What About Hell?

"One God, one law, one element; And one far off, divine event to which the whole Creation moves."—Inscription in the Dome of the Capital Building in Washington D.C.

The Great Unknown

Many people are uncomfortable with the thought of dying. Why? Because we are afraid to die. The Bible speaks of those who, “Are being held in slavery by fear of death” (Hebrews 2:15). Death is stepping into the great unknown, and it's the fear of the unknown that upsets most people. In the oldest book of the Bible, Job describes the death of the wicked, “The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning. The lamp beside him goes out. The vigor of his steps is weakened. He is torn from the security of his tent and marched off to the King of terrors” (Job 18:5-7,14).

A Very Real Place

Hell is not merely a figure of speech, but a very real place! According to a 1990 Gallup Poll, 60% more Americans believe in hell today than they did in the 1950’s.

The Bible cites hell as being a real place that is not an eternal party place but rather a place of eternal torment and darkness. In fact, Jesus spoke more about hell than all the other preachers of the Bible put together! The same Jesus who tells us of heaven with all it’s glories also tells of hell with all it’s horrors.

Of the 1870 verses recording words which Jesus spoke, 13% are about judgment and hell. Also, more than half of the 40 parables that Jesus told related to God’s eternal judgment of sinners.

A Description of Hell

There are different ways the Bible describes hell.

1. Hell Is Like A Garbage Dump

The word that is often translated hell in the New Testament is “Gehenna.” This was a place where the garbage was dumped in New Testament times. Every kind of garbage was thrown there, including the corpses of criminals. Worms bred and fed in the filth while smoke filled the place due to continuing burning fires.

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33)

Jesus, warning His disciples of the opposition they would face, added the encouragement, “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” (Matthew 10:28).

2. Hell Is Like A Prison

One of the clearest pictures Jesus gave of hell was that of a prison. He told a parable of a king’s servant who was sent to jail for cruel and unforgiving behavior, then adding this warning, “This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35).

3. Hell Is a Place of Complete Darkness

Jesus spoke of those who would be “cast out into outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12). Jesus does not merely describe hell as darkness but as “the darkness,” as if to emphasize that it will be infinitely worse than any physical, moral, mental or spiritual darkness ever experienced here on earth.

Elsewhere, Peter writes of those who “have eyes full of adultery” and are “experts in greed,” and then pronounces their doom: “blackest darkness is reserved for them” (2 Peter 2:10,14,17).

The Unquenchable Fire

More than any other picture used though of hell is the one of an unquenchable fire.

Read Luke 16:19-31

Jesus often spoke in parables. However, in this particular passage He is relating a true story! Here is an incredible, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the invisible world. When Jesus related the story about the rich ruler and Lazarus, the beggar, he was addressing it to people who were obsessed with greed and materialism, people who were possessed by possessions.

The story in Luke is one of two men. The one owning everything possessed nothing, while the other owned nothing but inherited everything. One went to comfort and the other to torment.

The Rich Man 

A man of means, with considerable resources at his disposal, the rich man was clothed in purple, signifying royalty. However, the rich man’s sin was not wealth but his disregard for spiritual values which revealed itself in his prideful flaunting of resources and his neglect of a starving disabled man at his door.

Lazarus 

While the rich man lived in splendor, Lazarus ate the crumbs from this man’s table. We also read that Lazarus was carried and laid at the gate, possibly indicating that he was crippled also. When Lazarus died, the angels carried him to heaven, however the rich man didn’t get the same treatment.

Hades 

Death is the great equalizer. The rich man died, just as Lazarus, but rather than being carried to heaven he speaks of torment.

Prior to the death of Jesus, Hades had two sections:
° Abraham's Bosom: a place of comfort for the believers, those who died in faith.
° Torment: a place of suffering reserved for non-believers.
When Jesus died on the cross He went to Hades to take those who were waiting for the Messiah to glory with Him.

In Hades, people are fully conscious. There is an ability to communicate but it is a place of great pain. Hell consists of torture, suffering, and eternal separation from God.

Eventually Hades will be emptied of its occupants who will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment.

“The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:13-15).

A Warning

The rich man had five brothers who he wanted to warn about the torment of Hades. He thought that if someone came back from the dead, his brothers would believe.

However, Scriptures detail the resurrection of another Lazarus (not the same one as in this story) who rose from the dead only to be pursued by the religious authorities who wanted to eliminate him because he was living evidence of the power of God. And of course, our Lord Jesus rose from the dead, but that did not turn the hearts of all non-believers back to God.

God Wants You in Heaven!

Because God is a God of love and justice, He created hell for Satan and his fallen angels. It was not made for people! In fact, God took radical measures to keep us out of hell. Jesus prayed, “I desire that they may be with us and behold My glory” (John 17:24).

When you’re in love with someone, you want them with you. So God poured out His wrath on His own dear Son so we wouldn’t have to face it!