Revelation 20:11-15 (Poetic interpretation reconsidered)

Wide was the place and as deep as wide and as ruinous as deep.

Beneath, I saw a lake of burning fire with tempests tossed perpetually.

And still, the waves of fiery darkness broke against the rocks of dark damnation.

A music made of a melancholy sort was overhead and all around.

Wind warred with wind and storm howled at storm.

Lightening crossed and lightening forked and thunder answered thunder, muttering sounds of sullen wrath,

Descending down, as far as sound can pierce into caves of hopeless depth.

Throughout that dungeon of unfading fire, I saw the most miserable beings walking while continually burning, yet unconsumed.

Forever wasting, yet enduring still.

Dying perpetually, yet never dead,

Some wandered lonely in the desert flames, with curses loud and blasphemes making their cheeks of darkness pale.

And they fought each other and cursed and gnashed their teeth together, and wished to die.

Their hollowed eyes did utter streams of woe and streams of unending pain and sorrow and streams of tears, that never wept or fell.

Now, outside of mercy’s sight, their groans ended not and their sighs always sighed.

Repentance and despair walked among them, but outside of mercy’s sight.

And their thirsty lips met only cups of burning gall, outside of mercy’s sight.

As I listened, I heard the cursing of Almighty God and cursing of the Lamb and cursing of the Earth and cursing of Resurrection Morn.

And I heard pleads, ever vainly pleading for utter death. And I heard anguish, their everlasting anguish.

But still, in the midst of it all, the thunders from above responded through the caverns of perdition, “You knew your duty but did it not.”*

Then, back again a deeper pleading groan replied, “No! Please! Please!”

Such is Everlasting Anguish in the Shadow of Grace.

Revelation 20:11-15 (KJV)

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.