I have a question concerning Matt 25: We know that at the great white throne judgment Hades and death will be cast into the lake of fire. However, are the “goats” in Matt 25 the 1st inhabitants of the lake of fire after the beast and false prophet? Jesus` description “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” is NOT a description of Hades, but of the lake of fire, so it seems to me the “goats” go to the lake of fire at this point rather than after the white throne. am I correct?
Speaking of the “goats” from the Sheep and Goat judgment, Matt. 25:41 says,
Then He will say to those on His left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
You are correct in stating that the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels is not Hades, because as you say, at the Great White Throne judgment death and Hades are thrown there (Rev. 20:14). We also know that the anti-Christ and the false prophet will be sent there at the time of the 2nd Coming (Rev. 19:20), so they’re most likely the Lake of Fire’s very first permanent residents.
A plain sense reading of Matt. 25:41 would lead us to believe that the “goats” of the sheep and goat judgment will also go directly into the lake of fire at that time, since the sheep and goat judgment will take place just after the 2nd Coming.