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Thanatos and Hades in the Lake of Fire

Thanatos and Hades in the Lake of Fire

Who are Thanatos and Hades in the Apocalypse? Are the personal beings 
or are they metaphors? Yes this is a Greek question. Thanatos and 
Hades were Greek gods. 

The question comes up because Thanatos and Hades are thrown into the 
Lake of Fire (Apoc 20:14). Now there are others who suffer this fate, 
The Dragon (Apoc 20:10), The Beast and False Prophet (Apoc 19:20), 
those not written in the Book of Life (Apoc 20:15), the cowardly, 
faithless, polluted, murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and 
all liars (Apoc 21:8).

Here is the problem: 

Let's assume that some of you will see several or all of these 
references as figurative. Some kind of metaphor perhaps. This question 
is not for you because the problem does not arise for you. 

There are others who will see most of those listed above as personal 
beings of some kind. But even these interpreters will say that 
Thanatos and Hades are not personal beings. How can this be?

The immediate context where Thanatos and Hades are thrown into the 
lake of fire includes those not written in the Book of Life. Let's 
reword it:

*And three people and two metaphors were thrown into the lake of 
fire.*

Here is the Question again:

Are Thanatos and Hades personal beings in the Apocalypse or metaphors?

For another angle on this see Paul's treatment of Thanatos in Rom. 5-8 
and 1 Cor. 15. Paul's *personifications(?)* of Thanatos are rather 
striking at some points.   


Clay Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
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