Topics covered in this
article:
1. Introduction
2. The Lake of Fire
3. The Bottomless Pit
4. The Suffering of Souls in
Hell
5. Why Must Hell Exist
6. Worms in Hell
7. Fire in Hell and Tormentors
8. Why Hell Is Eternal
9. Conclusion
_________________________
1. Introduction
Hell is a real place that
exists in a different dimension than the realm we experience on a day to day
basis. It is a place filled with darkness, fire, terror, and endless torment.
The Lord Jesus warned us about it quite frequently in the Gospel accounts of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. King David wrote about it in the Psalms. The
apostle Paul wrote about it in his epistles to the New Testament Churches. God
had prophets write about it in places such as the book of Ezekiel, chapters 31
and 32.
It is an abode of Satan’s
demonic hordes and a place of extreme heat. JOB 28:5 says: “[5.] As for the
earth, out of it cometh bread : and under it is turned up as it were fire.” [end
quote].
The Holy Spirit, using the
apostle Paul, wrote this truth in Galatians 6:7-8: "7. Be not
deceived ; God is not mocked : for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap. 8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ;
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting." [end quote] Those who sow to the flesh will end up without
life everlasting. They will only receive corruption in Hell.
But, those who sow to God’s
Spirit will have life everlasting. Sowing means to walk according to. If we
walk according to the flesh, and don’t turn to the loving and holy Abba God, we
will reap corruption in Hell. But, if we walk according to Abba Father God’s
Spirit, and repent from sin (forsake it) when we
are convicted of it, we will be forgiven.
Fellowship and intimacy
(close friendship and harmony) with Abba God is the key to overcome sin and to
have meaning, purpose, and happiness in life. Sin is not fellowship with Abba
God, but rebellion against Him. So, we must turn to Abba Father God, rest in
what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, and obey what our loving Abba God is
directing us to do.
If you have not made Jesus
Christ your Savior and Lord, we urge you to do so now. Confess that you are a
sinner, be willing to turn from sin (looking to God for help), and believe on
the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus is God the Son.
Only Jesus Christ, by His blood that He shed on the cross, can save you from
sin and can give you eternal life, healing, and cleansing from sin, and
righteousness (completeness). Turn to Jesus today. You never know how long you
may live. (Read more about salvation at this
link: https://exploringchristianity1.blogspot.com/p/salvation-through-jesus-christ_10.html )
______________________
2. The Lake of Fire
There is a place in Hell
called the Lake of Fire in the book of Revelation, chapter 20, verse 14. It is a place of eternal torment which will contain all the souls who do not
have their names written down in the Lamb’s book of life, in Heaven.
REVELATION 20:11-15 says:
"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 death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake
of fire." [end quote]
This is not speaking of those
who did not ‘earn’ Heaven by their works. Salvation is not by our works of
righteousness. TITUS 3:4-5 says: "[4] But after that the kindness
and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, [5] not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost ;" [end quote]
This is speaking of people
who have rejected the only way of salvation, which is Jesus Christ. Some may
have once known Jesus, but they forsook Him like Hebrews chapter 10, chapter 6,
and chapter 3 all say. Let’s give some quotes from the Bible to see more about
this.
HEBREWS 3:8-14 says:
"Wherefore as the Holy
Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the
provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness : when your fathers
tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved
with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart ; and they have
not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.
Take heed, brethren, lest
there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living
God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today ; lest any of you
be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of
Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end
;" [end quote]
Did you notice the words “…
Take heed, brethren, … evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living
God. … lest any of you be hardened …” [end quote] [?] The writer of Hebrews is
addressing the ‘brethren,’ who are Christians. He is saying that we can only
partake of Christ if we hold to the Truth to the very end.
Then, in chapter 10, it
speaks about one who has been made holy (sanctified) by Jesus Christ’s blood
trampling underfoot Jesus Christ and having spite for the Holy Spirit and God’s
grace.
HEBREWS 10:26-31 says:
"For if we sin wilfully
after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more
sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery
indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law
died without mercy under two or three witnesses : of how much sorer punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of
God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified,
an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace ? 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 thing to fall
into the hands of the living God." [end quote]
Notice the words “… and hath
counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy
thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace ? … The Lord shall judge
his people. …” [end quote] [?]
REVELATION 21:7-8 says:
"[7] He that overcometh
shall inherit all things ; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. [8]
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." [end
quote]
Notice the words “He that
overcometh shall inherit all things … But the … unbelieving … abominable …
idolaters … all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone …” [end quote] [?] Those who overcome are sons of God who
inherit God’s blessings. But, those who go after sin partake of the lake of
fire. And, this is eternal torment. (See Revelation 14:9-11).
______________________
3. The Bottomless Pit
Related to the subject of
Hell is the mention of a bottomless pit. The words “bottomless pit” appear in
the King James Bible at least 7 times. Revelation chapter 9, verses 1 through
3, mentions about how a fallen angel opens up a bottomless pit with a key. And,
he releases swarms of demonic creatures that oppress ungodly men
for five months. They sting them with scorpion tails during that time.
This bottomless pit is a
shaft that goes from the surface of the earth down into Hell. It is bottomless
in the sense that it is a vertical shaft with an opening at the top and bottom.
This entrance into Hell normally is invisible to the human eye, but during the
end times, it will be revealed to the people on the earth at that time. The
Bible indicates, in 2 Corinthians 12:2,
that there are at least three heavens.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:2
"[2] I knew a man in
Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell ; or
whether out of the body, I cannot tell : God knoweth ;) such a one caught up to
the third heaven." [end quote]
We exist in the first heaven.
In the second heaven, which is invisible to us, the earth has tunnel entrances
which connect the surface of the earth down to Hell which lies far below, deep
in the earth. We know that Hell is deep in the earth from Bible passages such as
Ezekiel 14:9,15 and Ezekiel 31:16-17. Ezekiel 31:16 says,
in part: "... when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the
pit : ..." "... in the nether parts of the earth."
And, Ezekiel 31:17 says, in part: "They also went down into hell
with him, unto them that be slain with the sword ; ..." [end quote]
So, the bottomless pit is a
tunnel through which demons bring the souls of the dead from the earth down
into Hell, which is in the lower parts of the earth, in the second heaven. Hell
then, is a cavern system deep in the earth, in the second heaven.
______________________
4. The Suffering of Souls
in Hell
The Bible teaches that Hell
is not a place of joy or peace. Rather, it is a place of torment and intense
suffering that goes on forever. In Proverbs chapter 5, verse 11, shows how a
man, who committed fornication and adultery is now in Hell (Prov. 5:5 and 5:11).
And, his soul-body is being consumed in the fires of Hell. PROVERBS 5:11
says: “11. and thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,”
[end quote.]
The Bible teaches that the
soul itself has a bodily form. It can feel pain, can speak, can think, and is
fully conscience and aware while in Hell. The soul-body is consumed, but this
destruction is everlasting as 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 says. The souls in
Hell “… shall be punished with everlasting destruction …” [end quote]
2 THESSALONIANS 1:7-9
"7. and to you who are
troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with
his mighty angels, 8. in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not
God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ : 9. who shall be
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from
the glory of his power ;" [end quote]
The soul-body will be
destroyed with fire, regenerated, and then be destroyed again. This process
will repeat forever. Sin is a terrible thing which we must look to God for help
to forsake. Knowing God the Father intimately through Jesus Christ is how we
forsake sin.
And, Proverbs 5:3-5 shows how
sin (and a literal harlot) leads people into Hell.
PROVERBS 5:3-5
3. "For the lips of a
strange woman drop as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil : 4. but
her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5. Her feet go down
to death ; her steps take hold on hell." [end quote]
The man who is foolish enough
to go after the strange woman will die and find himself in Hell.
PROVERBS 5:20-22
20. "And why wilt thou,
my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger ?
21. For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all
his goings. 22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall
be holden with the cords of his sins." [end quote]
PROVERBS 5:23
23. "He shall die
without instruction ; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go
astray." [end quote]
While in Hell, the adulterer
mourns and says, “… How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof
….” [end quote]
PROVERBS 5:8-12
8. "Remove thy way far
from her, and come not nigh the door of her house : 9. lest thou give thine honor
unto others, and thy years unto the cruel : 10. lest strangers be filled with
thy wealth ; and thy labors be in the house of a stranger ; 11. and thou mourn
at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, 12. and say, How have I
hated instruction,
and my heart despised reproof
;" [end quote]
Regarding the specifics of
the suffering, Revelation 14:10-11 says that “… fire and brimstone …”
[end quote] shall be used to torment the soul in Hell. It also says that the
torment is forever. In the first part of verse 11, it says: “[11.] and the
smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever : and they have no rest
day nor night …” [end quote].
There is no rest or sleep in
Hell. Soul sleep is a lie. The soul that dies a believer in Jesus goes to live
in Heaven. The Apostle Paul wrote that to be absent from the body is to be
present with Jesus (See 2 Corinthians 5:8). But, the soul that dies, having
either forsaken the Lord Jesus or having never received Him in the beginning,
will be awake in Hell, and in extreme pain. (Note: Ezekiel 32:21 and Ezekiel
32:31 show how souls in Hell can speak and see while in Hell.)
REVELATION 14:10-11
"10. the same shall
drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into
the cup of his indignation ; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb : 11. and
the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever : and they have no
rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever
receiveth the mark of his name." [end quote]
The Lord Jesus said that the
torment in Hell will be with fire that cannot be quenched and worms that cannot
die. He repeated this following phrase many times: “… to be cast into hell,
into the fire that never shall be quenched : 46. where their worm dieth not,
and the fire is not quenched.” [end quote]
MARK 9:45-46
“45. And if thy foot offend
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 : 46.
where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” [end quote]
In Luke 16, Jesus told a true
story of a rich man who did not love God. The rich man died and went to Hell. He
found himself in very hot flames near the edge of Hell not far from a chasm
which separated Hell from an Old Testament paradise, which is often called
Abraham’s Bosom. After Jesus died, Jesus descended into Abraham’s Bosom to
preach to the spirits in prison (See 1 Peter 3:18-19). Then, Jesus led
captivity captive and brought the Old Testament saints up to Heaven itself (See
Ephesians 4:6-10 and Psalm 68:18). But, in Hell, this ungodly rich man suffered
from extreme thirst and from intense, hot flames.
LUKE 16:23-24
"23. and in hell he
lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus
in his bosom. 24. 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 in this flame." [end quote]
He could not relieve his
thirst, and he could not be delivered from the fire, which everlastingly
consumed his soul-body.
______________________
5. Why Must Hell Exist?
Hell exists because sin
cannot enter Heaven. Sin would contaminate Heaven like how a dead body would
contaminate food. God cannot allow sin to enter Heaven. So, a hardened person
who despises God and His Holy Word (the Bible) cannot enter Heaven. But, since
Heaven is only Heaven because of God dwelling there and beautifying it, any
place that is beautiful has a touch of God’s love. But, Hell is not beautiful
at all.
Jesus refers to part of Hell
as outer darkness in (See Matthew 22:13). There are regions of Hell that are
completely pitch black where souls suffer great pain and agony. They gnash or
grind their teeth together in pain and anger, and weep over how they have to
suffer. But, their suffering is due to the fact that sin must be destroyed.
Fire purifies by destroying
that which causes disease. The rotting corpse of a deceased cow is burned to
remove its contamination of the ground where it rests. The Bible teaches that
Satan’s body will be devoured and brought to ashes by a fire, in Ezekiel 28:18.
The same happens to souls in Hell. But, as we said earlier, the soul-body is
regenerated only to be destroyed again. This process continues for eternity
(Matthew 25:46). (Matthew 25:46 -- "46. And these shall go away
into everlasting punishment : but the righteous into life eternal.")
Ezekiel 28:14-15
"14. Thou art the
anointed cherub that covereth ; and I have set thee so : thou wast upon the
holy mountain of God ; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones
of fire. 15. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created,
till iniquity was found in thee."
Ezekiel 28:18
"18. Thou hast defiled
thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy
traffic ; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall
devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all
them that behold thee." [end quote]
Those who follow Satan’s ways
will be burned to ashes in Hell, only to be regenerated for more destruction.
God has created men and women in His image (Genesis 1:27). God can never cease
to exist (Psalm 90:2). So, men and women can never cease to exist. The fires of
Hell remove the rottenness of the sinful soul-body, but these fires don’t
change their hardened hearts. So, they will never be made holy by the fires of
Hell. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can make a person holy and perfect so that
they can enter Heaven (See the book of Romans).
The lepers, in the Old
Testament laws, had to remain outside the encampment of the children of Israel
(Leviticus 13:44-46). Lepers could not live within the camp since they were
declared unclean. This is a picture of how a diseased body, which has been
corrupted by sin, and is not saved by Jesus Christ, cannot enter Heaven. Fire
removes the matter which is corrupted by sin, but fire cannot change the
calloused heart that doesn’t desire God or His ways.
______________________
6. Worms in Hell
Worms feed on decaying flesh,
in the natural world. But, in Hell, worms feed on the decaying, sinful
soul-bodies of the “living” dead. Fully awake and cognizant, the souls in Hell
are covered with worms and are eaten alive, like how the evil, proud King Herod,
in the book of Acts, chapter 12, was eaten of worms while he was still alive.
ACTS 12:21-22
"21. And upon a set day
Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto
them. 22. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and
not of a man."
ACTS 12:23
"23. And immediately the
angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory : and he was
eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost." [end quote]
At least three times (in Mark
chapter 9), Jesus Christ mentioned about how worms will torment people in Hell,
and will not die.
MARK 9:42-48 (emphasis added)
"42. And whosoever shall
offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a
millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 43. And if
thy hand offend 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 : 44. where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not
quenched. 45. And if thy foot offend 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 : 46. where their worm dieth
not, and the fire is not quenched. 47. And if thine eye offend 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 : 48. where their
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." [end quote]
We must get rid
of what ever it is that leads us into sin! What spiritually, morally offends us
is what causes us to be a spiritual or moral offender. This is radical. Jesus
used the strong statement of cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye to show
that forsaking the temptation to sin is very important.
______________________
7. Fire in Hell and
Tormentors
As we saw earlier, there is a
literal fire in Hell. It is not a metaphor. It is literal fire that consumes a
literal soul-body, in Hell. The man, in Proverbs chapter 5, who went to a
harlot, and did not repent (forsake it), and did not seek to know God, cries
out in Hell, and says: “… How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised
reproof ; …” [end quote]. His body is being consumed by fire in the same way
that the ungodly rich man of Luke 16 suffered (and is still suffering) in Hell.
Let’s look again at Proverbs
5:8-12 and Revelation 14:10-11.
PROVERBS 5:8-12
8. "Remove thy way far
from her, and come not nigh the door of her house : 9. lest thou give thine
honor unto others, and thy years unto the cruel : 10. lest strangers be filled
with thy wealth ; and thy labors be in the house of a stranger ; 11. and thou
mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, 12. and say, How
have I hated instruction,
and my heart despised reproof
;" [end quote]
The phrase “… thy years unto
the cruel : …” can refer to demons that torment people in Hell. In Matthew
18:32-35, Jesus mentioned how a deceased, unforgiving person will be placed
under the cruel hand of a “tormentor”. That tormentor is a demon. Demons
torment people in Hell, and that is what Jesus taught.
MATTHEW 18:32-35
“32. Then his lord, after
that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee
all that debt, because thou desiredst me : 33. shouldest not thou also have had
compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee ? 34. And his lord
was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was
due unto him. 35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye
from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” [end
quote]
As we have already seen, the
torment is eternal because the hardened soul in Hell can never truly repent and
receive the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 12, Jesus Christ taught that a man
who turns back to sin will be worse off than when he was not saved. He will be
invaded by demonic spirits. In Hell, that same man will be tormented by the
demons.
MATTHEW 12:43-45
43. When the unclean spirit
is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth
none. 44. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out ;
and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45. Then goeth
he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and
they enter in and dwell there : and the last state of that man is worse than
the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” [end quote]
Revelation 14:10-11 says that “… fire and brimstone …” [end quote] shall
be used to torment the soul in Hell. And, it says that the torment is forever.
Souls in Hell never rest. In the first part of verse 11, it says: “[11.] and
the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever : and they have no
rest day nor night …” [end quote].
______________________
8. Why Hell Is Eternal
As we saw earlier, the soul
and spirit of men and women are eternal just like the souls and spirits of
angels are eternal. We are made in the image of God, and God is eternal. He
cannot cease to exist. Wicked people cannot enter Heaven because they would
corrupt it. Paul wrote that a little leaven leavens a whole lump [of dough] in
Galatians 5:9. He was speaking of false teaching and how it harms the Church
and the individual.
GALATIANS 5:8-9
"8. This persuasion
cometh not of him that calleth you. 9. A little leaven leaveneth the whole
lump." [end quote]
And so, sin would corrupt all
of Heaven if God allowed sin to enter. When God spoke with Satan, in the book
of Job, God was outside the holy third heaven. He was in the second heaven
where Satan and his fallen angels battle with God’s angels (See Revelation
12:7, Daniel 10:13, and Ephesians 6). Lepers were not allowed to enter the
encampment of the children of Israel (Leviticus 13:44-46) as a picture of sin
not being allowed into Heaven.
And, REVELATION 21:27
says: “27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie : but they which are
written in the Lamb’s book of life.” [end quote]
Since nothing that is sinful
can enter the third Heaven, it is true, then, that there must be a place for
the eternal souls of men, who have rejected Jesus, to go. That place cannot be
full of peace, and joy, and happiness because whatever God touches is made
beautiful and holy. God’s holy presence is withdrawn from Hell completely. God
is everywhere at once, but God is not given the glory in Hell. So, there is no
glory or beauty there.
In addition, the souls in
Hell have rejected God, and since God is Love (1 John 4:16), they have rejected
the SOURCE of love, joy, happiness, and peace. Their realm of existence, then,
is devoid of all love, joy, happiness, and peace. Like their evil hearts, it is
a place of wickedness, fear, hatred, cursing, and torment. But, God cannot
permit sin to not be dealt with, so He has fire to consume the sinful
soul-bodies of the people in Hell.
Since their soul-bodies and
spirits are eternal, the fire has to continue to consume their soul-bodies.
And, their soul bodies have to continue to regenerate only to be destroyed by
fire. The process repeats itself forever. It is not God’s
preferred choice. Rather, it is what God ordains for wicked people who refuse
to receive His gracious offer of salvation, and who refuse to seek Him as He
continues to call out to them throughout their natural lives before they die.
9. Conclusion
The nature of Hell is so
horrible that many Christians do not want to speak about it, but Jesus taught
about it often. He spoke of it because it is a real place with real torment
that is eternal. God does not want anyone to perish in Hell, but He has created
us in His own image with a free will. We can choose who we will serve and who
we will love: either ourselves and the world or God. We cannot serve two. The
self must die so that Christ Jesus can manifest His loving nature and goodness
through us.
The Lord Jesus said these
powerful words in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 9...
LUKE 9:23-26 (emphasis added)
“23. And he said to them
all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross
daily, and follow me. 24. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it
: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25.
For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or
be cast away ? 26. For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him
shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he
shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.” [end
quote]
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please refrain from profanity or advertising on this blog. I appreciate your comments (as long as they are polite and clean).