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Hell

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works... And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15)

There are three words translated "Hell" in Scripture:

Recent studies show that more and more people, even among Christian circles, do not believe in Hell. Or if they do believe in Hell, they believe it is a place of temporary punishment and not eternal, where the person is not conscious of his or her state. I once heard a preacher many years ago state that Satan does not care if you believe in Heaven, he just doesn't want you to believe in Hell. I didn't quite understand his statement then, but it is very clear to me now. No fear of eternal punishment and of God's wrath can lead to a complacent attitude towards sin and the need for salvation.

The scriptures however paint a different story about Hell than what is commonly believed and accepted today. The rich man who found himself in Hell (Luke 16:19-31) was conscious. He was able to feel pain, to thirst, and to experience remorse. He wasn't asleep in the grave; he was in a place of "torment." Listen to his cry...

"...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 in this flame." (Luke 16:24).

If Hell is a place of knowing nothing or a reference to the grave into which we go at death, then Jesus' statements about Hell make no sense. He said that if your hand, foot, or eye causes you to sin, it would be better to remove it than to "go into Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:43-48).

Jesus stated in Matthew 13:41-43, "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

The Bible refers to the fate of the unsaved with such fearful words as the following:

Revelation 14:10,11 tells us the final, eternal destiny of the sinner: "He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone... the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night."

More about the Final Judgment and the Second Death

There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in "the fiery lake of burning sulfur: This is the second death" (Revelation 21:8; compare Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20; 20:11-15). Here we note that the punishment is with the devil and his angels, that it is everlasting, and that it is in the lake of fire which is called the second death.

The Wicked Share Satan's Doom

The Bible makes it clear that the lake of fire was not intended for people but for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). God's purpose and desire for humanity has always been good. The first heaven and earth were created good (Genesis 1:31). The Law was given for the good of humankind (Deuteronomy 6:24). God does not will that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). In fact, God works in all things for the ultimate good of those who love Him and respond to His call (Romans 8:28).

Nevertheless, God will not allow Satan to spoil the new heaven and the new earth which are to come. God will shut him off in the lake of fire. Those who follow Satan must share Satan's doom (John 16:8,11), for they have Satan, not God, as their father (John 8:44). Those who share Satan's punishment are further referred to as the "wicked" (Matthew 13:49,50).

This is a general term for all who are actively evil and worthless. They include the cowardly (cowardly because of lack of faith), the unbelieving, the vile (the disgusting, detestable), murderers, sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts (those who use enchantments, harmful drugs), idolaters, and all liars (Revelation 21:8). (See also Matthew 8:12; 13:41,42; 22:13; 23:15; 25:30,33; Luke 13:27; Revelation 21:27; 22:15.)

Paul sums it up by including all who do not know God with a personal knowledge of salvation plus all who do not keep on obeying the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

The Punishment of the Wicked Has No End

The first Bible reference given in the "Statement of Fundamental Truths"ĞMatthew 25:46Ğuses the phrase "everlasting [Greek, aionion] punishment." Some have denied that this means eternal in the sense of absolutely unending. In the same verse, however, Jesus used the same word of life "eternal" (aionion) in a manner that is directly and exactly parallel.

In other words, the punishment will be as eternal as the eternal life. This leaves no room for any later restoration of the wicked. In Matthew 25:41 the punishment is defined as "everlasting [Greek, aionion] fire."

Jesus characterized the intermediate state of the wicked after death (hell, Hades) as one of fire (Luke 16:23,24), but this is to be distinguished from the eternal fire. Jesus' words in Luke 16 show us that the wicked remain conscious and are aware of their state and of what they have missed. But the eternal fire is to be identified with what Jesus called Gehenna or literally "the gehenna of fire" (Matthew 5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:8,9; 23:15; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5).

This fire is not only to be eternal, but is also said to be of such a nature that it can never be quenched (Mark 9:43). This clearly indicates that there can be no possible end to the fire or the punishment. The punishment is as eternal as the fire. If the fire brought an annihilation of the wicked, there would be no reason for the fire being eternal. Jesus also referred to the same fire as a "fiery furnace" (Matthew 13:42,50) where there will be terrible remorse shown by weeping and gnashing of teeth. But remorse is not repentance. The remorse of Judas did not save him from eternal loss as the "one doomed to destruction" (John 17:12; Acts 1:16-20).

Jesus identified this weeping and gnashing of teeth as taking place in "outer darkness" (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30, KJV et al.). This darkness indicates a final separation from God and from the Lamb who is the light of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:23). Another New Testament passage refers to eternal punishment as "eternal judgment," that is, a judgment that is valid eternally (Hebrews 6:2). Still another passage speaks of "ruin" (literally, "death," "separation") and "destruction" (eternal loss) (1 Timothy 6:9). This "everlasting destruction" (or separation) is "from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

In these passages the word "death" is thus used in the sense of spiritual death or separation from God. The sinner is even now dead in trespasses and sins and therefore without Christ, or separated from Christ (Ephesians 2:1,12). Eternal judgment brings a final and eternal separation from God and from Christ.

The Second Death

The Bible calls this final separation from God "the second death." In the Book of Revelation the lake of fire is so described (Revelation 20:14). Jesus also identified Gehenna as a second death when He warned: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell [Gehenna]" (Matthew 10:28; see also Luke 12:4,5).

This clearly refers to another death after the physical death of the body. It is also clear that this death is different in order and in kind. As physical death is separation from the body and from the environment of this life, so the second death is a final and eternal separation from God and from the life to be enjoyed in the new creation.

Among those consigned to this second death will be all who take the mark of the beast (Revelation 14:9-11). These will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the angels and Christ. That is, though shut off from the new creation in the lake of fire, they will be able to see the Lamb of God they rejected, just as Lazarus was able to see across the great gulf between Hades and Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:23). Again, they will not be annihilated, for "the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night" (Revelation 14:11). They will be forever denied the rest promised to the saints.

None of these passages indicates any promise of rehabilitation or restoration once the final judgment is pronounced. No sanctifying agent is revealed in connection with the lake of fire or Gehenna. The fire is parallel to the "worm" of Mark 9:44,46,48 (KJV). It is looked at as punitive, not purifying. There will be no second chance. This should stir the Church to proclaim the message, "Now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).

A Challenge to the Christian

Charlie Peace, condemned to death on England's death row, was being led to the gallows guided by prison guards and the chaplain who was casually reading some scripture verses. Peace was rather shocked at how the chaplain rather matter-of-factly read about hell. Could a man be so unmoved under the very shadow of the scaffold as to lead a fellow human there and yet, dry-eyed, read of a pit that has no bottom into which this fellow must fall? Could this preacher believe the words that there is an eternal fire that never consumes its victims, and yet slide over the phrase without a tremor? Is a man human at all who can say with no tears, "You will be eternally dying and yet never know the relief that death brings"?

All this was too much for Charlie Peace. So he preached. Listen to his on-the-eve-of hell sermon. "Sir," addressing the preacher, "if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worth while living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!" (Why Revival Tarries, L. Ravenhill).

There is no trouble too great, no humiliation too deep, no suffering too severe, no love too strong, no labor too hard, no expense too large, but that it is worth it, if it is spent in the effort to win a soul.

"Who hath ears to hear, let him hear"

I repeat Jesus' words, "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

I urge you the reader today, if you do not repent of your sins and trust Christ for salvation, then you will spend eternity in hell. I do not say it in judgment or with a "holier-than-thou" attitude in my heart. I say it with fear and trembling, and with much love for your soul. As Paul the apostle said, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (2 Corinthians 5:11). If you would like accept God's offer of mercy and forgiveness today, please click here.

Sources: Assemblies of God position papers; Living Waters

 

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