[10]And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The devil does not rule over hell. He is punished like everyone else.
[14]Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15]And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The lake of fire is what we think of as hell. Judgment comes on us all at last. Those who are not in God's book are thrown into hell and punished forever. This seems so awful. I think most of wish to say this is poetic, not actually true. We'd like to think this is Semitic hyperbole.
But this is judgment. We are found in the Book of Life because of what Jesus has done for us, this same Jesus whose birth we celebrate on Sunday December 25. We need a savior and God, in the plan he had from the beginning, sent his Son Jesus to be our savior. I thank God and I humbly accept him.
My Christmas cards are sent. We sent fewer than usual. We created a Christmas letter that starts out with a paragraph that feels humbly pompous to me. Nevertheless it is as true as I can make it.
We have had a very good year.
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