Revelation 20:10

PLUS
Revelation 20:10

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire
At the coming of Christ, it was the instrument of the devil, the False Prophet, who deceived but was captured and cast into the Lake of Fire. Now the devil himself meets a similar fate. The devil has been cast, in a series of stages, from the highest point in creation to the lowest. Satan was previously cast out of heaven to the earth (Rev. Rev. 12:9+), probably near the mid-point of the Tribulation. After the Second Coming, he was bound and cast into the abyss (Rev. Rev. 20:2+). Now, he is cast into his final destination, the Lake of Fire, which was originally prepared for him and his angels (Mtt. Mat. 25:41). Since it was prepared for both him and his angels (Rev. Rev. 12:4+), we can infer that the fallen angels, who were confined during the Millennial Kingdom, are either cast with him into the Lake of Fire (Rev. Rev. 18:2+; Isa. Isa. 34:8-17), or join him shortly thereafter following the Great White Throne Judgment when the earth (including the abyss) is no more.

The career of Satan will then come to an end. With this final revolt, the Millennial Kingdom will come to an end, and there will be a transfer of authority as described in 1 Corinthians 1Cor. 15:24-28 . . . Ultimately, the power and authority of the Kingdom must be turned over to God the Father. But this can only occur after every enemy of man is abolished and there is no longer any challenge to God’s rule, authority, and power (1Cor. 1Cor. 15:24). . . . It should be remembered that death will still exist in the Kingdom. It is only after Satan’s final revolt and his confinement in the Lake of Fire that death can be abolished.1

where the beast and the false prophet are
The devil joins his two henchmen from the time of the Tribulation who are already in the Lake of Fire. The Beast and the False Prophet were cast into the lake at the Second Coming of Christ one thousand years earlier (Rev. Rev. 19:20+). They are still there and undergoing continuous torment. The Lake of Fire does not annihilate its occupants. They suffer eternally.

tormented day and night forever and ever
Day and night is a figure of speech meaning continually (Luke Luke 18:7; Acts Acts 9:27; Rev. Rev. 7:15+; Rev. 12:10+). Those who worshiped the Beast will be tormented forever and ever (Rev. Rev. 14:10+ cf. Rev. Rev. 20:15+).2

At all events the doctrine of conscious, eternal torment for impenitent men is clearly revealed in the Word of God. Whether we can defend it on philosophic grounds or not, it is our business to believe it; and to leave it to the clearer light of eternity to explain what we cannot now understand, realizing that God has infinitely wise reasons for doing things for which we in our ignorance can see no sufficient reason at all. It is the most ludicrous conceit for beings so limited and foolish as the wisest of men are, to attempt to dogmatize how a God of infinite wisdom must act. All we know as to how God will act is what God has seen fit to tell us.3


Notes

1 Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of Messiah, rev ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2003), 520-521.

2 Concerning the eternal aspect of torment for the unjust: Ecc. c. 12:5; Isa. Isa. 66:24; Dan. Dan. 12:2; Mtt. Mat. 3:12; Mat. 25:41-46; Mark Mark 9:43-46; 2Th. 2Th. 1:9; 2Pe. 2Pe. 2:17; Jude Jude 1:13; Rev. Rev. 14:11+; Rev. 19:20+; Rev. 20:10+.

3 Donald Grey Barnhouse, Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971), 389.