"And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." — Genesis 1:2
In the book of Revelation, the “lake of fire” has long been misread as hell — a place of eternal punishment. Yet, like all scripture, it speaks in symbols. Fire and water together form a living allegory: a pictorial symbol of the creative power within man.
Fire as Imagination
Fire is spirit — the ever-burning activity of imagination. It flashes, consumes appearances, and brings forth new forms. It is the same fire Moses beheld in the bush that burned yet was not consumed.
Water as the Subconscious
Water is the subconscious mind, the deep and fluid nature of consciousness. It reflects, holds, and gives life to the seed cast into it. Just as rivers shape the land, so the subconscious shapes experience according to the impressions received.
The Lake of Fire
When fire and water are joined, you have the lake of fire: imagination burning upon the fluid depths of consciousness. It is not hell, but creation. Out of this union arises transformation — the old state dissolved, the new state born.
The Meaning for Us
The “lake of fire” is within. It is the activity of imagination working upon the subconscious to bring forth what you believe. To enter this lake is to allow the old man to be consumed and a new state of being to rise.
Thus, Revelation is not prophecy of torment, but revelation of the law: spirit and water together are the power by which every state is ended and every new creation begins.