The following chapter adds the idea of torment, saying: “And the Devil . . . was hurled into the lake of fire and sulphur, where both the wild beast and the false prophet already were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”​—Rev. 20:10.

Many believe that this refers to actual conscious torment forever in real fire. However, the book of Revelation contains many “signs,” or symbols. (Rev. 1:1) Could it be that the lake of fire and its torments are symbolic? The Bible itself provides enough information for us to draw the correct conclusion.

As for torment, this need not be understood literally as a conscious experience of suffering. Several times the Greek Septuagint Version of the Hebrew Scriptures uses the word for torment (básanos) with reference to death. We read, for instance: “And when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits a trespass, and I shall bring punishment [básanos, literally “torment”] before him, he shall die.” (Ezek. 3:20) Later Ezekiel was told by God that “all the slain that fell by the sword . . . have received their punishment [básanos]” and that persons “who go down slain to Hades . . . have received their punishment [básanos].” (Ezek. 32:24, 30, Septuagint) Bagster’s English translation of the Septuagint adds a footnote at Ezekiel 3:20, saying: “Básanos in Old Testament seems to signify punishment.” And the punishment, or torment, mentioned in the scriptures here quoted from Ezekiel is clearly death.

Further indicating the Scriptural meaning of torment are statements in the book of Revelation concerning the symbolic “Babylon the Great.” We read: “And I heard another voice out of heaven say: ‘ . . . To the extent that she [Babylon the Great] glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury, to that extent give her torment and mourning. . . . And the kings of the earth . . . will weep and beat themselves in grief over her, when they look at the smoke from the burning of her, while they stand at a distance because of their fear of her torment.’” (Rev. 17:1-5; 18:4, 7, 9, 10) What is the meaning of Babylon the Great’s fiery torment? An angel explains: “Thus with a swift pitch will Babylon the great city be hurled down, and she will never be found again.” (Rev. 18:21; compare 17:16; 18:8, 15-17, 19.) Once again, fiery torment refers to destruction and death, and, in Babylon’s case, this lasts forever.

So what has our investigation revealed about the lake of fire? We have learned that with regard to Sodom, Gomorrah and Edom, “everlasting fire” proved to be symbolic, meaning the total destruction of those cities. “Torment” too appears in the Bible with reference to destruction and death. Since the Scriptures specify that the fiery lake “means the second death” and the dead “are conscious of nothing at all,” being tormented forever in the lake of fire must be understood as being symbolic. It means complete and everlasting destruction for all unrepentant opposers of God who are “hurled into” it.