Hell—the place of eternal torment
USA Today 1998 “Is There A Hell?”
52% Certain there is
27% Might Be
“What’s it like?”
48% Real place with suffering and torment
46% not a real place, but anguished state of existence
6% Not Sure
Some Christians don’t believe in Hell/The Devil
1 Calling God a liar-It is written in the Word, It’s true
2 Calling Jesus a liar-He talked about it so it’s true
3 Setting themselves up for a big shock when they die
If you believe in
God/Devil
Good/Evil
Heaven/Hell
Hell is a literal place that you must be prepared to describe and warn people about. The Greek word Gehenna for Hell is in N.T. 12 times. 11 of those times of use are by Jesus himself. Therefore it is of great importance to have a understanding of it.
The essential passage for study on Hell is Luke 16:19-31. The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man.
Luke 16:19-31
19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, `Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 "But Abraham replied, `Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 "He answered, `Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 "Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 " `No, father Abraham,’ he said, `but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 "He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ "
Heaven is close enough for souls in torment to glimpse; far enough away for them to forever miss what could have been theirs. But Hell is close enough to constantly see and remind them of what they have missed- Based on Luke 16:19-31
We can learn quite a lot from these few verses.
Verse 22-Lazarus went to Heaven as soon as he died. The rich man went immediately to Hell.
Verse 23-The rich man was in torment just as we would expect.
Verse 24-The man was in so much agony that he was begging just for a touch of water on his tounge. (ILLUS.-Heat of the Day/Cool Water)
Verse 25-You thought you had it good now you are surprised at where you are
Verse 26-Even if we wanted to, we couldn’t come and help you. You are stuck.
Verse 27/28-We will have our memories in Hell(part of our torment?). The rich man was concerned for his family and wanted to warn them about Hell.
Verse 29-They don’t need us. They have great preachers and prophets. If they wont listen to them, they wont listen to us.
In the Bible, Hell is described as:
Everlasting fire Matthew 25:41
MT 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Everlasting punishment Matthew 25:46
MT 25:46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life
Outer darkness Matthew 8:12
12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Everlasting destruction 2 Thess. 1:9
9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
Most famously-Lake of fire Revelation 19:20
20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Descriptions of Punishment
Bodily Matthew 5:29, 30
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
In the soul Matthew 10:28
28 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.
Since God is a God of justice, his punishment will fit the crime. The Bible tells us that there will be different levels of punishment
Revelation 20:11
REV 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
From these books, the Lord will tailor the exact punishment to fit the crime. (Permanent Record)
The Bible talks about different areas or types of Hell. There are 4 different words in the Greek N.T. To describe the underworld. Each one is a unique division of Hell
1-The Abyss of Bottomless Pit
The N.T. Refers to this part of hell 9 times. This is a place where some demons are presently confined and will be released for a period during the Tribulation to inflict suffering on the unsaved. Revelation 9:1-6
REV 9:1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
Verse 6-People will long to die because they are in such suffering, but they will not be able to.
This is also the place where Satan will be bound for the Millennium
Revelation 20:1-3
REV 20:1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
The power of Satan was broken in part by the setting up of the gospel kingdom in the world; it was further reduced by the Roman Empire’s becoming Christian; it was yet further broken by the downfall of the mystical Babylon; but still this serpent had many heads, and, when one is wounded, another has life remaining in it. It is very probable that the angel is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ; the description of him will hardly agree with any other. He is one who has power to bind the strong man armed, to cast him out, and to spoil his goods; and therefore must be stronger than he. Neither the strength of the dragon, nor the subtlety of the serpent, was sufficient to rescue him out of the hands of Christ; he caught hold, and kept his hold
He is shut up, and a seal set upon him. Christ shuts, and none can open; he shuts by his power, seals by his authority; and his lock and seal even the devils themselves cannot break open.
We have the term of this confinement of Satan—a thousand years, after which he was to be loosed again for a little season. The church should have a considerable time of peace and prosperity, but it doesn’t-The Enemy is hard at work in our own ranks.
(Marriages/Youth/Dissension/Mistrust of The Churches)
2-Tartarus
2nd Peter 2:4
2PE 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
A place where the angles who sinned against God are being held until being cast into the lake of fire.
3-Hades
The Greek N.T. Refers to Hades 11 times. Also called the “land of the dead” This is a place where the souls of lost people are held until the final day of judgment
Revelation 20:13-15
13 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. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
4-Gehenna
The most commonly used word for Hell in the N.T. It is the final place of torment for Satan, demons, and all the lost.
Revelation 20:10,14-15
10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
It is also called the “lake of fire and brimstone”, “the lake of fire”, “the 2nd death”
It is called the 2nd death because it is the place of final separation from God.
A fellow skeptic once asked the famous atheist Voltaire if he would speak some words of comfort to a friend who was dying. Voltaire responded, "I don’t think I can do that. The thought that there might really be a hell plagues me continually."...
Even a man who didn’t believe in God could still contemplate the reality of consequences for his actions.
Who and What was Hell made for?
Devil and his angels Matthew 25:41
Wicked Revelation 21:8
8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
Disobedient Romans 2:8, 9,11
8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 11 For God does not show favoritism.
Fallen angels 2 Peter 2:4
Beast and the false prophet Revelation 19:20
20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Worshipers of the beast Revelation 14:11
11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.
Rejectors of the Gospel Matthew 10:15
15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
What have learned about Hell?
1 Hell is a literal place
2 Hell is a place of memory
3 Hell is a place of torment
4 Hell is a place of unquenchable fire and thirst, of separation from God, and a place of unspeakable misery, sorrow, and anger.
5 Hell is the only place to spend eternity besides Heaven.
6 Hell is a place from which there is no escape.
Hell is sometimes described as a place of darkness or blackness. The only way I can imagine the total isolation brought on by such complete darkness is the blackness felt deep inside a cavern. If you go on a tour or have ever been on a tour of caverns you’ll understand what I mean. Almost every tour will at some point bring the visitors to rest in a safe place where the tour guide explains the depth of the darkness inside the cavern and how that, if left for a certain period, the darkness is so complete it will lead to blindness. They will often turn off all of the lights to demonstrate this. It is a darkness so deep that one can stick their hand in front of their face and never see it. This is as complete a darkness as man can know. However, this darkness will be multiplied many times over for those who spend eternity in hell....
There is a way we can avoid this darkness....
John 8:12
JN 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
