the rebel’s punishment as fire. You do not want to hear this sentence from Jesus:
“Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).