The Lake Of Fire

 The Bible tells of a geographical location, on the surface of this planet, where the streams will be turned into pitch, the dust into brimstone, and the land will become burning pitch. Isaiah goes on to say that once this fire is started it will never be quenched. But the smoke of it will go up forever and ever (Isaiah 34:9-10).

There is scriptural evidence that this takes place on the last day of The Great Tribulation immediately prior to the physical return of Jesus Christ at the battle of Armageddon (Isaiah 34:2-10[10-16]).

When compared with companion scriptures, it is revealed that this will take place on the site of ancient Babylon (Isaiah 13:19-22, Jeremiah 50:39-40, 51:29, 37, 62).

The prophecies concerning the sudden and complete destruction of Babylon, and the land area surrounding it becoming an utter waste, have not yet been fulfilled (Isaiah 13:19, Jeremiah 50:40, Deuteronomy 29:23).

**Reminder: The Biblical prophets repeatedly foretold the sudden catastrophic and complete destruction of Babylon. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah said it would be as (exactly like) the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed suddenly, catastrophically and permanently by fire and brimstone (Genesis 19:24-28). Not one of these prophecies, concerning Babylon, has yet been fulfilled.

There is only one way for these prophecies, concerning the destruction of Babylon, to be fulfilled according to the word of God, and that is for the city of Babylon to be rebuilt. Revelation 18:2 says this will happen (remember, according to Revelation 1:1-3, the entire book of Revelation has a future orientation. It is all prophecy, not historical flashbacks). Revelation 18:2 is speaking of the future destruction of the rebuilt city of Babylon.

There is a reason for Babylon to be rebuilt in the latter days, and there is a reason why it will be destroyed so violently. Babylon the Great will be the Antichrist's seat of power during his reign. At that time it will become the occult capital of the world (Revelation 18:2,23, Isaiah 47:9 (5-9), 12-13). It will also become a world center of commerce (Revelation 18:3, 9-23).

Merchants worldwide will become wealthy through their dealings with Babylon the Great, but God will no longer tolerate the filth, violence and corruption that, has in the past and, will again be polluting the world through this city. At that time, God will judge Babylon the Great for both her *present and **ancient sins (Revelation 18:4-8).

• *Revelation 18:5-a "...for her sins have reached Heaven."
• **Revelation 18:5-b "...and God has remembered her iniquities."

Babylon the Great will be destroyed in just one day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah were. She will be burned with fire and swallowed by an earthquake. Her streams will be turned into pitch and her dust into brimstone. The land will become burning pitch, and, the Bible says, this fire, once started, will never be quenched (Revelation 18:8-10,17-18,21, Jeremiah 50:46, Isaiah 34:10).

Where Is Hell?

The Bible teaches that hell is located in the lower parts of the earth. The Bible also teaches that hell will one day enlarge itself (Amos 9:2, Psalms 63:9, Isaiah 14:9, Habakkuk 2:5-a, Isaiah 5:14).

How Will the Lake of Fire Be Formed?

There is scriptural evidence to prove the earthquake that swallows Babylon the Great will be caused by hell enlarging itself and breaking through to the surface of the earth. Hell will move up towards the surface of the earth to meet the King of Babylon (the Man of Sin who will be thrown alive into it), and, at that time, will form a literal lake of fire (Isaiah 14:9, 5:14, Revelation 19:20).

The physical site of ancient and rebuilt Babylon will literally become a lake of fire that will burn perpetually—through-out eternity—and the land area surrounding it will become, and remain, a wasteland forever.

**Point of interest:

According to Clarence Larkin, in his book Dispensational Truth, the foundation of the ancient city of Babylon is under-laid with bitumen—better known to modern man as asphalt. However, the Biblical word for this substance is… brimstone.