Go! And Escape The Flames: A Biblical Truth About Hell And Eternal Life Series

Go! And Escape the Flames: A Biblical Truth About Hell and Eternal Life

Introduction – The Question Few Dare to Ask

How often do we hear about heaven in our churches? Quite often. How often do we hear about blessings, hope, and eternal joy? Regularly. But how often do we hear about hell? Rarely—and yet Jesus spoke about it more than anyone else in Scripture.

This morning, our message is not comfortable, but it is vital. We are looking at hell, hades, gehenna, tartarus, the lake of fire, and the chaff thrown into the furnace. These are not myths, metaphors, or medieval inventions. They are Biblical truths—warnings given by a loving God who desires that none should perish but that all should repent and believe.

Our key verse comes from the words of Jesus in Matthew 13:41–42 (NLT):

“The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This is serious. It is eternal. And it demands our attention—not to scare us into religion, but to awaken us to the reality of salvation.

1. Hell: More Than a Word – A Reality Beyond Denial

Luke 16:23–24 (NLT): “And he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’”

This passage gives us a window into the afterlife before Christ’s resurrection. The Greek word used for “place of the dead” is Hades (?d??)—a temporary holding place, not the final lake of fire, but a real realm of torment for the unrepentant.

In Jewish understanding, Hades paralleled the Hebrew Sheol (???????)—a realm of the dead, both righteous and unrighteous, but divided by a gulf (Luke 16:26).

This passage is not a parable about money, but a revelation of consequence—our choices in this life shape our eternity.

John Piper once wrote: “The seriousness of sin is not measured by the sin itself but by the worth of the one we have sinned against.”

In other words, hell exists because God is infinitely holy, and sin against Him is infinitely serious.

Today people say, “I’m a good person; God will understand.” But God’s standard is not “good compared to others”—it is perfect holiness. Hell reminds us sin is not trivial, and neither is the cross that saves us from it.

2. Gehenna: The Warning of Jesus

Matthew 10:28 (NLT): “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The word here for hell is Gehenna (??e??a)—derived from the Valley of Hinnom (Ge-Hinnom) outside Jerusalem, a place of idolatry, child sacrifice (Jeremiah 7:31), and later a burning rubbish dump.

Jesus’ hearers saw Gehenna as a symbol of judgment, fire, and decay.

Gehenna points to the final, irreversible state of the lost—a place of both spiritual and physical destruction.

R.T. Kendall said: “Hell is as real as heaven, but far more often ignored.”

And that is why Jesus warned, because ignoring hell does not make it disappear.

Imagine a doctor finding cancer but telling you, “I didn’t want to upset you, so I said nothing.” That would not be kindness—that would be cruelty. Jesus warned us because He loves us.

Do you fear rejection from people more than eternal separation from God? Today, many shape their faith to avoid offence—but Jesus said, “Fear God.” Reverence for God should shape our courage, our choices, and our confession of Christ.

3. Tartarus and the Fallen Angels

2 Peter 2:4 (NLT): “For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.”

The Greek word here is Tartarus (ta?ta???)—used only once in the New Testament, meaning the deepest abyss of gloom and confinement.

In Greek mythology, Tartarus was a prison for the wicked dead. Peter uses the term to describe the fate of certain rebellious angels.

It reveals that hell is not just for humans—it is prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

Charles Stanley said: “God’s justice is not revenge—it is the outworking of His holiness.”

Hell is not a tantrum of God—it is His holy justice against sin and rebellion.

If God did not spare angels, why would He overlook persistent unbelief in us? Grace is offered now, but judgment is real and certain.

4. The Lake of Fire: The Final Destiny