In Revelation 20:14 (ESV) we read;

"Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire."

The concept of "fire" is used multiple times in the New Testament to refer to a place of final judgement - To list just a few of them...

Matt 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire.

Matt 13:40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.

Matt 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Likewise, the term Hades (other translations use the word Hell) is a word that is also used multiple times in the NT to refer to a place of judgement and/or torment. Examples...

Matt 11:23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Luke 10:15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.

Luke 16:23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

Acts 2:27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.

Acts 2:31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

With those example scriptures in mind, the Rev 20:14 passage throws me for a loop. What causes confusion, for me, is that I've always considered Hades and the lake of fire to be the same thing. And if Hades and the lake of fire is the same thing, how can Hades be cast into itself? What's more confusing to me is, if the "lake of fire" is a physical place that those who are not written in the "Book of Life" will be sent for all eternity, how is it possible to send Death and Hades to that same place?

I suppose my question boils down to:

In Rev 20:14, what is Death, Hades, and the Lake of Fire?

In Revelation 20:14 (ESV) we read:

"Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire."

The concept of "fire" is used multiple times in the New Testament to refer to a place of final judgment. To list just a few of them:

Matt 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, "You fool!" will be liable to the hell of fire.

Matt 13:40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.

Matt 25:41 Then he will say to those on his left, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."

Likewise, the term Hades (other translations use the word Hell) is a word that is also used multiple times in the NT to refer to a place of judgment and torment. Examples:

Matt 11:23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Luke 10:15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.

Luke 16:23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

Acts 2:27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.

Acts 2:31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

With those scriptures in mind, the Revelation passage throws me for a loop. What causes confusion, for me, is that I've always considered Hades and the lake of fire to be the same thing. And if Hades and the lake of fire is the same thing, how can Hades be cast into itself? What's more confusing to me is, if the "lake of fire" is a physical place that those who are not written in the "Book of Life" will be sent for all eternity, how is it possible to send Death and Hades to that same place?

I suppose my question boils down to:

In Revelation 20:14, what is Death, Hades, and the Lake of Fire?