The doctrine of hell is one of the most neglected doctrines of the Bible. I believe it has been a strategy of the enemy to desensitize the world and even the Church to the realities of hell. We often use the word casually and even humorously:
~ like a bat out of hell
- I feel like
hell - you
look like hell -
to hell in a hand basket
-
that was a hell of a good party
- We’ve named restaurants after it: Hell’s Kitchen, Hell’s Pizza Delivery, and Hell’s Country Store. There’s a Hell, Michigan, a Hell’s Point Country Club, an annual Hell Music Festival, a This is Hell radio station in Chicago, a PC Hell computer helps service and I could go on, and on and on. When hell is spoken of today, it is usually ridiculed, as if the whole idea of hell is unrealistic and that only the foolish and ignorant would really believe that it really exists. Scripture does not speak of hell so casually or humorously,
“The wicked shall be turned into hell,
and all the nations that forget God.”
“…therefore hell hath enlarged herself,
and opened her mouth without measure…” “… and sever the wicked from among
the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: Why is hell necessary? Scripture tells us that justice and judgment are the habitation of God’s throne: (Ps 89:14). In Jeremiah 50:7 He is referred to as the habitation of justice. Since the Lord has an eternal dwelling place for those that abide in Him and follow after His Word, He must have an eternal dwelling place for those that abide in wickedness and rebellion…because He is just. Since He rewards the righteous, he must punish the unrighteous…because He is just. Since life with Christ is eternal then life without Christ must also be eternal…because He is just. Hell is
and it is Christ who rules over it. Satan is NOT
in charge of hell; he is not the boss there.
“I am He that liveth, and was
dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen;
“Hell and destruction are before
(the face, to look upon, at battle, prepare, was
purposed, Let’s define the word hell, as Scripture uses it. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word is Sheol and is said to be; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat) including its accessories and inmates – grave, hell, pit (Strong’s He. 7585) In the New Testament Greek it is defined as; Hades or the place (state) of departed souls: - grave; a name for the place or state of everlasting punishment: - hell, the deepest abyss of Hades, to incarcerate in eternal torment: - cast down to hell (Strong’s Gr. 86, 1067 and 5020) Scripture speaks of hell as a “place” not simply a state of mind or being: the gates of hell (Mt.1618), sides of the pit (Is. 14:15), hell is beneath (Is. 14:9; Pr. 15:24) and hell has various depths (Pr.9:18) Will the Lord really separate the righteous from the unrighteous; the just from the unjust? Will He really send one to a place of eternal life and another to eternal punishment and torment? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells a parable relating to the judgment.
“Let both grow together until the
harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to Yet another parable speaking of the judgment;
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and In verses 49-50, the Lord describes the fate of the wicked: “So shall it be at the end of the
world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the Again by parable Jesus gives a message about judgment and hell.
“And Jesus answered and spake unto them
again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king,
which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that
were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other
servants, saying, Tell them, which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my
dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto
the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm,
another to his merchandise: And
the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But
when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and
destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his
servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not
worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to
the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered
together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was
furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there
a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how
camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then
said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and
cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For
many are called, but few are chosen.” In the book of Isaiah the city of Tophet gives us a clear picture of hell and how its fire is fueled.
“For Tophet is ordained of old;
yea, for the king it is prepared; He hath made it deep and large: the pile
thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord,
like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.”
“And they shall go forth, and
look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against Me: for their
worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an
abhorring unto all flesh.” Man shall not escape from hell. God will be their hell and His wrath will consume them and be poured out upon them. "Who understands the power of Thine anger?" Psalm 90:11. It is because God Himself will be the fire in hell that words cannot possibly express the terrors of the damned in hell.
“For we know Him that hath said,
Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The
Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful (frightful, formidable, to be
alarmed, to be put in fear, terror Gr. 5398/5401 thing to fall into
the hands of the living God.” Who are at risk of spending eternity in hell?
“Her feet go down to death; her steps
take hold on hell.”
“Her house is the way to hell, going
down to the chambers of death.”
“But he knoweth not that the dead are
there; The above three scriptures all refer to the “strange or alien women”. This is anything that brings about the charms of sin, the pleasures of fleshly lust or when a dishonest gain is preferred to that which is justly gotten.
“And the harp, and the viol, the
tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of
the Lord, neither consider the
operation of His hands. Therefore My people are gone into captivity, because
they have no knowledge: and their honorable men are famished, and their
multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened
her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp,
and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.”
“Wherefore hear the word of the Lord,
ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have
said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement;
when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for
we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
Therefore thus saith the Lord God,
Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner
stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also
will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall
sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell
shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall
be trodden down by it.” Jesus Himself had some very distinct and strong things to say about hell…it would do us good to review them.
“But I say unto you, that whosoever is
angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and
whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but
whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
“And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted
unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have
been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this
day.”
“Woe (an exclamation of grief Gr.
3759) unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows'
houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the
greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him
twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” In verse 33 Jesus continues to address the scribes and Pharisees,
“Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers,
how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
“Then shall He say also unto them on
the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting (perpetual,
eternal, forever, present or future, without end Gr. 166/165) fire, prepared
for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat: I
was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in:
naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not. Then
shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, or
athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister
unto Thee? Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as
ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting (perpetual, eternal, forever,
present or future, without end Gr. 166/165) punishment (penal infliction,
torment Gr. 2851): but the righteous into life eternal.” “Verily
I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies
wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the
Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
(tribunal, by impl: justice by divine law,
accusation, damn Gr.2920)”
“And if
thy hand offend (to scandalize, entice to sin, to
entrap, trip-up, stumble Gr. 4624/4625) thee, cut it off: it is better for
thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the
fire that never shall be quenched: And if thy foot offend (4624/4625)
thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two
feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: And if
thine eye offend (4624/4625) thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to
enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into
hell fire:”
“He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned
(to judge against, to sentence, condemn,
damnation Gr. 2632).”
“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being
in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried
and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip
the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented (to
grieve [as dejecting], sorrow, to go down Gr.3600/1401/1416) in this flame.
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good
things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted (to call
near; i.e. to invite, to. invoke by consolation, be of good comfort, desire Gr.
3870), and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there
is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot;
neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” This passage in Luke 16 clearly addresses any question about someone leaving or getting out of hell and then going to heaven. It simply does not work that way, hell is eternal.
“For as the Father hath life in
Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; And hath given Him
authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man. Marvel not at
this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear
His voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection
of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation
(2920).”
“Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind, nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God.”
“He that overcometh shall inherit all
things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and
unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
“For if God spared not the angels that
sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness,
to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the
eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world
of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes
condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after
should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation
of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and
hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the
unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (to chastise, to reserve for
infliction Gr. 2849)” God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34); His standard of righteousness is the same for all generations (Psalm 33:11). That which He required of His angels, that which He required in Noah’s day, He requires of us today. His chastisements and punishments to those of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be the same as His judgments to us. He is the Lord God that does not change (Malachi 3:6). Some time back I was in a casual setting with friends, all committed believers. The subject of hell came up and it was mentioned that they did not really know how they felt about hell, that it was possible that it might not really exist or at best it was simply a temporary place. It was that conversation that the Father used to provoke me to do this study. I trust the above Scriptures will convict you of the truth that hell is real, that it is eternal and a place of torment and pain. I hear many say that because God is love He does not send someone to hell, but rather it is sin that sends someone to hell. I agree that sin is certainly a factor in hell being someone’s final destination but Jesus Himself warns of God bringing about the destruction of hell in someone’s life.
“And fear not them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able
|